California
Los Angeles Adopts 'Linkage Fee' for Affordable Housing Funding
Los Angeles is the latest city to adopt a "linkage fee" that charges new development to generate funding for affordable housing, joining cities like Seattle, Chicago, and San Jose.
Anti-Homeless Robot Raises Eyebrows in San Francisco
File under 'high-tech urban dystopia.”
Public is Receptive to Plans for Express Lanes on Hwy 101 in Bay Area
Caltrans hopes to build two 14-mile high-occupancy toll lanes on Hwy 101 in San Mateo County, one of the region's most congested corridors that lacks carpool lanes. The $534 million project would begin construction in 2019.
Long Beach Urban Farming Initiative Targets Vacant Lots
A California policy lets cities offer tax incentives to landowners who put vacant lots to use as urban farms or gardens. Long Beach is the latest comer, but the uptake has been sluggish elsewhere.
5G Broadband Coming in 2018, Says Verizon
The telecommunications company will debut the next-generation technology in three to five cities next year, including Sacramento.
California to Explore Next Steps in Converting From Gas Tax to Road Charge
A summary report of California's 9-month pilot program to test the use of a mileage charge to replace the gas tax to fund road infrastructure has been released. Next steps include exploring available technology to implement the road charge.
Mountain View Goes Big on Google Expansion, Approves 10,000 Housing Units
Could the approval of a massive redevelopment plan for Google property in the city of Mountain View pave the way for a new development-friendly approach to planning in the Silicon Valley and the greater Bay Area?
Santa Monica Wants to Stop Importing Water by 2020
This is a story about green building practices, conservation, and rainwater capture—not desalinization.
Tiny Home Village Approved for Homeless in San Jose
Now San Jose's tiny home village pilot project, meant to create 40 units of "sleeping cabins for homeless individuals, needs to find a neighborhood to call home.
Bay Area Express Lanes Turn a Profit
Not all of them, just the I-580 lanes. One of the reasons is that most users are actually paying, unlike the other two express lanes where a majority of users are clean-air vehicles or carpools, neither of which pay.
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee Dies Suddenly at 65
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee passed away of a heart attack early this morning. He was 65.
Real Estate Industry Wants to Expand Prop. 13 Property Tax Breaks
A proposed ballot initiative in California would extend the property tax limits offered by Proposition 13 as a lifetime benefit to homeowners over age 55 or severely disabled—even if they move to a new home in another part of the state.
BART Goes Renewable
The Board of Directors approved a path to 90 percent renewable energy.
Can We Know Which Homes in California Will Burn?
As the state's worst wildfire season ever refuses to end, an analyst from UCLA considers how land use and building codes determine the location and extent of the damage.
Complying With New State Laws on ADUs No Easy Matter
Santa Rosa is struggling to complying with two laws passed last year to encourage construction of inlaw units to increase affordable housing. Council members are concerned that loosened restrictions would degrade neighborhood character.
Sunday Fun: Watch the Path of the Tunnel Boring Machine Below Downtown Los Angeles
Like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but for a tunnel boring machine.
Powerful Political Voices Call for Another Bay Area Bridge
U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein is leading calls for the so-called Southern Crossing—a bridge that would connect San Francisco and the East Bay somewhere south of the Bay Bridge.
The Artist Hubs of America
Data analysis reveals which cities have the most working artists.
Hepatitis A Outbreak Spurring Cities to New Actions on Homelessness
A series of articles from around the Internet in recent weeks highlights the need for more services and support for the homeless. The location of this story is set in California, but all communities should heed these warnings.
New California Housing Laws Not Well Received Locally
City council members of Burlingame, a small, affluent suburb south of San Francisco, are not happy with new laws that take away their discretion to reject developments that fail to meet "neighborhood character" criteria, but meet zoning requirements.
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
