California
Cities and States Most Impacted by Early Deaths from Air Pollution
An MIT study finds 200,000 early deaths per year in U.S. are attributed to air pollution. The biggest source is vehicle tailpipes at 53,000. Most impacted state: California; most impacted city: Baltimore.
Is Los Angeles' Car Culture on a Collision Course with Economic Ruin?
Architect and planner Gerhard W. Mayer asserts that a city developed to accommodate cars is no place for paltry public transit offerings; Los Angeles needs major changes to its DNA if it wants to remain viable.
A New Idea To Save San Francisco Bay From Sea Level Rise
What do Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Intuit and many other tech companies in have in common? Their locations next o the San Francisco Bay could be underwater within 50 years as sea levels rise. The latest idea is a "Golden Gate Barrage".
What do you Get when you Cross "Car Share" with "Bike Share"?
Electric Bike Share! The new program is set to launch in famously hilly San Francisco and across the bay in Berkeley next spring. Unlike the region's bike share which just launched August 29, it will be administered by the non-profit City Car Share.
California Fracking Legislation Creates Odd Allies
Sacramento reporter John Myers suggests that if the oil industry and the Sierra Club both oppose a fracking bill - one for going too far; the other for not going far enough - then state Senator Fran Pavley's bill, "must be doing something right".
CEQA Legislative Reform Now Far From Certain
George Skelton, capitol journalist for the LA Times, argues for compromise on Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg's SB 731 that weaves a tight line between labor & environmentalists vowing to uphold CEQA and businesses demanding reform.
Updating the Book on Parking Reform
A Donald Shoup devotee offers new insight into the problems and solutions associated with parking in Los Angeles and other cities. Urban Planning professor Richard Willson says it'll cost you, but parking systems are going to get more efficient.
New Santa Monica Park a Victory for 'Farsighted Urban Planning'
While Tongva Park's design may not be as bold as what James Corner has demonstrated on other projects or initially envisioned here, we should celebrate its planning, execution, and political sophistication, says Christopher Hawthorne.
Proposed Basketball Arena Energizes Downtown Sacramento
Ever since a tentative deal for a new sports arena was struck between the City of Sacramento and new owners of the Sacramento Kings, real estate activity around the proposed downtown location has increased including deals for long empty storefronts.
Los Angeles Lifts Ban On Public Murals
By a 13-2 vote, the Los Angeles City Council lifted an unevenly applied decade-long ban on public murals on Wednesday, ending a dark period for a city that had long celebrated its social and cultural identity on public walls.
Attractive New Park Makes Angelenos Realize How Ugly Downtown Buildings Are
Since it opened last year, throngs of Angelenos have flocked to downtown's Grand Park. With those crowds now paying attention to the massive public buildings that form the park's boundaries, some are wondering if they need to be replaced.
'High-End' Berkeley Micro-Apartment Proposal Receives Chilly Reception
A five-story, 60 ft. building proposal in Berkeley, Calif. that would house 70 'high end' micro-apartments ranging from 307 to 344 sq. ft. was presented to the city's Zoning Adjustment Board, but commissioners and neighbors were not impressed.
What Happens to Planning in San Diego Now that Filner is Gone?
Reconstituting San Diego's Planning Department was one of Bob Filner's signature initiatives during his short time in office, and a centerpiece of his promise to 'put the city’s neighborhoods first'. Will his vision outlast his scandalous exit?
Bay Area Preps for Yet Another Transbay Closure
This time it's not BART that's closing down. In fact, BART will be running 24-hour service after the Bay Bridge shuts down Wednesday at 8 pm for five days in preparation for the opening of the long-awaited, new eastern span on September 3 at 5 am.
Micro-Apartments Fill Essential Need
Sarah Watson makes the case for micro-apartments, those controversial 250-350 sq. ft. units that neighbors often oppose but meet a critical need.
EPA Move to Monitor Roadway Air Pollution May Have Broad Planning Impacts
With evidence on the harmful health impacts of vehicle emissions increasing, the EPA will begin monitoring pollution levels adjacent to freeways in Los Angeles and more than 100 of America's biggest cities. Experts say the action is long overdue.
Yosemite Fire Threatens Bay Area's Power and Water Supplies
Over the weekend, a massive fire burning near Yosemite National Park continued to grow, prompting Governor Brown to declare a state of emergency for San Francisco County (more than 100 miles to the west) and altering the area's treasured landscape.
San Diego Mayor Finally Succumbs to Scandal
A mayoral tenure that began with so much promise (especially for planners) has ended in disgrace, only months after it began. After mounting pressure from those outside and within his own party, a defiant Bob Filner announced his resignation Friday.
LA Conservancy Makes Case for Landmarking City's Pioneering Modernist Homes
After nearly a decade of work, the Los Angeles Conservancy's Modern Committee has succeeded in getting 10 of the homes built under the aegis of Arts & Architecture magazine's Case Study House program onto the National Register of Historic Places.
The Real Jurassic Park: Why a Highway Widening Project Hasn't Been Entirely Bad for L.A.
The highway widening project that's slowed traffic along the already slothful 405 freeway for the past four years, and brought us the revelatory event known as "Carmageddon", hasn't been all bad news. It offers a glimpse of the city's oldest rocks.
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
