Michael Rhodes

Like a good love triangle, there are two Valentine’s Day-related events for local urbanists to choose between this Friday. But first, show your love for Muni on Tuesday. Here are the week’s highlights: Tuesday: SPUR Lunchtime Forum: Our Better Nature: A conversation with author Philip J. Dreyfus. Join environmental historian Philip J. Dreyfus to discuss … Continued

"Generating accurate information about parking patterns has proven to be a challenging task—not a surprise given that one of the most technologically advanced tracking methods in use is the application of chalk to the tires of parked cars. This, however, is set to change. Tod Dykstra of Streetline will show the methods and technology that are staged to change how the flow of parking is tracked and managed, with demonstrations of the hardware and software that make real-time, spot-by-spot tracking of parking a possibility."

Allowing a city to grow while preserving its history is an especial challenge in Shanghai, given its exceptional growth rate. But two San Francisco-based architecture firms are trying just that. Join us for a discussion with Ellen Lou, Associate Director at Skidmore Owings and Merrill and Michel St. Pierre, Director of Planning and Urban Design at Gensler as they discuss their respective plans of downtown Shanghai. These include master plans for the historic Puxi district as well as redevelopment plans for the Huangpu River waterfront, which will newly incorporate the river into the city’s urban center.

"In February of 2009, as dour economic conditions threatened to worsen unabated, President Obama warned that massive government intervention was necessary to prevent "a much deeper economic downturn." Congress responded with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a $787 billion federal stimulus package. Did it work? A year later, Dan Bernal, District Director for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, will analyze the effects of the stimulus, while José Luis Moscovich, Executive Director of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, will discuss the impacts of the stimulus funding on San Francisco transportation programs." 

"San Francisco is famous for its neighborhood shopping streets. From Balboa Park to the Inner Sunset, Cow Hollow to North Beach, Hayes Valley to Noe Valley—to only name a few—San Francisco offers a wide range of everyday and specialty retail options for residents and tourists alike. Come hear from Amy Cohen from the Mayor’s Office of Workforce and Economic Development and successful local retailer Sunhee Moon, as they discuss the many considerations that go into creating our city’s thriving and varied retail environments."

"Love is in the air and it’s the time to socialize with your city. INFORUM, in partnership with ArtPoint, Net Impact, SPUR, the World Affairs Council and Young Women Social Entrepreneurs, invites you to come fall in love with members of other like-minded SF organizations this Valentine’s Day.  Join us to make new friends and find out how to engage with some of San Francisco's hottest networks. This event includes membership raffles, happy hour wine and food specials."

China, driven by its remarkable growth, has made a business of importing planning and architectural strategies from other places and inserting them into Chinese cities. In Shanghai, the result is a loss of the unique urban patterns that supported the identity, legibility and character of everyday life. This talk describes the evolution of urbanism in Shanghai from its early settlement within the Yangtze River Delta to its rapid fragmentation. Join Professor Renee Y. Chow, Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at UC Berkeley, as she shares her work on alternative strategies for planning and architecture that embrace environmentalism, cultural sustenance and the persistence of place.

"IDEO San Francisco, a winner in Architecture for Humanity's 2009 Open Architecture Competition for classroom design, will present the design for a school in a low-income neighborhood in Hyderabad, India. This presentation will highlight the tremendous potential for design and the challenges faced in school design in the developing world. With Beau Trincia and others from IDEO."

"URBANbuild Local Global documents the work of URBANbuild, a comprehensive two-year program at Tulane University School of Architecture initiated to actively support the rehabilitation of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. URBANbuild Local Global, literally a double-sided book, reconnects local research, analysis and design for New Orleans with a broader framework that embraces knowledge and experience drawn from comparable world cities. With authors Ila Berman and Mona El-Khafif."

Agenda.