Silicon Valley
Two and a Half Cheers for the Tech Billionaires
For all of California Forever's flaws, it is a litmus test: are California’s public officials and housing advocates really serious about trying to meet the Bay Area’s housing needs, or is housing for them just another series of performative gestures?
Google Seeks New Direction for Massive Housing Proposal
The company parted ways with its development partner, signaling a shift in strategy for a proposed 15,000-unit housing and office space project on Google-owned land in Silicon Valley.
Why Is Silicon Valley So Bleak?
The built environment in one of the most affluent places in the country leaves much to be desired. Why are Silicon Valley communities missing so many key urban features?
Meta’s Plans to Revive an Old Rail Bridge Halted During the Pandemic
The company formerly known as Facebook’s once planned to revive the Dumbarton Rail Bridge across the San Francisco Bay. Those plans are as derelict as the bridge.
Another Silicon Valley Enclave Resists Multifamily Housing
Ultrawealthy residents have blocked a proposal to build townhouse developments in one of California’s most affluent communities.
Another Silicon Valley Town Tries To Sidestep State Density Law
Palo Alto could designate more than one hundred properties as historic in an attempt to prevent lot splitting permitted under a new state law designed to lightly increase residential density.
How the AI Economy is Shaping Cities
Like other technologies, artificial intelligence tech seems to be clustering in a small group of cities, prompting questions about its uneven deployment.
'A City is Not a Computer:' Why 'Smart Cities' Fail
The 'smart city' concept fails to take into account the necessary slowness of democracy and the unpredictability of a city's human inhabitants.
Opinion: Build Density in Palo Alto–and Lots of It
To keep up with demand and slow the astronomical rise in housing costs, Palo Alto and other Silicon Valley cities must overcome local opposition to density and high-rises.
Bay Area Workers are Moving Back
Many of the tech employees who left Silicon Valley during the pandemic are making their way back to the Bay Area–and so are higher rents.
Amazon and Other Tech Giants Make Billion-Dollar Commitments to Affordable Housing
Some of the world's biggest companies are investing in affordable housing, hoping to stymie the growing crisis their growth has contributed to.
Calthorpe Makes the Case for a Corridor-Based Approach to Affordable Housing
Peter Calthorpe's case study of El Camino Real in the Silicon Valley shows the potential for affordable housing development in the land surrounding side right-of-ways.
Digital Roundtable Discusses Silicon Valley's Urbanist Future
Highlighting the ways in which the pandemic’s disruption is unleashing innovation, panelists share their hope for streamlining public-private collaborations to solve some of the region’s housing, transportation, and equity challenges.
Zuckerberg and Company Set Goals on Housing Policy and Affordable Housing
With over $500 million in resources, the Partnership for the Bay’s Future is funding policy and affordable housing projects throughout the region.
Tech Buses: Not Just for Techies, and Not Just for San Francisco
What began as Google buses, transporting highly paid engineers from San Francisco to Silicon Valley, has transformed into multi-company fleets serving white- and blue-collar workers in the 3,000-square-mile Northern California megaregion.
Google Continues to Expand in San Jose
Google has laid the foundation for four large, and distinct, employment centers in just one city of the South Bay Area.
Counties Outside of Bay Area Eye Transportation Mega Measure in 2020
Northern San Joaquin Valley transit officials are eying a $100 billion Bay Area transportation measure to potentially fund a $1 billion rail tunnel for two commuter railroads to bring workers to the East Bay and Silicon Valley.
Proposed Tower In San Jose Distracts From Good Urbanism
A group has proposed a monumental tower to advertise San Jose and Silicon Valley to the world. The city would be better off focusing on its streetscape rather than its skyline.
Google Expanding its Presence in San Jose
Google has expanded its footprint in North San Jose to cover 1.27 million square feet. Local officials are saying that the company's acquisitions ensure the long-term financial stability of the city.
Plans for an 'Urban Town' in the Silicon Valley
The Nuevo development will bring close to 900 homes and apartments along with commercial and outdoor space to a location near a Caltrain station.
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.
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
