Recent Streetsblog SF posts about Pavement to Parks

Packed Meeting About Future of Oakland’s Latham Square Shut Down Early

By Laura McCamy | Nov 22, 2013 | 18 Comments

After public pressure, the City of Oakland held a second community meeting Wednesday about the design of the Latham Square pilot plaza, where a lane of car traffic was reinstated prematurely at the behest of Planning and Building Director Rachel Flynn. Despite a standing room-only crowd of attendees showing up to weigh in, the meeting was […]

Oakland Planning Director Cuts Off Latham Square Pilot, Lets Cars Back In

By Laura McCamy | Nov 1, 2013 | 47 Comments

The crowning achievement for Oakland’s new planning and building director so far might be ensuring that cars are being driven through the Latham Square pilot plaza once again. The Latham Square pilot was supposed to last for six months, but after just six weeks, the widely-lauded, one-block plaza at the foot of Telegraph Avenue is no longer car-free. […]

City Agencies Unveil Final Design for Bartlett “Mercado Plaza”

By Aaron Bialick | Jul 1, 2013 | 9 Comments

The final designs for a people-friendly block of Bartlett Street in the Mission were presented [PDF] last week by the Planning Department, Department of Public Works, the SFMTA, and the design firm Rebar. The plan retains the sidewalk extensions that are key to calming traffic and inviting social activity outside of events like the weekly Mission Community Market, when […]

Why Isn’t SF Painting the Streets Red Like New York Is?

By Aaron Bialick | Jun 25, 2013 | 6 Comments

Just after our look at the faltering pace of plaza expansions under San Francisco’s Pavement to Parks program last week, we get another glimpse of New York City’s ongoing efforts to reclaim street space for people and improve safety using low-cost, temporary measures like posts and gravel epoxy. Apparently, these kind of space re-allocations happen […]

This post is supported by GJEL Accident Attorneys

Without City Leadership, “Pavement to Parks” Plazas May Lose Steam

By Aaron Bialick | Jun 21, 2013 | 4 Comments

When it comes to reclaiming street space for people, San Francisco’s Pavement to Parks program has paved the way with a national model showing how cities can embrace community-driven parklet projects. But when it comes to installing plazas, there seems to have been little movement since the first handful were created on “excess” road space […]

Park Areas Under Central Freeway Downsized to Retain Caltrans Parking

By Aaron Bialick | Apr 25, 2013 | 8 Comments

A plan to convert parking lots under the Central Freeway near Duboce and Valencia Streets into a skate park and dog run is moving forward, but it won’t include basketball courts or a children’s playground as originally envisioned by residents. Because the city will have to lease the land from Caltrans, which owns and collects […]

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