Climate Action for San Francisco – principles and leverage points
The City of San Francisco is updating our Climate Action Plan. It will be the largest revision to our Climate Plan since the first one in 2004. The update follows on the Climate emergency declaration by the Board of Supervisors in 2019. We are in a planetary emergency, as the dismaying news of drought, fires,…
What is Sustainability?
How do we move from business as usual, to green approaches, to system that is truly sustainable?
Livable City’s 2016 General Election Recommendations
Livable City has taken a position on 12 of the 42 local, regional, and state ballot measures on this November’s ballot. Livable City recommends the following measures: Yes on Proposition RR – BART Safety, Reliability, and Traffic Relief If you live anywhere near the Bay Area, ride transit, or read the news, you know the BART…
Livable City Recommendations for the June 7 Election
For the June 7, 2016 election, Livable City recommends: Yes on A: Public Health and Safety Bond Measure A is a $350,000 general obligation bond that funds earthquake safety and fire safety retrofits at San Francisco General Hospital and the City’s neighborhood health centers, safety and resliiency upgrades to the city’s ambulance facilities and firehouses,…
Planning Commission Approves Better Environmental Review Standards
On Thursday March 3, San Francisco’s Planning Commission unanimously approved an essential, and long overdue, change to the way it reviews projects under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Commission replaced automobile level of service (LOS), a measure of automobile delay at intersections, with vehicle miles travelled (VMT) as their chief transportation measure for analyzing projects. This…
Reshaping the Urban Landscape
City Streets comprise 25% of San Francisco’s land area. Most of San Francisco’s street area is used for the movement and storage of private autos, but there is a growing movement to unlock City streets’ potential as temporary and permanent spaces for active transportation, meeting, play, community, greenery, nature, and managing urban waters. This moderated…
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…
Climate Change
Protecting the Earth’s climate from catastrophic climate change depends in large part on rethinking the way we build and operate our cities. San Francisco’s Climate Action Plan found that 51% of San Francisco’s emissions were from transportation – 48% from cars and trucks, and 3% from public transport. The remaining 49% are from buildings. San Francisco’s plan…
Parking Reform for a Livable City
One of the most effective ways to reduce traffic congestion and pollution, and encourage a shift to sustainable transportation modes, is through parking reform – smarter pricing and management of available parking, and reducing parking subsidies and requirements. Livable City’s parking reform strategy seeks to harness the power of markets and technology to further social,…
Livable Neighborhoods Initiative
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. Livability Goals Advance Priority Transportation and Public Space Projects: Work with neighbors and city agencies to get priority transportation and public space improvements in neighborhoods designed, funded and…
