Something strange is taking place in the City by the Bay. It's not just experiencing a growth in carless households—carless households are actually replacing those with cars.
We've read that driving has been declining and that Americans are owning fewer cars, particularly among Millennials in major urban centers. Nowhere in the U.S. may this be more true than in San Francisco.
"Between 2000 and 2012, the city has seen a net increase of 11,139 households, and 88 percent of them have been car-free. That’s according to an analysis of U.S. Census data by Michael Rhodes, a transportation planner at Nelson\Nygaard and a former Streetsblog reporter," writes Aaron Bialick, editor of Streetsblog San Francisco.
This is not the result of an increase in housing without parking, though at least one, 12-unit apartment building planned without parking has been proposed in the Mission District as we noted two years ago (based on an article by Bialick). Rather, it's evidence that building housing without parking will attract households without cars.
The increase in carless households also results from existing households shedding cars, perhaps made possible by "expanded bike lanes, car-share services, and improved taxi service (besides the new 'ride-share' apps like Uber and Lyft)," according to Livable City Executive Director Tom Radulovich. He also notes that "Muni, BART, and Caltrain ridership have also increased to record levels over the years."
And then there are the notorious tech buses and shuttles (that many San Franciscans love to blame for the city's gentrification) that enable car-free living.
The next change will hopefully be in the city's planning department, if they greenlight carless housing.
FULL STORY: Car-Free Households Are Booming in San Francisco
The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall
The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.
The Paradox of American Housing
How the tension between housing as an asset and as an essential good keeps the supply inadequate and costs high.
Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities
The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.
Anchorage Leaders Debate Zoning Reform Plan
Last year, the city produced the fewest new housing units in a decade.
How to Protect Pedestrians With Disabilities
Public agencies don’t track traffic deaths and injuries involving disabled people, leaving a gap in data to guide safety interventions.
Colorado Town Fills Workforce Housing Need With ‘Dorm-Style’ Housing
Median rent in Steamboat Springs is $4,000 per month.
City of Yakima
City of Auburn
Baylands Development Inc.
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Town of Zionsville
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.