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complete streets

How to Program Social Equity into Planning Sustainable Communities

September 29, 2017 By Howard Blackson III Leave a Comment

Due to today’s housing crisis, it seems west coast cities are taking on Not-In-My-Backyard (NIMBY) opposition that has stymied new projects and developments via polarizing and protracted public processes. These ‘no-growth’ individuals group together out of an innate fear of change to stop planned development intended to benefit their larger community. In my hometown of San Diego, these polarizing projects range from bicycle lanes, stadiums, house rentals, and to building more homes to address our housing crisis. Their innate ‘fear of change’ response to anything new creates an ethical challenge for every major city trying to build housing or transit. [Read more…] about How to Program Social Equity into Planning Sustainable Communities

Filed Under: Affordable Housing, Feature Posts, housing, Planning, San Diego Tagged With: complete streets, NIMBY, TOD, transit oriented development

Downtown San Diego Mobility Plan – Vision for the Future or A Well Intentioned Waste of Money?

February 22, 2016 By Jimmy Parker Leave a Comment

Downtown San Diego Mobility Plan, January 2016 cover
Downtown San Diego Mobility Plan, January 2016 cover (altered)

In Southern California we suffer greatly from suburbia myopia. This affliction prevents us from understanding what makes urban environments succeed. We all too often attempt to recreate what we value in our suburban neighborhoods without the understanding of what it takes establish and sustain these ideas, designs and initiatives in a dynamic urban setting. We have idealized visions of tranquil urban neighborhoods where we live, work and pursue artistic/academic endeavors that will transform the cultural wasteland post-industrialized American cities. [Read more…] about Downtown San Diego Mobility Plan – Vision for the Future or A Well Intentioned Waste of Money?

Filed Under: Feature Posts, Planning, San Diego, Transportation Tagged With: active transportation, bicycle, bike lanes, Civic San Diego, complete streets, pedestrian, San Diego

Downtown San Diego by Bike – changes coming

March 12, 2015 By Bill Keller Leave a Comment

Sharrow in downtown San DiegoWith vibrant neighborhoods, gentle terrain, the Big Bay and year round sunshine, Downtown San Diego figures to be on every list of America’s great cycling communities. We have everything… except the bicyclists.  Why?  It’s not very safe.  The street grid favors cars.  That’s about to change. [Read more…] about Downtown San Diego by Bike – changes coming

Filed Under: Feature Posts, Planning, Revitalization, San Diego, Transportation Tagged With: active transit, bicycle, Civic San Diego, complete streets

I’m a PlaceMaker. . .

February 5, 2015 By Howard Blackson III Leave a Comment

parking lot to park conversionWhen asked about what I do for a living by new friends and neighbors, I usually start with “urban designer,” then drift towards “city planner,” and usually end with, “sort of like architecture…” Or, during one those late Sunday evening angst moments while contemplating just what in the heck am I doing on this earth, I like to tell myself that I’m a maker of great places. Then Sunday’s infinite theoretical possibilities and dreams butt up against Monday’s unforgiving reality*, and I’m back to selling traditional neighborhood developments, form-based codes, consecutive-day charrettes, and mixed-use, walkable, urbanism to anyone willing to listen, which I enjoy immensely. [Read more…] about I’m a PlaceMaker. . .

Filed Under: Feature Posts, Planning, Revitalization, San Diego Tagged With: complete streets, parklet, parks, place-making, tactical urbanism, urban planning

6 Common Mistakes Made By Cities and Towns in Urban Renewal.

September 9, 2014 By Bill Adams 5 Comments

Gaslamp Quarter, San DiegoFor the last half century, cities have attempted to repair the damage to their urban cores from migration to suburbs and exurbs. Redevelopment has evolved into smart growth, transit oriented development, and complete streets. In the last 15 years or so, the urban renewal efforts have had a receptive audience as people, tired of the car oriented lifestyle of the suburbs, are returning to urban cores and older urban neighborhoods. However, while cities get the big picture, too often in my 25 years as a land use attorney, I have seen the same mistakes repeated. [Read more…] about 6 Common Mistakes Made By Cities and Towns in Urban Renewal.

Filed Under: Feature Posts, Historic, landscape architecture, Planning, Revitalization, San Diego Tagged With: active transit, climate change, complete streets, historic preservation, native vegetation, redevelopment, rehabilitation, revitalization, shade trees, smart growth, transit oriented development, urban forestry, urban renewal, urbanism

Who Hijacked La Mesa’s Trees?

August 19, 2014 By Bill Adams Leave a Comment

La Mesa Streetscape Masterplan Figure 5The City of La Mesa has cut down all the shade trees along its commercial mainstreet. This occurred as construction began on the La Mesa Downtown Streetscape “enhancement” project. Some of these trees were tattered, unhealthy, or buckling the sidewalks. However, the city removed nearly all the trees, problematic or not.  Rather than replacing these trees with environmentally and pedestrian friendly shade trees (e.g. native varieties like Western Sycamores, Live Oak, or Black Oak), the replacements tree choice is being guided primarily by maintenance concerns, leaving a limited selection of relatively small non-native and non-shade trees.  Additionally, the Streetscape Masterplan shows an abundance of the grossly overused fan palm, sparing only La Mesa Boulevard between Acacia and 4th, and a few other blocks.   [Read more…] about Who Hijacked La Mesa’s Trees?

Filed Under: Civic, Ecology, landscape architecture, News, Planning, Revitalization, San Diego Tagged With: carbon dioxide, carbon sequestration, climate change, complete streets, global warming, heat island, livable, native plants, place-making, smart growth, traffic calming, urbanism

When is a “Smart Growth” Project a “Trojan Horse”? – Park Station as a case study.

February 12, 2014 By Bill Adams 1 Comment

Park Station La MesaIn the wake of California’s now defunct redevelopment program and the 2008 real estate collapse, examples abound of demolished or shuttered buildings, where property owners received entitlements to build projects for which they had not secured funding.  Sometimes, project funding was unlikely in the first place.  In cases in which a project requires significant variances or zoning amendments, wariness is warranted that the project is a “trojan horse” – far different than what will actually result.  The following is a case study of an active proposal, which has many of the symptoms of a trojan horse project. [Read more…] about When is a “Smart Growth” Project a “Trojan Horse”? – Park Station as a case study.

Filed Under: Feature Posts, Planning, Projects, Revitalization, San Diego Tagged With: Art Madrid, City Council, complete streets, Ernest Ewin, Jewel of the Hills, Kristine Alessio, Mark Arapostathis, Ruth Sterling, smart growth, South Baltimore LLC, TOD

10 Rules for Smarter Smart Growth

April 16, 2013 By Bill Adams 6 Comments

PraVada-Transit-Rear
The Pravada project in La Mesa CA has been touted as smart growth and transit oriented development due to its proximity to light rail. However, its sits on top of a 2 story above ground parking garage that creates a hostile pedestrian environment and offsets transit proximity with auto convenience.

These days, a lot of projects are crashing through the gates of community plans and dashing existing neighborhood character under the banners of smart growth or transit oriented development.  [Read more…] about 10 Rules for Smarter Smart Growth

Filed Under: Feature Posts, Planning, San Diego, Transportation Tagged With: brownfield, compact city, complete streets, density, greenfield, greyfield, infill, new urbanism, NIMBY, not in my back yard, parking minimums, small lot development, smart growth, TOD, transit oriented development, urban intensification, urbanism, zero parking

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