California
Can CA Gov. Jerry Brown Save High Speed Rail From CEQA?
Gov. Jerry Brown is asking the state legislature to alter the state's environmental law (CEQA) in order to begin construction of the high speed rail project in the Central Valley. It is aimed at heading off lawsuits intended to delay the project.
An Inside Look at Making L.A.'s Difficult Decisions in a Time of Austerity
LA Councilmember Paul Krekorian discusses reducing the city's budget deficit, the impacts his decisions will have on core services and civil servants, and the tolls that come with taking on a budget crisis during a period of fiscal austerity.
Gov. Brown Points To Similarities In Golden Gate Bridge, HSR, And Water Project
Joseph Strauss' dream of spanning the Golden Gate is remarkably similar to Gov. Jerry Brown's of spanning the Golden State with high speed rail, and providing fresh water under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Public opposition is the common link.
Should American Tax Dollars Stay in America?
Madeline Janis, former commissioner on the board of L.A.'s Community Redevelopment Agency, argues that American job creation should be a top priority when awarding transit contracts.
L.A. Moves to Harness to Its Bountiful Sunshine
Carren Jao reports on recent steps the City of Los Angeles is taking to expand is woefully under-built solar power capacity.
Green Waves Descend On San Francisco
San Francisco is expanding a program of traffic light synchronization for cyclists, which is patterned after successful applications in Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Portland.
Public Art Proves Its Worth
Dan Rosenfeld looks at two recent projects in L.A. that incorporate public art components and finds that "investments in public art may provide the highest financial returns of any funds committed to an aspect of a transit project."
Gas Tax 'Swap' Results In More Potholes In California Cities
The annual budget for Paso Robles' road maintenance fund went from $400,000 to $38,000 after Gov. Schwarzenegger and the legislature agreed in 2010 to a complicated gas tax maneuver dubbed the "fuel tax swap" to balance the budget.
Remembering Golden Gate's Grand Opening
On the 75th anniversary of the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge, Richard Gonzales visits with those who made the first crossing on foot.
Is George Lucas Inciting Class Warfare With a Proposed Development?
Norimitsu Onishi describes a feud ripe for the pages of a Hollywood script, between movie mogul George Lucas and his wealthy neighbors over his plans to build affordable housing in Marin County.
Back from Bankruptcy, Can Vallejo Become a National Model?
Since declaring bankruptcy in 2008, the climb out of the budgetary depths hasn't been an easy one for the city of Vallejo, California. But, as it springs back to life, could Vallejo become a model for how to run a city in an age of austerity?
Bay Area Selects Controversial Compact Regional Growth Plan
At a packed, May 17 meeting in Oakland, filled with transit advocates, tea-partiers, and builders, leaders of the two regional planning agencies selected "Plan Bay Area" as the blueprint to reduce transportation greenhouse gas emissions 17% by 2035.
San Francisco Emerges From a Housing Slump
John Wildermuth discusses San Francisco's bounce back from a tremendous slowdown in new housing construction last year.
L.A. Gets a New Set of Wheels
In The New York Times, Adam Nagourney chronicles the rise of bicycle culture in a city defined for decades by its cars, but with a climate perfectly suited to non-motorized transportation.
The Contrasting Forces Behind Downtown L.A.'s Revitalization
With several sporting events of national notice taking place in downtown Los Angeles, last weekend provided a prime platform to showcase the resurgence of the area. However, big-ticket events are just one of the many forces re-energizing downtown.
The Great California Exodus? Not So!
Is it a calamity that more Californians are leaving the state than are migrating there from others? USC demographer Dowell Myers takes a closer look at migration data and finds that most native-born Californians remain there.
History Repeats Itself in California Infrastructure Debate
As the Golden Gate Bridge approaches its 75th anniversary, John King pens an incisive comparison between the arguments against the bridge's original construction and those that have challenged subsequent high-profile projects.
Are Electric Cable Cars the Future of Trucking?
John Metcalfe explores a new kind of hybrid vehicle that could revolutionize trucking and cut down air contaminants in one of the most polluted regions in the country.
California Tries To Wring Every Last Cent From Redevelopment
California's erstwhile redevelopment agencies are pleading with the state to maintain funding for projects they consider crucial. So far, the Department of Finance has taken a decidedly conservative approach.
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
