By Prof. Richard Bender, UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design
John Parman, UC Berkeley’s Urban Construction Laboratory

Can we “slow” the growth of San Francisco’s metropolitan region without stopping it? By “slow,” we make reference to the Slow Food movement and its CittaSlow offshoot, especially in their emphasis on the value and pleasures of regional difference. “Without stopping it” is to acknowledge the projected growth of the region, which we accept. Our title’s “smart” refers to “smart growth”—“livable” is another favored adjective, both endorsing density without always asking what it means in practice. Like the Buddha, we see a middle way between “slow” and “smart” that emphasizes enjoyment and livability. Like the Californians we have both become, we want to have our cake and eat it, too. Read more »

By Lawrence Sylou-Creutz Ojermark

I’d like to put forth an old idea that has been tried and tested the world over: Pedestrian only street closures.  It is not a brash or bold idea as far as San Francisco is concerned, being a world-class, transit first, services-based city.  It is not an expensive, highly engineered project that would take years to implement. And the benefits are numerous.  There are many narrow streets, plied heavily by foot traffic and not overly used or needed during the daytime hours that could be converted to pedestrian only use.  Three such examples could be Powell St. from Market St. to Union Square, Grant Ave. running through Chinatown and the last is Jefferson St. through Fisherman’s Wharf.  Imagine covering these streets with appropriate landscaping.  Red bricks continuing from the cable car turnaround for Powell St., with benches, trees and sidewalk cafes spilling out onto the flow of people walking freely and without fear of the traffic.

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By Gavin Newsom and Kamala D. Harris
San Francisco Chronicle
Originally Published May 13, 2007

On any given day, take a walk in the Tenderloin, Civic Center or South of Market, and you will see the same problems that have plagued our neighborhoods for decades: drugs, theft, prostitution, auto break-ins and aggressive panhandling. Has the justice system forgotten about these neighborhoods? No. But the fact is that low-level offenders cycle through the system, at a cost to the city of hundreds of thousands of dollars. The result? Offenders don't get the life-saving help they need, victims lose faith in the justice system, and neighbors have to live in a dangerous and frightening environment.  The time has come to break away from the status quo. We owe it to the community, to the victims -- and to the offenders. Many people who are living on the streets are suffering from addiction and mental illness and receiving no treatment. Turning a blind eye and doing nothing is not compassionate -- not for those individuals, and not for our neighborhoods. That's why the two of us are partnering to launch the Community Justice Center, a collaborative, problem-solving service center with a court on site. Read more »

By Ryan Kim
San Francisco Chronicle
Originally Published May, 12 2007

The San Francisco controller's office issued a favorable review Friday on a proposal by EarthLink and Google to provide the city with free wireless Internet access.  The report estimates residents could save $9 million to $18 million in Internet bills annually by having the option of choosing the EarthLink service, which will offer free access as well as a paid service that is cheaper than other broadband options like DSL and cable.  The report said the service will help the city bridge the digital divide, providing many residents with Internet service for the first time. It also noted it would be a boon to EarthLink, giving it a foothold in the San Francisco broadband market. Read more »

By Rob Black

Currently, San Francisco has a stated goal of 5.5 acres of park or open space for every 1,000 residents.  This goal represents about half the 10 acres per 1,000 residents recommended by the National Recreation and Park Association.  In neighborhoods like the South of Market and the Inner Mission, areas receiving thousands of new housing units, there are only 1.8 acres of parks per 1,000 residents.  As new units are built, the proportion of residents to park space continues to decline.  If we want these new and existing neighborhoods to thrive, we must plan for and invest in more parks and open space now.  If we wait, the costs will be too prohibitive, the neighborhoods too dense, and the opportunity for a greener, healthier community will be lost. Read more »

By Donna Calame, Executive Director
San Francisco: In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority

In my experience, most people – including policy and decision makers – are not much aware of long term care (LTC) issues until they, or a close family member or friend, have faced the need for assistance from some one else in order to conduct their lives.  If we are lucky enough to live a long life, most of us will face some incapacity for self-care: we will not be able to shop or cook for ourselves; we will not be able to get out of bed without assistance or dress ourselves; some one else will have to assist us with bathing and hygiene; transport outside of our homes will be limited.  When that happens, where do we want to live?  Who do we want to help us?  And who answers those questions?  Do we maintain as much control as our mental and physical capacities allow over our life circumstances?  Or does someone else, including decisions made in institutional settings, make those decisions for us? Read more »

By Alec Ross, One Economy Corporation and Simon Rosenberg, NDN

We believe that America needs to put a laptop in every backpack of every child.  We need to commit to a date and grade certain: we suggest 2010 for every sixth grader.  These laptops need to be wirelessly connected to the Internet, and children need to be able to take them home.  Local school districts should choose how best to do this, but there needs to be federal funding and simple, federal standards.  Funds and strategies for how training our teachers to lead this transformation need to be part this commitment.  We believe it will cost at first $2 billion a year to provide every 6th grader a laptop, about what we spend in Iraq every week. Hardware costs continue to plummet each year, and the idea of a $200 laptop or classmate PC is coming ever closer to reality.  It is not a question of resources, but of vision and political will.  Libya has just announced a national commitment to give all its school children a laptop.  If Libya can do it, so can America.    Read more »