Great Design Costs Money (And Is Worth It)

A new pedestrian bridge, recently opened near a BART station in the San Francisco Bay Area, is an example of why the high price of good design can sometimes be worth it.

1 minute read

October 12, 2010, 2:00 PM PDT

By Nate Berg


San Francisco Chronicle urban design critic John King offers a positive review of the new bridge.

"The 600-foot-long arc not only eases the way for pedestrians and bicyclists, it also sends a message naysayers choose to ignore: our society should aim to produce civic works on par with cherished landmarks from the New Deal or the Carnegie libraries of the generation before that."

The bridge connects an area of mixed-use developments to a 28-mile trail, and was designed by Arup.

Saturday, October 9, 2010 in San Francisco Chronicle

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