California
LA County Passes Healthy Design Ordinance
Yesterday the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a new ordinance meant to better tie planning for the county's unincorporated areas to positive public health outcomes.
Is China the Answer to LA's Transportation Funding Woes?
With L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's 'America Fast Forward' plan to fund 30 years of transportation improvements in 10 years going nowhere fast in Congress, Joel Epstein asks if the Mayor might be lining up our country's creditor-in-chief.
In LA, Agricultural-Residential Zoned Neighborhoods Threatened
A neighborhood in Tarzana, one of the few residential areas in Los Angeles County that allows raising livestock, battles developmental pressures. The latest proposal: razing five homes for an elderly care center.
CicLAvia Tour Integrates Crowdsourcing
As cyclists toured Watts and other parts of South Los Angeles, they were invited to share photographs and record places of interest along the way.
The Self-Driving Car of the Future is Here
Tom Vanderbilt writes about the current crop of self-driving cars in Wired. "After almost a hundred years in which driving has remained essentially unchanged, it has been completely transformed in just the past half decade."
The Story of Hollywood's Jealous Co-Star
Eric Jaffe writes of an article appearing in the January issue of the Journal of Urban History in which the forgotten story of a time when Hollywood's jealous co-star tried to claim her throne is re-told.
Brown Doubles Down on High Speed Rail
Facing strong headwinds from citizens, legislators, and analysts, Governor Jerry Brown threw his unequivocal support behind the state's proposed high speed rail project in his annual State of the State address.
Who Gets Hurt When Redevelopment Gets Abandoned?
Ron Nyren examines the various types of projects that will be negatively impacted by California's decision to abandon redevelopment.
A Tale of Two Cities
Melinda Burns uses two California cities through which to investigate the reasons why the foreclosure crisis has impacted communities in dramatically different ways.
Revealing Parking's Hidden Costs
Dave Gardetta highlights the work of Donald Shoup and others whose mission is to eradicate the parking minimum in Los Angeles.
Decapitating LA's Skyline
Ever wonder why LA's skyline is so bland? Apparently it was planned that way.
Stay of Execution for California's Redevelopment Agencies?
The Supreme Court decision to approve the elimination of California's redevelopment agencies late last year set February 1st as the date of dissolution. A new bill in the state senate would slow down the clock.
Long Beach out to Prove that Bikes are Good for Business
Long Beach is leading California's bicycle revolution in many ways, perhaps most creatively in establishing bike-friendly shopping districts.
California Cities Lead the Way in Foodshed Planning
Writing in the online edition of the January issue of Planning, Bobbie Peyton explores what can be learned from the pioneering Foodshed Planning efforts of San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego.
Efforts Proceed to Make Los Angeles a Mural Center Once Again
An update on efforts by the City of Los Angeles to develop a new ordinance to allow artists to legally paint on the walls of private property.
CA High Speed Rail Chief Resigns - Is End Near For HSR Authority?
In addition to the resignation of Roelof van Ark, CEO of the High-Speed Rail Authority, Chairman Tom Umberg has stepped down, though he will remain on the board. Gov. Brown has indicated he will merge the Authority with Caltrans.
An Efficient LA in Chris Burden's Mini-City
Metropolis II, on display now at the LA County Museum of Art, features a futuristic model of Los Angeles in which cars and trains zip around super-efficiently (and, reportedly, loudly).
Beverly Hills Moves to Protect Some of Its Most Famous Residents
After the destruction of some of its most significant architectural and cultural treasures, the City of Beverly Hills has finally adopted a historic preservation ordinance.
A Way Forward for Redevelopment in California?
In an opinion piece for the Los Angeles Times, William Fulton, former mayor of Ventura and the only mayor in California who supported the Governor's proposal to end redevelopment, offers concrete steps for reviving redevelopment in the state.
Tea Party Activists Disrupt Planning Meeting
A police sergeant displayed his mediation skills at a regional planning meeting by temporarily replacing the facilitator after 20 tea party activists disrupted the meeting.
Pagination
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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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