The online documentation of the San Francisco Planning Department's approval process received a huge upgrade.
"The San Francisco-based startup Buildingeye just went live with the initial version of a map that shows all the projects in the Planning approval process going back to 2009," reports Lamar Anderson.
Anderson adds: "[The Planning Department] also enlisted Buildingeye to create a separate map specifically for CEQA, and there's another one planned for the Department of Building Inspection. (The CEQA map even lets users set up email alerts for particular addresses, because of a recent law mandating an electronic notification system for CEQA.)"
Compared to the system's predecessors and systems that aim to accomplish some of the same goals in other cities around the country, the system is easy to use and seems, at least, to be a much more honest effort to enable community engagement rather than discourage it. In case you need more help, there's even a visual step-by-step guide for how to use the system. Anderson's post also spends a little more time explaining how the system works.
Read the full story: Planning Debuts Awesome Map of Every Project Proposed in SF
Amendments to Sen. Wiener's 'More HOMES Act' Address Jobs-Housing Balance
"Jobs-rich area," a new term that targets some suburban regions, is among amendments added March 11 to Senate Bill 50, the reincarnation of Wiener's controversial SB 827 housing bill that died last year.
'100-Year Decision': First Approval for Train Route to S.F.'s Salesforce Transit Center
John Rahaim, director of the San Francisco Planning Department, calls the decision to route Caltrain to the newly opened Salesforce Transit center a "100-year decision."
California as a Model for Housing Legislation
The Golden State may have the nation's most severe housing crisis, but there is one area of state housing policy where it shines, becoming a model for other states that want to advance accessory dwelling units, also called granny or in-law units.
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