Last week, San Francisco's supervisors approved new legislation intended to jump-start urban farming throughout the city, reports John Upton.
The nonprofit San Francisco Planning + Urban Research Association (SPUR) was instrumental in pushing for the legislation [PDF], which Upton notes, "follows zoning changes last year that made it easier to operate small farms and legal to sell food
grown in San Francisco. This new set of laws will take it further by
removing additional bureaucratic barriers for hopeful gardeners and
actively searching for land they can use while providing them with
seeds, tools, and advice."
The legislation establishes an Urban Agriculture Program for the city and county of San Francisco, that, "will audit city-owned land and rooftops in a quest to dig up
potential new public gardening sites. It will also develop incentives
for owners of vacant lots to allow their land to be used for community
farming."
"San Francisco's adoption of the new urban farming programs follows a
trend that has seen Detroit, Portland, Baltimore, New York, Seattle,
Oakland, and other major cities craft programs and laws in recent years
to encourage agriculture and gardening within city limits," notes Upton.
FULL STORY: New San Francisco legislation will jump-start urban farming
11,000 Housing Units Possible with S.F. Office Conversions, Study Says
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The San Francisco Bay has 400 miles of shoreline, and a dire need for a new approach to dealing with the effects of rising water levels. An estimated $100 billion in potential property damage is at risk.
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How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
U.S. Miles Driven Rose by 1 Percent in 2024
Americans drove a total of 3.279 trillion miles in 2024, but per capita VMT stayed the same.
Seattle Recorded Zero Bike Deaths in 2024, per Early Data
The city halved the number of pedestrian deaths compared to 2021.
Study: London ULEZ Rapidly Cleaning up Air Pollution
Expanding the city’s ultra low-emission zone has resulted in dramatic drops in particle emissions in inner and outer London.
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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