As per the class workshop, write your overall assessment of the Better Streets San Francisco project. Use the questions presented in class for guidance but feel free to expand on them or use a different outline. Make sure to add the name of your group members in the blog text. Your submission shouldn’t exceed 5 pages and not less than 4. Feel free to use other sources to support your argument.
Urban & Environmental Studies 
Andrea Vega
Noam Shimon
San Francisco Better Streets Plan was adopted in December 2010, by then the Mayor, Gavin Newsom and the Board of Supervisors. The plan was created in order to provide an overall policy making and guidelines for improvements of existing infrastructures, and suitably design the streets of San Francisco. The adaptation of the plan, created a collective network between city and county employees and multiple agencies to widely and wisely plan for streets. The main goals for the Better Streets Plan are to improve public transportation networks, create new and improved bicycle lanes, upgrade the streets in general and influence it to be more walkable, reduce street pollution, protect the natural environment, and design a long-term plan to ensure access for basic resources such as water and electricity.
San Francisco was funded on June 29, 1776 by colonist from Spain. Due to its location that provided a comfortable weather conditions, access to the Pacific Ocean, and the reach biological habitat of the bay San Francisco attracted many waves of migrations into the region. In 1849, the California Gold Rush brought many gold seekers across the nation and from Europe into the region, and the population grew rapidly. The great earthquake on April 18, 1906 and the resulted fires created major devastations and destructions to infrastructure, which forced city planners to rebuild the city in a short period of time. Then, both World Wars influenced another great migration of navy workers, army staffers, and their families, which again occupied additional areas of the city. Since 1960s San Francisco, continue to attract many culture seekers, and there was also a major attraction for people who were interested in career in technology. San Francisco continues to attract many people, and therefore it require to quickly adopt to its changing environment. Unlike the past, where urban planners paid less attention to important factors of municipal design, these days City of San Francisco is working hard to lead greener-design plan movement, which influence healthier environments for all sorts of livings – people, animals, and plants.
Migration patterns in San Francisco have significantly impacted the design patterns of the city. From the gold rush to tech migration, there has been an influx of people that further diversify the city and its needs. The different cultures influenced the design of the buildings such as European styled structures. As the city expanded to meet population demand there was a need for a new design that supported the population and transportation opportunities. The different geographical elements of the city are embodied in the San Francisco culture and in the city plans throughout the years. The result of people migrating to San Francisco was the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, cable car routes, and other innovations that made mobility in San Francisco increasingly more effective.Zoning regulations also took place. Downtown San Francisco is so congested that it was broken up into four zones. These zones are unique to each other and serve different districts. There’s corporate buildings, shopping centers, parking, and entertainment such as restaurants and hotels. The separation of these areas in zones encourages pedestrian activity and tourist attraction. San Francisco’s identity of technology and finance contribute to the environment, people, and economic aspects have always been key in city plans. However, the way in which these different things are incorporated and intertwined has changed. City plans are often modified to fit new elements of the city that demand change. As more people contribute to traffic and more people use public transportation, there is a need for a new plan that unifies all the needs and the wants of the city.
The design for Better streets San Francisco was inspired by the rundown plans of the past. The new design wanted to reflect a unified city with great prosperity and innovation. Complete streets encourage the use of the streets in all transportation forms and take into consideration future problems like storm water flooding and emergency plans for earthquakes. Creating streets friendly for pedestrians, cyclist, cars, ect. takes a design that unifies the community in an effective way and doesn’t create further congestion. San Francisco is a unique city with downtown busy streets and streets in quit calm residential areas. When assessing a design for a city you have to take into consideration the different types of streets that are in the area, and modify your plan to fit these unique streets and find a balance. There could be an ecological significance to the land or a demand for great volume of traffic and speed. Better streets San Francisco also incorporates the landscape and design of sidewalks. There are streets trees that have to be aligned and spaced to a certain measure and there are different forms of outside landscape like flowers. Urban forest add value to the area and have environmental benefits as well as economical. Street lighting also plays a role in the mission they are trying to achieve. With appropriate fixtures, street furniture like benches, and greenery they are able to unify intersections and streets and deliver a more cohesive design. By placing these items in alignment with each other there is flow throughout the city and comfort for pedestrians and people on the street. Grants are given throughout the city to help beautify the area. All the beautification projects in the city have to follow the guidelines under Better Streets San Francisco. Greenery places a huge role in the process. By adding trees and plants there is economic resilience and quality of life for the community thrives. Planting more greenery is an effort to reduce air and water pollution. The chemicals that can be found in the air that are constantly being combusted affect the air quality of the city as well as the water. More greenery throughout the city also decreases the carbon footprint that the city has. There is less carbon going into the atmosphere. Cleaner and greener designs are steps towards a greener future. It also reduces the amount of stormwater runoff.
Better streets San Francisco has a focus on bettering the stormwater infrastructure. Sewage systems are implemented in design plans because there is a need for sewage and storm water to be disposed of. San Francisco has two different types of sewage systems. There is the combined sewage system and the separate sewage system. Two sewage systems are used so there is less runoff and also to control the levels of flooding in areas that are lower. Combined sewage system helps improve the quantity of runoff and separate helps improve the quality of the runoff. These infrastructures are integrated in the street projects to improve the quality of the city. Stormwater management techniques like LID that uses decentralizes stormwater before it reaches the sewer system.
Efficient public transportation system will provide the city cleaner air, decrease noise pollution, reduce traffic, allow pedestrians to feel safer, increase in tourism, and provide low-income communities travel options. Even though the city of San Francisco does not spread to a large geographical area, its unique design of hills and neighborhoods require a proper transportation plan to allow all residents and visitors to easily and economically navigate through the city. Similar to many other larger metropolitans around the United States, San Francisco’s public transportation is detreating and it requires modern upgrades and changes. By collectively creating a smart city design, Better Streets Plan of San Francisco effectively legislate policies that ensure necessary funding and resources for new transportation system. For example, the new Transbay Transit Center that is currently being built around downtown, will provide a a central distribution center to all transportation within and outside city boarders. The collaborations between city agencies and organization, allow all partners to share information and make sure that the newly designed transportation system operate efficiently and provide most solutions for all people.
Overall Better Streets San Francisco influenced a positive collaboration between all city agencies and organization, in order to encourage a more cohesive and greener community design. The major urbanization trend require effective community design that implements models of sustainability designed environment that will ensure the unity of the growing community and further meet its needs.
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Very Good Article. Well-articulate giving the short time. Great Job.
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