Jason Henderson
Recent Posts
Commentary: State Density Bonus Threatens Progressive Parking Policies
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At $120,000 per space, using luxury parking to subsidize affordable housing undermines planning for compact development centered on green mobility. It’s tantamount to gentrification by parking.
Opinion: Gov. Newsom’s Gas Rebate Won’t Fix Anything
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High gas prices should not be seen as just a political crisis. They are also an opportunity to reduce climate pollution, end fossil fuel wars, reduce traffic congestion, and increase public health through active transportation.
Guest Editorial: Driverless Cars Could Wreck Livable Cities
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Over the past year driverless cars have been promoted as a panacea for livable cities. The storyline is that driverless cars will help reduce car ownership, free-up urban space for walking and biking, and help reduce death and injury. The USDOT has joined the parade with its “smart city challenge,” awarding Columbus, Ohio a $40 […]
How Freeway Removal and Zero Parking Can Fend Off SF’s Triple Threat
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There is an urgent triumvirate of crises looming over San Franciscans. With median rents now exceeding $4,200, hyper-gentrification is tearing lives apart. Except for those surviving on rent control, the city is no longer welcoming to teachers, artists, and the entire middle class. Things are looking difficult in the East Bay, as speculators and realtors […]
Commentary: Proposition G and the Vision of the City
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Editor’s note: Jason Henderson, a geography professor at San Francisco State University who writes about the politics of mobility, explains why he’s voting against Proposition G on November 2. We’ve invited the Yes on G side to write an op-ed and hope to publish it soon. A lot of well-meaning people are leaning towards voting […]
The Moral Imperative of the BP Oil Spill: Drive 20 Percent Less
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Photo: Jonathan Henderson, Gulf Restoration Network Editor’s note: This is an essay from Jason Henderson, a Geography Professor at San Francisco State University. He was born and raised in New Orleans and spent many years exploring Louisiana’s wetlands. He is currently writing a book about the politics of mobility, and frequently advocates for reduced car […]
Commentary: Keep Drilling, Stop Driving, Use Oil Wisely
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BP’s Deepwater Horizon. Photo: U.S. Coast Guard. (Editor’s note: This is an Op-Ed from Jason Henderson, Geography Professor at San Francisco State University, who is writing a book on the politics of mobility in cities. He grew up in New Orleans where he spent much time in the coastal wetlands of Louisiana while also observing […]
Newsom Should Charge Drivers More for Parking Before Cutting Muni
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Flickr photo:sawdevcin Transportation accounts for one third of US greenhouse gas emissions and is the fastest growing source of emissions globally. Most of this comes from automobiles, and technical fixes like biofuels or hybrid/electric cars will not get us to the 80 percent reductions in CO2 that we must attain to stabilize the climate. We […]
John Muir and Livable Cities
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Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir in Yosemite. Over the holiday I read a new biography of John Muir, the iconic Victorian-era environmentalist and tireless advocate for wilderness conservation who helped establish the Sierra Club. Written by environmental historian Donald Worster, the book narrates Muir’s well-known struggle and political machinations over the damming of Hetch Hetchy. […]