John King describes a new, 7.6-acre hospital campus in the heart of Oakland, California as accessible only by car or ambulance—in other words, "enough to make you sick."
San Francisco Chronicle architecture critic reviews Kaiser Permanente's new hospital in Oakland as "a behemoth that other municipalities should study - for pointers on what not to allow." The hospital's failures are troubling for the possibilities of designing modern hospital facilities for urban areas.
"The reality of today's America is that - rightly - we want seismically safe hospitals that offer a soothing environment for patients, and are convenient and well-equipped. The trade-off is structures with dimensions that don't easily fit into established urban districts," King writes.
Also disappointing is that Kaiser Permanente's Oakland hospital is "the hometown flagship of a major health care organization founded in 1945."
Read the full story: Kaiser's anemic new Oakland hospital leaves us a bit ill
Kaiser Permanente to Construct Highrise Headquarters in Oakland
Following Salesforce's lead, the healthcare giant will relocate to a high-rise urban headquarters, transitioning out of seven locations it currently occupies in the East Bay.
Design Competition Rethinks the Role of the Hospital
James Brasuell reports on the results of a competition sponsored by healthcare giant Kaiser Permanente aiming to transform healthcare design in California by breaking from traditionally sterile and isolating hospital environments.
Less housing, wasted money: study reveals impact of city parking mandates
The study found that 71% of carless households in the United States pay for a parking space they don’t use.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority