BlackSwan Zine

The San Francisco Department of City Planning has rezoned much for greater densities of market rate housing based on the theory of Transit Oriented Development

A second proposal for a dense, transit-oriented development on raw land between Executive Center and Sunland Park is on the table.

Portland, Oregon, is consistently ranked as one of the country’s most livable cities (and it was a Fast City in 2007). And it continues to show solid growth despite having the second lowest per capita transit spending of the 28 largest U.S. metropolitan areas.

by Blanca Torres for San Francisco Business Times
San Leandro is beginning to see its transit-oriented dreams come true.
The city mostly known for warehouses and industrial sites has several developments including office, residential and commercial in the works for its downtown area near the BART station.
“This is just furthering smart growth,” said Cynthia Battenberg, business development [...]

Chris Leinberger was blunt in his assessment of the proposed Fuller Road Station: If the parking structure is built as proposed, in 20 years it will be torn down. Speaking at a forum on transit-oriented development, Leinberger said current plans for the joint UM/city of Ann Arbor project do a good job of incorporating different kinds of transit, from bikes and buses to perhaps, eventually, commuter rail.

Salt Lake City has its eyes on a sweeping face-lift for the blocks just east of the FrontRunner transit hub in an effort to transform the moribund “Depot District” into a thriving city gateway. The blueprint calls for a blend of housing, retail, restaurants, a small theater and a possible urban research park.

Harbor Point, an 80-acre mixed-use project in Stamford, recently achieved LEED-ND Gold certification for its environmentally sound design, planning and construction. The project is being developed by Norwalk-based Building & Land Technology.

Gov. Jim Doyle on Friday gave a clearer indication as to where Madison’s first passenger rail station will be when Amtrak pulls into town in 2013. “You clearly have to stop at the airport,” he told the Wisconsin State Journal editorial board.

With or without commuter rail, smart growth will benefit the region because it targets areas for development while protecting natural resources. That was the message from the South Coast Rail Project last week.

A 165-acre suburban industrial site that has been dormant for at least a year could become a mixed-use development in years to come. Orlando-based New Broad Street Cos. says it has a contract with Detroit-based General Motors to buy its former automotive plant in suburban Doraville.