As we look to the future, what kind of city do we want? How can
we make our cities livable and sustainable?

This FREE film series will explore how creative planners in the U.S.
and around the world are reinventing cities and towns to be more livable
and sustainable. Each film will be followed by discussion and light refreshments.

FRIDAY July 8 - Save Our Land, Save Our Towns
Small town newsman Tom Hylton explores why America's towns have declined
and how we can revive them. "Development and zoning issues normally make eyes
glaze...Tom Hylton makes them downright fascinating." - Philadelphia Daily News
FRIDAY July 15 - Seoul, the Stream of Consciousness and Portland: A Sense
of Place

In 2003, Seoul, Korea demolished a major downtown freeway to uncover and restore the ancient Cheonggyecheon stream that once flowed beneath it. The
Cheonggyecheon is now a vital part of the city’s commercial and tourism sectors,
and has proven that environmental restoration can revive culture and community.

Plus, learn why Portland is consistently ranked as one of the country’s most livable cities and how city planners have uniquely integrated transport decisions
into urban growth and development efforts.

FRIDAY July 22 - Transportation Solutions
These short films will inspire you about alternatives to car transportation and
how alternatives can improve city environment and people’s lives. Including
“Guangzhou, China's Winning the Future with BRT,” “LA’s Orange Line,” “Velo
Liberte,” and “Cycling Copenhagen.”

FRIDAY July 29 - A Convenient Truth
In this inspirational film, you'll learn why cities around the world look to Curitiba,
Brazil as the model for creative and enlightened urban planning. Over the
past 40 years, Curitiba has demonstrated how to transform problems into costeffective
solutions that can be applied in most cities around the world.

Fenwick and West, Silicon Valley Center
801 California Street
Mountain View, CA 94041
Fridays 7-9 PM starting July 8, 2011

The Mountain View Coalition for Sustainable Planning is a group of local volunteers dedicated to making Mountain View as beautiful, economically healthy, transit, bicycle and pedestrian accessible, and affordable as possible (www.mvcsp.org).

Films of Vision and Hope focuses on hopeful and positive solutions to environmental
problems affecting our world.

At 11:45 p.m. on Tuesday night, the Mountain View City Council unanimously approved redevelopment of 1/3 of San Antonio Center by Merlone Geier Partners.  It was a very long meeting mostly because Council was variously dubious about what was proposed, and wanted to resolve some of the more obtrusive issues still there after the most recent round of minor design changes agreed to by the developer.

Those Councilmembers who were concerned about less than 3% of 300+ new apartments being offered at below market rate rents were appeased by the suggestion that the BMR issue be settled at the time of the first occupancy certificate--rather than now, when the City has no enforceable BMR regulations. The developer dropped his demand for reductions in a park-in-lieu fee payment, following repeated comments on MGP's not owning the "green space" land and that it will not really be up to "park"

stancards. Following an outpouring of public input critizing the car-centricity of the project and problems that bikes and pedestrians would have getting into and around it, Council asked the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee to use their expertise in working with the developer to recommend some improvements.  The exact process was not defined at that point.  Members of the public and some on Council also pushed for bike lanes on San Antonio Road, and ultimately were assured that the project design would be required at least to allow for these.

The many unfinished stories invite continuing interest in the project by residents who spoke to the Council about their concerns, and were happy to hear them echoed by Councilmembers.  While Council ultimately voted for the project from a position of compromise, this followed several hours of vigorous discussion about the innate shortcomings of the project design and who will or won't benefit from it.