Stephanie M. Lee reports on the complicated nature of creating an urban garden in San Francisco, and how the area's Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) hopes to streamline the process.
Last year, the city of San Francisco changed their zoning rules to allow residents to grow and sell food by means of urban farms and gardens. But the process entailed working with up to seven city agencies just to get the required approvals. Outlined in a report released last month, SPUR recommends a number of reforms to try to simplify the entangled process and satisfy the voracious demand for space to garden in the city.
"The report, the result of a six-month study of the budding small-business model, makes the case for increasing that space. It calls on city agencies, including the Recreation and Park Department and the Public Utilities Commission, to provide more land to urban farmers, including existing public areas that are underused."
Eli Zigas, the food systems and urban agriculture program manager at SPUR, says that uncertainty over how to even begin to set up an urban garden is a major stumbling block. "There are people who want to start projects who find it difficult to do so because they don't know who to talk to. Or they approach an agency, and the agency doesn't know how to respond because that's not what they do".
Last month, Supervisor David Chiu introduced new legislation for creating an urban garden program housed by one centralized agency or non-profit organization by the end of the year.
FULL STORY: SPUR, David Chiu push SF urban gardens

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.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Massachusetts Budget Helps Close MBTA Budget Gap
The budget signed by Gov. Maura Healey includes $470 million in MBTA funding for the next fiscal year.

Milwaukee Launches Vision Zero Plan
Seven years after the city signed its Complete Streets Policy, the city is doubling down on its efforts to eliminate traffic deaths.

Portland Raises Parking Fees to Pay for Street Maintenance
The city is struggling to bridge a massive budget gap at the Bureau of Transportation, which largely depleted its reserves during the Civd-19 pandemic.
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.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont