California
Local Revenue Funding More Bay Area Road Maintenance
The greater Bay Area is enjoying a substantial increase in road maintenance funding from local measures, like bonds, city and county sales taxes, and development fees, part of a growing trend in compensating for a shortage of state gas tax funds.
Private Planning Effort Spearheads Los Angeles River Bike Path Proposal
Looking for a way to connect the separate pieces of the bike path along the Los Angeles River, a local developer took planning and designing a new path into his own hands.
California Committee to Consider Road User Charge
Gov. Jerry Brown has an environmental goal that conflicts with an infrastructure goal: reducing oil consumption and raising funds to pay for deferred road needs. The solution may be the Road User Charge, which lies in the hands of a new committee.
How California's Cap-and-Trade Will Fund Affordable Housing
The innovative revenue stream known as California's cap-and-trade program is ready to take action by funding affordable housing projects.
An Interactive Map of California's Urban Water Use
California has commenced new water use reporting requirements, which the Pacific Institute has compiled into an interactive map and database to provide accessible evidence about where the state's water goes.
Urban Millennials Stuck in the Three Largest U.S. Metros
For a variety of economic reasons in addition to urban preferences, young people are not leaving the country's three major metropolitan areas: New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, and that's not good for the nation's economy nor the individuals.
New 'Infrastructure Financing District' Proposed for Los Angeles River Improvements
Los Angeles officials are hoping to create an "Infrastructure Financing District" (i.e., tax increment financing) to help finance ambitious goals for revitalizing and restoring the Los Angeles River.
California's Parking 'Cash-Out' Program Scrutinized
California's 23-year-old "parking cash-out" program has been less than effective
Lots of Work Left for San Francisco's Affordable Housing Goals
San Francisco's State of the City address provided an opportunity to check in on the progress of the affordable housing agenda of San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee.
'Showers on Wheels' and Other Design Interventions to Help the Homeless
Recent years have produced no dearth of design interventions to improve quality of life for wealthy urban dwellers, but some recent efforts in San Francisco are targeted to help the city's homeless population.
Architecture for Humanity Closes—Cites Lack of Funding
A sad day for the mission of using design to benefit the most vulnerable among us, Architecture for Humanity closed its doors earlier this month.
Debunking Myths about NFL Stadium Construction
Political leaders in San Diego have spent years characterizing the city's NFL team as a regional asset, requiring a new stadium to keep in place. A column debunks some of the logic behind how and why behind some of that reasoning.
California High-Speed Rail's Second Construction Contract: $1.36 Billion
A week after the groundbreaking ceremony for California's beleaguered high speed rail project, a second construction contract has been awarded. The rail authority will now build 29 miles north and 65 miles south of Fresno to the Kern County line.
New Methane Emission Regulations Aim for 45 Percent Reduction by 2025
President Barack Obama hopes to add to his "climate legacy" by having the EPA adopt the nation's first regulations to reduce methane emissions, the second most prevalent greenhouse gas emission after carbon dioxide, but far more powerful.
Pitching a Pop-Up Beer Garden for the Giants' Waterfront Ballpark
The San Francisco Giants are proposing a clever scheme to activate the space in one of its ballpark adjacent parking lots. The Yard, as it's called, could be ready by Spring Training.
7 Ideas for Boosting Community Resilience
Resilient communities build on local strengths to anticipate change, reduce the impact of major events, and come back from a blow stronger than ever. Here are seven ideas from cities and towns working to boost local resilience.
Los Angeles Lacks Plan to Address Affordable Housing
The Los Angeles media has recently turned their attention to housing, in a city ranked by some measures as the least affordable market in the country.
Palo Alto Electeds Oppose Dedicated Lanes for El Camino BRT
As the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) considers the environmental analysis for a proposed bus rapid transit lane in Palo Alto, local officials are opposing the version of the plan that would remove parking for a dedicated bus lane.
Three States Hope to Take Advantage of Low Gas Prices to Boost Gas Taxes
A movement at the state and federal levels would take advantage of low oil prices to boost gas taxes to pay for infrastructure. Michigan, Iowa, and Utah proposals, and a change to the federal Corker-Murphy plan, are described below.
How To: Design a User-Friendly Museum Exhibition about Planning
John King writes that the "Gallery + Ideas Forum" at the Presidio in San Francisco provides an excellent model for presenting issues and ideas of planning and urban design to the public.
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
