In April, San Jose broke ground on a new downtown housing project with something many Americans consider essential missing entirely: parking. The historic Bank of Italy building is being converted into much-needed housing — with no on-site spaces for cars. Impractical? Maybe not. Instead, the project reflects a question cities across the country are increasingly...
Urbanowski: The World Cup and our international city
People will often ask, “What is it that makes San Jose unique? What is that cultural identity?” Recently, I heard a wise, globe-traveling civic and cultural leader describe San Jose as the place where everyone from all over the world can find a piece of home. In San Jose, you can find your people, your...
Brammer: Civic Circus — The myth of scarcity in San Jose’s budget
It’s budget season in Santa Clara County, and once again the powers that be are ringing the familiar bells of control and fear. San Jose is facing a deficit. Are you surprised? I’m not. Here’s the playbook: Elected officials keep the public locked in a scarcity mindset of “never having enough” to distract from their...
Genzel: We must take action to honor local hero Clarence B. Jones
Bay Area civil rights hero Clarence B. Jones died last month at 95 in an assisted living facility in Cupertino. Most coverage rightly focused on how he helped draft Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. But reducing Jones to that single moment misses what his life represented. Yes, he was a witness...
Collins: Presentation is essential in today’s housing market
The little things can make a big difference. This year’s housing market has been a mixed bag. Some weeks’ sales are red hot, and others are ice cold. Even with all the challenges our market has had this year, it is remarkably resilient compared to other parts of the country. We are truly fortunate in...
Khamis: Bay Area air district’s gas appliance ban is wrong
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is charging ahead with a natural gas appliance ban that is as impractical as it is punitive. Despite legitimate concerns over implementation, costs and confusing exemptions, the board’s recent meeting on May 13 proved that the voices of 7.7 million residents are falling on deaf ears. This looming...
May: The dangerous reality behind San Jose’s ‘safest big city’ narrative
San Jose residents were promised stronger public safety. Instead, they are being asked to accept fewer firefighters, fewer emergency resources and longer response times during emergencies. Today, San Jose has only about 650 sworn firefighters protecting nearly 1 million residents — far below national standards for a major city. According to the San Jose Fire...
Duong: Improving health while reducing costs in a federal funding desert
Community health in Santa Clara County is facing its gravest challenge since the depths of the COVID pandemic. The full scale of the devastating cuts in federal health care spending contained in H.R. 1 will be felt this year in Santa Clara County and throughout the nation, and for several years after. That is why...
Estremera: Investing in the future of water
From the water we drink to the flood protection projects in our neighborhoods, infrastructure quietly supports our daily lives. In Santa Clara County, many of our water systems are nearly 50 to 60 years old, making this a critical time to modernize and strengthen them. As we take time to acknowledge the upcoming National Public...
Bramson: Preventing homelessness is more effective than criminalizing it
This year, two bills moving through the state reveal the competing visions shaping California’s response to one of its greatest humanitarian failures. One asks how we stop people from losing housing in the first place. The other focuses on managing the consequences after people have already fallen into crisis. Assembly Bill 1924 would require California...