Berkeley Watch

The Wall Street Journal — Laura J. Nelson & Kris Maher · September 17, 2026

Red and Blue America Have Found Something to Agree on: Flock Cameras Must Go

Progressive Asheville, N.C. and deep-red Oconee County, S.C. voted days apart to stop using Flock's AI-enabled license plate readers — two places that agree on almost nothing else. More than 100 local governments have now paused or ended contracts with the company, whose roughly 120,000 cameras photograph every passing car. Police credit them with solved cases; opponents on both sides object to being logged by default.

Photo/art: William Crooks for WSJ

Berkeleyside — Nico Savidge · September 4, 2026

Hopkins bike lane opponents sue to block project

A neighborhood group and several Hopkins Street business owners are suing the city over July's council vote to restart the long-debated protected bike lane project, arguing it violates state environmental and disability law. The case is the latest turn in a years-long fight over trading parking for cyclist and pedestrian safety.

Photo/art: Ximena Natera, Berkeleyside/Catchlight

glittering rampages — asmara beraki marek · September 3, 2026

South Berkeley at a Crossroads

A resident who's been tracking the Ashby BART site's Objective Design Standards argues the city and developer are running public workshops without actually documenting or incorporating what attendees say. The piece lays out draft community amendments headed to the Planning Commission ahead of the September 16 vote.

Photo/art: Rendering via glittering rampages

Architect Magazine — Peter Calthorpe · June 1, 2026

Could America's Ugliest Streets Solve the Housing Crisis?

Urban designer Peter Calthorpe makes the case for "Grand Boulevards": rebuilding half-empty strip malls along wide arterials as mixed-income housing with transit lanes, bike lanes, and real sidewalks, leaving existing neighborhoods untouched. He points to California's AB 2011, which allows housing by right on qualifying commercial land along those corridors, and estimates the Bay Area's arterials alone could hold over a million new homes.

The New York Times — The Editorial Board · May 18, 2026

America Needs to Build More Housing

The Times editorial board argues that soaring home prices come down to supply: high-opportunity metro areas spent decades not building enough homes for the people who wanted to live there. Its prescription is to loosen zoning so more multifamily housing is legal, and to streamline permitting where building is already allowed. It points to Austin, where easing those rules has helped bring costs down.

Photo/art: Illustrative rendering