Los Angeles
L.A.'s New Planning Director Vince Bertoni Shares His Vision
The new director of the Los Angeles Department of City Planning arrives at a pivotal moment for planning in the city, as countywide investment in public transit is blowing up and the flames of old development debates are being fanned.
Mobile Apps Provide the Ultimate Guide to Los Angeles
Get this guide for 21 apps and services for enjoying the city of Los Angeles to its fullest, whether you're a resident or a visitor.

Slow Express Lanes Causes L.A. County Metro to Tinker With Toll Pricing
As more solo-commuters have moved into the express pay lanes designed to quickly move traffic on Los Angeles's congested freeway system, speeds have dropped and L.A. Metro officials are looking to pricing disincentives to speed things up again.
Los Angeles Passes Sweeping Homeless Plans—Funding Still Needed
The easy part for politicians at both the city and the county of Los Angeles is over. Funding their plans to improve services for the homeless will be the hard part.
Los Angeles' Contentious 'Neighborhood Integrity Initiative' Explained
The soul of planning in Los Angeles will be up for vote in the citywide election that will occur on the same day as the U.S. presidential election.

Los Angeles Transit Ridership on the Decline—Are Rail Investments Working?
Bad news for transit advocates in Los Angeles this week, as the Los Angeles Time reported data that makes the region's transit investments look like something less than money well spent.
Friday Funny: The Infinite New York to Los Angeles Feedback Loop
A satirical New Yorker article nails the perpetual debate between New York and Los Angeles.

The Go LA App Offers a One-Stop Shop for Transportation Choices
A public-private partnership between Xerox and the city of Los Angeles rolls out a new mobile trip-planning app to the public today. Now it's on the city's residents to use this new power wisely.
An Appreciation of the 'Edgy Outskirts'
Long abused by those who favor more urban settings, the suburbs of major metropolitan areas should receive more credit for their cultural capital, according to this article written for Zócalo Public Square.

What Will the 'Third Los Angeles' Look Like?
Architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne describes an L.A. in flux, at once beholden to its postwar image and pushing in a new direction. The city, he says, faces existential questions on a scale unmatched elsewhere in the nation.

Reading List: Walking in the City
Sometimes, city walks can mean more than just getting from place to place. Author and book critic David Ulin discusses his favorite accounts of that rich experience.

NIMBYs at Center of California's Housing Shortage
Sacramento Bee's political columnist, Dan Walters, writes that NIMBYs are among the main reasons for the state's chronic housing crisis, and one of their main tools is the California Environmental Quality Act, which must be reformed by politicians.

Targeting Another Gap in the System, L.A. Metro Looks to Expand Eastward
The potential 2.8 mile expansion of the Metro Green Line would connect light rail to the Norwalk MetroLink Station, opening up new transit options to users throughout the region.
As El Niño Arrives, Los Angeles Needs to Update its Stormwater System
"The hard lesson here is that infrastructure systems built to make cities resilient in one era may not serve them well at all in another era," writes Jon Christensen.
Change of Leadership for Los Angeles' Planning Department
Mayor Eric Garcetti has nominated Vince Bertoni to lead the Los Angeles Department of City Planning. Bertoni is currently the planning director of the city of Pasadena.

3 NFL Teams File Walking Papers
Three teams will attempt to leave town. Resolution of the contentious political situations could be coming very soon.

Clash Over Garden City Apartments in Los Angeles
The Wyvernwood Garden Apartments, a large-scale low-rise development opened in 1939, are at the center of a preservation debate. Lauren Walser gives us the case for keeping them.
Rail Extensions Receive Sizable FTA Grants in Omnibus Spending Bill
Sound Transit, L.A. Metro, and Santa Clara VTA received sizable funding in FTA's New Starts/Small Starts program for their light and heavy rail extensions, thanks to Congressional representatives who included them in the omnibus bill,.
Five Surprising Facts About L.A.'s Homeless and How to End Homelessness
Ever have questions about the homeless? Here's a fact filled outline you can use to dispel some common notions about the country's largest homeless population—and some solutions—by affordable housing adviser Michael P. Russell.

Los Angeles to Redesign Its 'Worst Public Space'
Josh Stephens reports on the Pershing Square Renew Design Challenge, an effort to redo one of the "world's worst squares and plazas." The new Pershing Square may hearken back to the years before its misguided 1992 redesign.
Pagination
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service