Prompted by the May 24 approval by the Board of Supervisors of the massive redevelopment of the Parkmerced garden apartments, The Examiner looks at the city's evolution from protecting city character at all costs to a more urbanist approach.
In a landmark, 5-4 vote the Board of Supervisors will allow 5,700 housing units to be built on the sprawling 152-acre Parkmerced site in the southwest corner of the City, setting the stage for the even larger (8,000 units) proposal on Treasure Island to be voted on June 7.
"Months of political tip-toeing before (the Parkmerced vote) should demonstrate a simple lesson: There is no exact formula for predicting whether development plans become reality in San Francisco."
However, the tide has clearly changed in favor of dense, transit-oriented development. The debate centers on how what and how many community benefits the Board can extract from the developers. With Parkmerced, a key issue was protecting rights of those whose homes will be demolished.
"The developers have promised to uphold the rent-control rights of current tenants and provide them with modern replacement units in advance of demolition."
FULL STORY: The new politics of dense development in San Francisco
S.F. Bay Area Megaprojects Not Coming to Fruition
Plans for numerous large-scale developments in the region mean thousands of housing units should be on the way, but constant delays and setbacks have left projects nowhere near completion.
Megaprojects Approved in San Francisco
Two major redevelopment projects - Treasure Island and Parkmerced - have been approved after a lengthy process by San Francisco's Board of Supervisors.
San Francisco Muni Raises Fares a Second Time
A 10–cent fare hike for adults is part of the agency’s plan to chip away at a growing budget deficit.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.
Santa Clara County Dedicates Over $28M to Affordable Housing
The county is funding over 600 new affordable housing units via revenue from a 2016 bond measure.
Why a Failed ‘Smart City’ Is Still Relevant
A Google-backed proposal to turn an underused section of Toronto waterfront into a tech hub holds relevant lessons about privacy and data.
When Sears Pioneered Modular Housing
Kit homes sold in catalogs like Sears and Montgomery Ward made homeownership affordable for midcentury Americans.
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.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions