Starting out as a way to reclaim private space for the public, this year's (PARK)ing Day in San Francisco seemed more commercial, if you will, than years prior. On the event's site, there's all this verbiage about how the (PARK)ing Day group owns the phrase, how participants must license it, and that you're encouraged to buy a manual on how to do it right. Sounds complicated, right? What's more, a slew of good-intentioned politicos and public transit hand-wringers got involved and tried ruining (PARK)ing Day by making it as alluring as a damp cardboard box. Many makeshift parks featured fliers and posters and posters and fliers and other creative-free pilings that no one outside elitist wonk circles should care about. (You just know cupcakes were involved.) more ›

Produced in part by the fine folks at SPUR (San Francisco Planning & Urban Research Association), this map indicates POPOS (Privately Owned Public Open Spaces). Many of them, it seems, are not visited nearly enough. more ›

Two new urban planning documents in two major American cities -- our own and New York City -- are being released this week that reflect a growing a trend toward creating pedestrian-friendly environments and pushing private automobiles out of downtown congestion. A San Francisco Transportation Authority study released yesterday recommends phasing in an all-out ban of auto traffic on Market Street east of Van Ness, beginning by forcing motorists to turn right onto Eighth Street off of Market and outlawing left turns off of Hyde (the full ban, they're saying, is "shelved" for now). SFist previously noted the pilot-program street closure and temporary plaza at Castro and 17th Street, which we didn't think would move forward quite as quickly as it has. more ›

Construction on the 17th Street Pedestrian Plaza is wrapping up. So far, the newly tagged temporary public plaza includes plants, concrete benches, and (God willing) loads of sunlight. Here are some images of the plaza, which will remain open for enjoyment until July 11.
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