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InterUrbanism
Exploring, explaining, and critiquing urban planning in the developing world.
DART, the BRT system of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, is proving to be transformative. Though just one phase of 6 planned phases is operational, those 21km (13 miles) are crowded daily with passengers. But if the city is going to continue to rely on BRT as its only rapid-transit solution, it will quickly run into the mode’s limits.
A new map is up in the store, and it's a gorgeous look at a gorgeous and oft-overlooked part of the United States: Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands in the 1920s.
The Greater Marin
The first blog about transit and urban policy in Marin County, California
Unless something major happens at the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), San Anselmo will likely need to build around 833 new homes between now and 2030, increasing its housing stock by almost 16 percent. While rezoning single-family zones and seeing new apartments have caused major heartburn in other towns, San Anselmo actually has a wealth of space to fit it all in without the fuss – if it’s willing to dig into its past for the solution.
The proposed 227 homes for downtown Novato would be the first in the city to invoke SB 35, the controversial legislation that allows for buildings that meeting objective criteria to be built without significant review from localities. This proposal would absolutely be worthwhile - if it qualifies.
Does COVID-19 mean America needs to abandon density and decamp to the suburbs? Hardly - the problem is with overcrowded apartments, not dense streets. In Marin, that means San Rafael’s Canal neighborhood, where 30 percent of homes are far too crowded, is especially vulnerable.
Land Use
The allocation of land reflects the values and influences the character of our cities: what we want, and where we want it.
Unless something major happens at the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), San Anselmo will likely need to build around 833 new homes between now and 2030, increasing its housing stock by almost 16 percent. While rezoning single-family zones and seeing new apartments have caused major heartburn in other towns, San Anselmo actually has a wealth of space to fit it all in without the fuss – if it’s willing to dig into its past for the solution.
The proposed 227 homes for downtown Novato would be the first in the city to invoke SB 35, the controversial legislation that allows for buildings that meeting objective criteria to be built without significant review from localities. This proposal would absolutely be worthwhile - if it qualifies.
Does COVID-19 mean America needs to abandon density and decamp to the suburbs? Hardly - the problem is with overcrowded apartments, not dense streets. In Marin, that means San Rafael’s Canal neighborhood, where 30 percent of homes are far too crowded, is especially vulnerable.
Transportation
Posts exploring how to shape the transportation networks that shape our cities and how to make them better.
DART, the BRT system of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, is proving to be transformative. Though just one phase of 6 planned phases is operational, those 21km (13 miles) are crowded daily with passengers. But if the city is going to continue to rely on BRT as its only rapid-transit solution, it will quickly run into the mode’s limits.
Unless something major happens at the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), San Anselmo will likely need to build around 833 new homes between now and 2030, increasing its housing stock by almost 16 percent. While rezoning single-family zones and seeing new apartments have caused major heartburn in other towns, San Anselmo actually has a wealth of space to fit it all in without the fuss – if it’s willing to dig into its past for the solution.