California

LA Oldest Palm Tree

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.

August 22, 2016 - American Economic Association

Tesla

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.

August 21, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

Hurricane Katrina

Planetizen Week in Review: August 20, 2016

Climate change dominated the news this week, as flooding wreaked unfathomable havoc on the state of Louisiana.

August 20, 2016 - Planetizen

Mars Panorama

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.

August 19, 2016 - Quartz

San Francisco

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.

August 19, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

Expo Line

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.

August 19, 2016 - Los Angeles Times

Trinity Lake

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.

August 17, 2016 - The San Jose Mercury News

Pop Up Plaza in Louisville

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.

August 17, 2016 - The Architect's Newspaper

Electric Cars

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.

August 16, 2016 - Digital Trends

Bike Lane

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.

August 15, 2016 - KPCC

Food

L.A. Restaurant Charges Based on Neighborhood Income

Meals at a Los Angeles restaurant will priced according to the income of the surrounding neighborhood.

August 15, 2016 - Los Angeles Times

In 2016, Legal Battle Lines Are Drawn in the Back Yard

The legal, and social, challenges to building more second units in Los Angeles.

August 14, 2016 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Nightime view of San Diego skyline

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.

August 11, 2016 - UrbDeZine

Brisbane, CA

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.

August 11, 2016 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Stockton Street

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.

August 11, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

Small Lot

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.

August 11, 2016 - The Eastsider LA

Traffic Cones

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.

August 10, 2016 - KQED

The Mission

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.

August 9, 2016 - Mission Local

Los Angeles

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.

August 9, 2016 - KPCC

Sacramento

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.

August 9, 2016 - The Sacramento Bee

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.