Issue 510

Safe Enough to Stay?

Is San Francisco Safe Enough to Stay?

What it will take for residents to live safely in their homes after an earthquake. Excerpted from the SPUR report Safe Enough to Stay

Housing is only one element in the complex web of factors that contribute to the city’s earthquake resilience, but we believe it is an especially important one. This article, based on our report Safe Enough to Stay , asks: What needs to be done to enable residents to shelter in place for days and months after a large earthquake?

Urban Field Notes: China's New Biking Culture

What role will the bicycle play in creating a more sustainable future for China? A landscape designer bikes from Beijing to Shanghai to find out.

In September 2011, I biked more than 1,000 miles from Beijing to Shanghai. This was no mere joyride: I was trying to gain a firsthand understanding of the bicycle’s role in Chinese life while investigating how cycling culture and bike infrastructure can be integrated into efficient and sustainable transportation design.