A new project is opening in San Francisco that utilizes a vacant piece of land for a temporary retail installation using shipping containers.
The space is designed by Douglas Burnham of Oakland-based Envelope A+D and includes 26 containers. The first to open is an ice cream shop.
"'It's the idea of a flexible machine that is operating at the pace of the Internet, where you have simple frames but the content is always different,' he said. The architect broached the idea with the city after winning a bid to build market-rate housing further down on Octavia Boulevard. The creative endeavor is financed in part by a client of Burnham's (who prefers to remain anonymous), who is funding some of the infrastructure; each vendor is paying for the build-out of their containers and a percentage of the rent for the lots.
For the city, the project is a chance to tinker with their vision for Octavia Boulevard. The two lots, comprising about 18,000 square feet, are next to the park at the foot of the street, Hayes Green, and segue into the Hayes Valley business district."
FULL STORY: San Francisco's Pop-Up Hood

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie