By "protecting" San Francisco's physical character through down-zoning and NIMBY activism, the city has transformed its social character, as families, young adults, and others flee the city to find cheaper rents. A regional solution is required.

"My friends keep moving to Oakland," observes Gabriel Metcalf, the executive director of SPUR. "Gone from San Francisco for greener pastures and cheaper rents, because it’s just gotten too hard, by which I really mean too expensive. Their move signals that something has gone terribly wrong in this most progressive of American cities."
Due to several factors, the city simply hasn't produced enough housing to keep up with demand. "There’s a lot of housing under construction now, and for the next couple of years, we’ll see more built," he notes. "But a few years of strong housing production, building out neighborhood plans that the city has worked on for the last two decades, is going to be too little, too late to undo the larger trend."
Yes, policies could be adopted to help increase the amount of units (affordable and otherwise) constructed in the city, but Metcalf argues that a regional solution is necessary to more evenly distribute the growth pressures afflicting San Francisco and other areas.
"We need our own 'metropolitan' strategy that ties the region together in better ways, and creates walkable, diverse communities in more locations," he urges.
FULL STORY: The San Francisco Exodus

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

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie