Courtesy of the Planning Department
The most ambitious aspect of the Japantown Plan is the zoning specifically for new towers. Even better is the reasoning behind it – the Planning Department really *really* wants the Japan Center to be redone, and knows that a large residential development is the only way to make it financially feasible for a private developer. The document goes through all of the specific reasons why, but the conclusion is great news for both the area and the city as a whole. Typically the legacy of The Redevelopment Agency is seen as one of destroying neighborhoods, but now we have large blocks to work with, and broad community support.
Other issues presented in the plan include: The Peace Plaza legally cannot get any smaller, nor have any shadows cast on it. The Japan Center Parking Lot is technically owned by the city, so any development has to include their interests as well. The new owner, 3D, has put off any grand plans for the time being, but the planning has stretched several years into the future to aid the approval process. The proposed new zoning map show several areas that could support new towers north of Geary – all good ideas in my belief.
The dark gray areas show proposed new towers, and the dotted and hatched zones show new raised height limits. As I mentioned before, I greatly appreciate that development is seen as a benefit in this neighborhood, and that raised height and density limits are being used to draw in customers. Similarly to the Transbay Area, the city has a very big carrot. Of course, the city will still levy large development fees for the other issues cited in the plan, but I’m sure some developer (if not 3D) will be able to make the best out of the situation.
The one other aspect I was particularly interested in was the street-dieting of Webster. I’ll touch more on the transportation issues in the next post, but this idea also is based on the post redevelopment landscape. Webster was originally widened to become part of a local expressway through the city. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really connect anything, and the current traffic levels don’t require more than the standard two lanes of traffic. In yet another aspect of well-coordinated thinking, the Planning Department has proposed removing one lane of traffic in each direction between Geary and Bush, and instead allocating the land to bike lanes and a linear park. This new park would add to the overall open space in the area, while also creating a much more fluid pedestrian experience.
This is a theory that should be carried out in other areas around the city. I’m sure there are parts of roads in other neighborhoods that could become parks. The 17th & Market plaza is one idea, but changing an entire strip into a linear park is a great way to enliven the pedestrian feeling. Why not go further and take some seldom used roads and reduce them to one lane (one way) of travel? I know places like Folsom St and certain avenues have already been examined for just such a theory. Street Diets could be used around the city to connect pedestrian and bike friendly destinations, just as the Japan Center plan proposes.
Comments
Leave a Reply
Tania on 05.30.2009
Can i take a one small picture from your site?
Tania
Admin on 05.31.2009
Go right ahead!
Highways Divide : San Francisco Transit Oriented Design on 12.18.2009
[...] North-South alignment still serves very few people, and by all accounts is over sized. Again, the Japantown Plan proposed to use the excess right-of-way to makes a park – a policy that should be continued [...]