The quest for sustainability will increasingly concentrate development in cities, fostering architecture that will be a fusion of new and old forms, especially as policy incentives are implemented that encourage major additions to existing buildings - and anyone creating cohousing in SF should be aware of and involved in helping develop these incentives. So let's get together for an evening talk to learn more and meet other allies in the cause, including San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR), the host of this event.

San Francisco architect Charles Bloszies will explore this topic as he presents case studies from his new book, Old Buildings, New Designs: Architectural Transformations (Princeton Architectural Press, 2011). He will be joined by panelists John King, urban design critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, J.K. Dineen, reporter for the SF Business Times, Lydia Lee, associate editor of The Architect’s Newspaper, and Tim Culvahouse, principal at Culvahouse Consulting and editor-in-chief, AIA California Council. The evening’s conversation will include a discussion of the controversial approach to blending contemporary architecture with older building fabric and what underlying design principles can lead to successful outcomes in this often overlooked genre. 

6-7:30 PM, free for SPUR members, $10 otherwise.

About SPUR

Through research, education and advocacy, SPUR promotes good planning and good government in the San Francisco Bay Area.

SPUR's history dates back to 1910, when a group of young city leaders came together to improve the quality of housing after the 1906 earthquake and fire. That group, the San Francisco Housing Association, authored a hard-hitting report which led to the State Tenement House Act of 1911.

In the 1930s, SFHA continued to advocate for housing concerns. In the 1940s, SFHA merged with Telesis, a group of graduates from UC Berkeley's city planning program, to become the San Francisco Planning and Housing Association in 1942. In the same year, the Association landed another major success with the creation of San Francisco's Department of City Planning.

In the 1950s, SFPHA pushed for the revitalization of San Francisco as the Bay Area's central city, in an effort to curb suburban sprawl and channel growth back into the urban core. In 1959, the San Francisco Planning and Housing Association was reorganized into the San Francisco Planning and Urban Renewal Association—and later, the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association—to be the citizens' voice for good planning.

Over the next five decades, SPUR built support for land use, transportation and investment strategies to support center-oriented growth and urban economic vitality. Since then, SPUR has been involved with virtually every major planning decision in the city.

In May 2009, the opening of the 14,500 square-foot SPUR Urban Center opened a major new chapter in the life of the organization and in civic planning in San Francisco. Located in the heart of the Yerba Buena cultural district, the Urban Center provides a common ground for citizens to come together in fruitful, forward-thinking conversation.

In a city dominated by single-interest politics, SPUR plays the crucial role of uniting citizens to jointly craft solutions to our common problems.

SPUR is a member-supported, nonprofit organization. Join our movement for a better San Francisco!