Blog: May, 2009
Without a Hitch
YESTERDAY (live):
TODAY (in the Examiner):
Agents of Change: A Sneak Peak
We're nearly done installing SPUR's first exhibition, Agents of Change: Civic Idealism and the Making of San Francisco. Here's a sneak peak of how it's shaping up—thanks to an amazing cadre of volunteers who have been working around the clock to get the show installed before it opens this Friday.
I have learned so much from working on this show with our brilliant and tireless curator, Benjamin Grant. His approach to grouping the successes (and failures) of urban planners and architects into six generations paints a vivid picture of all the changes to our city and region, while highlighting the achievements of the remarkable individuals and groups who made them happen. The approach also allows SPUR—firmly rooted in the current generation of The Eco-Urbanists—to forge ahead with knowledge, boldness and humility. We "end" with a big question mark: What's next? What does the future hold?
In the storefront, a model of San Francisco loaned to us by SOM:
The lobby, with reception desk donated by Pfau Long Architecture, and the entrance to the exhibition:
A set of three exhibition posters, designed by Leon Yu. The poster on the left features a photo of Mayor Jim Rolph (aka "Sunny Jim") on Muni's opening day in 1912; the center image is of protestors at a "Save us from the Freeway" hearing in 1966; and the right shows a photo of Critical Mass in San Francisco:
A shot showing our exhibition system, designed by Brett Terpeluk of Studio Terpeluk:
Agents of Change: A Sneak Peak
We're nearly done installing SPUR's first exhibition, Agents of Change: Civic Idealism and the Making of San Francisco. Here's a sneak peak of how it's shaping up—thanks to an amazing cadre of volunteers who have been working around the clock to get the show installed before it opens this Friday.
I have learned so much from working on this show with our brilliant and tireless curator, Benjamin Grant. His approach to grouping the successes (and failures) of urban planners and architects into six generations paints a vivid picture of all the changes to our city and region, while highlighting the achievements of the remarkable individuals and groups who made them happen. The approach also allows SPUR—firmly rooted in the current generation of The Eco-Urbanists—to forge ahead with knowledge, boldness and humility. We "end" with a big question mark: What's next? What does the future hold?
In the storefront, a model of San Francisco loaned to us by SOM:
The lobby, with reception desk donated by Pfau Long Architecture, and the entrance to the exhibition:
A set of three exhibition posters, designed by Leon Yu. The poster on the left features a photo of Mayor Jim Rolph (aka "Sunny Jim") on Muni's opening day in 1912; the center image is of protestors at a "Save us from the Freeway" hearing in 1966; and the right shows a photo of Critical Mass in San Francisco:
A shot showing our exhibition system, designed by Brett Terpeluk of Studio Terpeluk:
Board Fails to Reject SFMTA Budget
Only five members of the Board of Supervisors today voted to reject the SFMTA budget, two short of the supermajority of seven needed to reject it.
The supermajority requirement was put in the City Charter by Proposition A and Proposition E (both in part crafted by SPUR) to create a balance between the need to defend the SFMTA from political influence and give the city's elected leaders a chance to reject the budget if it seriously misrepresents their values.
In the current budget debate, where the Supervisors were asked to approve a replacement 2009-2010 budget to deal with $129 million in cuts (fully 1/6 of the budget), it is no surprise the Supervisors came closer to rejecting the budget than they ever have since Proposition E passed. SPUR initially supported the motion to reject the budget. Some changes since that time improved the budget and SPUR sat out the debate during the second round.
Cutting 1/6 of the budget was bound to be unpopular. While SPUR doesn't agree with every aspect of the SFMTA budget (what independent government watchdog would?), we do credit SFMTA executive director Nathaniel P. Ford, Sr. and his team for proposing a budget that avoided the worst possible cuts. We will work with the SFMTA as they continue to adjust their budget and prepare for the 2010-12 budget proposal.
Click here for SPUR's proposals for an improved SFMTA budget.
Channeling Christo
Yesterday we staged a dress rehearsal for our big day next Thursday—when we'll unveil the Urban Center to over 1,000 people at our grand opening celebration. The scene caused quite a stir on this once-sleepy 600-block of Mission. Cars slowed; sidewalks filled; the Peet's patron paused. Sudden gusts of wind caused only minor complications, and leant a certain drama to the occasional glimpse of our bright orange beacon (designed, along with most of the other building graphics, by local graphics firm public.)
Despite some unresolved questions (should we raise or drop the veil??), it all went smoothly, thanks to SPUR staffer Virginia Grandi's hard-core Burner-friend, Tamo Hulva, a master seamstress who spent the last week holed up in her studio piecing together large swaths of fabric in time for the test run. (Can't wait to see how she works the fabric into her camp installation this September.) More pics here. Not sure the unveiling of our nonprofit digs will ever match the spectacle of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's "Wrapped Kunsthalle," but no doubt it was the source of inspiration. See you next week!
The Alliance for Biking & Walking Works the Bike Caucus
The Alliance for Biking & Walking, a national coalition of advocacy organizations, is working the Congressional Bike Caucus. The Caucus represents a majority of members who support an increased federal role in promoting bicycling as a solution to our nation's transportation crisis, not to mention our health and environmental crises.
In the attached letter from the Bike Caucus Chair, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Portland, OR), you'll see what the national bike movement is up to. The letter calls for four policies:
1. an increase in safe routes to school funding. (This will help us traffic-calm many SF streets)
2. a complete streets requirement (that all streets be designed for safe use by all, a policy already in place in San Francisco).
3. an "active transportation investment fund" to provide large grants for ambitious nonmotorized transportation plans, and
4. better data collection.
All in all, if the bike caucus (which is comprised of a slight majority of congress) supports this agenda, it bodes well for the urbanist transportation system SPUR is pushing.
How Will Shoreline Cities Respond to Sea Level Rise?
Just wanted to point your attention to the Bay Conservation Development Commission's upcoming design competition. The jury is seeking ideas inspired by "the common characteristics of estuaries" to prepare and adapt shoreline cities to the challenges of sea level rise. Entries will be displayed in the Ferry Building on July 14-19. Designers: still time to enter your proposal! Here's an excerpt from the competition brief:
Some techniques for dealing with sea level rise are fairly obvious. Other ideas, however, are less tested and still other concepts may not yet have been conceived. The best ideas will be products of innovation and creativity, be it by expanding upon traditional design solutions, such as seawalls and levees, or by offering an entirely new perspective. Proposals may involve any type of project within the built and natural environments, at any scale relative to an estuary like the San Francisco Bay. Your idea may address sea level rise for a particular shoreline element or structure, or it may address the larger issues related to a site, a neighborhood, commercial districts, public infrastructure, transportation systems or an entire watershed.
SPUR is currently outlining an upcoming issue of the Urbanist on cities and rising tides. Stay tuned for details...
It's Amazing What Four (Big, Bright Orange) Letters Can Do
We've been stealthily—until today—working away in our new building at 654 Mission Street to get ready for the grand opening of the Urban Center next week. Now there's no mistaking where we've been hiding out!
Market Street Draft Study Released
The Transportation Authority today released the draft Strategic Analysis Report on "Transportation Options for a Better Market Street."
SPUR has long considered potential improvements to Market Street, and advised the Transportation Authority on the scope of this SAR. We urged the agency to be bold, but positive. That is, we emphasized that a study of Market Street ought to focus on the goals first before proposing solutions such as banning car traffic. We cited five goals:
- speeding transit vehicles by 20%, at least.
- a contiguous, carfree bicycle path of travel
- elegant bus stops, that are comfortable and more like "stations" than "stops."
- more convenient and safer pedestrian conditions on the north side, where the "pork chop" intersections damage the walking experience
- beautiful streetscapes with plenty of options for sitting
How did they do? Plesae review the study and give them, and us, your feedback.
When Urbanism and Accessibility Aren’t in Step
Accessibility for persons with disabilities, New Urbanist planners and architects will tell you, is an important principle. Still, other New Urbanist principles can come into conflict with accessibility; or, at least, they often clash with interpretations of the Americans With Disabilities Act, or with accessibility as defined by disability-rights advocates. Take February’s “Lifelong Communities” charette in Atlanta, at which Congress for the New Urbanism co-founder Andres Duany and Eleanor Smith, of the organization Concrete Change, were able to agree on the removal of requirements for elevated entries from the Duany Plater-Zyberk SmartCode—prized by New Urbanists for the privacy they enable, but a barrier for wheelchairs—but had to agree to disagree on issues including the utility of walk-up apartments located above retail.
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