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Urban Design Critic
John King
Reach John on

John King is The Chronicle’s urban design critic and a two-time Pulitzer Prize
finalist who joined the staff in 1992. His book “Portal: San Francisco’s Ferry
Building and the Reinvention of American Cities” will be published by W.W.
Norton in November.


STORIES BY JOHN KING

San Francisco October 10, 2023
There are plenty of ideas to revive downtown S.F. — but do any make sense?
Here’s a reality check
Big ideas like a soccer stadium or university are served as magic bullets that
theoretically will vaporize high vacancy rates and empty sidewalks in downtown
San Francisco. Do they make sense?   John King
San Francisco October 8, 2023
San Francisco has dozens of iconic buildings. These are our top 15
From the Golden Gate Bridge to Oracle Park, San Francisco’s architecture icons
are as diverse as the city itself. John King
San Francisco October 6, 2023
Industrial plant on San Francisco pier to close this month
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District reached an agreement to shut the
Pier 94 facility with the operator, Martin Marietta Materials, which also
operates a sand processing plant at Pier 92. John King
California October 2, 2023
This California city was started from scratch 20 years ago. Here’s how it turned
out
Twenty years after the first residents moved in, the city’s promised town center
remains bare land and the average work commute is an hour by automobile — with
most bound for the Bay Area. John King
San Francisco September 29, 2023
Here’s another part of Feinstein’s S.F. legacy: She shaped how our city looks
Chronicle Urban Design Critic John King said Feinstein hated the glassy new
towers rising south of Market Street, and he reminds us that she fought for
decades to eliminate the Embarcadero Freeway. John King
San Francisco September 12, 2023
Westfield owners sued by American Eagle for letting S.F. mall ‘deteriorate into
disarray’
One of the largest remaining tenants at San Francisco Centre mall has sued the
former owners, charging that they let crime flourish.   John King
San Francisco September 7, 2023
S.F.’s FiDi is getting a storefront architecture center — can it help revive the
neighborhood?
The official function of the Financial District storefront is that it houses the
local chapter of the American Institute of Architecture. The larger goal is to
help enliven a troubled area. John King
San Francisco September 5, 2023
Fisherman’s Wharf is in trouble. But it’s still more than a tourist trap
Empty storefronts, unlicensed vendors and crime are part of the wharf’s current
scene. So is the balance of character and kitsch that has defined Fisherman’s
Wharf for decades. John King
Bay Area September 2, 2023
2 empty cars, multiple bullet holes bring police to I-580 in Oakland
The shooting was reported to police Saturday afternoon, and two apparent victims
sought treatment at a hospital. John King
San Francisco September 2, 2023
Does public pickleball blight S.F.’s Presidio Heights? Guess what the players
say
A neighbor with a $36 million mansion on Presidio Heights sought to close the
pickleball courts at a nearby park. Regulars at the popular space don’t seem too
concerned. John King
Bay Area September 1, 2023
Here’s everything that’s wrong with renderings of new California city fueled by
tech money
The vision of a new city in Solano County lacks details or a precise location.
Instead, its renderings of cuddly townscapes look more like the Italian Riviera
than the Bay Area. John King
San Francisco September 1, 2023
Mayor Breed has big plans for a downtown soccer stadium. The new IKEA shows big
plans rarely work
While Mayor Breed floats the idea of replacing the Westfield mall with a soccer
stadium, the story behind the new IKEA shows how big plans in big cities often
fall short of expectations. John King
San Francisco August 14, 2023
These three new blocks of housing are among S.F.’s best. They’re for the
formerly homeless
The three supportive housing complexes in San Francisco have a single goal: to
provide safe potential for people who have lived on city streets for at least a
year. John King
San Francisco August 6, 2023
San Francisco postcards are stuck in the past. Here’s why that’s not a bad thing
The San Francisco of postcards is a place where the Golden Gate Bridge is
ever-present, people drive down Lombard Street and the Transamerica Pyramid is
the biggest thing in town. John King
San Francisco July 31, 2023
San Francisco isn’t doomed. These 6 places show why
San Francisco's story is more than a struggling downtown. There are physical and
cultural landscapes that overlap yet feel distinct, seemingly by the block. John
King
San Francisco July 30, 2023
Downtown San Francisco has 3 surprising ‘new’ public spaces. Here’s where they
are
One is a rooftop terrace, one is a marble-lined conservatory and the third is a
full acre of land. They’re public spaces built and maintained by private
developers, and therein lies the rub. John King
San Francisco July 21, 2023
Many San Franciscans never liked downtown. Now they’re learning they can’t live
without it
Not only do the Financial District, Union Square and their downtown neighbors
generate money for services throughout the city, they shape San Francisco’s
image around the world.  John King
San Francisco July 12, 2023
Presidio’s Tunnel Tops park is expanding. Here’s what the new green space will
look like
The $23 million Outpost Meadow is aimed at families visiting San Francisco’s
most popular new public space — a 14-acre visual extravaganza that spills toward
the bay and opened last July. John King
Bay Area July 10, 2023
An architectural contest shows how S.F.’s Sunset can add housing — without that
50-story tower
The six winners of the competition offer visions that include terraced condos
fitting 10 homes into a lone residential lot, and lines of townhouses through a
procession of backyards. John King
San Francisco July 9, 2023
S.F.’s Ferry Building is turning 125. Here are 8 ways it shows the city’s past
or future
From historic preservation to transportation battles to sea level rise, San
Francisco’s Ferry Building embodies how San Francisco came to be — and what
might come next. John King

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