California

Study Examines the Effect of 'Holdouts' on the Development Patterns of Los Angeles
After building an argument that land assembly is key to reinventing cities for a new era, a new study identifies the impact of the landowners standing in the way of that progress.

How Tesla Is Killing California's Electric Car Market
Sometimes market-based systems don't work as intended. This appears to be the case with the California Air Resources Board's program of awarding credits to zero emission and near zero emission vehicles. Tesla's success is bad for the market.

Planetizen Week in Review: August 20, 2016
Climate change dominated the news this week, as flooding wreaked unfathomable havoc on the state of Louisiana.

How Do We Plan For Cities on Mars?
Planning for the first human occupied martian cities is taking its next big step with three 3D-printed test colonies planned to be erected in the Mojave Desert.

HUD Rejects San Francisco's 'Neighborhood Preference' Plan
The federal government has decided that a policy recently approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors would have the exact opposite effect of its intentions.

Big Payoff for Transit from California Cap-and-Trade Program
The future of cap-and-trade in California may be uncertain, but the $391 million allocated Tuesday from the program for greenhouse gas-reducing transit capital projects is real. A plan to release $1.2 billion of carbon revenue has been introduced.

California's Water Districts Opting Out of Voluntary Conservation
Checking in with the level of participation from California water districts in efforts to conserve water a few months removed from an average rain year once predicted to deliver El Niño-sized excess.

Six U.S. Cities to Workshop the Methodologies of Tactical Urbanism
Funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, a recently announced series of tactical urbanism workshops will take place in six U.S. cities.

Legislation Will Increase Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate in California
With comprehensive legislation to enable California to continue its powerful agenda of tackling climate change in peril, a Southern California assemblywoman will introduce legislation to tackle the specific issue of sales of electric vehicles.

Conventional Bike Lanes Left These Cities Wanting More
A case is made in the Orange County, California, city of Garden Grove for protected bike lanes. And a new protected bike lane opens in Southern California's bike infrastructure capital, Long Beach.

L.A. Restaurant Charges Based on Neighborhood Income
Meals at a Los Angeles restaurant will priced according to the income of the surrounding neighborhood.
In 2016, Legal Battle Lines Are Drawn in the Back Yard
The legal, and social, challenges to building more second units in Los Angeles.

A Peek at the Future Downtown San Diego Without a New Charger Stadium
With two November ballot initiatives proposing to rezone a large part of downtown San Diego for a combined NFL stadium and convention facility, the community and a team of architects worked furiously to complete a more urban vision for the site.

Opposition to Bay Area Housing Exposed
A 660-acre Bay Area brownfield served by commuter and light rail is the latest battleground between suburban communities intent on preserving open space and quality of life and meeting the Bay Area's unmet housing demand.

Opposition to Pedestrian-Only Street Proposal Surfaces in San Francisco
The same political force that helped bring the Central Subway in San Francisco is now opposing a proposal that grew in the project's wake—turning Stockton Street into a permanent pedestrian space.

Changes to Los Angeles' Small Lot Ordinance on the Way
Responding to criticism from neighborhoods faced with new small lot developments, the city of Los Angeles in considering changes to its Small Lot Subdivision Ordinance.

Traffic Safety Advocates Taking Action Into Their Own Hands
The San Francisco Transformation Agency is tired of watching cyclists and pedestrians die while the city promises more Vision Zero improvements.

Supervisor Calls for Halt to Construction in San Francisco's Mission District
The ghosts of the Mission Moratorium have returned to San Francisco, after a local supervisor has called for a halt to three projects while the city crafts legislation to regulate development in the neighborhood.

Will California's Road Charge Fix California's Transportation Funding Shortfall?
California began the Road Charge Pilot Program on July 1 to see how participants would respond to being charged by the mile driven rather than by gallons of fuel consumed. Participants may now have received their first 'mock' invoices.

A New Plan for Trees in the 'City of Trees'
The city of Sacramento, California, known as the City of Trees, is nearing the finish line on a heavily debated ordinance to create new regulations for the management of trees.
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