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August 25, 2010New Housing Affordability Index Now Includes Cost of Transportation BY TIMOTHEA TWAY While living in the suburbs often appears less expensive than living in the city, this is often not the case when factoring in transportation costs. The Center for Neighborhood Technology just released an expanded version of their housing and transportation index which provides a comprehensive view of neighborhood affordability. Unlike other affordability indices, the Housing and Transportation Affordability Index takes into account transportation costs associated with neighborhood design and...
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August 24, 2010Graphic Designers Create Informational Posters on Complex Policy Issues BY FABIANA MEACHAM [The Vendor Power! poster breaks down NYC's rules and regulations for street vendors. Photo courtesy of Making Policy Public]Much to the chagrin of many graphic designers, the most effective and skilled examples of their trade often exist within the field of advertising, where the profits reaped from consumption dominate the end product. But when the rare opportunity does arise to use graphic design for the public good, the results can be inspiring and just as effective. By bringing...
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August 23, 2010Urban Craft: Print Shops and Big Ideas BY ELIZABETH HOLDEN The Levi's Workshop on Valencia Street [Photo Credit: flickr user thepostfamily]Nestled among artisan manufacturers and freshly ground coffee, the Levi's Workshop at 580 Valencia Street continues the Mission's tradition of craft through a community print shop. This bold artistic enclave merges the pop appeal of the storefront with the patience of the printmaker. The wide windows and old signs from a past laundromat make the shop feel accessible to the general public. However, the...
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August 20, 2010Weekly Snapshot BY ANIKA JESI The Tenderloin National Forest [Photo Credit: Colleen McHugh]DOT Unveils New Pop Up Café in Financial District: NYC takes a page from San Francisco's book and installs a parklet as the first in a series of attempts to address the lack of public space caused by Manhattan's cramped sidewalks.Beyond City Limits: In this "urban age," are megacities replacing nation-states as the centers of governance and power, and the hubs of economic vitality?Goodbye Land Transit? Say...
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August 20, 2010Farming the City BY FABIANA MEACHAM Hayes Valley Farm extends to the very edge of a more traditional urban scene [Photo Credit: Fabiana Meacham]Spend a few hours walking through any sector of the city and you will inevitably stumble upon a small patch of toiled earth, usually surrounded by chain-link fencing and accompanied by the all too familiar odor of manure. Urban farms have surfaced throughout the country in recent years -- in both major and not-so-major urban areas -- and San Francisco has been no exception. We now have a...
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August 19, 2010Datablog: Creating Framework Without a Frame - the Burning Man Infographic BY JORDAN SALINGER Flint Hahn's Burning Man infographic. (Click to view larger.)For some it is a yearly spiritual revival providing an emotionally charged respite from reality; for others it simply means they are able to eat brunch without standing in line. The mark left by Burning Man on San Franciscans and this city is undoubtedly immense, but is hard to truly measure. The same can be said about the impact on Black Rock City, Burning Man's yearly home, but this stunning infographic provides an all-...
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August 18, 2010Arcade Fire's new album tackles suburban sprawl, providing compelling city planning commentary - posted by Colleen McHugh Sprawl, conformity, car culture, ennui, decay. These are a few of the themes Arcade Fire tackles in its third album, The Suburbs, released last week. At times nostalgic and at times cautionary, The Suburbs may be most notable (certainly in the realm of SPUR's blog) as an example of city planning commentary in pop culture. As an NPR review put it, "the members of Arcade Fire have always been fascinated by the subtle ways geography informs our lives." Their newest album weaves a sense of...
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August 17, 2010Wind Power Possibilities for San Francisco BY TIMOTHEA TWAY [Photo Credit: flickr user notaboutwill]The US Department of Energy released their 2009 Wind Technologies Market Report outlining the current state of wind technology in the United States. The report is an exhaustive study of what is generally seen as solar power's less glamorous and less popular cousin.Some interesting facts from the report include:Wind power made up 39% of all new generating capacity in the United States last year In 2009 $21 billion were invested and cumulative wind...
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August 16, 2010DIY Urbanism: Market Creates Sense of Community While Bringing Healthy Food Choices to the Mission BY ELIZABETH HOLDEN [Photo Credit: Colleen McHugh]Through an interactive market system of live music, produce booths and youth art projects, the Mission Community Market (MCM) activates an underutilized block at the intersection of 22nd and Bartlett Streets. It also brings diverse walks of life together on one block every Thursday from 4 to 7p.m. Chance encounters with fellow pedestrians carrying sunflowers or succulent produce are the only signs of the Market on Thursdays, making it a delicious find. San...
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August 13, 2010Weekly Snapshot BY ANIKA JESI Opening party for SPUR's student show, Here+Now, now on view at the Urban Center [Photo Credit: Colleen McHugh]Ruling Paves Way for San Francisco Bike Lanes: Bicyclists rejoice as San Francisco's four-year-old bike plan injunction is lifted, allowing the much anticipated implementation of 45 new bike lane projects city-wide.Time to Return to L.A.'s Core: One symptom of the economic downturn is that it has slowed gentrification, putting some neighborhoods in developmental limbo. This...
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