San Francisco
A Model for Wastewater Recycling in San Francisco
Decentralized wastewater recycling systems take water conservation a step further by reducing the need for external infrastructure and keeping water recycling and reuse -in-house.’
San Francisco Officials Want to Put the Brakes on Self-Driving Taxis
Local officials say autonomous cars are not yet safe enough to be permanently deployed across the entire city.
Few Landlords Pay San Francisco Vacancy Tax
Less than 3 percent of properties potentially subject to a new vacancy tax were filed as vacant in the last year, but empty storefronts in the city persist.
Op-Ed: To Survive, Bay Area Transit Needs Integration
Advocates for ‘seamless’ transit are calling on California state leaders to tie a consolidation study to a one-time injection of funding into the Bay Area’s transit systems.
Recent Retail Closures in U.S. Cities Follow Trends Established Before the Pandemic
While some cling to debatable claims about higher crime rates as the cause for recent high-profile store closures in U.S. downtowns, the real reasons are more realistically extensions of the causes of the “retail apocalypse” from the before times.
Driverless Cars Blocking Buses, Traffic in San Francisco
Footage from buses and trains show self-driving cars from Waymo and Cruise frequently make unscheduled stops, blocking transit vehicles and causing traffic snarls.
Center-Running Bike Lane Pilot Project Approved on Dangerous S.F. Street
A plan to reconfigure Valencia Street between 15th and 23rd streets in San Francisco has been approved despite stiff opposition from community members and bike advocates.
San Francisco Rents Cheaper Now Than in 2020
Though ‘cheap’ is a relative term.
11,000 Housing Units Possible with S.F. Office Conversions, Study Says
A new study by SPUR and the Urban Land Institute’s San Francisco chapter estimates a specific number of apartment units that could be built from vacant office units in the city.
Proposed Pool Would Make an Olympic-Sized Play Area in the San Francisco Bay
The San Francisco Bay is usually an undesirable place to swim, except for a hearty few. A development proposal seeking assistance at the state level would add a pool to the Bay’s waters to make the idea of going for a swim more appealing.
San Francisco Nonprofit Accused of Neglecting Tenants, Misusing Funds
A major housing organization with city contracts is neglecting poor housing conditions in its buildings while amassing lobbying power and political influence.
Backlash to San Francisco Development Spotlights City’s Conflicting Priorities
Residents of the Bayview neighborhood say they support new housing, but object to a proposed building that would replace one of the area’s only green spaces.
The Perilous Future of Bay Area Transit
Bay Area Rapid Transit, a hugely successful system pre-pandemic, is now struggling to close a massive projected budget gap, with no certain solutions on the table.
Pandemic-Era Economic Growth in Metropolitan Areas
The world has gone through three turbulent years of Covid-19. The Brookings Institution continues its analysis of inclusive economic growth in 192 metropolitan areas in the U.S. during this period with the publication of Metro Monitor 2023.
Delays in Power Hookups Force New Buildings To Sit Empty
Hundreds of residential and commercial buildings in the San Francisco Bay Area are vacant, waiting for electric connections from PG&E.
Austin Scores Highest on Pandemic Recovery; Bay Area and Baltimore Lowest
The Bay Area Council and CBRE created an economic tracker to measure how well the nation's 25 largest metropolitan areas have recovered from the public health restrictions imposed on their regions at the onset of the pandemic.
Op-Ed: San Francisco’s Downtown Plan Nothing Revelatory
Mayor London Breed’s newest proposal for revitalizing downtown San Francisco faces some sharp criticism for offering no new solutions after the city failed to deliver on goals and recommendations made in 2020.
San Francisco Halts Tiny Home Project
Citing ‘absurd’ costs and community concerns, city supervisors are reevaluating a plan to build a ‘tiny home village’ for unhoused residents in the Mission District.
San Francisco Officials Detail Self-Driving Car ‘Mayhem’ in Letter to State
In the worst version of the autonomous future, San Francisco firefighters have to fight off a self-driving car that crashed into their equipment during a fire, prompting calls for stricter regulations.
San Francisco Housing Plan Gets State Approval
The city cleared a major hurdle as its housing plan, which paves the way for 82,000 new homes by 2030, is certified by the state.
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.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
