San Francisco

San Francisco Street

Op-Ed: San Francisco's New Urban Design Guidelines Could Backfire

John King argues that the city's new guidelines may leave too many loopholes open, potentially defeating their purpose: well-integrated new buildings.

December 12, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco STreetcar

San Francisco Muni Hack Could Have Been a Catastrophe

The Internet of Things will continue to be a concern for cities, the ransomeware that struck the San Francisco transit system could have been much worse. A future attack will be.

December 11, 2016 - Wired

Bay Bridge

More Evidence that Bay Area Housing Prices Are Hurting the Economy

Beacon Economics projects a slowdown in job growth in the San Francisco Bay Area due to the region's high housing costs.

December 9, 2016 - San Francisco Business Times

No Luxury Condos

San Francisco Rejects Environmental Review for Lack of Gentrification Analysis

In what could be a first, but potential not a last, the power of the California Environmental Quality Act was invoked in San Francisco with regard to concerns about gentrification.

December 7, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

Chariot Commuter Shuttle in San Francisco Expands 50 Percent After Ford Acquisition

Chariot shuttle service, recently acquired by Ford Motor Company, may soon be a more formidable competitor for San Francisco's public transit provider, Muni, due to an expansion to 150 vans. Expect new routes, five-minute headways, and $4 rides.

December 6, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

God Rides BART

Bay Area Sends Mixed Message on BART Funding

BART won big on election night with the passage of Measure RR, a $3.5 billion infrastructure bond measure. But the San Francisco Chronicle observes that results from two other local ballot measures suggest a mixed message on the rapid transit system.

December 2, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

Cincinnati welcomes artists leaving the coasts

For the founders of young art center Wave Pool, Cincinnati offers opportunities unmatched by the coastal cultural meccas.

November 29, 2016 - Soft City

Tech SHuttle

The Downside of Removing Tech Buses from Neighborhoods

A new study has shown that moving tech shuttle stops from neighborhoods to conform to a new "hub plan" would result in a drop in bus ridership, with most former riders resorting to driving their own vehicles to their Silicon Valley workplaces.

November 29, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

Moving Truck

Where Millennials are Moving To and Leaving From

Apartment List has published research showing the top destination cities for those 19 to 35 years of age based on ten years of census data from 2005-2010. Among the top 10 destinations, only three were on East and West coasts.

November 28, 2016 - Apartment List

San Francisco Group Hopes to 'Save' Forrest Hill from Proposed Low-Income Housing for Seniors

Forrest Hill building faces strong opposition from wealthy neighbors.

November 21, 2016 - The San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco

Airbnb Ready to Make Concessions to the City of San Francisco

The city of San Francisco and Airbnb may move their dispute from the courtroom to the negotiating table, as the company indicates willingness to find a "win-win" with the city.

November 16, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

Homeless Encampment

San Francisco Voters Express Frustration with Tent Living

Voters appear to have passed the most contentious ballot measure in San Francisco, Proposition Q, that allows city workers to remove tent encampments if shelter is available. Voters in other Bay Area counties passed taxes for affordable housing.

November 11, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco

Friday Eye Candy: Take a Tour of a Digital San Francisco

A modded version of Cities: Skylines and 200-250 hours are all it takes to make a 1:1 digital representation of the city of San Francisco.

November 4, 2016 - CityLab

Ground-Breaking Rent Control Project Proposed in San Francisco

California law and a local ordinance prevent new apartment buildings from falling under rent control. But that need not prevent a developer from requesting it, as a developer in San Francisco's Excelsior District has done.

October 25, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

Bay Area Bike Share Renamed for New Sponsor: An Auto Company

The new, Detroit-based sponsor will help pay for a ten-fold expansion of the Bay Area's regional bike share program coming this spring and a new Palo Alto program. Low income residents will be offered discounted rates to join Bay Area Bike Share.

October 21, 2016 - Metropolitan Transportation Commission

San Francisco

San Francisco Board of Supervisors Propose 60-Day Hard Cap on Airbnb Rentals

Tensions between Airbnb and the city of San Francisco continue to mount as the city propose further restrictions on the service, even while the current restrictions are being challenged in court.

October 17, 2016 - The San Francisco Examiner

San Francisco Homeless

San Francisco's Anti-Homeless Camping Proposition Has Tech Billionaires' Backing

San Francisco's Proposition Q, up for vote this November, would place additional limits on homeless camping in the city.

October 14, 2016 - The Guardian

Power Lines

Comparing Energy Costs in Cities Around the Country

Residents of Rust Belt cities might pay less for housing, but they pay a lot more for energy.

October 14, 2016 - Redfin

Transamerica Pyramid

The Iconic Transamerica Pyramid: Now the Second Tallest Building in San Francisco

San Francisco's Transamerica Pyramid, designed by architect William Pereira, is no longer the tallest building in the city. The city's architecture critic expects it will still be the most iconic building in the city.

October 10, 2016 - The San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco

San Francisco's Mission Bay Provides a Case Study for Sea-Level Rise

The San Francisco Chronicle's John King continues his ongoing, in-depth coverage of sea-level rise and its potential impacts on local and regional concerns in the San Francisco Bay Area.

October 4, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.