Randy Shaw

Randy Shaw is the Editor of Beyond Chron and the Director of San Francisco’s Tenderloin Housing Clinic, which publishes Beyond Chron. Shaw's new book is the revised and updated, The Tenderloin: Sex, Crime and Resistance in the Heart of San Francisco. His prior books include Generation Priced Out: Who Gets to Live in the New Urban America. The Activist's Handbook: Winning Social Change in the 21st Century, and Beyond the Fields: Cesar Chavez, the UFW and the Struggle for Justice in the 21st Century.

Articles by Randy Shaw

Is SF’s Tenderloin Bouncing Back?

Posted August 10, 2026 by Randy Shaw

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back. In January I wrote that 2026 was a Make or Break Year for the Tenderloin. The historic neighborhood was at a tipping point—it would either bounce back from the terrible Covid years or become Read More »

Mayor Lurie Unleashed Power in 2026: Why Does He Need More?

Posted August 3, 2026 by Randy Shaw

Voters Back Mayor Lurie’s “Comeback” The June 2026 elections delivered a political earthquake to San Francisco. Supposedly tight supervisor races in Districts 2 and 4 became landslide victories for Team Lurie-backed candidates. Two tax measures opposed by Mayor Lurie were Read More »

Will Voters Back Housing, Transit in November?

Posted August 3, 2026 by Randy Shaw

Four Critical Ballot Measures In November voters can address two of the Bay Area’s core challenges: affordable housing and public transit. Four ballot measures—one statewide, one for five Bay Area counties, and two for San Francisco—deserve voter support. Here’s our Read More »

Is SF’s Mission District Still Gentrified?

Posted July 27, 2026 by Randy Shaw

New Affordable Housing Reopens the Mission Since the late 1970’s a major San Francisco story line has been the Mission’s gentrification. It’s a classic case of the working and middle-class displaced by more affluent residents. Valencia Street’s upscale restaurants, new Read More »

Why the Environmental Movement Has Fallen Short

Posted July 27, 2026 by Randy Shaw

How Enviros Challenge American Values As the United States undergoes record heat waves, floods and other lethal weather events, the Trump Administration just spent $129 million to stop new solar and wind facilities. The nation’s president treats climate change as Read More »

RESET Center Hasn't Reduced 6th Street Drug Use

Drug-Free Housing: SF’s Best Public Safety Strategy

Posted July 20, 2026 by Randy Shaw

How SF Can Promote Recovery, Safe Streets. Of all the strategies San Francisco has used to reduce drug-filled sidewalks—- the $22 million Linkage Center, $13 million crisis clinic at 822 Geary, the $6-14.5 million for the RESET Center, and the Read More »

Patrick Kennedy: Building a More Inclusive Berkeley

Posted July 13, 2026 by Randy Shaw

Kennedy Re-imagined Berkeley’s Future. Berkeley’s most fabled housing came from such legends as Bernard Maybeck, Julia Morgan and Walter Ratcliff. But the builder who has done the most to change the city’s landscape since the 1990’s is Patrick Kennedy. Kennedy Read More »

New Book Highlights Veterans’ Fighting Back

Posted July 13, 2026 by Randy Shaw

A Powerful Account of Veterans’ Resistance Veterans are among the many constituencies harmed by the Trump Administration. Yet the negative impact of Trump policies on vets has not gotten enough attention. Trump’s team talks about helping vets while doing the Read More »