Planning for a Better City
For many decades, transportation planning in San Francisco was focused almost entirely on the automobile, and walking, cycling, and public transit were marginalized. We need to put sustainable modes at the center of our transportation plans, and replace “predict and provide” models of traffic and parking planning with ones that take into account the potential…
Converting Garages in San Francisco
In a city where housing is increasingly scarce and expensive, and where commercial rents are skyrocketing, converting garage spaces to new housing and storefronts can help make space for residents and neighborhood-serving small businesses. Converting garages can also improve neighborhood livability by restoring features like front gardens, green backyards, front porches, storefronts, building lobbies, street trees, and even…
New Accessory Dwelling Units Could be Allowed in More SF Neighborhoods
Livable City has long championed legalizing the addition of new apartments, known as accessory dwelling units or in-law units, to existing buildings. As we explained back in December: Adding housing to existing buildings is great way to add housing to neighborhoods while preserving their character and history. Adding housing to existing buildings is greener – the energy…
Livable City’s Action Plan for Housing Marks a Year of Successes
Last December, Livable City put forward our Action Plan for Housing, a set of complementary strategies for making San Francisco a more livable, sustainable, and affordable city. We aimed to address San Francisco’s unprecedented housing crisis by putting forward a set of strategies for preserving existing housing and protecting tenants, while increasing the supply of housing that is…
Quartet of Housing Measures Will Preserve, Improve, and Increase SF Housing
In the past six months, four housing ordinances championed by Livable City were passed into law. Together, these ordinances will preserve tens of thousands of existing housing units, permitting improvements while strengthening tenant protections, and will permit new units in the Castro neighborhoods. Two ordinances went into effect last week – one creating a path to legalization…
In-law Legislation Gets Signed into Law
On April 17, Mayor Ed Lee signed two ordinances legalizing in-law units in San Francisco – Supervisor Chiu’s ordinance that legalizes existing units built without permits (aka illegal in-laws), and Supervisor Wiener’s ordinance permitting new in-law units in the Castro neighborhood. These ordinances are important elements of Livable City’s Action Plan for Housing.
Preserve Existing Rental Housing
This post appeared in the SF Bay Guardian in January 14. San Francisco’s housing affordability crisis has become the main threat to the livability of the city for hundreds of thousands of residents. One glimmer of hope came last month, as the Board of Supervisors reformed decades-old laws that permit, and often encourage, the loss…
SF Supervisors Approve Ordinances Protecting Residential Units
A pair of ordinances, one strengthening the Planning Code’s provisions for conversion, demolition, and merger of residential units, and the other permitting improvement and enlargement of some existing units, were unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors in December. The ordinances, were based on Livable City proposals, were sponsored by Supervisor John Avalos. The Housing Element…
Livable City’s Action Plan for Housing
Housing affordability is a crisis in San Francisco. Livable City’s Action Plan for Housing includes strategies for making San Francisco a more livable, sustainable, and affordable city. Livable City has made progress on these housing strategies over the past decade, and has a number of legislative and policy initiatives currently underway. Five ordinances based on Livable…
Livable City Joins Broad-based Effort to Legalize Existing In-Law Units
On November 26, Livable City joined Supervisor David Chiu and a broad coalition of advocates to announce new legislation to legalize existing in-law units across San Francisco. In-law units house thousands of San Franciscans, and are an important housing resource in an increasingly expensive city. Certain decades-old Planning Code requirements, chiefly the code’s arbitrary residential density…
