California

Why Is Actor Mario Lopez Promoting a Stadium Next to an Historic Barrio in San Diego?
In San Diego, a battle is taking place between residents of historic Barrio Logan and proponents of an NFL stadium which threatens it. Actor Mario Lopez has been hired to sell the stadium proposal.
One of the Most Important Energy Measure on the Ballot on Tuesday
While billed as an "anti-fracking initiative," Measure Z in Monterey County, the 4th-largest oil-producing county in California, does far more. It bans new oil drilling and requires the cleaning of wastewater from current drilling operations.

Sunday Fun: The Mountain Lions of Los Angeles Get Their Own Social Media Presence
The National Park Service has launched the Puma Profiles, making it easier to explore the lives of the city's largest collection of feral residents.

Santa Monica Ordinance Would Require Net-Zero Energy Standards for New Homes
Santa Monica is the first city in California to adopt an ordinance requiring new single-family homes be built to net-zero energy standards.

New California Law Empowers Local Governments to Plan for Climate Adaptation
State Senator Bob Wieckowski is working to help communities get the necessary tools to increase capacity for climate resilience.

Friday Eye Candy: Take a Tour of a Digital San Francisco
A modded version of Cities: Skylines and 200-250 hours are all it takes to make a 1:1 digital representation of the city of San Francisco.

A Plan to Revolutionize Biking in Berkeley
The city of Berkeley, California released its new Bicycle Plan in October. The plan includes a cycletrack network that would look right at home in Denmark.

When City Planning Fails: Taking a Single Hotel Development to the Ballot
What Happens When A Beverly Hills Developer Decides A Ballot Initiative Is Easier than the Planning Process?

Pittsburgh's Lessons for Los Angeles and Beyond: Reinvest in Planning
The rules are changing, Tom Murphy says, and cities need to change, too.

Oakland's Plan for Social, Economic, and Environmental Resiliency
Income inequality, housing affordability, and systemic racism join sea-level rise as key issues in Oakland's vision for urban resilience.

What Happened to all those Desalination Plants Proposed for California?
Less than a decade ago, "desal" proposals in California numbered over 22, but only one major one was built—in Carlsbad, serving the San Diego region. A newly released study by the Pacific Institute explains why.

How California Scientists Deploy Technology to Track Climate Change Effects
Scientists are racing to identify the effects of climate change on the environment of California.

How Los Angeles Redefined Mobility as a Service
Los Angeles Department of Transportation General Manager Seleta Reynolds discusses her vision for urban mobility and the growing role of city leadership.
San Jose Plots a Major Street Overhaul
Chynoweth Avenue in San Jose, California is notorious for speeding, illegal dumping, and prostitution. The city's remedy includes a fairly comprehensive reconfiguration of the street and its infrastructure.

U.S. Gasoline Consumption Jumps Three Percent in First Six Months of 2016
Gasoline consumption continued to increase for the first six months of the year, as it has for the last years, reports the Federal Highway Administration. What's different this year is that it was by the largest amount, ever.

U.S. District Court Judge Approves $14.7 Billion Settlement in VW Emissions Scandal
The record deal between Volkswagen, the federal government, California, and consumers directs $5 billion to states to mitigate air pollution. The remainder will be used to compensate consumers who purchased the tampered diesel cars.

Los Angeles Planners Have Had It Up to Here With Parking Podiums
Above-grade parking garages, also called parking podiums, have become a standard typology across Los Angeles. From Koreatown to Downtown, new residential buildings are separated from the street by several floors of space devoted to parking.
Study: Local Roads in California 'At Risk' Due to Lack of Funding
A coalition of local governmental agencies and advocates released their 2016 report on the condition of local streets and roads in California, and they found dire underinvestment. The legislature has yet to convene a special session on funding.

Behind the Popularity of Transportation Tax Increases
Transportation ballot measures are popular this November: over 70 populate ballots across the country. In California and elsewhere, they supplement declining federal and state funds for local infrastructure.

The Critical Role of Down-Ballot Races in State Transportation Funding
The overwhelming majority of states that increased gas taxes last year were Republican-controlled. In states where the legislature is split, it's more difficult to approve transportation funding legislation. Down-ballot races may prove decisive.
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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