Ms. San Francisco Real Estate (Janice Lee)

Photo: Amy Osborne, Special To The Chronicle Robert Knigge was one of the first settlers in the city’s new urban frontier — the San Francisco Shipyard , a relatively affordable housing development going up on the site of the old Hunter’s Point Naval Shipyard. Knigge, who has lived in the city since 1992, was looking for a place where his 13-year-old daughter, who lives with him part time, “would be able to go outside and walk around, enjoy the area,” he said. “It’s almost like a suburban location but it’s in the city. I bought a golf cart, she drives me around the neighborhood in it.” The Shipyard is part of a big (by recent standards) condo-building boom in San Francisco. Citywide, there were 1,200 new units available in September, up 83 percent year over year, according to data from The Mark Co. Most of the new projects are single high-rise buildings in established areas, with units priced at $1,200 per square foot and up on average. The Shipyard, by comparison, is a collection of ...

When U.S. President Barack Obama spoke at the White House-hosted Frontiers Conference in Pittsburgh last week, he closed with a rather apt nod to Silicon Valley types. The President reminded the entrepreneurial tech enthusiasts in the room that government doesn’t work like a startup — on purpose. That’s because the government has to be accountable to everyone, with diverse needs and competing interests in tow. And that’s way more complicated than serving an app’s user base. Obama continued to push back against those inclined to “blow up the system, or create this parallel society and culture because government is inherently wrecked,” noting that the government isn’t broken, but rather that caring for everyone isn’t an easy task. It takes time and patience and a sense of responsibility to people who continue to depend on existing systems and can’t afford to change quickly. Here’s the relevant section of Obama’s speech: (as highlighted on Twitter by Kim-Mai Cutler and Drew Olanoff )...

As the world’s second-largest economy, China is at an important turning point. China’s leadership has pledged to put the economy on the right track and be less opaque about its currency moves. Economist Stephen Green and China affairs specialist Andrew Dougherty discuss: •  The outlook for China’s economy and why a soft landing is more likely •  The case against China pulling the trigger on big, one-time devaluation of its currency •  Whether China’s leadership can manage the political and social implications of deep structural reforms •  Pockets of strength in the Chinese economy during this transition to consumption-led growth What are your expectations for China’s economy this year and can a hard landing be avoided? Stephen: I expect China’s GDP to grow in the range of 3% to 4% this year (while the official figures show something above 6%). While China faces serious challenges, I think they can avoid a hard landing. The economy is going through a tough pe...