San Francisco Bay Area

Three transit ticketing machines in a Bay Area station.

Bay Area transit loses $1M per month on credit card fees

As more people use mobile payments to pay their fares, transit agencies are spending more on transaction fees.

April 15, 2026 - SFGate

View of Spanish-style buildings in Presidio, San Francisco with city skyline in background.

Bay Area 2050+ Plan Prepares Region for Nearly 5 Feet of Sea Level Rise

The regional plan includes its first ever resilience project list, prioritizing infrastructure projects that can protect the area from sea level rise.

March 27, 2026 - Claycord

Carpool lane on freeway in Pasadena, California.

Another Reminder of the Futility of Carpool Lanes

What's the great 'fix' for the flawed Highway 101 carpool lanes in Marin and Sonoma counties in the Bay Area? Reduce the HOV time by two and a half hours during the peak commutes to enable solo drivers greater access to 52 miles of widened freeway.

March 13, 2026 - San Francisco Chronicle

People boarding a white BART train at a platform.

BART Service Cuts, Station Closures Could ‘Set Back the System 50 Years’

The agency could close dozens of stations and eliminate the Blue line between Daly City and Dublin-Pleasanton entirely.

February 10, 2026 - Bay City News Service

White BART trains passing each other on elevated track in Fruitvale, California.

BART Closes $35 Million Deficit

Cost control and revenue generation measures prevented service cuts.

March 27, 2025 - Mass Transit

Tents set up against fence by unhoused people under freeway overpass in San Francisco, California.

New Book Highlights Human Side of Homelessness Crisis

A San Francisco reporter’s empathetic portrait of unhoused Bay Area residents reminds readers why supportive housing is worth fighting for.

February 24, 2025 - The New Yorker

View down San Francisco street with colorful residential buildings and high-rise downtown buildings in distance.

New Map Puts Bay Area Traffic Data in One Place

The Traffic Monitoring site uses community-collected speed and volume data to reveal traffic patterns on local roads.

December 4, 2024 - Streetsblog San Francisco

Two red and white electric trains, part of Caltrain fleet in San Francisco, California.

Caltrain Ridership Up 54 Percent Over October 2023

The system made the switch to faster, more modern all-electric trains in September.

November 21, 2024 - Mass Transit

Amtrak Coast Starlight passenger train passing over bridge in Altamont Pass, California.

Amtrak Expanding Service in California’s Central Valley

Amtrak is planning a major expansion to the passenger rail lines connecting the Central Valley and the Bay Area.

November 4, 2024 - The Modesto Bee

Red and white Caltrain electric train at platform in San Jose, California.

Caltrain Introduces Electric Train Fleet

The Bay Area agency will switch to all electric trains by the end of September.

September 12, 2024 - FOX News

Entrance to Bayfair Center mall in San Leandro, California.

Mall Redevelopment in Silicon Valley

Dead malls across the Bay Area are being transformed into R&D centers, housing, and transportation hubs.

September 11, 2024 - SiliconValley.com

Archer Aviation Midnight eVTOL aircraft on display at Dubai Airshow November 13th 2023, dark colors, bright background, indoors. Electric aircraft, electric helicopter.

FAA Approves Air Taxis

Two Bay Area companies are planning to develop autonomous commuter flight services between San Francisco and local cities.

June 24, 2024 - Smart Cities Dive

Close-up of sign at outdoor transit station for MUNI and BART in San Francisco, California.

Bay Area Proposal Calls for Combined Transit Agencies

A local legislator is asking for a plan to consolidate the region’s 27 separate transit agencies to improve financial stability and streamline service for riders.

January 8, 2024 - San Francisco Chronicle

Close-up of green freeway signs pointing to US 101 to San Jose and San Francisco with foggy hills in background.

Bay Area Proposal Would Toll All Freeway Lanes Near Transit

Local transportation leaders say charging for use of all area freeways would reduce congestion and bring more revenue for transit and other projects.

November 13, 2023 - NBC Bay Area

Bay Wheels bike share station full of colorful parked bikes on San Francisco street.

More Bikes, Stations Coming to Bay Wheels Bike Share

The Bay Area network is adding 2,000 e-bikes to meet their growing popularity.

November 8, 2023 - CBS News

A highway sign reads with directions to reach San Francisco to the north and San Jose to the south--both on Highway 101.

101 Freeway in California Slower Than Ever After Widening, Locals Say

Induced demand strikes again.

April 19, 2023 - Streetsblog SF

BART Train

California Bill Would Mandate Seamless Transit

With 27 transit agencies, traveling across the Bay Area can be a daunting task. Advocates for 'seamless transit' want to change that.

March 31, 2022 - TransitCenter

A sunny day in San Francisco, with a view of the city skyline with the Easy Bay Hills in the background.

The Imagined Bay Area of 2070: Affordable, Equitable, Prosperous

An opinion published recently by the San Francisco Chronicle offers a provocative thought exercise: How did the Bay Area of 2070 achieve affordability, equity, sustainability and adaptation in the face of climate change, and new levels of prosperity?

June 29, 2021 - San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco Bay Area

A Daring 50-Year Vision for the San Francisco Bay Area

The SPUR Regional Strategy sets a new standard for planning advocacy, not only for the depth and breadth of its vision, but for its skill in execution.

May 24, 2021 - San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco Rail Transit

One Rail System to Ring the Bay Area? Supporters See Reasons for Optimism

A plan to integrate the various regional transit providers in the San Francisco Bay Area could be the key to winning back transit riders in the post-pandemic world.

April 15, 2021 - The Mercury News

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.

Senior Planner

City of Thousand Oaks

Community Development Director

City of Wisconsin Rapids

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.