Can the Bay Area Grow Up Without Growing Out?

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.

1 minute read

March 20, 2012, 9:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


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.'"

Saturday, March 17, 2012 in San Francisco Chronicle

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

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.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

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.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Google street view image of strip mall in suburban Duncanville, Texas.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall

A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

4 hours ago - Parking Reform Network

Blue tarps covering tents set up by unhoused people along chain link fence on concrete sidewalk.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work

Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

6 hours ago - Next City

Aerial tram moving along cable in hilly area in Medellin, Colombia.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle

Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.

July 6 - InTransition Magazine