San Francisco Chronicle urban design critic John King cautions against too much redevelopment and not enough preservation along El Camino Real in San Mateo County, where a major initiative is attempting to change much of the corridor's character.
El Camino Real is the historic main thoroughfare from San Francisco to San Jose and continues to act as the key commercial corridor of activity linking all the 19 peninsula cities in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. While planners and civic leaders decry the auto-oriented, single-use nature that characterizes much of the road, John King sees it much differently. The Grand Blvd Initiative represents a regional planning attempt to revitalize the highway to make it more multi-modal and provide much needed housing opportunities for the two counties.
King sees El Camino Real as "a jumble of styles and scales, but the jumble is part of the allure" and "it's important that today's charismatic clutter be recognized for what it is: the Bay Area's best overview of mainstream American architecture of the past century."
King acknowledges that the initiative's "guiding principles...include a vow to 'preserve and accentuate unique and desirable community character', but believes that "the (Grand Blvd) initiative's underlying tone shows little appreciation for the energetic, if sometimes chaotic, architectural diversity that now exists."
FULL STORY: El Camino Real: Can planners take the high road?
Redesign of Bay Area's El Camino Real is a Royal Pain
One road, two counties, 19 cites - that's what and who is involved in a far-reaching plan to redesign El Camino Real, the first paved road in California, from Daly City in northern San Mateo County to San Jose in the heart of Santa Clara County.
Caltrain Electrification Broke Ground on Friday
Gov. Jerry Brown, Peninsula congresswomen, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and state legislative leaders gathered in Millbrae with shovels-in hands to mark the beginning of a four-year construction project to electrify Caltrain.
Three Bay Area Counties May Decide Whether to Support Caltrain with Sales Tax Measure
The oldest commuter rail line west of the Mississippi is also unique in another way—it lacks a dedicated source of operating revenue. Legislation has been introduced to allow Peninsula counties to vote to increase sales taxes by 0.125 percent.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
How Transit Architecture Impacts Real and Perceived Safety
More than a third of Americans believe major transit systems are too unsafe to ride. The built environment can change that.
New York Passes Housing Package Focused on New Development and Adaptive Reuse
The FY 2025 budget includes a new tax incentive, funding for affordable housing on state land, and support for adaptive reuse and ADUs.
LA Metro Board Approves New 710 Freeway Plan
The newest plan for the 710 corridor claims it will not displace any residents.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.
