John King makes it clear - the 4-story ring iCon (or doughnut, by some) would not work in urban San Francisco, but could be quite fitting for sprawling, suburban Silicon Valley.
"The centerpiece of the proposal is Apple's would-be iCon - a four-story ring of smooth aluminum and glass that Jobs likened to a spaceship in the June 7 presentation (to the Cupertino City Council) that stands, for now, as his last public appearance."
The ring, containing 2.8 million sq. ft of space, would require a half-mile walk from one far side to the other. King asks if workers would be given Segways.
The cafeteria seats 3,000; the garage parks 4,3000.
"While the spaceship is the main attraction, it's not the structure that would be most visible to outsiders. That honor goes to the parking garage, which would form a streamlined wall along Interstate 280 four stories tall and 1,440 feet in length, with room for 4,300 cars."
Unlike the original developments that marked the inception of Silicon Valley in Santa Clara county some 40 years ago on the famed fruit tree orchards, the expanded Apple campus would be a consolidation of two office parks; reducing the existing 25 office buildings to five.
Read the full story: Apple spaceship HQ might work in Cupertino
High Tech Embraces Suburban-Style Office Park Thinking
Critics claim tech companies such as Apple and Google are guilty of repeating past mistakes of urban development by creating suburban campuses that isolate themselves from the surrounding community.
Will Apple's Silicon Valley HQ Appeal to Young Techies?
As young tech talent increasingly calls San Francisco home, some wonder whether investing in large, opulent headquarters in suburban Cupertino is a risky decision for even the most successful tech companies.
The Alienation of Apple's Alien HQ
Philip Langdon criticizes the 'corporate isolationism,' of Apple's new donut shaped headquarters in Cupertino, California.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority