Northern News February 2021

Northern News

A publication of the American Planning Association, California Chapter, Northern Section
Making great communities happen
February 2021
Small Towns take planning big
By Krystle Heaney, AICP, January 18, 2021. California’s North Coast cities and towns are small and spread-out, agriculture and tourism provide the economic base, and local planners need and develop many different planning skills.
Meet a local planner – Janea Jackson, AICP
Interviewed by Catarina Kidd, AICP. “My undergraduate major at Penn was sociology. I was interested in how housing can help or hinder different socioeconomic outcomes.” All interviews are edited.
Storytelling workshops: Galvanizing community around displacement
By Reanna Tong, AICP, January 17, 2021. Two free workshops on February 13 will focus on anti-displacement campaigns to teach storytelling to planners.
The slow streets of College Terrace
By Naphtali H. Knox, FAICP. What can we learn from a 1974 project that keeps streets quiet and safe in an 1890s neighborhood?
Where in the world?
Tap for the answer
Northern Section news and announcements
Register now for AICP Exam Prep Trivia Night (Virtual)
This virtual event will help you test your planning knowledge using actual questions from past AICP exams, and responses are timed.
Director’s note: New Year, same you, with an opportunity to grow
By Florentina Craciun, January 19, 2021. Let’s bring our authentic selves to our profession. Let’s help pave the path towards a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive planning profession and world.
Call for nominations – Get recognized by the APA Calif. Northern Section!
Don’t wait. The deadline for nominations is Friday, March 12. To serve as a juror, submit your résumé by Feb. 26.
28 planners added AICP to their names last year
If you recently passed the AICP exam and your name is not on this list but should be, please write us at news@norcalapa.org
Sacramento City Council votes to allow fourplexes in all single-family zones
By Jared Brey, Next City, January 22, 2021. The proposal does not increase existing height restrictions in single-family neighborhoods, and would not affect historic protections for existing houses.
Climate-resilient economic recovery, racial equity, and public health
By Sandra Hamlat, January 25, 2021. The City of San Francisco’s Climate Resilience Team recently prepared a white paper on a Climate-Resilient Economic Recovery.
Who’s where
By Hazel Choi, associate editor. News about Carolyn Fahey, AICP; Arielle Fleisher, Brendan Hurley, Darcy Kremin, AICP; Edgar Maravilla, Brynn McKiernan, AICP; Carolyn Neer, Leslie Trejo, and Ellen Yau.
ABOUT NORTHERN NEWS
We publish 10 times each year as a forum for the exchange of planning ideas and information. Entirely the effort of volunteers, Northern News is written and produced by and for urban planners in northern California.
Planning news roundup
By Noah Buhayar, Bloomberg, January 12, 2021. There are already signs of an early rebound in leases.
Josh Stephens, California Planning & Development Report, January 11, 2021. The unit will act as a housing ‘ombudsman’ and help cities navigate RHNA compliance.
NBC Bay Area, January 4, 2021, and SF Examiner, January 11, 2021. The hospital modernization and expansion promises investments in housing, transit, and workforce training, but supervisors want legal assurance of UCSF’s commitments.
Curtis Driscoll, Daily Journal Staff, January 8, 2021. A possible partnership with BART would integrate transit schedules and services.
Ben Christopher, CalMatters, January 8, 2021. It’s not clear when these proposed measures will be formally introduced and if they actually pass the legislature.
By David Grossman, Inverse, January 7, 2021. Contrary to their expectations, researchers found a slight increase on average across 224 cities.
Laura Bliss, Bloomberg CityLab, January 6, 2021. City planners and equity advocates in Oakland and across the country reflect on the potential for trauma-informed planning.
By Kellie Hwang, San Francisco Chronicle, January 5, 2021. Seasonal effects on rents mean they are likely to stay low for several more months.
New analysis finds untapped potential statewide for mixed-use and infill development.
Sarah Karlinsky and Cristian Bevington, City Monitor, December 22, 2020. A new SPUR report showcases international strategies for housing production and affordability.