Take a tour of the changes coming the to the Transbay District in San Francisco.
"Anyone who explores San Francisco’s Transbay district today encounters a slice of a city in flux," writes San Francisco Chronicle architecture critic John King. "At one extreme, structural steel pushes toward the sky and straddles gridlocked streets. At the other, alleyways sprout life that would have been unimaginable a generation ago."
The specifics of the first half of that description include the city's soon-to-be tallest building, under construction now and two more skyscrapers set to begin construction soon. Expected soon for Planning Commission review are also plans for yet another skyscraper that would exceed the city's tallest existing buildings.
King provides a design preview of the abundance of tall buildings, designed by such luminaries of the architecture field as Foster + Partners and OMA. After looking up at these forthcoming projects, King shifts the perspective of the column to provide this optimistic summation of the forthcoming collection of projects:
Today we’re confronted by cranes and noise. Once the dust settles, with luck and vigilant planning, we’ll have a dynamic 21st century neighborhood that’s a fresh twist on what a West Coast city can be.
FULL STORY: Rising buildings mean rising expectations for Transbay district
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The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association