Many Cities Now Facing the Challenges of Prosperity

San Francisco Chronicle Architecture Critic John King describes lessons gained from a recent trip to the city of Denver, "where homeless camps are a major issue and the mayor’s State of the City speech last week emphasized the perils of gentrification. At the same time, hip districts sprout residential compounds that are designed to make a splash rather than be a good neighbor."

That description will sound familiar to many residents of San Francisco, writes King, and they would do well to examine Denver for lessons on their own experience. Following observations about the new development and soaring housing prices in both cities, as well as the planning and political processes driving them, King produces a concluding statement that could serve as a call to action in cities beyond San Francisco and Denver as well:

For generations, the challenge in our cities was to stave off decay. Now the peril is prosperity. The sooner we accept the need to make tomorrow’s city better while still diverse — rather than wishing that the old days would return — the better off we’ll all be.