San Francisco

There Are Planners, And There Are Politicians

Put the chief planners of seven of North America's most progressive cities in a room and ask about their challenges, they inevitably point to the overriding role of the political leaders they serve. Expanding public open space also was raised.

November 9, 2009 - S.F. Streetsblog

The True Cost of Commuting from the Exurbs

A new study from ULI details the transportation costs for households around the San Francisco Bay Area, and finds that SFers spend on average $500 less each month than suburban dwellers in the area.

November 5, 2009 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Transit Cheats Plague San Francisco's MUNI

Ever wonder how many people hop on those cable-cars in San Fran without paying the fare? Well, it turns out that transit cheats cost MUNI, San Francisco's transit agency, an estimated, $19 million a year.

October 21, 2009 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Is Bright Right or Blight?

A proposal to create a new outdoor advertising district in San Francisco has some locals anticipating a retail revival, while others dread the possible billboard blight.

October 16, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

David Byrne (Hearts) Bikes

Musician David Byrne gathered a panel of planners and cyclists for a spirited conversation in San Francisco about the joys of urban cycling.

September 30, 2009 - Streetsblog

Combining Pavement and Reusable Materials to Make Urban Parks

Allison Arieff argues that cities should look to reversible parks modeled on the Pavement to Parks program to prevent blight, combat the practice of land banking, and model sustainable practices.

September 28, 2009 - NYTimes: By Design Blog

The History of San Francisco's Urban Form

Some call it a city of neighborhoods. This piece from the San Francisco Chronicle looks at the history of the urban form of San Francisco and why it looks the way it does today.

September 27, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

Frappuccino-Colored Streets

Would you slow for beige? Planners in San Francisco hope so, as they plan to differentiate sections of Market St. where they'd like traffic to slow down with 'frappuccino'-colored asphalt.

September 24, 2009 - The San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco's Fast Park Movement

New parks are popping up with a quickness in San Francisco, where planners have fast-tracked the conversion of street spaces into pedestrian parks.

September 22, 2009 - The Architect's Newspaper

What Today's Cities Will Look Like in the Future

Imagining cities of the future can bring about some pretty wild predictions. But when they're visions of existing cities, these futuristic predictions can be almost realistic.

September 19, 2009 - io9

Remaking Market St.

San Francisco's Market St. is the main street in town, but has had mixed success as a public space and a history of accidents involving pedestrians and bikes. Mayor Newsom has announced a new effort to improve safety and the public realm.

September 13, 2009 - Streetsblog

Partial Closure Planned on San Francisco's Market Street

San Francisco's notoriously congested Market Street will soon see a lighter load of traffic, as officials roll out a pilot project that will ban private vehicles from the roadway.

September 11, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

Pavement to Parks Sees Progress in San Francisco

The city of San Francisco has barricaded two new large swatches of land to be used as part of its Pavement to Parks projects, and is enjoying a flood of support from residents, businesses, politicians, and local educational institutions.

September 9, 2009 - SF Streetsblog

San Francisco Upgrading Railway Safety Standards

Coming off the heels of two high-profile crashes with dozens of injuries, the San Francisco Municipal Railway is working to ensure operators are trained and accidents can be avoided.

September 8, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

Blight into Beauty in San Francisco

At a time when developers are having trouble getting loans to build, San Francisco is taking steps to improve empty lots with art, retail, and other temporary investments in neighborhood vitality until construction can resume.

September 7, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco Goes Public

Chris Carlsson at Streetsblog looks back at how people have used San Francisco's public space, from the hippie uprising of the 1960s to streetclosures and farmer's markets today.

September 4, 2009 - Streetsblog SF

To Share or Not to Share? The Great Transit Data Debate

Some transit agencies keep it under wraps, while others share it widely. Three cities in the U.S. show how the availability of transit arrival data is a wild frontier.

August 27, 2009 - CNET

Leaving San Francisco

Think "Leaving Las Vegas" starring Nicholas Cage, except the 'actors' here are the real thing - 'chronic inebriates' costing the city about $13 million annually in ambulance costs alone. It's not necessarily a 'homelessness' problem.

August 24, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

Recession Hurting Transit Agencies Across U.S.

Big metropolitan transit agencies are struggling through the recession, with many considering cutting services and raising fares, according to astudy by Transportation For America and Transportation Equity Network.

August 20, 2009 - Reuters

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.