John King writes that the "Gallery + Ideas Forum" at the Presidio in San Francisco provides an excellent model for presenting issues and ideas of planning and urban design to the public.
"If you want to see how the rarefied topic of urban design can be presented in a downright friendly way, check out the Presidio’s current exhibition on its recent competition for a unique park above Crissy Field," writes John King in a recent review for the San Francisco Chronicle.
King takes the occasion of reviewing the success of this exhibition to ask a larger question about exhibitions on the subject of planning, urban design, and other forms of preparing for the future of communities:
"Ask yourself why San Francisco and other cities don’t create their own interactive spaces where regular citizens could immerse themselves in what might or might not happen next."
The review includes a lot more detail about the exhibit and more about how helpful a tool this kind of access can be to cities and the planning profession.
FULL STORY: Bringing city planning to the people who live with it
Why Aren’t There More Planners?
Planning can be a great career for socially conscious individuals, but university programs are struggling to attract new students to the field. A trio of academics are raising awareness about the field through community activation.
New Public Hearing Requirements Delay Completion of Reston’s New Comprehensive Plan
One of the country’s most prominent master-planned communities has spent several years working on an a comprehensive plan update. The plan will have to wait a little longer as the Fairfax County, Virginia community adjusts to new state laws.
San Francisco Plans for 82,000 New Housing Units
California housing regulators have granted preliminary approval for the city of San Francisco’s housing element as mandated by the state’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation process.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.
Santa Clara County Dedicates Over $28M to Affordable Housing
The county is funding over 600 new affordable housing units via revenue from a 2016 bond measure.
Why a Failed ‘Smart City’ Is Still Relevant
A Google-backed proposal to turn an underused section of Toronto waterfront into a tech hub holds relevant lessons about privacy and data.
When Sears Pioneered Modular Housing
Kit homes sold in catalogs like Sears and Montgomery Ward made homeownership affordable for midcentury Americans.
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.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions