In 2009, San Francisco adopted the Balboa Park Station Area Plan as part of its Better Neighborhoods Program, resulting in new mixed-use development, public space and pedestrian improvements along Ocean Avenue, as well as new concepts for the Upper Yard and Balboa Reservoir parcels in this transit-oriented yet lower-profile area. Come get an update on the impact of the plan and hear about the challenges and opportunities that remain. Learn more.  

The Bay Area’s housing shortage has led many residents to cite affordability as the top issue facing the region. With most voters supporting additional housing, how much does the Bay Area actually need to build? How much needs to be subsidized and for whom? Where should we build? Join NPH Regional Planning & Policy Manager Pedro Galvao to discuss these questions and more as the panel attempts to grapple with one of our region’s most pressing concerns. Learn more.  

In 2017, the California state legislature passed SB 35, providing a path for streamlining housing approvals in cities that have not met their housing targets. That bill, along with the threat of greater state legislation, is proving to be a catalytic lever in the local approvals process, especially at key Bay Area sites like Cupertino’s Vallco Town Center and the Brisbane Baylands. Hear about how this tool is being used from several stakeholders who are pushing housing development forward.  Find…

It is no surprise that so-called affordable housing units in the Bay Area are far from actually affordable, primarily due to the exorbitant costs associated with building them. In our current housing shortage, these escalating costs are at odds with our need to produce homes quickly. What stands in the way of truly affordable construction? Is it possible to escape these continually escalating costs through changes in policy, innovative construction materials or new architectural forms? Hear from architects and developers…