John King writes about an ambitious new regional plan for the Bay Area that looks to accommodate the 1.1 million new jobs and 2.1 million new residents expected by 2040, with relatively little suburban sprawl.
Plan Bay Area, which was presented last week to a joint meeting of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Association of Bay Area Governments, has been a year in the making. Part of a state-mandated plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the plan "is the latest attempt to encourage local governments to accept higher-density growth as part of an effort to create communities where jobs, housing, shopping and recreational space all are within convenient reach," notes King.
Based on expected demographic trends and changes in tastes that will drive a market for urban living, the plan would focus development in the cities of San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose, and along such corridors as El Camino Real on the Peninsula and San Pablo Avenue from Oakland to Richmond.
The plan, however, is not without its detractors. "'Everything here is cookie-cutter,' said Richard Willis of Corte Madera, referring to the plan's enthusiasm for putting apartments and condominiums near transit. 'If you want to deny that this (Agenda 21) is the basis of your plan, you're in la-la land.'"
FULL STORY: Plan Bay Area envisions growth without sprawl

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.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations
Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.

Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean
Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?

Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US
A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.
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