California
Santa Monica Nixes Mixed-Use Development in Favor of Suburban-Style Office Park
A hotly contested development in the coastal enclave of Santa Monica, CA—soon to be blessed with light rail access to the rest of the region—has produced less-than-ambitious results.
Two L.A. River Experts On Funding, Governance, and Gehry
Los Angeles made progress toward revitalizing the L.A. River when the preferred restoration plan won an important approval. But the project also saw a jump in price and a change in cost-share, leaving some wondering where the money will come from.
California Cap-And-Trade Surprise: Cash Flows Out-of-State to Reduce Emissions
California industries are buying offsets in lieu of purchasing carbon allowances or reducing carbon emissions, and most of the offsets are spent out-of-state, assisting the recipients economically as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
San Francisco Breaking Down Silos to Plan for Resilience
As San Francisco's Chief Resilience Officer, Patrick Otellini’s job is to beef up city defenses against crises—a broad mandate that has him tackling seismic safety and water security through capital planning, utilities, and housing affordability.
Next Steps for the City of Freeways
It is difficult to imagine a time when Los Angeles' freeways symbolized access, efficiency, and modernity. Now that the city's love affair with freeways is nearly spent, what future do we envision for them?
Escaping the Cycle of Inflated Housing Costs
In an insightful article, William Fulton unpacks the supply-demand cycle driving costs skyward in certain areas. To address the problem, new construction needs an unprecedented level of diversity.
Sacramento's Careful Approach to Legitimizing Airbnb
The battles in New York and San Francisco have cities like Sacramento preparing for the growth of the home-sharing economy.
Mapping (and Ranking) the Natural Amenities of U.S. Counties
Wonkblog illustrates the results of a "Natural Amenities Index" created by the federal government.
Density Bonuses Proposed in High-Demand San Francisco Neighborhoods
The San Francisco Planning Department is proposing new densities in certain neighborhoods in exchange for building new units for low- and middle-income residents.
Bay Area Leads the Nation in Reducing Solo Commuters
According to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey on commuting to work, one subregion in the Bay Area can claim accolades for having achieved the largest drop in solo-commuting from 2006, scoring the third lowest drive-alone rate in 2013.
Sacramento Reconsiders Ban on Artificial Turf
Brown lawns may be less aesthetically pleasing than synthetic lawns, but are they safer?
Bay Area Town: 44 Single-Family Homes on a Site Once Considered for 315 Apartments
Lafayette provides a case study of the San Francisco Bay Area housing market.
Condition on San Diego's New Airport Parking Lot: Make Sure People Don't Use It
A deal between the San Diego International Airport and the California Coastal Commission will pave the way for a 3,000-space parking garage—in the hopes that people don’t use it.
Small Starts Funding Cut Jeopardizes Critical SMART Train Extension
After a Senate committee slashed the Small Starts grant program, the new Marin-Sonoma "SMART" train may not be extended from San Rafael to the Larkspur ferry landing, a critical link enabling rail commuters to take the ferry to San Francisco.
Can California Cut Oil Use in Half by 2030?
A bill working its way through the California State Legislature would require the state to reduce petroleum its consumption by half in 15 years. CALmatters, a nonprofit journalism venture, seeks to find out if it is even possible.
How Cities Derive Their Identities
While visiting Paris, San Diego landscape architect David McCullough pondered his own new world city's identity and concluded, counter-intuitively, his city's (and all cities') identity is defined by its diversity.
The Protected Intersection for Bicycles Has Arrived
The city of Davis, California, a college town with extremely high commute mode share for bikes, made history last week as the first U.S. city to build a protected intersection for bikes.
New Auto Restrictions On San Francisco's Market Street Go Into Effect Today
Private autos will have restricted access to a congested stretch of downtown San Francisco's main drag, Market Street, beginning August 11, in an attempt to make the street safer for non-motorists.
California's Largest Dam Removal Underway in Monterey County
Even in an epic drought, the long-awaited commencement of the $83 million San Clemente Dam removal project is welcomed as the obsolete dam posed a safety threat to downstream communities and provided very little water due to tremendous silt build-up.
Is Los Angeles Ready for Mobility 2035?
The rhetoric is heating up as Los Angeles considers its most significant upgrade to transportation policy since 1999.
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
