Los Angeles

Sprawl

Opinion: L.A. Needs to End Land Use Policies That Block Housing Construction

Mark Vallianatos argues Los Angeles is still contending with the legacy 1920 era land use restrictions built on racist, exclusionary zoning policies, the remnants of which aren't worth saving.

April 19, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Security cameras on a building

How Surveillance in Cities is Evolving

Across the globe, smart cities are increasingly procuring and implementing information technology in order to improve the efficiency and sustainability of urban spaces. The former CTO of L.A. and the mayor of Beverly Hills weigh in on the subject.

April 13, 2018 - The Planning Report

Transit Ridership

Transit Ridership Should Worry Americans More

Ridership declines mean falling revenues for transit agencies, and could be the beginning of a cycle of service cuts and fare increases leading to yet more ridership declines.

April 3, 2018 - The Washington Post

Homeless

Protests Push O.C. to Kill Its First Real Plan to Help the Homeless

The affluent county finally authorized a concrete plan to address a housing crisis, but forceful opposition from residents put them 'back to Square One.'

March 29, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Homeless

L.A. Metro’s Homeless Outreach Teams Report Back

The transit agency's year-long experiment with homeless services has placed 19 people in permanent housing and spurred hopes of expanding the program.

March 28, 2018 - KPCC

Downtown Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Conservancy at 40: Looking Back and Ahead

The Los Angeles Conservancy turned 40 on March 20. As it marks four decades of preserving historic places throughout L.A. County, the organization considers the next 40 years of preservation in L.A.

March 24, 2018 - Los Angeles Conservancy blog

Critiquing SB 827 as a 'Wall Street In My Backyard' Bill

In response to Sen. Scott Wiener's SB 827, former Los Angeles County Supervisor and former City Councilmember Zev Yaroslavsky provides his opinions on the unintended consequences of the bill on Southern California's landscape.

March 20, 2018 - The Planning Report

Los Angeles Grand Park

From Architecture Critic to 'Chief Design Officer'

Christopher Hawthorne, the Los Angeles Time architecture critic whose broad role at the paper included much needed focus on streets and the public realm, has announced that he will be joining the staff at City Hall.

March 12, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Metro Gold LIne

L.A.'s Mayor Garcetti Sides With Single-Family Housing Near Transit

Politicians are taking positions on a controversial California housing bill to densify by transit. Even after amendments were accepted on March 1 in response to concerns about displacement and demolitions, the mayor of Los Angeles remains opposed.

March 9, 2018 - The Architect's Newspaper

Los Angeles Earthquake

Los Angeles Resiliency Strategy Looks Beyond 'The Big One'

Renewable energy, sea-level rise, and, of course, seismic safety are all part of the plan.

March 8, 2018 - Next City

Oil Pump in Los Angeles

Study: L.A. County's Urban Oil Wells Are Too Close to Homes and Schools

The Department of Public Health recommends taking action to better protect residents from oil operations that are sometimes only a few feet from where people live, work, eat, play and study.

March 7, 2018 - KPCC

Los Angeles

Op-Ed: Transit-Oriented Development Must Protect Tenants

It's time for planners to contend with displacement by transit investment, writes Tracy Jeanne Rosenthal.

March 6, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Kayaking in the LA River

The Need for an Equitable L.A. River Revitalization

Jon Christensen urges Los Angeles to ensure that new park amenities serve, rather than displace, the river's low-income communities.

March 2, 2018 - CityLab

1984 Olympics

Los Angeles Investing in a Transit-Oriented Olympics

Ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games, Los Angeles is rallying around infrastructure buildout and technological advancement.

March 1, 2018 - The Planning Report

Los Angeles City Hall

L.A. Developer Caught Making Illegal Campaign Donations

Developer Samuel Leung is facing shocking counts of conspiracy, money laundering, and bribery.

February 27, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Wine Country Fires

Lessons on Resilience and Recovery from 2017's Worst Disasters

Dissecting successful disaster response in places like Houston and Mexico City could help California prepare for the inevitable.

February 27, 2018 - The Planning Report

Interstate Highway

A Traffic Solution 'Straight Out of the 1950s'

That's how the Los Angeles Times editorial board characterized the $6 billion plan by Los Angeles Metro to widen the 710 freeway. "A waste of money," they assert. Key to the solution is how to deal with goods movement from the seaport complex.

February 26, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Long Beach to Los Angeles

Metro's Busy Blue Line Connection Between L.A., Long Beach to Close for Eight Months

One of the most heavily used rail lines in the country, the Metro Blue Line in Los Angeles County, will be closed for eight months in 2019.

February 22, 2018 - Long Beach Press Telegram

Sunset

San Francisco's Outer Neighborhoods Fear Change from Housing Bill

Legislation from a former supervisor could transform much of San Francisco, particularly the outer-neighborhoods, by increasing heights and density along transit corridors. Opposition is growing.

February 22, 2018 - San Francisco Examiner

Transit Oriented Development

Two Transit Agencies Using Their Clout to Spur Affordable Housing

More transit agencies are recognizing that it's not enough to build transit infrastructure if the people who really need it don't live close enough to use it.

February 20, 2018 - TransitCenter

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.