Research: The success of San Francisco’s pandemic hotel housing program
When the pandemic hit, San Francisco was one of the cities that took advantage of empty hotel rooms to safely house the unsheltered and slow the spread of Covid-19. Now, almost a year down the line, researchers are understandably curious about the impact this public health move had on the city’s Read More...
San Francisco votes to ban cigarette smoking in apartments
Big cities can have some strange odors, but one thing you won’t smell anymore if you live in a San Francisco apartment building is tobacco smoke. Last week, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 10-1 to outlaw tobacco smoking in the city’s apartments. The ban applies to apartments Read More...
San Francisco becomes latest city to ditch gas in new buildings
We recently discussed how Ojai, California is banning gas in new construction. Now, a much bigger city is tossing their hat in the gas-free ring. San Francisco’s board of supervisors unanimously voted this week to ban gas in new buildings, making it the second-largest city in the country to do so Read More...
Meet Chuck Feeney, the billionaire who has given away all his money
For most of us who aren’t billionaires, it’s always baffling that such wealthy people *cough Jeff Bezos* can sit atop giant sums of money without donating a decent chunk of it to help improve the world. But then there’s Chuck Feeney. If you aren’t familiar with Feeney, he’s an Irish Read More...
Blue whales gather in record numbers off San Francisco coast
Blue whales, the largest animals on Earth, like to gather off the coast of San Francisco to feed on krill in the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. Right now, they are showing up in potentially record-breaking numbers. Just 30 miles offshore from San Francisco, 47 endangered blue Read More...
San Francisco police won't send officers to respond to non-criminal calls
Cities across the US are finally seeing some tangible police reform and defunding changes. San Francisco is joining the movement with their recent announcement that police officers will be replaced with trained, unarmed professionals to respond to calls for help on non-criminal matters involving Read More...
The ban of private cars on San Francisco’s busiest street is now underway
Just a couple months ago we wrote about San Francisco’s grand plan to ban cars from Market Street—the notoriously congested spine of the city. But the thing about plans is that it’s always a question as to whether or not they’ll actually come to fruition. The good news is that San Read More...
Have your food and support it too: SF’s new optional tax funds regenerative farming
If you live in California, you may begin to see an optional surcharge on your restaurant checks. The one percent tax is not mandatory, but it can make your meal more sustainable. The new surcharge profits are going to Restore California, a division of a non-profit which provides grants to Read More...
San Francisco will use AI in an attempt to remove racial bias from courtrooms
We already knew an artificial intelligence could reflect the racial bias of its creator. But San Francisco thinks the tech could potentially do the opposite as well, by identifying and counteracting racial prejudice — and it plans to put the theory to the test in a way that could change the Read More...
A brilliant new park is being built atop a highway in San Francisco
The foggy weather of San Francisco has never stopped its local residents from enjoying the city’s many outdoor parks. But as more and more people move to the city by the bay, the municipality has decided to add a new 14-acre park to its landscape. The “Tunnel Tops” park will cover two Read More...