The Mission Rock project eliminates street parking, replacing it with public seating and landscaping.

A new waterfront development in San Francisco could offer a more pedestrian-oriented model for U.S. neighborhoods, writes Nate Berg in Fast Company. “Uniquely, the neighborhood has been designed with pedestrian-first streets that do not allow on-street parking. The new street rooms are designed to give pedestrians more spaces to use along its two main corridors.”
Even in walkable San Francisco, car-free streets are rare. The 28-acre development, called Mission Rock, still offers some car access, but “The street itself at Mission Rock is revolutionary in its own regard. It was designed to be curbless, creating a completely flat 60-foot canyon between the building frontages on either side. Subtle steel grates provide drainage and a marker between the narrow car-accessible space and the rest of the public realm, and a small trapezoidal grade elevation makes a perceptible barrier for the visually impaired.”
The project includes three “street rooms” that center on public art that is designed to be sat on, climbed, or rested under. According to CMG Landscape Architecture cofounder Willett Moss, “The street rooms were developed to be places that people can hang out. They are, in this case, places where things are whimsical, and different identities and qualities and experiences can be expressed.”
FULL STORY: San Francisco’s newest neighborhood offers a glimpse of life without cars

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
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The system saw its highest ridership since before the Covid-19 pandemic, but faces a severe budget shortage in the coming year.

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In the face of potential federal funding cuts, CDOT leaders reasserted their commitment to planned bus rapid transit projects.

Safe Streets Funding in Jeopardy
The Trump administration is specifically targeting bike infrastructure and other road safety projects in its funding cuts.
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