The New York Times provides an in-depth exploration of the politics and personalities behind the YIMBY organization known as the SF Bay Area Renters' Federation (BARF).
Conor Dougherty writes a feature exposé, of sorts, on the ideas and context behind the rise of the SF Bay Area Renters' Federation (BARF), with local activist Sonja Trauss at the helm. According to Daugherty,
Ms. Trauss is a self-described anarchist and the head of the SF Bay Area Renters’ Federation, an upstart political group that is pushing for more development. Its platform is simple: Members want San Francisco and its suburbs to build more of every kind of housing. More subsidized affordable housing, more market-rate rentals, more high-end condominiums.
Dougherty presents Trauss as the effect of a lengthening tradition of twists housing politics in San Francisco and the Bay Area. But the politics of Trauss's organization have found solidarity elsewhere in the Bay Area. According to Duagherty, " Ms. Trauss’s group is one of several pro-housing organizations (GrowSF and East Bay Forward are others) that represent a kind of 'Yimby' party, built on the frustrations of young professionals who feel priced out of the Bay Area."
The in-depth, lengthy article includes video testimonials from more voices on the issue, such as a Jennifer Fieber, from the San Francisco Tenants Union, San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener, and a fellow anarchist YIMBY that goes by the name of Starchild.
The article even credits the famously in-depth report by Kim-Mai Cutler on the genesis of the Bay Area housing crunch as the inspiration behind Trauss's activism. Though Trauss is the central figure of the article, the article is really about the politics of housing in the Bay Area—a singular politics for a singular place.
FULL STORY: In Cramped and Costly Bay Area, Cries to Build, Baby, Build
Young People Trend YIMBY, Older People NIMBY, in the San Francisco Bay Area
A recent survey found young people are more likely to support development in their neighborhood than their older counterparts in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area region.
Lack of Multi-Family Zones Contributes to Nashville’s High Housing Costs, Study Says
Nashville and surrounding communities allow for a relatively small amount of multi-family housing, according to a new zoning atlas of Middle Tennessee. A regionally focused nonprofit is using the atlas to push for zoning reforms.
Where Pro-Development Groups Are Gaining Traction
The YIMBY movement seems to be gaining steam as more the country deals with growing housing prices and increasing numbers of people experiencing homelessness. Recent research reveals where pro-development forces are most likely to call home.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”
Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.
Platform Pilsner: Vancouver Transit Agency Releases... a Beer?
TransLink will receive a portion of every sale of the four-pack.
Toronto Weighs Cheaper Transit, Parking Hikes for Major Events
Special event rates would take effect during large festivals, sports games and concerts to ‘discourage driving, manage congestion and free up space for transit.”
Berlin to Consider Car-Free Zone Larger Than Manhattan
The area bound by the 22-mile Ringbahn would still allow 12 uses of a private automobile per year per person, and several other exemptions.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)