As part of the new Transbay Transit Center being developed in downtown SF, several new overpasses are being constructed. Rather than allow the oft-forgotten spaces underneath these roads to become seedy, designers are envisioning positive uses.
Will Reisman describes how designers of San Francisco's new Transbay Transit Center plan to keep the underpasses of newly constructed ramps from becoming "havens for homeless encampments, shady drug deals and other types of seedy behavior."
"A vertical climbing wall, basketball courts, a dog park, public art
and a biking path are all set to comprise Oscar Park, a public open
space situated mostly beneath the various ramps that are part of the
$1.5 billion bus and train terminal," reports Reisman.
"In the few areas where a freeway overpass doesn't
loom overhead, there will be grassy open spaces, said Courtney Pash, of
the Successor to the Redevelopment Agency, The City department
overseeing the project."
"We wanted to make sure that the sites below the ramps did not become places for negative activity," said Pash. "We knew that there would be opportunities to turn these places into open spaces with really positive outlets."
FULL STORY: Transbay Transit Center to present unique opportunities for open spaces
The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall
The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.
The Paradox of American Housing
How the tension between housing as an asset and as an essential good keeps the supply inadequate and costs high.
Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities
The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.
Anchorage Leaders Debate Zoning Reform Plan
Last year, the city produced the fewest new housing units in a decade.
How to Protect Pedestrians With Disabilities
Public agencies don’t track traffic deaths and injuries involving disabled people, leaving a gap in data to guide safety interventions.
Colorado Town Fills Workforce Housing Need With ‘Dorm-Style’ Housing
Median rent in Steamboat Springs is $4,000 per month.
City of Yakima
City of Auburn
Baylands Development Inc.
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Town of Zionsville
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.