San Francisco and other cities have historically given developers the incentive to build taller for providing a proportional amount of public space. This article looks at what has worked as well as how it has backfired.
"Architecturally, I have issues with San Francisco's newest plaza. The rectangle at 555 Mission St. in the Financial District is a bit too poised, too stiff, happier to be photographed than put to use.
But when I'm reminded of how far we've come, the quibbles give way to appreciative relief - and a renewed appreciation of farsighted planning.
That long-range view kicked in last week when I tagged along on a downtown walking tour focused not on office towers but on the low-down spaces those towers have spawned. Where, ideally, you'd want to eat lunch or kick back."
"But the brisk stroll through nearly two dozen corporate clearings also took us down Market Street, past the decidedly mixed spaces created in the 1960s and '70s, when developers were allowed to add height to their towers in return for creating open space at the base, and there were no rules as to what those spaces should provide passers-by in the way of amenities."
FULL STORY: Office towers trade sky space for public plazas
San Francisco Development Centers Pedestrians, Public Space
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‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
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San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research