San Francisco

Fighting Bike Lanes and Emissions in San Francisco

One vocal San Francisco man has halted progress on the city's expansive bicycle master plan, claiming that the more space allotted to bicycles, the more traffic congestion -- and greenhouse gas emissions -- there will be.

August 22, 2008 - The Wall Street Journal

The Spread of Ciclovia

Temporary street closures for pedestrian use -- an idea that spawned in Bogota, Colombia -- are occurring in cities all over the world. The trend is expected to continue.

August 18, 2008 - The Christian Science Monitor

Broad Green Building Law Passed in San Francisco

San Francisco has passed some of the strictest green building requirements in the nation, for new construction and renovations.

August 6, 2008 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Public Transit Benefits Mandate Proposed For San Francisco Employers

San Francisco's latest attempt to mandate employers to provide benefits to their workers is to provide economic incentives to use public transit or vanpools. However, unlike prior mandates, e.g. health care, the business sector appears OK with it.

August 2, 2008 - The San Francisco Chronicle

S.F. Looks To Kick Cars Off Market Street

Officials in San Francisco have proposed permanently banning cars from a 2.3 mile section of Market Street, downtown's major thoroughfare.

July 24, 2008 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Most Walkable City: San Francisco

San Francisco has been named the most walkable American city by the walkability website WalkScore.

July 18, 2008 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Bike Buddies Turn Commute Into Workout

T.J. Kelly was finding it difficult to squeeze in exercise, and looking at his rising commute costs. A new co-worker helped him turn his commute into a workout.

July 2, 2008 - Wall St. Journal

New San Francisco Parks Key to Neighborhood Vibrancy

Two new parks in San Francisco show how great neighborhoods are defined by their public spaces, according to this article from the San Francisco Chronicle.

June 25, 2008 - The San Francisco Chronicle

The Flight Back from the Burbs

Bay Area tech companies are increasingly opening offices in downtown San Francisco, a significant change from the development pattern of the last ten years.

June 19, 2008 - BusinessWeek

Want to Renovate Your San Francisco Home? Good Luck.

San Francisco city planners take a hard line on renovating the city's stock of historic homes. Homeowners, architects, and even preservationists are saying the department has gone too far.

May 27, 2008 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Streets May Become Temporary Recreational Spaces in San Francisco

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is considering a plan to temporarily close down certain streets to car traffic, creating public space for pedestrians -- similar to the successful Ciclovia that takes place weekly in Bogota, Colombia.

May 25, 2008 - The Examiner

San Francisco Teaches Charleston About Preserving Lesser-Known Areas

Though more than a hundred years newer, the city of San Francisco has a lot to teach cities like Charleston about preserving their less-than-iconic historic areas.

April 24, 2008 - The Post and Courier

San Francisco Aims To Give Parking A Technological Makeover

Variable parking rates and online parking availability are features of a pilot program meant to increase convenience and cut congestion on the road.

April 17, 2008 - The San Francisco Chronicle

California Bullet Train Heading to Ballot

California voters will soon vote on a $10 billion bond proposal that would fund a 220 mph bullet train running between L.A. and San Francisco.

April 14, 2008 - The Christian Science Monitor

Crime Cameras Move Crime, Not Deter It

In San Francisco, "crime cameras" intended to ward of crime and record any illegal activity that occurs have been shown by a recent report to do little to prevent crimes from taking place.

April 9, 2008 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Parking Violations Could Generate $100 Million for San Francisco

San Francisco is considering a plan to boost its fees for parking violations -- a move that could end up bringing in a total of $100 million in revenues from the pockets of illegal parkers.

April 7, 2008 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Best Ideas of the Week

Another week has passed, and some more exciting and interesting ideas have taken root in the world of urban planning.

April 4, 2008 - Nate Berg

Embracing Alleys in San Francisco

Alleys are a major part of the character of San Francisco, and many parts of the city are trying to embrace these unique aspects of the urban makeup.

March 31, 2008 - The New York Times

The Densest Cities in America

The blog post features a list of the top five densest cities in America, and looks at the conditions that have made them that way.

March 31, 2008 - Environmental Graffiti

San Francisco's New PD Talks About City's Challenges

Architect Magazine talks with San Francisco's new planning director, John Rahaim, about the urban planning challenges and issues in the city.

March 29, 2008 - Architect Magazine

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.