I cant say much about SF, since I'm rarely there, but in the South Bay there has been a ton of construction going on. Near where I live in Sunnyvale, there has

I cant say much about SF, since I'm rarely there, but in the South Bay there has been a ton of construction going on. Near where I live in Sunnyvale, there has been a dramatic amount within the past few years. 1 and 2 story buildings have been getting replaced with 4 or 5 story ones, and much of construction is near the rail corridor, major highways, or El Camino (a major non highway road). Not all of the Bay Area is stuck with regressive development regulation. Caltrain electrification (supposed to be completed in 2020, which is probably realistic now that funding is finally in place), BART expansion (ongoing, not sure final completion date), and other various transportation improvements like bus rapid transit will all also help improve the region.