Heidelberg, a city of 160,000 in southwestern Germany. In this view from Heidelberg castle, the Old Town is in the foreground. At center right is the Old Bridge over the river Neckar. Photo: Ray Hashimoto, AICP. Read More
Disc* (Design & Innovation for Sustainable Cities) is a five week summer program geared towards currently enrolled undergraduates with any level of previous experience in planning. Participants conduct field work, develop visual communication, mapping and design software skills, and connect with practitioners and faculty in a series of lectures and seminars on climate resiliency, global urbanization, sustainability, design and related topics. The Bay Area becomes a laboratory for exploration of the ethical, social and ecological issues surrounding city planning and urban design. Application deadline: May 15.
The Summer [IN]STITUTE in Environmental Design‘s [IN]CITY program is an immersive introduction to the fundamentals of sustainable city and regional planning for post-baccalaureates with no prior experience in planning who are curious about what a graduate level planning program is like. Over the course of six weeks on the Berkeley campus, participants experience the intensity and rigor of a planning seminar, attending lectures and discussions, media seminars and site visits, developing proposals for real world clients, and building a network of like-minded peers that will follow them through their academic and professional careers. Recent graduates of the Institute have been accepted to graduate planning programs at UC Berkeley, Columbia, Princeton, MIT, UCLA, Harvard, University of Michigan, and elsewhere. Application deadline: May 15.
HELP FOR A NEIGHBORHOOD AS GOOGLE ARRIVES. Nicole Guzman, with Nikki Chan and Michael Tkalcevic. Graduate students help San Jose’s Delmas Park neighborhood, continuing work started by the city’s now-defunct Strong Neighborhoods Initiative. Pages 1 and 18–20
WATER RESILIENCE IN THE BAY AREA IN RESPONSE TO A CHANGING CLIMATE. Holly Pearson, AICP. The Bay Area needs to adapt regional and local water systems and consumption to new conditions brought about by global climate change. Page 4
ORINDA’S SENIOR APARTMENTS DESIGN ACCOMMODATES A STEEPLY SLOPED SITE. A HUD USER case study. Page 9
MEET A LOCAL PLANNER. Associate editor Catarina Kidd, AICP, interviews Benjamin Fu, Cupertino. Page 12
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HOW CITY PLANNING CAN CHANGE AN ANTI-AGING CULTURE. Josh Cohen, Next City. Elderly residents find services and social opportunities spread out and access difficult. Housing affordability can be a struggle. At least one city wants to change that. Page 1
IN MEMORIAM. Valentin (Val) Alexeeff and George A. Williams. Pages 4-5
NORTHERN SECTION’S YOUNG PLANNERS GROUP IS LOOKING TO GROW. Meet the inaugural steering committee: 12 planners dedicated to strengthening YPG’s presence and programming. Pages 9, 17-20
WHO’S WHERE. Elizabeth Caraker, AICP; Lindy Chan; Florentina Craciun, AICP; Matt Kawashima; Laura C. Russell, AICP; Jonathan Schuppert, AICP; Theresa Wallace, AICP; Yosef Yip. Pages 13-15
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THE BAY AREA GREENPRINT TOOL. Elizabeth Adam and Serena Unger. Regional conservation data for local benefit: a powerful new interactive web tool to show multi-benefit assessments. Page 1
DIRECTOR’S NOTE. Sharon Grewal, AICP. North Bay fire assistance resources | Housing package implementation webinar | Holiday party November 17 | SF Urban Film Festival, Storytelling Workshop, November 19. Page 3
WHAT A PROJECT NEEDS TO QUALIFY FOR STREAMLINING UNDER SB 35. Alan Murphy, Perkins Coie. Page 6
A NEW ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY PLAN FOR SAN JOSE. Holly Pearson, AICP. The ESP will reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to energy, transportation, and water. Page 13
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PUTTING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE INTO GENERAL PLANS. California Environmental Justice Alliance and PlaceWorks. New requirements for general plan updates plus a toolkit to guide you through SB1000 requirements. Page 1
DIRECTOR’S NOTE. Sharon Grewal, AICP. Northern Section commits to ‘Planners4Health’ Program. Page 3
MEET A LOCAL PLANNER. Siân Llewellyn, AICP, interviews Timothy Rood, AICP, principal city designer, City of San Jose. Page 9
2017 PEN HONOR AWARD. Hing Wong, AICP, recently retired from ABAG, receives award from the Planner Emeritus Network. Page 11
WHO’S WHERE. Afshan Hamid, AICP; David Mack, AICP; Andrea Ouse, AICP. Page 13
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SAN JOSE 1st, SAN FRANCISCO 4th AMONG U.S. MAJOR CITIES PURSUING SUSTAINABILITY. Rick Phillips, AICP. The U.S. organization Sustainable Development Solutions Network ranked 100 U.S. cities against the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Page 1
OAKLAND’S AWARD-WINNING LAKESIDE SENIOR APARTMENTS. HUD USER. The design promotes neighborhood engage- ment, accessibility, effective service delivery, and environmental sustainability. Page 6
MEET A LOCAL PLANNER. Siân Llewellyn, AICP, interviews Laura Simpson, AICP, Concord’s Planning and Housing Manager. Page 9
BOLLARDS FOR SECURITY. Examples of well-designed bollards placed effectively for public safety. Page 15
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In 2017, we organized our sixth international planning tour offered to Southeast Asia.
The itinerary included Singapore; Hanoi, Vietnam; Mekong Delta, Vietnam; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Jakarta, Indonesia; and Bandung, Indonesia. The optional post-tour will include Angkor Wat, Cambodia.
NEW APPROACHES TO CURB SKYROCKETING RENTS. Barry Miller, FAICP. Eschewing rent control, a growing number of Bay Area cities are turning to non-binding mediation and rent review. Here are the factors to consider. Page 1
DIRECTOR’S NOTE. Sharon Grewal, AICP. Upcoming webinars include wireless communications facilities and current state legislation. Page 3
THE VERY BEST! Photos from the 2017 Awards presentation and gala. Page 4
WHERE IN THE WORLD. We even offer a hint. Photo by Hanson Hom, AICP. Page 9
LESSONS FROM NEW YORK CITY’S HIGH LINE. Rebecca Coleman, UC Berkeley. The High Line caused displacement, but a 2005 rezoning of West Chelsea is mostly to blame. Page 11
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We are beginning the year with significant change in Washington, but I believe we at the local level have the greatest impact in shaping our communities. In these challenging times, we, the planning community, have the opportunity to be a force for good and a force for change. We must be that change, involved in and committed to improving our communities.
During the Northern Section Retreat January 21st, your Board reflected on new ways we can engage our planning community and build coalitions with local organizations. As Section Director, I also have the privilege of representing the Northern Section on the California Chapter Board and look forward to bringing you great ideas from the Chapter Retreats.