California
A Historic Preservation Backlash in San Francisco
San Francisco's planning and permitting process has become so complicated and expensive that former advocates of preservation are now fighting back against the city's historic preservation efforts.
Curbed Planning Awards for Los Angeles, 2011
Curbed offers it's eclectic selection of the "best, worst, and ...showiest of things that happened in Los Angeles real estate, architecture, and neighborhoods this year."
Touring San Francisco's Parklets: A New Urban Trend
Parklets are a new urban trend spreading to cities all over the world. It's an idea born in San Francisco, and the San Francisco Chronicle's John King takes a tour of each of the city's new mini-parks
Bay Area Residents Say No to Religious Development
Call it megachurch fatigue: A proposed Sufism Reoriented sanctuary is just one of an increasing number of religious developments facing no shortage of community backlash in northern California.
Lawsuit Seeks to Overturn California's Prop. 13
A group of lawyers in California has filed a lawsuit to overturn the two-thirds legislative voting requirement of Proposition 13, the law that limits increases in the state's taxes -- but not property taxes.
Redevelopment Will Come Back in California -- But Will It Be Reformed?
The State Supreme Court struck down redevelopment. Now it's up to the political players in California to strike a deal to bring it back. Can they do it? And what will the state's price be?
California Supreme Court Rules to Eliminate Redevelopment Agencies
The court's decision is likely to have far-reaching effects on how cities in California finance and facilitate urban redevelopment.
CA HSR Plan B: Amtrak
If high-speed rail fails, 130 miles of track will have to go to Amtrak. But critics say that the backup plan comes with no guarantee that Amtrak would even have to use the tracks and is, therefore, a useless backup plan.
Vernon's Fight Against Disincorporation May Bankrupt the City
The city of Vernon, California, fought hard recently to avoid disincorporation. The price of that fight has drained the city's coffers, and now some say it's too deep in the hole to function properly.
Train Times to Accompany Motorists Stuck in Traffic
To encourage train ridership, Caltrans and Metrolink have teamed up to display train times on electronic signs along two oft-congested Southern California freeways.
Hollywood Community Plan is Misguided, Says Planner
According to Richard Platkin, the Hollywood Community Plan Update is merely one megaproject after the next--a huge mistake, and the antithesis to the Los Angeles General Plan Framekwork for good reason.
Alleys for People?
Can the community of Long Beach, California use examples from much larger places like San Francisco and East Village to reclaim its extensive public alleys?
CA HSR: A Speed Too Fast?
LA to SF in 2 hrs, 40 mins? That promise in the proposition that voters approved in 2008 could be the train's undoing, as to keep that schedule it will require more expensive design, including viaducts and tunnels, than would otherwise necessitate.
Why Developers are Getting Into Energy Efficiency and Power Generation
As utilities and energy companies move towards distributed power, building owners, businesses, and developers are seeing the possibilities.
Is Hollywood Ready for a Makeover?
A new Community Plan for Hollywood is making its way through the Los Angeles City Council, to the delight of the Mayor and the Planning Commission, and to the consternation of some community groups.
Not An Inexpensive Bike Lane
Adding a pedestrian/bike lane to the 'west span' of the Bay Bridge won't come on the cheap: $550 million is the current estimate. The east span lane, from Yerba Buena Island to Oakland, will be included in the new bridge due to open in late 2013.
Super-Healthy City Gets First McDonalds
Loma Linda, California has an average lifespan higher than most cities, and a significant population of vegetarians. Last week, the city council approved the first McDonald's in town. Will it have an impact on the community's health?
Congressional Transportation Committee Debates CA High Speed Rail
The stage moved to D.C. from Sacramento for the latest debate on the pros and cons of California's embattled HSR plan. The more vocal detractors from the Central Valley and Peninsula testified before the few members of the committee who attended.
Santa Monica OKs Urban Forest Master Plan
The plan is believed to set a precedent for urban forestry management. It includes a Street Tree Designations component, created in response to one failed attempt to replace non-native palms with other types of trees.
High-Speed Rail Project Faces Opposition
In California, a recent poll, according to Charles Chieppo, brought bad news stating that 53% of the states voters approved a $9.9 billion bond three years ago, but of those polled, 64% support a re-vote, and 59% would vote no if they had the chance.
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
