A pattern of opposition to housing projects that leads to the underdevelopment of land has contributed to a housing shortage in San Francisco, writes planning consultant Jim Chappell.
What does NIMBYism defeated look like? For proponents of a 420-unit housing plan in San Francisco, it looks like a 7-0 approval from the Planning Commission and 4-0 (with only a minor modification) from the Board of Appeals.
Jim Chappell, former head of the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR), writes that the effort to get the much needed project approved was a drawn out one, largely due to some residents who did not want the housing units in their neighborhood.
Chappell writes that the recent struggle to get this project approved mirrors a similar pattern with other developments in which neighbors opposing the new construction demand that the number of units be cut down. Those demands result in drawn-out squabbling and long delays at the Planning Commission level of approval, with the end result being housing projects on underdeveloped plots that don’t meet the housing demand, according to Chappell.
"Multiple this by ten or twenty times a year, and we were creating the housing shortage that is now upon us. Even with upping our game, San Francisco created some 22,000 jobs from 2010 to 2013, and only around 10,000 housing units during the same period. No wonder the average 1-bedroom in San Francisco is going for $3100 per month!"
FULL STORY: SPOILER ALERT: 420 Housing Units Under Construction
How Process Stops Change in San Francisco
San Francisco loves process and fears change. It's costing residents in more ways than housing, laments David Prowler, former Special Assistant to Mayor Willie Brown.
Does Zoning Create a Vicious Circle—Or Can It Fix Itself?
Ideally, planners could balance homeowners' interests in zoning against the public good, liberalizing zoning when prices got too high. But this may be politically impossible.
Some Big Cities See Shrinking Rents
Even as rents continue to rise nationally, some of the most expensive cities like San Jose, San Francisco, and New York have seen rents fall this year.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
New Forecasting Tool Aims to Reduce Heat-Related Deaths
Two federal agencies launched a new, easy-to-use, color-coded heat warning system that combines meteorological and medical risk factors.
AI Traffic Management Comes to Dallas-Fort Worth
Several Texas cities are using an AI-powered platform called NoTraffic to help manage traffic signals to increase safety and improve traffic flow.
Podcast: Addressing the Root Causes of Transit Violence
Deploying transit police is a short-term fix. How can transit agencies build sustainable safety efforts?
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.
