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September 23, 2010PARK(ing) Day 2010 Time-Lapse Video
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September 22, 2010PARK(ing) Day 2010 PARK(ing) Day 2010 was a resounding success -- at SPUR, in San Francisco and around the world. SPUR's PARK(ing) spot used milk crates, giant wooden spools, house plants and a colorful painted canvas to transform two parking spaces in front of the Urban Center into a delightful urban park. Friends of the Urban Forest kindly donated trees; Rebar lent us Bushwaffle and a section of their Walklet (both featured in our current exhibit, DIY Urbanism: Testing the grounds for social change). Stay...
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September 21, 2010Parklet Request for Proposals Announced by SF Planning Department BY KIT HODGE The Divisadero Street parklet in front of Mojo Cafe.Last Friday at a noontime forum at SPUR, the San Francisco Planning Department announced the release of a Request For Proposals for parklets, due October 18. Anyone interested in installing a parklet in front of your business or institution should download the application and program overview here. Pass along the information to businesses and other institutions that you think could be good parklet hosts. October 18th is right around the corner...
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September 20, 2010Datablog: What it Takes to Get There BY JORDAN SALINGER Click to enlarge Commute times to zip code 94105 (SOMA) in San FranciscoTo the dismay of many a futurist envisioning the world in 2010, the vast majority of people commute significant distances to their jobs. Although the recent recession has led to reduced vehicle miles traveled, the average American still commutes 46 minutes a day. And while we don't always have a choice about where we work and live, commuting reflects both the successes and limitations of our transportation network and...
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September 17, 2010Weekly Snapshot BY ANIKA JESI PARK(ing) Day at SPUR. More photos here. [Photo Credit: Colleen McHugh)Cars and Cities: The removal of the Alaskan Way viaduct in Seattle has the potential to pave the way for transit innovation. However, its proposed replacement, an underground freeway, would leave little room for new transit ideas, and might reinforce car dependence.Once Celebrated Ambassador Hotel Finds New Life as a School: The Ambassador Hotel, a Los Angeles landmark, is now being converted into six different state-of-the-...
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September 16, 2010PARK(ing) Day is Tomorrow! Print out our Map of Participating Sites PARK(ing) Day is a yearly, worldwide event that encourages urban residents to transform parking spots into temporary public spaces.SPUR's PARK(ing) Day map includes particpating PARK(ing) sites, as well as a detailed list of spots. Download the pdf here to print out your own copy.Be sure to stop by SPUR's PARK(ing) spot in front of 654 Mission Street for music, activities and conversation tomorrow, 11a.m. - 2:30p.m.
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September 15, 2010Crosstown Bicycling Could Become Realistic Option for San Francisco Residents Aged "8 to 80" BY FABIANA MEACHAM What would it take to transform San Francisco into a world-class bicycling city? More bike racks? More designated green lanes? Fewer hills? San Francisco is already one of the premiere biking cities in the country: bicycling has increased over 50% since 2006, and last year saw over 8,000 bicyclists on the city's streets. San Francisco was recently ranked the sixth most bike-friendly city in America.But most San Francisco residents are not riding their bicycles. Last week's lunch forum...
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September 14, 2010San Jose Then and Now BY TIMOTHEA TWAY Many who joined the latest SPUR study trip to San Jose were impressed to see how much the city has changed physically in the past few decades. These changes have helped accommodate considerable population growth - San Jose grew from under 100,000 residents in 1950 to 460,000 in 1970 to nearly 800,000 today. According to the Association of Bay Area Governments, San Jose will add approximately 400,000 more people from now until 2035, which will no doubt result in even more dramatic physical...
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September 13, 2010Exploring future job centers of the Bay Area: Mission Bay as urban tech park - posted by Ed Parillon Across the Bay Area, only one in 10 commuters takes transit to work each day. And half of those transit commuters go to one job center: downtown San Francisco. But since most work is outside of downtowns, SPUR is trying to understand a little more about emerging suburban and non-downtown job centers. This post is the first in an occasional series that will look at the Bay Area's evolving and emerging business districts. For each employment district, we will ask four main questions: The...
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September 10, 2010Weekly Snapshot - posted by Anika Jesi Kung Fu Tacos and the creme brulee guy in front of SPUR's opening party for DIY Urbanism: Testing the grounds for social change, on view through October 29. [Photo Credit: Colleen McHugh] The Power of Density: Writer Richard Florida argues for the economic benefits of urban density, suggesting that the geographic concentration of related industries and assets can play a powerful role in sparking innovation and economic growth. Clever Crosswalk Squashes Jaywalking by Making it Legal:...
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