California

Scott Pruitt

California Is 'Recruiting' U.S. EPA Employees

Under the Trump Administration, federal employees dedicated to causes like climate change mitigation face uncertain prospects. They could turn to accommodating state governments.

March 28, 2017 - High Country News

Punk

Explosive Subculture: Cities and the Punk Movement

From London to Los Angeles, the punk movement was always an urban phenomenon. But punks needed to fight hard for a place in the cities they called home.

March 28, 2017 - The Guardian

Methane

California Approves Nation's Toughest Methane Emissions Rule

While Congress is attempting to roll back a federal regulation on methane emissions, the California Air Resources Board approved a landmark rule that regulates methane emissions from onshore and offshore oil and gas production and storage facilities.

March 27, 2017 - San Francisco Chronicle

Metro Subway

64 New Subway Cars Arriving in Los Angeles by 2021

To replace its existing, Italian-manufactured subway rolling stock, Los Angeles County Metro is turning to China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC).

March 27, 2017 - The Source

Carpool Lane Sticker

Vehicle Emission Standards Showdown Looming Between California and U.S. EPA

A legal battle is looming between the nation's two most powerful environmental regulators after the California Air Resources Board on Friday defied President Trump by approving vehicle fuel efficiency standards that Trump has promised to ease.

March 27, 2017 - The New York Times

Risk Reduction

'Supervised Injection Facilities'—Successful in Canada, Coming to the U.S.

Needle exchanges are still controversial in some parts of the country, so expect "supervised injection facilities" to be even more so.

March 27, 2017 - Governing

BART

Today: BART Goes Farther South Than Ever Before

As it has promised for years, Bay Area Rapid Transit today opens the Warm Springs/South Fremont extension of the regional rail transit system. The first train departs at the station at 5:48 am, and the first train arrives at 7:04 am.

March 25, 2017 - San Francisco Chronicle

Lyft

Can Rideshare Catch On Where It's Easy to Drive?

In medium-sized cities and suburban areas, it's simply easier to drive your own car in most cases. But shared rides might still have a chance to catch on.

March 24, 2017 - Mobility Lab

Wind Turbines

Surprising Trump Effect: Many States Seek to Ramp-Up Renewable Energy Mandates

As President Trump rolls back climate and energy regulations, many states are attempting to require utilities to get more power from renewable sources. Also, fewer states are attempting to reduce or eliminate renewable energy requirements.

March 24, 2017 - E&E News [Subscription]

Carpool Lane

California's Newest Express Lanes Opened Monday in Riverside County

Two new express lanes in each direction of the 91 Freeway in Corona dubbed the Corona Crawl opened for traffic on March 20. The lanes connect to the 91 Express Lanes in Orange County, providing 18 miles for carpoolers or those willing to pay a toll.

March 22, 2017 - ABC7 Eyewitness News

Autonomous Vehicle

Artist Creates 'Trap' For Self-Driving Cars

As an act of resistance, artist James Bridle used salt to draw a set of lines on a road that would, in theory, hold an autonomous vehicle in place.

March 22, 2017 - Vice Creators

Palm Springs

Billboards Covered With Photos of the Beautiful Vistas They're Blocking

Jennifer Bolande has created a series of billboards that perfectly line up with the mountain views they block on a highway in Palm Springs, California.

March 22, 2017 - Twisted Sifter

Only a Year Old, Bay Area's Newest Express Lanes Rated a Success

A report produced by the county authority that built and operates the I-580 Express Lanes in the Bay Area declares them a success. Operating speeds are faster and congestion is reduced. About 11 percent of the freeway traffic uses the toll lanes.

March 21, 2017 - SF Gate

Homelessness

Homelessness Declining in Santa Barbara

In contrast to other California cities, seaside Santa Barbara is successfully reducing its homeless population. Local advocates cite a tight-knit network of service providers.

March 21, 2017 - Pacific Standard

Salton Sea

California's Plan to Save the Salton Sea

The Salton Sea is drying up, and California is poised to spend $383 million to keep that from happening. At stake are Colorado River water negotiations between California, Arizona, and Nevada.

March 20, 2017 - The Desert Sun

Airbnb

Airbnb Boosts Outreach to Landlords

What drivers are to rideshare companies, landlords are to Airbnb. In response to complaints, the company is upping outreach to its hosts.

March 18, 2017 - The Mercury News

University of California

Homeless People and Expensive Housing Cause an Identity Crisis in Berkeley

The city of Berkeley is suffering the consequences of the urban revival—soaring housing costs and humanitarian crises don't reconcile with the city's famously progressive politics.

March 15, 2017 - The Guardian

Bart

BART's Six-Month Transit Incentive Experiment Reports Mixed Success

The BART Perks pilot program was the first transit incentive program in the country.

March 15, 2017 - CityLab

Feather River

Oroville Dam Repair Costs Still a Confusing Secret

The Mercury News issues a pointed critique of the public relations efforts at the California Department of Water Resources in the shadow of this winter’s Oroville Dam crisis.

March 14, 2017 - The Mercury News

Streetcar

San Francisco's Plans for Market and Van Ness Reach a Crossroads

San Francisco Chronicle urban design critic John King reveals more than one layer of planning significance from a project proposed near one of the city's most prominent, but underutilized, intersections.

March 14, 2017 - The San Francisco Chronicle

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.