In the San Francisco Standard Opinion article, Thomas Getz invites readers to literally bring San Francisco Mayor Dan Lully’s “family zoning” proposal.
Accepting that the proposal could be “verbal window dressing to pave the way for dense zoning and widespread development,” Getz argues that “family zoning” could mean something entirely.
The “Family Zoning” concept provides a way to say yes to an entirely new vision of healthy housing. You need a smart mix of retail stores, offices, homes and parks. This creates a kind of neighborhood that encourages people to walk into the store and bump into their neighbors. Healthy homes mean more than a park or exercise equipment. Almost by chance, we need spaces to cultivate social and fun.
Goetz suggests creating “loose” spaces. “A flexible area where people of all ages can cook, play, exercise, relax and more.” Examples of “low-cost, high-use spaces” that cities can incentivize include a variety of sports and activities, a fitness circuit, flexible collaboration and general hangout spaces, communal cooking areas, and free-play spaces that can meet the needs of tools and other households.
According to Goetz, “Such amenities can be incorporated into new buildings or existing fallow lands in nearby “family zoned.” If possible, the parklet offers more than restaurant seating, turning other public space niches into active areas.
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