SPUR Newswire

Rockefeller Fdtn: U.S. transportation priorities must change

Fri, 9 May 2008 00:00:00 PST

A great editorial from the Rockefeller Foundation highlights the need to "fix it first," stopping built-in incentives to drive, new initiatives including today's D.C. summit, Rebuilding and Renewing America, and the environmental and economic implications of it all.

The new high speed rail web site

Thu, 8 May 2008 00:00:00 PST

This is the most important measure on the November 2008 ballot in California. Check out the new web site!

How California schools spend their money

Wed, 7 May 2008 00:00:00 PST

The California Budget Project looks at expenditure patterns in the wake of massive cuts to k-12 funding in California. With relatively high teacher salaries and relatively low per-pupil funding, California has more kids per teacher than other states. Large urban districts spend a much larger percent of their money on special education than the average. But overall, the state needs to boost spending 40% - 70%.

New London Mayor on Transportation

Mon, 5 May 2008 00:00:00 PST

Here's an interview from last year with London Mayor Boris Johnson, who ousted Ken Livingstone last week, where he spends the first eight minutes talking about buses and bikes.

Los Angeles gets the rest of NYC's money

Fri, 2 May 2008 00:00:00 PST

Last Friday, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) was awarded a $214 million to implement congestion pricing on the County's freeways. The federal money is part of the $354 million Urban Partnership Program grant that New York's state legislature forfeited.

The history and design of a SF icon

Thu, 1 May 2008 00:00:00 PST

This just in from our fifth-floor neighbors at the Book Club of California: Donald MacDonald, the first architect to work on the Golden Gate Bridge since the original consulting architects, will give an illustrated talk on Monday, May 12. MacDonald and Ira Nadel wrote the text for The Golden Gate Bridge: History and Design of an Icon, published by Chronicle Books. MacDonald who illustrated the book will sign copies at the event. Bring your friends and fellow bibliophiles!

Here are the details:

Monday, May 12, 2008
Reception: 5 to 6 p.m.
Lecture: 6 to 7 p.m.

The Book Club of California
312 Sutter Street, Suite 510, San Francisco CA 94108
415 781-7532
www.bccbooks.org

Chicago gets NYC's congestion pricing dollars

Thu, 1 May 2008 00:00:00 PST

In a post dripping with disappointment, this New Yorker notes Chicago's plans to speed up the buses and conduct variable parking pricing with some of the money New York said "no" to when they rejected congestion pricing. Chicago's plans sound much like our own here in San Francisco!

Mayors address urban issues - but will the candidates?

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 PST

We've heard little from the Presidential candidates about the importance of cities. But this innovative new project by weekly magazine The Nation and think tank Drum Major Institute brings the voices of urban mayors to the fore. Check out their interviews with mayors from LA, Denver, Miami, Atlanta and many others. In preparation for the Pennsylvania primary, they have just posted an interview with the mayor of Scranton.

Solving climate change could save billions

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 PST

Amidst increasingly dire news about the economy and climate change, Architecture 2030 released a seminal study at the Eileen Rockefeller Growald Symposium on Collaborative Philanthropy today, showing how a small investment of only $21.6 billion in the Building Sector would produce 216,000 permanent jobs and save 86.7 Million Metric Tons (MMT) of CO2 in a single year.

A new look at affordability

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:00:00 PST

These maps allow you to look at housing and transportation costs combined -- as a percentage of income -- to see if people who live in the cheap houses far from transit are really saving money. Critical info, considering the MTC's attention to this subject in the renewal of our regional transportation plan.

Is it possible to measure the carbon impact of anything?

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 00:00:00 PST

The New Yorker ran a great piece on Tesco's attempt to calculate the carbon footprint of all of its products. Now, Sightline tries to think through the implications: It is impossible to accurately count the carbon of most things; slight variations in the assumptions can give wildly different results. And yet, in the absence of carbon taxes at the "point of extraction" we have no choice but to try to guess at what policies to enact, based on what will be inherently flawed cost-benefit calculations. This is our dilemma.

NYC eyes new taxes in wake of congestion pricing defeat

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 00:00:00 PST

New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority ponders how to fill a $17.5 billion capital deficit now that their preferred option, congestion pricing, got nixed by the state government.

The Politics of Optimism

Fri, 4 Apr 2008 00:00:00 PST

Our friends at worldchanging.com talk about what it takes to remain optimistic in a time when so much is going wrong with the planet. The common assumption in most public discourse is that truly bold solutions to our problems involve unacceptable costs. Instead, worldchanging asserts: "it is possible to act in such a way that the prospects of most people on the planet are improved. While certain costs will be incurred, the returns on those investments will be quite attractive, not only in ecological stability, international security and human well-being, but in terms of plain old economic prosperity. These solutions will make the future better than the present for the almost everyone, and greatly improve the lots of our children and grandchildren."

Old Montreal goes car-free

Thu, 3 Apr 2008 00:00:00 PST

To accommodate the 10 million-plus visitors to Montreal in the summer months, the city administration is converting some streets in old Montreal into pedestrian malls for most of the day. The effort to �reinvent old Montreal� is matched by a similar effort to enjoy car-free fun in the city�s gay district, where several blocks of a Ste-Catherine Street will be closed to cars during the summer months.

Preparing for China's one billion city residents

Tue, 1 Apr 2008 00:00:00 PST

McKinsey Global Institute takes a comprehensive look at the impact of China having 350 million new urban residents by 2025. They project that China will build 50,000 skyscrapers, 5 billion miles of paved roads and 170 mass-transit systems. By 2025, there will be 221 cities in China with more than 1 million people in them. Europe today has only 35 and the United States fewer. Eight cities will have over 10 million people (compared with only two in China today). The report explores the differential impact of distributing these new urban dwellers in different sized cities- from a fiscal and environmental perspective.

City of SF 3-year budget projections

Tue, 1 Apr 2008 00:00:00 PST

The City produces its 3-year budget report. This report, produced annually by the Controller, the Mayor's Budget Director, and the Budget Analyst for the Board of Supervisors projects budgetary sources and uses for General Fund Supported operations for FY 2008-09 through FY 2010-11. The gist: we have a $338 million deficit.

John King on the Urban Center

Tue, 1 Apr 2008 00:00:00 PST

John King, the San Francisco Chronicle's urban design critic, talks to Urban Center architect Peter Pfau about the transparency that SPUR's new building -- now under construction at 654 Mission Street -- is meant to inspire among local government, policy makers and citizens.

Envision 2050 Poster Competition

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:00:00 PST

Is the future nature? That's the question posed by Re:Vision to all 6th through 12th graders nationwide. The San Francisco-based organization is sponsoring a poster competition to encourage students to imagine how cities will change, grow and become more sustainable.

In London, supermarkets shun bicyclists

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:00:00 PST

The borough of Hackney, London loosens regulations that have restricted the size of retailers' parking lots, despite the fact that nearly 70 percent of shopping trips are made on foot (or by bike). Why? Richard George argues such a move is based on the tenuous assumption that driving customers buy more items when, in fact, people who bike or walk may buy fewer items per trip, but probably shop more frequently.

Plan for Hudson Rail Yards selected

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:00:00 PST

This is New York so everything's bigger, but... San Francisco also has rail yards with nothing on top of them. In a city with such scarce land resources, these provide an incredible opportunity for us. The Hudson Yards project grows out of a proposal from the Regional Plan Association, a New York civic group similar to SPUR (www.rpa.org/pdf/hudsonyardsalternatives.pdf). For SPUR's proposal to create a version of this idea on top of the Caltrain yards at 4th and King, click here: http://www.spur.org/documents/070701_article_01.shtm

Policy Link debuts infrastructure equity

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 00:00:00 PST

Our infrastructure might represent our society's biggest legacy to future generations. PolicyLink debuts the Center for Infrastructure Equity to help ensure that public investments in infrastructure create economic opportunity and health in all communities.

Suburbia's Mid-Life Crisis

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00:00 PST

"No longer young, no longer trendy, no longer the place to be, no longer without apparent limitations or constraints," writes Michael Gecan of the Boston Review, "These places, like people, have developed ways of avoiding reality." Wow. This is a broad, hard-hitting take on the last 40 years of suburbanization in America which, for many reasons, is easing into a period of urban revitalization.

Design and Density Key for Affordable Housing

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00:00 PST

A new study by the Center for Housing Policy focuses on the effects of inclusionary zoning requirements -- which tie a city's affordable housing stock to the production of market-rate housing -- on local housing markets in San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and the Boston suburbs.

Washington, D.C. gets bike-sharing system

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 PST

It's not Paris's Velib system, but it's the first in the United States: Employees of the House of Representatives will have access to hundreds of shared bikes for use to and from transit and around Capitol Hill.

KALW reprises SPUR's TEP article

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:00 PST

KALW's current affairs show called Crosscurrents recently interviewed SPUR's Transportation Policy Director on the 14-Mission Muni bus. They talked about Muni's plans to restructure the system to speed service for most passengers.

Muni ridership declines again

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:00:00 PST

Municipal Railway downward spiral continues SPUR predicted it in 2005 and the American Public Transit Muni posted its third consecutive year of ridership losses, carrying 1.7% fewer passengers in 2007 than it did in 2006, while nationally ridership increased by 2.1%.

Metro Santa Cruz on our megaregion

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:00:00 PST

Interesting piece on the emerging northern California megaregion.

Why manufacturing still matters

Tue, 4 Mar 2008 00:00:00 PST

The manufacturing sector is 10% of all US jobs and a larger share of our gross output. Jobs in manufacturing also pay 20% more than average. The Washington Post opines about why Made in the USA is still vital to our economic health.

America's 50 Greenest Cities

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:00:00 PST

Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau and a National Geographic study, Popular Science names the 50 greenest cities in the U.S. The survey ranks San Francisco a close second (by a mere difference of .1%) to Portland, OR.

Reimagining cities

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:00:00 PST

Science magazine runs a great series of articles on global urbanization, megacities, sprawl, and health. You have to be a subscriber to read the full text at www.sciencemag.org or look for a copy of the February 8th issue at the library.

Mass impact

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:00:00 PST

The BSA and MIT planning school have organized a two-part symposium on cities and climate change. The first event will take place on March 28 at MIT, and will include "Ten by Ten," a presentation of best practices from around the world.

The LA Times launches series on water in California

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:00:00 PST

Under the headline, "Channeling Mulholland," the Times launches a major journalistic exploration of water here and around the world. See also the paper's editorial introduction to what promises to be a fascinating series: click here.

How much economic mobility is there still in the United States?

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:00:00 PST

For more than the past century, we've held onto the belief that the United States offered opportunity and economic advancement to anyone who worked hard to get ahead. Brookings takes a look at the question on economic mobility in this recent paper. While the study notes that economic mobility does still occur, it is not evenly shared between different groups and overall is lower than some other wealthy countries.

Learning from the UK about transportation reform

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 00:00:00 PST

The recently released report of the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission was actually inspired by the Eddington Transport Study--an independent review for the British Government chaired by Sir Rod Eddington (former British Airways CEO), which made the case for tying transportation funding and decisions to economic performance objectives. Read about the Regional Plan Association's forum on both reports (and follow links to the actual reports if you're interested!)

The end of the suburban dream

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 00:00:00 PST

The Atlantic monthly argues that suburbs have been losing their desirability, relative to urban centers, for a long time -- a trend that the current sub-prime mortgage problem highlights, but does not cause.

EPA releases stormwater best mangement practices guide

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 00:00:00 PST

The modern approach to stormwater in urban areas is to look for ways to capture it as a resource rather than mixing it with sewage and treating it as a pollutant. Building on the EPA's previously developed "International Stormwater BMP Database" the agency has released a new, somewhat user-friendly tool to promote more widespread adoption.

LA follows the LEED of other U.S. cities...

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 00:00:00 PST

...by adopting mandatory green building standards for all new commercial projects over 50,000 square feet. Two Los Angeles City Councils voted last Friday to join the growing number of American cities who require private developers to meet a minimum LEED standard for new construction.

Drawing a line by the shore

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:00:00 PST

Coastal development has long been controversial in California, among other places. But the nations ringing the Mediterranean have gone a step farther in regulating seaside construction -- or rather, 100 meters farther. At the 2008 meeting of the Barcelona Convention, the 21 signatories to the 1976 anti-pollution agreement consented to a ban on new buildings within 328 feet of nearly the entire, 29,000-mile shoreline of the Sea. Such a ban already exists Turkey and Spain, and the latter has begun razing existing structures by the shore.

A climate for old men

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:00:00 PST

This article from Grist magazine salutes 93-year old Ted Kheel who just released a plan that San Francisco's business community should support: make transit free by implementing congestion pricing for motorists. The real benefits: attracting more jobs and residents to climate-friendly New York.

What is Made in San Francisco?

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 00:00:00 PST

The City of SF has just completed a study of light industrial businesses and published a report on their findings. The report profiles businesses and has business linkages maps of locally sourced goods and services for the production of diverse products like Schwab's quarterly shareholder report or a dinner at Delfina. Come hear the authors of the report present at a SPUR forum on March 19th.

The bright green city

Fri, 8 Feb 2008 00:00:00 PST

Our friends at worldchanging.com outline the basic connection between compact development and climate change, in the form of a city planning 101 manifesto.

Green collar jobs

Fri, 8 Feb 2008 00:00:00 PST

The story of where the word comes from... and of a great planning group changing the public debate.

NYC plan for congestion pricing, free transit

Wed, 6 Feb 2008 00:00:00 PST

San Francisco's own thoughts for free transit got summarily dismissed by an analysis for the Mayor last week. The report underestimated the savings and discounted the environmental benefits of the predicted huge increase in transit riders, but correctly notes that our transit system currently couldn't handle the influx and would buckle under the weight of new riders. In NYC, they're thinking bigger.

Mission automobility

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 PST

If you missed SPUR's amazing forum on the shift from public to private transport and the resultant impact on the built environment in the Mission, you can catch that historical geography here.

Heminger's report

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 PST

We previously reported on the just-released report of the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission. Click the link in the title to view the perspective of Steve Heminger's, executive director of our Metropolitan Transportation Commission and one of the Commissioners who voted for the report.

Transbay Transit Center financial update

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 PST

Cost estimates for the new terminal are up, from $3.36 billion to $3.61 billion, but so are revenue estimates, from $1.50 billion to $2.14 billion. The revenue increase derives from the windfall pledge for the tall transit tower, other increases in property value in the neighborhood (big caveat: pending approval) and lower interest rates that make it possible to borrow more money at the same cost.

British Columbia to invest $14 billion in transit

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 PST

British Columbia to invest $14 billion in transit Our neighbors to the north might have just released the most ambitious transit expansion proposal on the continent. The Provincial Transit Plan recommends spending $14 billion in the next twelve years on four new rail lines, new rapid bus service and clean technology buses. They expect this investment to double the number of trips people take by transit. You can download the plan here, and read the news coverage here.

What happens in San Francisco...

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:00:00 PST

... sometimes goes big, as this announcement - that Whole Foods will stop using plastic bags - indicates. Data collected in San Francisco after the city banned plastic bags last year showed this grocer that customers' needs could be met with a slight increase in using paper, and more promisingly, with reusable bags. Who might step up next to take this idea to scale? (Hint: read the article all the way through)

Federal commission on transportation funding releases report

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:00:00 PST

The National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission just released its report, and it�s great reading. �We need to invest at least $225 billion annually ... but we are spending less than 40 percent of this amount today."

The precautionary principle and climate change

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:00:00 PST

A high-school teacher's nine-and-a-half minute white board lecture on the choices we face in dealing with climate change has attracted more than 4 million viewers. View it for yourself and you'll see why. It's a great explanation of the precautionary principle.

Cities of the Future, Right Now

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 00:00:00 PST

The History Channel is hosting a design competition to envision cities of the future. Local firms, including SPUR Urban Center architect Pfau Architecture, are participating. Check out the results on January 20th from 10 AM to 6 PM at the San Francisco Ferry Building.

SPUR'S megaregion concept discussed by Contra Costa Times

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 00:00:00 PST

Using interviews with megacommuters, the Contra Costa Times explains and evaluates SPUR's study of the Northern California megaregion. They speak with Central Valley experts and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to show the benefits and challenges of the megaregion concept. The article was also discussed on the America 2050 page: http://www.america2050.org/.

What would you do if you didn�t have to worry about budgets, bureaucracy, politics, or physics?

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:00:00 PST

That's what artists Packard Jennings and Steve Lambert asked Bay Area architects, planners, and transportation engineers--whose responses inspired the design of six original posters along Market Street. The exhibition, titled Wish You Were Here! Postcards from our Awesome Future and organized by the San Francisco Arts Commission, will be the focus of a February 4 panel at the California College of the Arts.

How can San Francisco become more family-friendly?

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:00:00 PST

This February, the Department of Children, Youth & Their Families (DCYF) are holding a series of community conversations to gather input for its upcoming three-year action plan to make San Francisco more amenable to families with kids. Click here to find out where and when you can give your two cents.

Future of California's Delta envisioned

Wed, 9 Jan 2008 00:00:00 PST

A Blue Ribbon Task Force appointed by Gov. Schwarzenegger recently released its 30-50 year vision for sustainably managing the Delta. The Delta is the largest estuary on the west coast and the source of drinking water for millions of people. The task force proposed 12 recommendations focusing on conservation, efficiency, a new governance structure, and preparing for disasters.

FTC to consider carbon offset claims

Wed, 9 Jan 2008 00:00:00 PST

The Federal Trade Commission began this week a series of hearings on whether buyers of carbon credits are really getting their money's worth in lasting emissions reductions. Last year, U.S. companies and consumers purchased $54 million of offsets. But without restrictions on environmental advertising - which the FTC has not updated since 1998 - could this be a new form of greenwashing? The FTC isn't accusing anyone yet, but will be soliciting comments on updating these guidelines.

Do jobs follow workers to the suburbs?

Tue, 8 Jan 2008 00:00:00 PST

The answer - it depends. But in this new study from Brookings, they shed insight into where jobs are growing and how low-income and high-income suburbs are faring relative to Central Cities. The gist -- job access is a big deal and is much harder in spatially segregated cities like Atlanta or Denver.

Where should development go in St. Paul...

Thu, 3 Jan 2008 00:00:00 PST

...and what should it look like? A $1.5 billion 33-acre mixed-use development plan across the water from St. Paul's downtown gets rejected.

Planetizan's 2007 Roundup

Thu, 3 Jan 2008 00:00:00 PST

Planetizan names its picks for the top planning and urban development issues of 2007. No real surprises here, though we're glad to see that many American cities are stepping up to the plate when it comes to combating climate change. The write-up also includes helpful links to articles on how each of these issues affects different cities across the U.S.

Promises with a price: which states are best prepared for retirement costs?

Wed, 2 Jan 2008 00:00:00 PST

Retirement costs of public sector workers will be more than $2.73 trillion over the next 30 years. Pew Charitable Trusts takes a look at the issue on a state by state basis and assesses which states are most prepared.

What is the next president going to do about global climate change?

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 00:00:00 PST

Support cap and trade? Interested in tradable permits? Wild about ethanol? Find out which candidates agree with your take on climate change in this New York Times Issues Guide.

Air travel and global warming

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 00:00:00 PST

An interesting discussion about the difficulty in calculating how much carbon, exactly, comes from flying. It depends on how far, what time of day, what kind of plane...

British lottery players want cycling and walking paths

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 00:00:00 PST

"Connect2," the ambitious British plan to build a nationwide network of safe cycle paths and walking routes, will receive a $102 million windfall thanks from the country's lottery fund, thanks to winning a vote of lottery players. The project is administered by Sustrans, the British sustainable transportation nonprofit organization.

Winter cities

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 00:00:00 PST

Even in cold weather, great public spaces attract people. The Project for Public Spaces reviews what works from around the world.

Interested in learning all about economic and environmental sustainability but too tired to read?

Thu, 6 Dec 2007 00:00:00 PST

Check out a great new movie put out by Free Range Studios. Written by and starring Annie Leonard, the Story of Stuff shows us where all that, err, stuff comes from and how our consumption patterns lead to environmental degradation.

U.S. could reduce its emissions 50% by 2030

Wed, 5 Dec 2007 00:00:00 PST

A new report by McKinsey & Co. finds that the U.S. could reduce emissions over 50% from 2005 levels by 2030, with "forceful", coordinated, economy-wide action that begins now. The study found that we can get reductions using both existing and emerging technologies, but more importantly, that 40% of them can be achieved at negative costs, i.e. generating positive returns. Energy efficiency actions for buildings and appliances would provide the biggest early returns.

U.S. public transit ridership maintains growth

Wed, 5 Dec 2007 00:00:00 PST

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) today announced that Americans took nearly 50 million more trips on public transportation during the third quarter of 2007, compared to the third quarter of 2006, representing a 2 percent increase in ridership.

Los Angeles subway adding gates

Mon, 3 Dec 2007 00:00:00 PST

San Francisco is considering expanding its "proof of payment" fare system to a few bus lines, according to the leader of the Transit Effectiveness Project. The system is popular, for good reason: it speeds up boarding, providing passengers with faster service and the transit agency with lower operating costs. Theoretically, the system does away with the need for fare gates, but not necessarily in reality: Los Angeles is adding fare gates to their system.

CA High Speed Rail advocacy strengthening

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:00:00 PST

Three students from UC-Santa Barbara recognize the importance of building high speed rail to prevent global warming and meet our travel growth needs, so they've created an advocacy web site. Their "hope is to spark interest and motivate people to vote for the proposed bond. We want less traffic, less pollution, and a bright future for California... improving our quality of life, in this life time!" they say.

The circular logic of widening highways

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 00:00:00 PST

New research by the Sightline Institute analyzes the claim that widening highways will relieve congestion and ultimately, reduce emissions as cars spend less time in stop-and-go traffic. While congestion may be relieved in the short term, one mile of new highway lane will increase carbon emissions 100,000 tons over 50 years, largely because having more space for traffic will...induce more people to drive there.

New development key to driving down housing costs in San Francisco

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 00:00:00 PST

San Francisco needs to more than double its stock of new housing to make it affordable for everyone to live here. Click here to read Gabriel Metcalf's op-ed in the San Francisco Bay Guardian.

Thinking Big to Stop Sprawl

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 00:00:00 PST

Gabriel Metcalf talks to Central Valley Business Times editor Doug Caldwell about SPUR's proposal for a Northern California megaregion--published in the December issue of Urbanist. Click here to read and hear Metcalf's thoughts on why we need to zoom out to zoom in on the problem of sprawl.

Find the secret regional rail plan

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:00:00 PST

The MTC produced two regional rail plans -- a very big one that's detailed and thorough and rather opaque with plannerese, and another that's easy to read, the "popular summary" we're calling it. That's the one the BART Board received.

Platform for great regional transportation released

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 00:00:00 PST

SPUR is a co-signer to the Fighting Climate Change & Winning a Better Bay Area , the Transportation and Land Use Coalition�s 2009 Regional Transportation Plan Platform. The document sets out ten principles for influencing the 2009 Regional Transportation Plan, the federally-required plan for programming the nearly $130 billion the region is expected to spend in the years 2010-2035. The principles are intended to make real progress toward reducing our contribution to global warming, provide world-class transit for all, promote vibrant, walkable communities, and maximize the efficiency of our road system.

Seattle: surpassing Kyoto, or not?

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:00:00 PST

An update of Seattle's emissions inventory reveals that the city reduced its "carbon footprint" about 8% below 1990 levels in 2005. While residential and commercial energy use were down, despite the region's thriving economy, transportation emissions - especially from road vehicles - were slightly up. But many methods can an emissions inventory make, the Sightline Institute claims - read their commentary on the trickiness of climate accounting here. Meantime: hats off, Seattle!

Climate policies can shield low-income households

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:00:00 PST

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington think tank, has begun researching the effects of climate change policies on low-income households. This new brochure reveals early findings that greenhouse gas emissions can indeed be reduced without increasing poverty. In fact, well-designed policies can cushion the impact on vulnerable households without enlarging the national deficit.

Blueprint for American prosperity

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:00:00 PST

The Brookings Institution launched a major national planning effort last week, aimed at the 100 largest metro areas in the US. The first report in the series, "Metro Nation" outlines the major forces in the world that are affecting the US economy and US cities, and provides an overview of a far-reaching reform agenda, to be unveiled alongside the 2008 Presidential campaign.

Economic Impact of Eastern Neighborhoods De Facto Housing Moratorium

Wed, 7 Nov 2007 00:00:00 PST

The Office of Economic Analysis recently released a report detailing the impact of proposed legislation for San Francisco's Eastern Neighborhoods that would function as a de facto moratorium on housing. Interestingly, the report highlights the amount of revenue that the City would forgo by failing to entitle housing in the interim period between now and the time that a permanent plan is adopted.

Back to basics in transportation planning

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:00:00 PST

Gary Toth, the new Director of Transportation Initiatives at PPS and a veteran of 34 years with the New Jersey Department of Transportation, reflects on how we lost our way in traffic planning and what we can do to get back on track.

Downtown housing in LA creates stronger office market

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:00:00 PST

After several years of growth in downtown condos, the condo market has started to cool in downtown LA. But the benefits of the new resident population is having an impact on the office market. All the new foot traffic and amenities for residents has businesses taking a second look at locating downtown. Rents are up and vacancy down and the first high rise office tower since 1992 is in the works.

California education policy

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 00:00:00 PST

This month, EdSource hosted a major conference on education policy. More than 50 leaders in California education submitted policy briefs on how to improve our public schools. For anyone interested in getting up to speed on the major issues we face, this is a treasure trove of thinking. See especially the "framing" paper by Cross and Joftus, "Making the Case for Comprehensive Education Reform in California" here.

Canadian Condo Boom Produces Some Mixed Results

Sun, 21 Oct 2007 00:00:00 PST

Although Vancouver has the most expensive housing market in Canada, the average sales price for a condo is $419,750, substantially lower than the average unit cost in San Francisco. Unfortunately, Vancouver also appears to be backing away from its commitment to maintain a 33% affordable housing mix in Southeast False Creek.

Is there an urban health advantage?

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 00:00:00 PST

Why is New York City's average life expectancy increasing so much faster than the rest of America's? New Yorkers are living longer than ever, and have made stunning gains in the last two decades. Is it because of good public policy, geographic advantages, or because New Yorkers walk everywhere? Read this interesting thought piece and come away with interesting ideas about how good urban planning can promote public health.

Coal electric plant denied on carbon emissions basis

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 00:00:00 PST

For the first time, a governmental body in the United States has rejected a proposed coal-fired electricity generating plant because its carbon emissions would contribute to climate change. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment denied an air permit this week, claiming that it would be "irresponsible to ignore emerging information" about the harm to the environment and human health from too much carbon dioxide. Let's keep this ball rolling...

Analysis of the State's budget

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 00:00:00 PST

The Governor signed a $131 billion state budget. But we still face an operating shortfall of $5 billion in upcoming years. The Legislative Analyst Office presents their analysis of the state budget and its proposed expenditures.

New York converts busy street to pedestrian plaza

Thu, 4 Oct 2007 00:00:00 PST

Quoting from streetsblog, "What was very recently one of the longest and most hectic pedestrian crossings in Manhattan, and no treat for drivers, cyclists or nearby businesses, is suddenly a place where you can sit down and enjoy a Fat Witch brownie from the Chelsea Market after a busy morning of couture shopping at Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen." It's the kind of transformation we can expect here in San Francisco with the conversion of Jessie Street into Mint Plaza.

20/20 foresight for the state's budget?

Tue, 2 Oct 2007 00:00:00 PST

Our State Treasurer has just issued a new report that takes a 20 year look at our budget, its structural deficit and our debt burden. Since Prop. 13, we've financed public works increasingly through debt, not user fees. We now spend $6 billion a year on debt service, roughly equivalent to our structural deficit. Are there better options?

Smart growth needed to combat climate change

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 00:00:00 PST

A new report by the Urban Land Institute, based on an exhaustive review of the relationship between urban development, travel, and tailpipe carbon emissions, has revealed that growth in driving in the U.S. will soon outpace improvements in vehicle fuel economy. In other words: we have to change our driving behavior, not just our car technologies, or we won't get on track to climate stabilization. Since 1980, the number of miles Americans drive has grown three times faster than our population. How do we fix this? The study found that with more compact development, people drive 20-40% less. Other emissions-sparing benefits of smart growth include protected forests and open lands, and energy efficiency.

Newsom supports "transit, not traffic"

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 00:00:00 PST

It may have escaped many people's notice because the news outlets are oddly quiet about it: Mayor Newsom supports transit, not traffic. He endorsed Proposition A, the Muni reform measure, and does not support Proposition H, the parking measure. Together, these two measures represent the most important transportation questions on the ballot in decades, comparable only to the half-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2003. Mayor Newsom also spoke out in support of another important pro-Muni legislative reform: allowing Muni buses to camera enforce against double parking with bus-mounted cameras. In a Sacramento speech, he provided the big push to pass the legislation crafted by Livable City and authored by Assemblymember Fiona Ma. This idea, recommended by SPUR in its Billion Dollar Problem paper, has the double benefit of improving enforcement to ensure faster and more efficient bus travel while freeing up enforcement resources for other beneficial and revenue-generating activities. Basic good government, good transit stuff.

Hosed by sea-level rise

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 00:00:00 PST

A new report by Architecture 2030 shows that a conservative estimate of climate-induced sea level rise - just 1 meter - will dramatically impact coastal cities. A stunning visual model of the projected inundation of SF can be viewed here. What can we do to both minimize the siege, and be prepared for it?

Conversations about cities (or why we need the Urban Center)

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 00:00:00 PST

Trevor Brody, Vancouver's leading architecture critic, reviews a remarkable series of exhibitions about cities that have taken place over the past year, around the world. He contrasts the robust conversations -- and budgets of the civic organizations -- in Copenhagan, London, and other places -- with the malnourished civic infrastructure of Vancouver. We need places to have real conversations about cities; SPUR is committed to building the most open, most critical, most thoughtful urban center the world has seen.

Zoning for housing threatens tax revenues

Sun, 9 Sep 2007 00:00:00 PST

San Jose has been successful in building thousands of units of new housing. But has this come at the expense of job growth -- and needed tax revenue for local services. The Merc takes a look at this issue and some solutions to make it harder to convert industrial land to housing.

Made in USA as the green alternative

Thu, 6 Sep 2007 00:00:00 PST

NY Times reports on how Made in the USA is becoming an environmental statement for those seeking to reduce their carbon footprint.

Bonjour to Spacing Montreal

Thu, 6 Sep 2007 00:00:00 PST

Spacing magazine of Toronto is one of our favorite urbanist publications around. Now they have added an on-line branch for Montreal!

Green buildings: cheaper than people think

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 00:00:00 PST

A new global survey by the World Business Council on Sustainable Development found that the costs to build green are much lower than people think. The survey also found that greenhouse gas emissions from the building sector are much higher than people realize. There's a great opportunity here for policy and education initiatives to support greening the building industry worldwide.

Don't buy stuff. But if you must, be carbon-neutral.

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 00:00:00 PST

40% of the average household's climate impact comes from the purchase of goods and services. Handily, a new website brought to you by some of the nation's best known environmental groups allows you to offset your household shopping purchases at no additional cost (to you). Cooler is a portal to hundreds of stores where you already shop online. When you buy something, it calculates the global warming impact of your purchase, and stores pay to invest in renewable energy projects that eliminate the purchase's impact.

Growing income inequality in California

Fri, 24 Aug 2007 00:00:00 PST

A new report by the California Budget Project, A Generation of Widening Inequality: The State of Working California, 1979 to 2006, documents employment, wage, and income trends in California and identifies a growing divide between the state's rich and poor during the past generation.

Who can reduce emissions most cheaply?

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 00:00:00 PST

The Swedish utility Vattenfall has developed an interactive map of the global potential to reduce greenhouse gases. Based on an estimated cost per ton of carbon, and the overall abatement need, the utility determined what sectors and regions can reduce emissions at the least cost. The study concluded that it is possible to reduce emissions enough by 2030 to get on track to long-term climate stabilization. Cool as this is, making it happen will be a much bigger challenge.

London goes car-free Sept 23

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 PST

London bans cars from most of its city on Sunday, Sept 23, to encourage Londoners to try other ways of getting around. The event is part of the European Union's Mobility Week, when communities throughout the continent set about implementing the week's theme, "Streets for People." San Francisco's own event happens Sept. 21, Park(ing) Day.

One county tries to resolve spiraling retiree healthcare costs

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 00:00:00 PST

The LA Times reports that Orange County is trying to fix its $1.4 billion unfunded liability for retiree health by doubling the monthly health premiums for some retired workers. San Francisco's unfunded liability is more than $5 billion. What can we learn from Orange County?

New report questions future water needs

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 00:00:00 PST

A new report by the Tuolumne River Trust questions some of the water use forecasts for the Bay Area in 2030, and a proposal to divert more water from the Tuolumne River to meet those needs. The report says that that the SFPUC underestimates the role of water conservation and efficiency improvements. The SFPUC is in the midst of a planning process to invest billions of dollars in upgrading and expanding the Tuolumne water supply system.

Income Inequality runs amok

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 00:00:00 PST

The top 10% of income earners owns 70% of the wealth in the United States. The wealthiest 1% have more stuff than 95% of the rest of us. This article suggests some remedies to this growing inequality, assuming you think it's a problem, of course.

Pro city eminent domain measure hits the streets

Thu, 9 Aug 2007 00:00:00 PST

A second eminent domain measure hits the streets. This one is a defensive measure put out by the League of Cities -- in preparation for a showdown with property rights groups for the June 2008 ballot. Stay tuned.

Majority of people will soon live in cities

Wed, 8 Aug 2007 00:00:00 PST

Next year, for the first time, over half of the world's population will live in urban areas, according to a new report by the United Nations. Cities and towns hosted 220 million people at the beginning of last century; in 2008 that number will swell to 3.3 billion. Rapid growth presents planning challenges, but also opportunities to channel development sustainably. SPUR affirms the report's conclusion that we need to look to cities for solutions.

Contested Streets

Wed, 8 Aug 2007 00:00:00 PST

This documentary on the struggle to dominate New York's limited street space shows how the city has slowly relinquished what was a rich, multi-dimensional conception of the street as public space to a mindset that prioritizes the rapid movement of cars and trucks over all other functions. It's an easy-to-watch, historical, and well-documented comparison of New York, Paris, London, and Copenhagen. Well worth checking out.

Free transit in Victoria

Mon, 6 Aug 2007 00:00:00 PST

Transit advocates in Victoria, British Columbia have put together a five-piece series on the potential benefits of making public transit free. While the systems aren't comparable -- their system is not nearly as underfunded as ours is -- the arguments still elucidate the issue.

Reminder of America's aging infrastructure

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:00:00 PST

Sadly, the bridge collapse in Minnesota is a reminder of the sad state of our nation's infrastructure. Among other needed repairs, the Society of Civil Engineers has argued that nearly a third of bridges are structurally deficient. See their most recent report card from 2005.

New documentary series on San Francisco Bay coming soon

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 00:00:00 PST

A new public television series, "Saving the Bay", will focus on the environmental history of the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary, and the people who have shaped it over time. It will also explore how we can balance the needs of surrounding urban communities with restoration of a fragile ecosystem. The series will air in northern California in April 2008, and will later be distributed nationally to raise awareness of our region's greatest natural resource. Tune in for updates and to watch the trailer here.

Majority of Californians concerned about global warming

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 00:00:00 PST

A new survey released by the Public Policy Institute of California reveals that 54% of Californians are concerned about the effect of global warming on the state's economy and quality of life. Most voters will consider the environment to be "very important" when casting their votes in 2008, the survey says. This is good news for SPUR's efforts to prevent sprawl by promoting sustainable urbanism. Read the report here.

Green Paper on Clean Urban Transport

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 00:00:00 PST

Check out this effort by the European Union to promote best practices in urban transportation planning. With 80% of Europeans living in cities, the fact that average speeds have dropped to a velocity slower than horses and buggies is of concern. Completed last month, the Green Paper is well worth checking out.

NYC Congestion Pricing stopped, for now

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 00:00:00 PST

New York's Democratically-controlled state legislature could not bring itself to approve Bloomberg's request to the federal government for a large share of $1.2 billion the U.S. government is giving away for congestion pricing pilot projects. Bloomberg was unhappy: "We won't have $300 million, $400 million a year in extra revenues to help the MTA to improve their security, expand their routes, pay their employees, improve signaling and capacity and cleanliness everything else everybody wants to do." San Francisco transportation officials, on the other hand, must be happy. Transportation Authority staff recently met with US DOT officials hoping to get the lion's share of the $1.2 billion for San Francisco's own experiment which you can learn about at SPUR's July 26 noontime forum.

Congestion Pricing Still the Best, says the RPA

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 00:00:00 PST

Since Mayor Bloomberg proposed a congestion pricing pilot program in April, a number of alternative ways of addressing traffic congestion have been suggested. None meet the goals of congestion pricing, according to this analysis sponsored by New York's urbanist thinktank, the Regional Plan Association. Learn about San Francisco's own study of congestion pricing at SPUR's July 26 noontime forum on Pricing & Mobility.

And now for a totally different perspective

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 PST

Houston. That's right. The Greater Housing Partnership has released a major report, with the help of our favorite anti-urbanist, Joel Kotkin, called "Opportunity Urbanism." The report celebrates the lack of planning, the lack of a public realm, but also the culture of diversity and entrepreneurship. And in its own way, it lays out a future-oriented planning agenda for this city that comes as close as any to being the opposite of San Francisco.

California inclusionary housing policy database

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 PST

The California Coalition for Rural Housing has developed a database that tries to compare every inclusionary housing law in California. It's still in beta, but a very interesting project for you housers out there.

A vision of an equitable Cleveland region

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 PST

The African American Forum on Race and Regionalism, with research support from Policy Link, has published a new report that looks at regional planning through a social justice lens. This is a great primer on some of the major economic development theories that planners work with today: Is it better to try to bring investment into disadvantaged neighborhoods or try to provide mobility to access jobs across the region from the poor neighborhoods? Is better to focus on changing the distribution of wealth or on expanding the total amount of wealth in the region? How can deeply rooted patterns of competition between cities within the region be changed? (This links to a PDF of the executive summary.)

Mayor notes need to consolidate bus stops

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 PST

Mayor Newsom follows up on SPUR's suggestion to consolidate bus stops to speed up Muni service. This article points out the political challenge of that.

High rise creates conflict on NYC's Upper West Side

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 00:00:00 PST

New towers on the Upper West Side create a backlash and inspire the Planning Commission to downzone the neighborhood. But there is also a growing acceptance that the threats of global warming necessitate increasing densities and supporting high rise developments.

The state government's role in land use: still unresolved

Sun, 17 Jun 2007 00:00:00 PST

Earlier this month Dan Walters, the Sacramento Bee's political columnist, argued that the State is getting ready to increase its role in local land use, motivated by global warming, housing costs, and other issues that local jurisdictions have been unable to deal with effectively. But at the same time, there is a clear counter-trend, evidenced by the grassroots organizing of the right wing property rights movement (see their campaign for a reform of eminent domain at www.eminentdomainreform.com). It's still an unresolved issue which way California will go.

Revitalizing the rust belt

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:00:00 PST

The Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program releases another definitive report. "Restoring Prosperity" defines a reform agenda for cities in states like Ohio and Pennsylvania -- cities that are grappling with some of the problems that are the opposite of San Francisco's problems.

Marin Community Foundation declares war on NIMBYism

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 00:00:00 PST

Talk about being willing to take on a hard problem...

Don't miss this excellent Muni analysis

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 00:00:00 PST

When it's bad, it's really bad. That's what the Chronicle headline said on Sunday. We'll add: when it's good, it's a great solution to our problems of congestion, development, and global warming. This analysis of Muni's problems is very good. Don't miss it.

Governor considers growth limits in flood zones

Wed, 6 Jun 2007 00:00:00 PST

Despite heavy support for a $5 billion flood control bond that effectively subsidizes continued development in flood prone areas, the California governor is now considering limits on new subdivisions in high-risk flood areas of the Central Valley until they have reasonable plan for flood protection.

2,000 homes + no parking = chaos

Tue, 5 Jun 2007 00:00:00 PST

Not. You would think that a development of 2,000 homes with multiple bedrooms targeted for families with kids, housing 4,700 residents, and providing no parking on site, wouldn't be very popular. But this report from ABC News shows it can be done.

Going to Los Angeles?

Tue, 5 Jun 2007 00:00:00 PST

An exhibit about the liminal, substanceless, and static space of automotive transience at the Center for Land Use Interpretation should get your brain humming!

High-Speed Rail headed for showdown

Fri, 1 Jun 2007 00:00:00 PST

With the High Speed Rail Authority asking for $103 million, the Governor allocating just $1.2 million, and the Legislature asking for $40 million to $51 million, it's sure looking like a showdown over the immediate future of this important transportation improvement for Californians.

Eco density in Vancouver

Sat, 26 May 2007 00:00:00 PST

Vancouver, BC, has released a draft plan for the city, centered on the concept of "Eco Density." Vancouver's mayor has made this the centerpiece of his vision for the city. Notice the great similarities with the New York 2030 Plan, which embodies Bloomberg's vision of a sustainble urban metropolis. The "Eco Density 101 Primer" is instructive. Listen to the questions they pose to the citizens of Vancouver, and how different they are from the questions posed in a typical San Francisco planning process... Where SF asks, "Do you want your back yard shaded by tall buildings?" Vancouver asks: -How does the City encourage the creation of more secondary suites? Should we require that any new single family home rough in a secondary suite? -Do people want the City take more advantage of streets and nodes well served by transit or areas located around Skytrain and future Canada Line stations by increasing density significantly in those areas? -What aspects of our bylaws need to be changed in order to better accommodate or promote sustainable building practices such as energy-saving systems, recycling of grey water and rain water, green roofs, etc. -Should the City reduce its parking requirements on new developments, and if so, which type of developments? Should we require spaces for car sharing, or electric plugs in new underground garages to promote the use of electric vehicles? Should the city establish car free neighbourhoods? -Etc.

Eminent domain in the American property law system

Thu, 24 May 2007 00:00:00 PST

The Urban Land Institute has published an excellent review of the constitutional basis of eminent domain, a review of its uses in American history, and recommendations for how to use it judiciously in the future. The call for addressing specific abuses rather than broadly curtailing the ability of democratically elected bodies to use it.

Economists analyze Community Choice Aggregation

Wed, 23 May 2007 00:00:00 PST

San Francisco's Office of Economic Analysis has produced a new report looking at the economic impact of a system whereby energy customers leave PG&E in exchange for a city-power purchasing program. While this new program (CCA) could have environmental benefits in securing more renewable energy, it also offers the risk that customers could end up paying more money for energy than under PG&E.

Bikes outnumber cars on Market St.

Fri, 18 May 2007 00:00:00 PST

Traffic engineers counted 647 bikes and 551 cars and buses on eastbound Market St. at Van Ness from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. yesterday. The Mayor also announced milestones to get the city closer to its goal of increasing the current level of bicycling from about 5% to 10% of all trips by 2010.

Give bigger government a chance

Mon, 14 May 2007 00:00:00 PST

For too long we've been accepting the idea that big government is a failure. But this author argues that the conservative moment of smaller and less effective government may be coming to a close. A big government that improves our infrastructure and regulates markets may be what Americans truly want.

Trying to live sustainably in an unsustainable society

Fri, 11 May 2007 00:00:00 PST

William Rees, inventor of the ecological footprint concept, gets interviewed in the Vancouver Sun about personal vs. social responsibility for the planet's health. This is just one article in the edition of the Sun edited by Canada's leading environmentalist, David Suzuki

Geary BRT plan advanced

Wed, 9 May 2007 00:00:00 PST

More than 20 people packed a City Hall hearing yesterday to ask the five Supervisors (in their role as Transportation Authority Commissioners) to approve the feasibility report on Geary BRT and send the project forward for detailed engineering and environmental analysis. The Commissioners voted 5-0 to advance the project. Watch this space for news on the selection of a locally preferred alternative as well as specific options for the challenging intersections at Fillmore Street and Masonic Avenue.

The west's tallest residential tower proposed in downtown LA

Mon, 7 May 2007 00:00:00 PST

Developers unveiled a plan for a 76 story condo complex on Pershing Square in downtown LA. But a noted economist says that downtown is overbuilt and other projects are grinding to a halt.

How to make your library great

Tue, 1 May 2007 00:00:00 PST

The Project for Public Spaces does another great issue--this time on libraries and civic centers. In their folksy way, they cover the basics of how to make public places that people will use.

Measure 37 going back to ballot?

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 00:00:00 PST

Oregon's property rights measure, which essentially ended 35 years of the "Oregon exception" in American regional planning and inspired copycat measures all around the West, may be headed back to the voters for a do-over.

Density and fear of change in Seattle

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 00:00:00 PST

The debate in Seattle mirros the debate in San Francisco.

Sao Paulo bans billboards

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 00:00:00 PST

The largest South American city has banned not just new billboards, but all existing billboards. Also see photos on Flicker

Privatize Amtrak to save the planet?

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 00:00:00 PST

A noted economist argues that privatizing Amtrak is the only way to get outside of the political limits imposed by Congress and raise the funds needed to pay for improvements.

Defining the Northern California Megaregion

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 00:00:00 PST

At a recent conference convened by the Regional Plan Association and the Lincoln Land Institute, SPUR's executive director, Gabriel Metcalf, gave a talk on new approaches to defining our region. Here you can download his presentation on the Northern California Megaregion, extending from Monterey to Santa Rosa and East up to Reno.

The new plan for New York City

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 00:00:00 PST

Mayor Bloomberg unveils the long range plan for New York and there it is full of urbanist and ecological ambition. How to add a million more poeple, lots of jobs, lots of parks, $31 billion worth of transit, and make the city more sustainable, all while coping with the effects of climate change. This is a document that every city in America can learn from.

YIMBYs and Housing vs. Tourism in Anaheim

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 PST

In a close vote, the City Council of Anaheim voted to approve a 1500 unit development in the "resort district" of the town - adjacent to Disneyland. Is this a threat to the further growth of the city's tourism economy or a local solution to Southern California's need for more housing? According to some Disney workers, the answer is clear: they wore buttons saying "YIMBY" (Yes in Mickey's Back Yard)

Global Road Safety Week

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 PST

Nearly 60 people, on average, are killed by cars in San Francisco each year. Globally, cars kill 1.2 million people. Whether you're a car control advocate or one who believes "cars don't kill people, people do," it's worth noting the first ever Global Road Safety Week, sponsored by the United Nations and the Centers for Disease Control.

New survey of SF residents

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 00:00:00 PST

The Controller releases a new survey of attitudes in SF towards public services. While Muni ratings are falling, fewer families with young children want to leave the City and the overall view of local government is higher than in previous surveys.

The economic geography of megaregions

Sat, 14 Apr 2007 00:00:00 PST

Work on megaregions continues to roll out. Here are two of the latest papers, from Edward Glaeser and Saskia Sassen, that try to define the economic implications of thinking at the megaregional scale. Glaeser's paper is especially relevant, discussing the similarities between the Northeast and Northern California, as the two highest-cost and wealthiest parts of the country.

Step It Up: Action on Climate Change

Sat, 14 Apr 2007 00:00:00 PST

Today's the day: action around the country to change our course on climate. Even after everything we know, we have STILL not begun to actually reduce global warming emission as a society. Enough is enough. Time to change how we live, where we live, how we get around, how we produce the the necessities of life.

Good government in Chicago

Sat, 14 Apr 2007 00:00:00 PST

In the city we once described as "good planning without good government," some people are organizing for reform of the governing institutions.

Who Pays Taxes in California

Fri, 13 Apr 2007 00:00:00 PST

Around tax day, it is important to remember where our government revenues come from. In their latest policy brief, the California Budget Project takes a look at who pays taxes in California.

Watching Vancouver continue to change

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 00:00:00 PST

The latest Pricetags is a nice, straight-up-the-middle review of new building in Vancouver.

NYC greenhouse emissions on par with Ireland, Portugal

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 00:00:00 PST

A new study ordered by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg [the link above goes to a PDF of the document] shows that the Big Apple spits out roughly the same amount of greenhouse gases as the countries Ireland and Portugal. The good news is that while the metropolis is home to about 2.7 percent of the U.S. population, residents generate only about one-third of the gases contributed by their fellow Americans. Credit for this largely is given to New Yorkers' penchant for taking public transit instead of driving. The bad news is that emissions were reported to be up 8 percent between 1995 and 2005.

How much power do cities have? How much do they need?

Fri, 6 Apr 2007 00:00:00 PST

Boston has long believed that it lacks the authority over its own affairs that other American cities have-- the legacy of struggle between the Yankees and the Irish, as well as fiscal crises for Boston following World War II. The Boston Foundation has commissioned a comparative study of New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Denver, Seattle, and Atlanta. It's a very intersting lens for thinking about urban development and the opportunities for cities to solve their own problems.

NYC and SF both worried about parking boom

Thu, 5 Apr 2007 00:00:00 PST

It's not just San Francisco where planners are worried that the proliferation of parking spaces will flood the streets with more cars than the streets can handle. New York's version of SPUR, the Regional Plan Association, says that to build parking spaces encourages "more people to drive at the same time you're trying to eliminate traffic by other means ... working at cross purposes." The NYC Streets Renaissance project kicks off a three-part series on New York's parking boom.

French train shows high speed rail works

Tue, 3 Apr 2007 00:00:00 PST

In a test on Tuesday, a train in France reached 347 miles per hour. This is nearly the speed record set by a mag-lev train in Japan in 2003. Will this success help inspire California's visions for high speed rail? Some local politicos (including Fiona Ma) were on hand to watch "French excellence" (as the event was publicized locally).

Why homeownership causes unemployment

Tue, 3 Apr 2007 00:00:00 PST

Everything is connected, isn't it? A new study by English economist Andrew Oswald illustrates a connection between high rates of home ownership and unemployment. Renting makes you more able to move to where the jobs are, apparently. He argues that good economic policy would make it easier to rent homes and to buy and sell houses.

The movement to remove urban freeways continues

Sat, 31 Mar 2007 00:00:00 PST

A review of the uban freeway dilemma, with special relevance for Seattle. San Francisco's freeway revolt led the way; we might (or might not) be finished with this project of urban restoration.

In British Columbia (as in the Bay Area) sprawl is undermining attempts to slow climate change

Sat, 31 Mar 2007 00:00:00 PST

Where people live determines their impact on the climate. This article from the British Columbia Globe and Mail summarizes the dilemma well: "The recommended changes are so huge it would be easy to succumb to a sense of futility. 'What is politically feasible is ecologically irrelevant, and what is ecologically necessary is politically impossible,' said William Rees, an environmental economist at the University of B.C. and the inventor of the ecological footprint, a tool used worldwide to measure human impact on the environment.

Regional approaches to economic development

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 00:00:00 PST

The Citizens Research Council in Michigan has a wonderful tagline: "The right to criticize government is also an obligation to know what you are talking about." The organization is grappling with the particularities of the Midwestern version of deindustrialization, but this report is actually a survey of economic development strategies from around the country. This link is to a large PDF of the report. If it's too big, go to the CRC's web site at www.crcmich.org

City Club of Portland releases major report on school funding

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 00:00:00 PST

We try to keep track of the work of groups like SPUR in other cities and the City Club's research is as good as anyone's in the country. The problems in this report are, of course, focused on Oregon and Portland, but they are grappling with many of the same issues we are.

City alliance: Brisbane, Auckland, Vancouver, Perth, and maybe Portland

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 00:00:00 PST

A new web site launches, beginning with a manifesto calling for greater cooperation between these small-ish, fast-growing, prosperous cities.

Utopian green city or sprawl in the Central Valley?

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 00:00:00 PST

A new city of 150,000 is proposed in the dirt flats along I-5 north of Bakersfield. No one would pay energy bills as all power would be locally produced solar. Transportation would be via water taxi along a new stream. Some call this a utopia and a "self-sustaining" community. Others say it is leap-frog development and sprawl and that new growth in the Central Valley should be within existing cities. Is this a new model for transforming California's built form or yet another example of bad isolated development?

What will it really take to fix California's public schools?

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 00:00:00 PST

Stanford University�s Institute for Research on Education Policy and Practice has published one of the most interesting and thorough bodies of work we've ever seen on the education in California. Under the title "Getting Down to Facts," it contains 20 different reports on various subjects that pull together the state of current thinking from other studies. This is a great primer for people trying to get up to speed on education policy.

Planetizen blog worth a look

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 00:00:00 PST

Planetizen tries to index every article about planning in the world. Now Planetizen has a blog, Interchange, with commentary from some interesting writers and professionals in the field. If you haven't checked it out yet, it's worth a look.

Seattle voters reject both the elevated waterfront highway AND the underground tunnel

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 00:00:00 PST

This week the voters rejected both a replacement of the current elevated structure and the proposed underground highway. The surface option (inspired by our own Embarcadero Freeway as well as New York's West Side Highway, among others) is now the front runner, although this saga is far from over. See also the coverage on what it means for transit in Seattle here: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transportation/307399_nowwhat14.html

Hate your neighbor

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 00:00:00 PST

In Oregon, the property rights Measure 37 has become widely known as the "hate your neighbor" act. With the property rights movement organizing once again to outlaw many zoning and planning tools in California, it's worth taking a very close look at what's happening in Oregon.

What does the rest of the world think about global warming?

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 00:00:00 PST

A new poll of 17 countries, not including Western Europe and Canada, where public opinion on the matter is already clear -- shows growing understanding of the need for drastic action, even in the developing world.

Measuring Sustainability at the SF Public Utilities Commission

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 00:00:00 PST

The SFPUC is in charge of water flows into and out of the city, and has a major influence over energy as well. So when we get serious about sustainability, "greening" the PUC is a big part of the agenda. The SFPUC is in the middle of a sustainability plan for its own operations and it has just published a set of indicators that it proposes to use to measure its impact on the environment.

Tenderloin Traffic Calming Plan produced

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 00:00:00 PST

A draft plan for transforming one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in the city makes a bold call for reclaiming streets for neighborhood traffic instead of fast through traffic. Converting streets from one-way to two-way, widening sidewalks, and more trees are all on the menu, after an extensive public outreach process.

What makes architecture good?

Fri, 9 Mar 2007 00:00:00 PST

The San Francisco American Institute for Architects, lead by John Schlesinger, gave a series of wonderful presentations on "architecture 101" to the Planning Commission and to SPUR last year. The slide shows are now on line.

News broadcast on eminent domain features SPUR forum

Thu, 8 Mar 2007 00:00:00 PST

Public radio station KALW recently broadcast a very interesting report on what happens when public needs and private property rights intersect. The first half of the report examines a local example of this conflict, on the waterfront in Richmond. The second part of the report features the discussion at SPUR's Jan. 31 forum, where experts debated the future of property rights and eminent domain, and explained that supporters of last fall's failed Proposition 90 plan to try again to severely restrict the scope of government. Listen to a recording of the broadcast . You can also hear the complete SPUR forum in two parts, here and here .

What does it take to make a great urban waterfront?

Sun, 4 Mar 2007 00:00:00 PST

The Project for Public Spaces reviews the best and worst urban waterfronts around the world. Their lessons are highly relevant and potentially provocative for San Francisco: create multiple destinations to draw people to the waterfront; use parks to connect the destinations, but not as the main destinations in-themselves; encourage 24-hour activity; discourage "design statements"; and many others.

Who lives near the polluted air?

Sat, 3 Mar 2007 00:00:00 PST

Two-thirds of the people in the Bay Area who live within a mile of chemical plants, refineries, and other sources of air pollution are people of color (PDF).

If you haven't seen the new MTA website...

Thu, 1 Mar 2007 00:00:00 PST

...check it out. SPUR welcomes the MTA's new presence on the web: it now projects the image of an agency that integrates transit, walking, bicycling, and parking and traffic, as intended by Prop E.

It's not just fighting to stop climate change; the time has come to work on preparing for its inevitable effects

Sat, 17 Feb 2007 00:00:00 PST

A sad piece in the journal Nature calls for lifting the "taboo" on planning for adaptation to the changed planet. This does not mean we stop doing everything in our power to end sprawl, promote energy conservation, and all the other things that would slow climate change, but it does mean that we have to give serious attention to coping with the inevitable climate changes. Also see this commentary on Worldchanging.com: http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/006064.html

Traffic Safety Push Focuses on Behavior

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 00:00:00 PST

While the U.S. has made some strides in road safety by focusing on protecting car occupants in a crash, still 43,000 people will die this year in car crashes, many of them non-occupants. A small but growing movement in the U.S. seeks to reduce that number by focusing on driver behavior.

New thinking about the Bay Delta

Fri, 9 Feb 2007 00:00:00 PST

A magnificent report from PPIC that presents alternative future scenarios for the San Francisco Bay Delta. Between global warming, rising sea levels, development in the Delta, continued growth in demand for water in the state, species invasion, and all the other pressures on the Delta, it's clear that the status quo cannot continue. This report actually thinks through what the alternatives could be.

What if New York had pursued a car-oriented transportation strategy?

Fri, 9 Feb 2007 00:00:00 PST

Several exhibits look at the legacy of Robert Moses. This link, to the Regional Plan Association's take on Moses, reminds us that New York tried to "modernize" like the rest of the country, emphasizing roads and parking lots instead of transit. This vision, which was pursued in the Bronx and Queens, would have destroyed the ability of Manhattan to function for the simple reason that transit can carry many more people than highways and roads.