Silicon Valley
Arguing for More Housing in the Silicon Valley
San Francisco Chronicle architecture critic John King criticizes the housing policy of cities like Mountain View, Silicon Valley home to companies like Google and LinkedIn.
Enclosing the Commons: Tech Billionaire Buys Beloved Beach
San Mateo residents sue a Silicon Valley tycoon for buying and closing off a public beach in violation of California Coastal Act.
'Cap & Toll' Plan Proposed for Mountain View, California
To address the growth of commute traffic to the Google campus and neighboring tech companies in the north (of Hwy. 101) part of this city of 74,000 in Silicon Valley, the city council is proposing a toll on all three road entrances to the area.
Silicon Valley Cities Drought-Proofing Water Supply with 'Direct Potable Reuse'
Recycled wastewater, or "direct potable reuse," proved successful in Orange County, and following the driest year on record in California, more cities are looking to implement water purification facilities.
Ambitious Open Space Proposal for Silicon Valley
The board of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, based in Los Altos, CA, is considering a $300 million bond measure for the June ballot that would expand access to 62,167 acres of open space.
Imagining Silicon Valley Parking Lots as Corporate Housing
A series of renderings asks the question: "What might it look like if tech campuses replaced their parking lots and provided all the necessary housing on-site?"
The Dark Side of Electric Vehicle Charging
You've heard of road rage. Electric vehicle drivers at Silicon Valley workplaces where EVs substantially exceed chargers may experience "charge rage" when a "top-off" can take as long as eight hours.
Troublesome Shuttles Will Pay for the Use of S.F. Muni Bus Stops
The infamous shuttle buses using Muni stops in San Francisco to transport workers to companies outside the city will require permits and payments under a new 18-month pilot program.
Will Apple's Silicon Valley HQ Appeal to Young Techies?
As young tech talent increasingly calls San Francisco home, some wonder whether investing in large, opulent headquarters in suburban Cupertino is a risky decision for even the most successful tech companies.
Mapping Silicon Valley's Clandestine Private Transit Network
Project to map corporate shuttle routes of Silicon Valley giants such as Apple, Google, & Facebook, outlines the forces behind gentrification in San Francisco and reveals a startling pattern of reverse sprawl.
San Francisco Gains Affluence and Loses Its Identity
The latest 'digital gold rush' has been a boost for the Bay Area's high earners, but a blow to its diversity and affordability. Conspicuous transportation modes - fleets of private buses and black town cars - epitomize the area's growing divide.
San Francisco Aims to Tame Techie Transit
Tired of the private shuttles ferrying tech workers to Silicon Valley campuses clogging city streets and illegally using 250 city bus stops, San Francisco's Municipal Transportation Agency has proposed a plan for regulating their operation.
Light Rail Planning Gone Bad: Lessons from Santa Clara County
After 25 years, Santa Clara's light rail has failed to live up to its promise, proving to be “among the least successful in the nation” reports Mike Rosenberg, while “serving as a constant reminder that the car is still king in Silicon Valley."
The Most Expensive Family Housing in the USA
No other place even comes close for values of 4 bedroom, 2 bath single family homes. Five of the six priciest cities in the U.S. are located in Silicon Valley, with median home values ranging from $1.44 million to $1.7 million for #1 ranked Los Altos
Thirty California Cities Face Credit Downgrades; More Bankruptcies Expected
In the wake of three municipal bankruptcies in California this year, Moody's Investor Services is placing thirty cities on credit review. These are not poor ones either, but in the heart of Silicon Valley and other wealthy Bay Area cities.
Silicon Valley Entrepreneurs Move South and Buy LA's Luxury Housing
The Wall Street Journal reports on the growing numbers of technology entrepreneurs who are buying luxury homes in beachfront areas around Los Angeles, earning the stretch from Santa Monica to Playa Vista the name "Silicon Beach".
Richard Florida: Silicon Valley Will Soon Be Centered in San Francisco
Continuing to chronicle what he sees as an 'urban migration' from suburban office parks, Richard Florida provides the Bay Area illustration of this movement, as he sees the center of Silicon Valley heading to San Francisco from Santa Clara County.
Decoding the Geography of Innovation
More often than not, innovation springs from social interaction, rather than the romantic notion of the genius in isolation. With this in mind, Jessica Stoller-Conrad and Nancy Shute discuss three important ways in which geography fuels innovation.
What's Driving High-Tech's Urban Love Affair?
Richard Florida chronicles the reasons why high-technology firms are increasingly vacating suburban office parks and "nerdistans" for urban addresses, from London to Los Angeles.
Silicon Valley Companies Relocate To SF - Apartment Rents Skyrocket
In this pair of 'cause and effect' articles, USA Today reporters describe the many companies seeking new office and R&D sites in San Francisco, whether relocating from expensive downtown Palo Alto, the South or East Bay, or outside the state or U.S.
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.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
