California
More Improvements Coming for Octavia Boulevard in San Francisco
The street that benefitted by one of the most high-profile and successful freeway removals in the country is due for another makeover.
Study Examines the Importance of Planning by States and Nation-States
With so much focus on local planning in recent years, what opportunities are there for planning at the state and nation-state level? A new study by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy examines case studies from the United States and Europe.
Ambitious Energy-Efficiency Bill Moving Forward in California
A committee passed a bill written to meet Gov. Jerry Brown's 2030 environmental goals: Reduce oil consumption by 50 percent, require renewables to supply 50 percent of electricity generation, and double energy efficiency in existing buildings.
Businesses Want Vermont to Adopt Nation's First Carbon Tax
Vermont's legislature will take up the carbon tax proposal this week. The tax is construed as largely revenue neutral, i.e., offset by tax decreases and credits, and apply to heating and transportation fuels. Gov. Peter Shumlin has doubts.
Farewell to the Trusty Map Book
From the years roughly spanning the invention of the automobile to the invention of the smartphone, every driver in Los Angeles traveled with a Thomas Bros. map book. Those days are gone, but nostalgia for physical maps remains.
An Inside Perspective on Los Angeles' New Sustainable City Plan
Mark Gold, who helped craft Los Angeles' 20-year plan for water, energy, waste, resilience, and environmental justice, gives a breakdown of the document in light of the county's current failings.
Bike Share on San Francisco Peninsula in Jeopardy
Palo Alto may be one of America's most bike-friendly small cities, but when it comes to bikeshare, it's been a flop. It's not alone—ridership has been low in Mountain View and Redwood City as well.
Management, Not Technology, Will Solve California's Drought
It should come as no surprise that Eduardo Porter, who writes the Economic Scene column for The New York Times, is not enamoured by technological silver bullets like desalination as ways for California to survive it's four-year plus drought.
Los Angeles Releases Ambitious 'Sustainable City Plan'
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has ambitious plans to modernize the city. This week his administration laid out a sweeping sustainability agenda on matters of critical importance to the future of the nation's second largest city.
How to Get Los Angeles' Jewish Communities on the Bus
Jewish communities in Los Angeles, though well served by public transit, tend to shy away from buses and trains. It's a familiar trend that's due for a change.
New State Symbol of Arizona: The Disposable Plastic Bag?
The legislature passed a bill on April 2 that bans local governments from banning single-use plastic bags as well as other disposable containers under the premise that it's bad for the state economy, though only one city in the state has such a law.
Better Zoning Codes for Better Quality of Life
As Los Angeles continues the five-year process of re-writing its zoning code for clarity, one Zoning Advisory Committee member considers who should really care.
First 'Parking-Protected' Bike Lane Opens in Los Angeles
The parking-protected bike lane on Reseda Boulevard in the Northridge neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles opened to bicycles on April 2. Also, Detroit broke ground on its first protected bike lanes—with or without the parking protection.
Study: 8,000 Latinos Have Left the Mission Since 2000
A recent study by the Council of Community Housing Organizations and the Mission Economic Development Agency puts some hard numbers to the displacement forces weeping through a historically Latino neighborhood in San Francisco.
Bay Area Bike Share Poised to Grow from 700 to 7,000 Bikes
The regional system would expand to the the East Bay cities of Berkeley, Oakland and Emeryville. Bikes would be added in San Jose and San Francisco.
California Drought Makes History: Mandatory Restrictions, Record Low Snowpack
A wet December was all California got—but it wasn't nearly enough to put a dent in the state's drought. The problem, in fact, got much worse over the winter season.
Learning from London's Mobility Achievements
Transport for London has a remarkable span of jurisdiction over transportation in the city—allowing TFL to pursue innovative projects with a relative degree of ease.
Metro's Latest Light Rail Crash Sparks Rail Safety Debate
The March 28 crash on Metro's extensive light rail system shouldn't have happened. All the safety measures acted as they should have. Could more have been done to prevent the motorist's fateful turn across the tracks as a train approached?
A Primer on Parklets in San Francisco: Past, Present, Future
The San Francisco Chronicle's urban design critic, John King, knows his San Francisco parklets—from the first ones that started the nationwide urban movement five years ago, to the ones currently in the hopper at the city planning office.
Building Capacity in Underserved Urban Areas
Seeing projects through—whether affordable housing, public space, or infrastructure—for low-income populations in cities like Los Angeles requires grit and coalition-building.
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
