Retail contributes to city vitality, character, and livability, as well as the city’s economy. Retail faces many challenges, but San Francisco can help local grow and thrive. In Part 1, we talked about rising rents and vacant storefronts, fostering a diverse and complementary mix of uses, and how good buildings make good retail districts. Here…
It’s hard to imagine a city without retail – shops, retail services, cafes, restaurants, and bars. Retail contributes to city vitality, character, and livability, as well as the city’s economy. Retail businesses provide thousands of jobs. A robust locally-owned retail sector expands and diversifies economic opportunities for residents. Local ownership also provides an economic multiplier…
We knew going into it that 2017 would be an eventful year, and a pivotal one for sustainability, equity, and livability. Here are some of the highlights, breakdowns, and breakthroughs which shaped San Francisco’s livability in 2017. Donald Trump vs. the Planet Donald Trump and the Republican congress led an unprecedented assault on federal environmental…
The Ghost Ship Fire in Oakland tragically showed the insecurities and dangers faced by people seeking affordable space to live, create art, and share art. It focused attention on what San Francisco and other Bay Area cities can do to keep artists, artisans, and makers in the city, and create and sustain affordable living, studio, and…
On Tuesday July 19, the Board of Supervisors voted to 10-1 to legalize new accessory units in buildings citywide. In May, two separate ordinances were introduced to legalize accessory units citywide. One was sponsored by Supervisor Peskin, and the other is by Supervisors Wiener and Farrell. The supervisors merged their ordinances into a compromise version, which won the support of 10…
Three ordinances to legalize accessory units (also known as in-law units) citywide were approved by the Planning Commission this week. Two would allow new housing units in existing buildings citywide. The third would facilitate the legalization of existing units originally built without permits. On Thursday June 16, the Planning Commission recommended two ordinances that would permit new in-law units in existing buildings…
The Board of Supervisors advances several important pro-housing measures in the first few months of 2016. The Board approved two ordinances that will protect tens of thousands of units of housing built without permits. They also approved a measure to streamline affordable projects, and placed a measure on the June ballot to increase the number of…
A livable San Francisco is a network of Livable Neighborhoods. Each neighborhood should have a distinct character, but each should be complete, supporting living, working, commerce, and culture. A Livable Neighborhood is: Compact Sustainable Livable neighborhoods conserve land, and are of sufficiently density to support frequent transit service and neighborhood-serving businesses. Livable neighborhoods provide a…
Poets Plaza, a proposed piazza in North Beach, has been delayed again. Supporters have started an online petition to get the project moving. There will be a public meeting about the piazza on Thursday, March 3 from 6 to 7:30 pm at the Tel-Hi Center, 660 Lombard Street near Mason. The plaza, also called Piazza Saint Francis, would…
Two big private developments won important approvals in the last month – one from the voters, and the other from the Board of Supervisors. Voters approved Proposition D, approving a height limit increase for the Mission Rock Development on San Francisco’s waterfront, as well as a host of policies related to the development. The Board of Supervisors approved…
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Staff Directory
Darin Ow-Wing, Executive Director
darin@livablecity.org
Jessica Tovar, Program Director
jessica@livablecity.org
Sally Chen, Deputy Director
sally@livablecity.org
Tom Radulovich, Senior Policy Fellow
tom@livablecity.org
Isaac Santiago, Sunday Streets Program Manager isaac@livablecity.org
Reina Terry, Program & Development Associate, reina@livablecity.org
