San Francisco

California

A Vacancy Tax for San Francisco? Voters Might Have a Say.

A San Francisco politician is pushing for a vacant home tax to appear on the November ballot.

February 16, 2022 - San Francisco Chronicle

California Shelter-in-Place

San Francisco's Crosswalk Inequity

A new study shows a disparity between the frequency of crosswalks in San Francisco's northern and southern neighborhoods.

February 10, 2022 - San Francisco Chronicle

Rendering of Van Ness Avenue with Bus Rapid Transit

San Francisco's First BRT Line Closer to Opening

The Van Ness Avenue Bus Rapid Transit project will bring the first dedicated BRT corridor to San Francisco, nearly two decades after voters approved the project.

February 1, 2022 - Mass Transit

A sunny day in San Francisco, with a view of the city skyline with the Easy Bay Hills in the background.

Development Streamlining Proposal Dies in San Francisco

The doomed effort was Mayor London Breed's third attempt to streamline development in the city.

January 31, 2022 - San Francisco Chronicle

City by the Bay

What Mistaken Urban Design Assumptions Can Teach Us

When writing city plans, past planners in San Francisco got some things just right—and some very wrong.

January 25, 2022 - San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco Skyline

San Francisco's 1971 Urban Design Plan Echoes Today's Concerns

A 1971 effort to quantify the city's values and design goals reflects many of the same priorities that planners and residents face today.

January 13, 2022 - San Francisco Chronicle

NIMBY Sign

On Housing, Cities' Traditional Political Labels No Longer Apply

Historically liberal cities belie their supposed concern for human welfare by rejecting new development. Meanwhile, more conservative cities have seized the moment to become more progressive, innovative, and inclusive.

December 8, 2021 - California Planning & Development Report

San Francisco Street

Reimagining San Francisco for the Post-COVID Era

A San Francisco nonprofit is developing a set of recommendations for making downtown neighborhoods more flexible and welcoming to a more diverse set of users.

November 30, 2021 - Smart Cities Dive

San Francisco, California

Once San Francisco's 'Grandest Boulevard,' Van Ness Almost Done With Another Makeover

The Van Ness Improvement project took almost two decades to cross the finish line, but it's almost there.

November 29, 2021 - San Francisco Chronicle

Enhanced intersection in San Francisco

Assessing the Success of San Francisco's Safer Intersections Project

A campaign to improve pedestrian safety at dangerous intersections in San Francisco using traffic calming and driver education led to significant reductions in speed and unsafe left turns, according to a report from SFMTA.

November 28, 2021 - San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency

San Francisco, California

San Francisco Supes Reject Proposal To Turn Parking Lot Into Housing

State legislators are decrying the Board of Supervisors' decision to reject a proposal to build a 495-unit apartment building on a downtown San Francisco parking lot.

November 23, 2021 - San Francisco Chronicle

Embarcadero

Report: Embarcadero Needs to Rise 7 Feet to Resist Sea-Level Rise

A bombshell report details the adaptation measures that will be necessary to keep San Francisco's Embarcadero high and dry as the climate changes and sea levels rise.

November 17, 2021 - San Francisco Chronicle

A cyclist commutes along a painted bike lan on Market Street in San Francisco.

San Francisco's New Bike Lane Experience

The city of San Francisco has been overhauling its bike infrastructure during the pandemic. The results are especially apparent in the city's downtown.

October 10, 2021 - San Francisco Chronicle

Bicycling across the Golden Gate Bridge

Making the Golden Gate Bridge Safer for Cyclists

The Golden Gate Bridge District is looking at ways to improve safety on the bridge's narrow, windy bike and pedestrian paths.

October 8, 2021 - Streetsblog San Francisco

Muni Public Transit

San Francisco Not Living Up to 'Transit First' Promise

Despite a stated goal of encouraging other modes, the city's streets still overwhelmingly prioritize cars.

September 8, 2021 - Streetsblog San Francisco

Aerial view of the Great Highway, San Francisco

Battle Over San Francisco's Pedestrianized 'Great Highway'

Although the project has been hugely successful with local residents, the mayor and some county supervisors wanted to revert the road to vehicle use.

August 24, 2021 - San Francisco Chronicle

Social Distancing

Vaccinated Californians Estimated to Account for 20% of Current COVID Infections

State and national health authorities are unusually tight-lipped when it comes to so-called vaccine breakthrough infections, so one Bay Area newspaper editorial page editor did the math himself.

August 12, 2021 - The Mercury News

San Francisco Muni Buses

San Francisco Seeks Public Input on Post-Pandemic Muni Service

The SFMTA is considering a "high-access network" that would let people reach more destinations and increase frequency on some Muni lines.

July 29, 2021 - Human Transit

Silicon Valley

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.

July 27, 2021 - New York Times

San Francisco Parklet

San Francisco Supervisors Vote to Keep Parklets, Close Them at Night

The pandemic-era outdoor seating arrangements can stay, but a last-minute amendment lets business owners close them overnight.

July 21, 2021 - San Francisco Chronicle

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Websites

The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

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.