Recent Streetsblog SF posts about Pavement to Parks

New York City Gets Its First “Pop-up Café,” Similar to SF’s Parklets

By Noah Kazis | Aug 12, 2010 | No Comments

Nicole Russo of the Downtown Alliance, David Byrne, and DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan enjoy coffee and mango lassis at Pearl Street’s new pop-up café. Photo: Noah Kazis The narrow streets of Lower Manhattan date back centuries and pose a set of challenges nearly unique in New York City. With the city’s first "pop-up café," DOT […]

The Future of the Better Streets Plan Hinges on Political Will

By Bryan Goebel | Jul 16, 2010 | 26 Comments

The Mayor holds up a copy of The Better Streets Plan at a press conference yesterday: "Eat your heart out Portland." Photo by Bryan Goebel. Standing in the glaring Mission District sun yesterday on a wide new sidewalk, before a crowd of advocates, city planners, merchants, construction crews, artists and many others celebrating the completion […]

Technology and Impotence

By Chris Carlsson | May 28, 2010 | 7 Comments

The BP oil spill goes on. And on. We watch the oil on live web cam pouring into the Gulf of Mexico. And we watch. Political rage is muted, practical responses even more distant. What to do? How do we “take action” on something like this? How can individuals meaningfully respond to this catastrophe? Stop driving? Boycott one brand of gas? Stop buying things made of plastic?

San Francisco Department of Public Works Unveils New Website

By Matthew Roth | May 25, 2010 | No Comments

Of the many agencies in a city, a department of public works (DPW) isn’t usually the flashiest or most interesting. In San Francisco, however, under the leadership of Ed Reiskin, the DPW has taken the lead on a number of high profile projects like Pavement to Parks plazas and parklets and the Market Street trials, […]

Say What?

By Chris Carlsson | May 24, 2010 | 26 Comments

The vibrations and rumble of cable cars used to occur on many of San Francisco’s streets. We are often attracted to city life for the energy, the boisterousness, the noise. I am a city guy having lived all my life in cities (born in Brooklyn, Chicago until age 10, Oakland until 17, and San Francisco […]

San Francisco’s Newest Public Space is in the Parking Lane in The Mission

By Matthew Roth | May 19, 2010 | 91 Comments

Installation began yesterday on the 22nd Street and Bartlett "parklet." Photos: Matthew Roth. After the tremendous success of the trial sidewalk extension, or "parklet," on Divisadero in front of the Mojo Bicycle Cafe, San Francisco planners set their eyes on 22nd Street near Bartlett Street in The Mission, where they have re-purposed three parking spaces […]

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