California

Union Station

Southern California's Metrolink Defies Declining Ridership Trends

Primarily serving commuters in the Greater Los Angeles metro area, Metrolink just attained the highest annual ridership in its 27-year existence. Officials chalk up the increase to a significant investment in marketing.

August 22, 2019 - Urbanize LA

San Francisco Houses

Op-Ed: Only Half of San Francisco is Changing

Using a mid 20th-century painting as his point of reference, Benjamin Schneider points out that the vast, disruptive changes we often associate with San Francisco are only affecting the city's eastern side.

August 22, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

Oakland California

As Housing Units Multiply, Local Businesses Struggle to Hang On in Downtown Oakland

The city of Oakland, across the bay from San Francisco, is the rare California city quickly adding housing units to the urban core. Local businesses are struggling to hang on as construction changes the fabric of the neighborhood.

August 20, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

110 Freeway

Good and Bad News in California's Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory

Overall greenhouse gas emissions in California dropped 1% in 2017, according to the inventory by the California Air Resources Board, which includes a 9% drop in emissions from electricity generation and a 1% increase in transportation emissions.

August 20, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

SFO Departures

Oil and Water: Ride-Hailing and Airport Traffic

It's not your imagination. Surface traffic at airports is worse than ever, according to this article, because of ride-hailing companies.

August 20, 2019 - The New York Times

San Francisco Bike Lane

Scooter 'Redlining' Raises Questions in San Francisco

San Francisco hoped a competitive permitting process would ensure considerations of equity in the operations of scooters in the city. The results haven't lived up to expectations.

August 19, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Emoji Neighborhood

A New Kind of Planning Controversy: the Emoji House

A complaint about an illegal Airbnb, a very visual response, and a headache for city officials in the city of Manhattan Beach, California.

August 18, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Malibu

Protecting the Pacific Ocean

Mark Gold discusses his new role at the Ocean Protection Council and addressing the challenges facing the California’s marine resources.

August 17, 2019 - The Planning Report

People on Bikes

Beach Cruisers: The Gateway Bike

There's still time for a leisurely bike ride alongside a large body of water. You might enjoy it, even if you've never thought of yourself as a bike person.

August 16, 2019 - CityLab

Central Valley

Volunteers Work to Reclaim an City's Watershed From Trash and Abuse

The Tuolumne River originates in the pristine environment of Yosemite National Park, but eventually some of the water makes its way into the Central Valley and the city of Modesto, where conditions are far less natural.

August 16, 2019 - The Modesto Bee

Transbay Transit Center

Cracked Beams Repaired, Commuters Return to San Francisco's Transbay Terminal

After a ten-month closure necessary after inspectors found cracked beams in the Transbay transit terminal mere weeks after opening, regular bus operations finally returned to the $2.2 billion facility earlier this week.

August 16, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

American Planning Association 2015

A Retiring Dean Considers the Changing Responsibilities of Planners

Former L.A. City Councilmember and retiring Cal Poly College of Environmental Design Dean Michael Woo reminds readers of the visionary responsibilities of elected officials to ensure the plans of today indeed consider the needs of tomorrow.

August 16, 2019 - The Planning Report

Oakland

Gentrification and Race in the San Francisco Bay Area

A feature article revisits the gentrification and displacement discussion, especially as it pertains to racial and economic demographics, in one of the nation's most troubled and challenging housing markets.

August 14, 2019 - The Mercury News

Sacramento Regional Transit

Obsolete Bus-Stop Sign or Treasured Memorabilia?

Sacramento Regional Transit is overhauling its bus system in September, so they old signs for stops will have to go. Instead of scrapping the old signs, the agency is giving them away for collectors' items.

August 14, 2019 - The Sacramento Bee

Foothill Gold Line Light Rail Extension

Light Rail to Be Extended East of Los Angeles Again

The longest rail line in the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority system will be extended again, and could eventually cross county lines.

August 13, 2019 - Daily Bulletin

Oakland skyline and San Francisco Bay

Battle of the Bay: Oakland Ahead of San Francisco in Housing Construction

Call it a role reversal: Oakland is building far more apartments and housing units than San Francisco—a reversal of the history of development in the Bay Area.

August 13, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

Los Angeles County Sprawl

Los Angeles County Sets 2050 Carbon Neutrality Target

Land use and transportation planning will play key roles in an effort by Los Angeles County to achieve carbon neutrality in 30 years.

August 12, 2019 - Smart Cities Dive

Los Angeles STreet

Level of Service Canceled in Los Angeles

The Los Angeles City Council voted to officially end the use of Level of Service in measuring environmental impact in favor of a more people-friendly measure: vehicle miles traveled.

August 12, 2019 - Streetsblog Los Angeles

Housing Construction

Report: Impact Fees Add 18 Percent to the Cost of Housing in California

Development impact fees in California triple the national average. A bill in the State Legislature would reform the state's development fees, as one measure in an effort to build more housing in the state.

August 11, 2019 - The Mercury News

Bio Gas Installation Cows

Renewable Natural Gas Makes Inroads in California, Oregon, and Missouri

What is expected to be the nation's largest dairy biogas operation opened in the Central Valley. To the north, Gov. Kate Brown signed the nation's first bill to establish goals to add renewable gas to pipelines, and pigs in Missouri also made news.

August 10, 2019 - NGT News

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.