California

In SF, Does Lack of Big Names Mean Lack of Good Design?

Alexei Barrionuevo explores San Francisco's starchitect deficit, finding a city "more interested in conserving its [history] than in making a statement." This approach comes in for criticism from the dean of starchitects himself - Frank Gehry.

November 19, 2012 - The New York Times

CA HSR Passes Crucial Court Test In Central Valley

Writing from Madera in the Central Valley, the Mercury News transportation reporter explores the local opposition to the largest public works project in the nation. Farmers wanted an injunction placed on the CA High Speed Rail Authority to halt work.

November 17, 2012 - San Jose Mercury News

Historic U.S. Postal Buildings Threatened with Sale and Demolition

The U.S. Postal Service is selling 78 post office buildings, including the National Register listed Berkeley California Post Office building. 4,400 nationwide may be sold with many demolished. What can you do to save your favorite post office?

November 16, 2012 - UrbDeZine.com

So You Want To Be a Certified Planner?

While planning seems more intuitive than technical to many the layperson, Los Angeles planner Clement Lau describes what it takes to stay at the top of the profession.

November 15, 2012 - UrbDeZine.com

California Auctions First Carbon Credits; Chamber of Commerce Sues

California's climate law reached a milestone on Nov. 14 when the state auctioned its first carbon credits in the 'Cap & Trade' provision of the bill. But that didn't stop the CA Chamber of Commerce from filing suit against this provision of the law.

November 15, 2012 - The Sacramento Bee - Business

The Shaky Foundation Underlying CA's New Long-Range Regional Plans

Wendell Cox rebuts the work of Arthur C. Nelson, who has projected CA as over-supplied with detached housing and in demand of small lot and multi-unit housing. Nelson's work has been the basis of long-range regional planning throughout the state.

November 14, 2012 - New Geography

FLV California train

California's Bullet-Train Will Require Extraordinary Engineering Feats

Given its unprecedented “scale and scope”, California's bullet train poses a plethora of complex challenges to engineers and train planners, reports Ralph Vartabedian, yet it also seizes their imaginations.

November 14, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

Why Downtown L.A. Should Approve a Streetcar, Despite Campaign Missteps

As a special election gets underway to determine whether 10,000 downtown L.A. residents support taxing property owners to build a new streetcar system, the editors of the Los Angeles Downtown News offer their qualified support for the project.

November 13, 2012 - Los Angeles Downtown News

Congestion Pricing Debuts in L.A.

AP covers the opening of the first toll lanes in LA county: 110 Freeway Express Lanes that allow solo-drivers to use a carpool lane for a toll that varies with the level of congestion (i.e. congestion pricing). Shoup asks: "Why did it take so long?"

November 13, 2012 - AP via San Jose Mercury News

Concept diagram from 1970 Los Angeles General Plan

Back To The Future: The 1970 Los Angeles 'Centers' Concept Plan

The 1970 Concept Los Angeles plan is a history lesson for urban planners and a vision of what the city could have looked like.

November 12, 2012 - cate miller

The 10 Diagrams That Changed Planning

A new exhibit that opened this week at the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association's gallery explores the 10 diagrams that have had a monumental influence on urban planning, and the possibilities inherent in the medium.

November 9, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

California Voters Like Jobs But Not Housing

In a dozen local land use measures Tuesday in California, voters approved jobs-oriented projects but not housing-oriented projects. Split decision on downtown plans.

November 9, 2012 - California Planning & Development Report

After Setback, L.A. Mayor Still Intent on Speeding Transit Projects

In the aftermath of the seemingly narrow defeat of his pet measure to speed up the expansion of L.A.'s transit infrastructure, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa remains unbowed in his attempts to accelerate his key initiative, writes Ari Bloomekatz.

November 9, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

What Was Behind L.A.'s Rejection of its Transportation Ballot Measure?

Was not enough transit spending the culprit for the narrow rejection of Los Angeles County's Measure J initiative, which aimed to speed up construction of a host of the region's transit projects from 30 to 10 years? Damien Newton thinks so.

November 8, 2012 - LA.Streetsblog

Free Parking 'Drives' Solo Commuting, Study Says

California Watch, a project of the nonprofit Center for Investigative Reporting, evaluated the 2009-11 American Community Survey and determined that CA's 'drive-alone' rate to work was 73%. Joanna Lin points the finger at free parking as chief cause.

November 6, 2012 - San Francisco Chronicle

Replacing Billboards with Trees...Sort Of

Artist Stephen Glassman and a team of engineers and planners have developed a plan for transforming L.A.'s ubiquitous billboards into floating, globally connected urban forests. All that's needed for the first prototype are a few generous strangers.

November 6, 2012 - Curbed LA

Pedestrians in L.A. Get New Focus, Times Two

Amid all the attention L.A.'s recent transit expansion and car culture receive, you couldn't blame the area's pedestrians for feeling like the odd ones out. But with the city’s first official pedestrian coordinators on the job, that may soon change.

November 5, 2012 - LA.Streetsblog

S.F. Giants Celebratory Parade Causes Transit Surge - Records Broken

The Oct. 31 parade to honor the World Series-winning San Francisco Giants resulted in record-breaking numbers of riders taking BART, Caltrain, SF Muni and ferries to attend the parade who were accommodated by increased service. Why not continue it?

November 4, 2012 - San Jose Mercury News

Hetch Hetchy Valley Haunts, and Nourishes, San Francisco

Voters in S.F. will be given an opportunity to right a perceived 100 year old environmental wrong next week when they cast ballots on whether to develop a multi-billion dollar plan to drain Hetch Hetchy Valley, the city’s pristine water source.

November 3, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

Critics Outline Grey Areas in L.A.'s "Green" Harbor Rail Yard Project

Critics of the proposed $500-million Southern California International Gateway, which is being touted as “one of the 'greenest' freight yards in the nation," contend it will actually reduce air quality and harm low income, minority residents.

November 1, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

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.