California
HSRA Asks CA Gov, Legislature For $2.7 billion In State Bond Funding
With its revised business plan released Nov. 1 showing a dramatic increase in costs and time to build the 800 mile system, the Authority adopted its funding plan to a largely skeptical audience, many from the Central Valley where construction begins.
GTA V Trailer Satirizes LA Planning And Construction
The new edition of the Grand Theft Auto series will parody LA, including its idiosyncratic planning landscape, which will feature avaricious developers, activist NIMBYs, and a oceanside dwelling starchitect.
Ride Your Bike Today, Get Cash for Gas Tomorrow
A startup is proposing a new way to incentivize alternative transportation choices by giving people the option each day to choose between cars, bikes and transit.
Paper Approves HSR Plan; Columnist Has Doubts
The editorial board of The Sacramento Bee was pleased with the new business plan of the HSR Authority, especially its new focus on improving commuter rail, while its premier columnist, Dan Walters, continues to see the project as unnecessary.
Among the Needy, Car Ownership Can be Key to Moving Up
In the last installment of a three-part series on "Buy Here Pay Here" car dealerships, Ken Bensinger reports on the link between car ownership and income among the poor. Historically, legislation for low-income car ownership has been resisted.
New CA HSR Estimates: Double the Cost, Twice As Long To Build
According to preliminary reports on the new business plan, the California High Speed Rail Authority's new estimate for the 800-mile system will be $98.5 billion - initially pegged at $43 billion, and will take an additional 13 years to build.
New Football Stadium in Los Angeles Faces Opposition
The Mayor has proposed a $1.5 billion plan to build a football stadium, named Farmers Field in L.A.'s downtown with the goal of boosting the region's overall economy.
California HSR Figures Released, Leaving Project's Fate Shaky
On Tuesday, the California High-Speed Rail Authority announced that the cost of the project has tripled to nearly $99 billion, and federal funds for it don't exist yet--prompting some legislators' support to fizzle.
Are Americans Ready to Live in Smaller Homes?
As the world population reaches 7 billion some U.S. builders are working on smaller, compact homes.
Longtime Defender of California Coastline Steps Down
After 34 years on the California Coastal Commission, Peter Douglas is ceding his post due to poor health. The San Jose Mercury News looks back at his long career at the powerful public agency.
San Francisco's Skyline is Shaped by "Mediocre Opinion"
Columnist Ken Garcia writes that San Francisco's neighborhood-driven political system has been a more powerful force in shaping the city's skyline than the planning department has.
Make-Or-Break Moment For CA HSR
Nov. 1 is a decisive date for the CA HSR Authority. The long-awaited and once delayed business plan will provide the basis for the legislature to continue funding the $45 billion project or put a halt to it, thus returning massive federal grants.
Density with Variety
David Baker Architects latest public housing project in Oakland, California shows that high-density living can be attractive and feature a variety of housing types, writes Allison Arieff.
Red Light Cameras: Cash Cow Or Traffic Safety Tool?
The passage by the PA state senate of a bill allowing Pittsburgh and other cities to use red light traffic enforcement cameras has drawn a strong warning and a study from Penn Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) to only use them for safety purposes
As San Diego Water Pact Falls Through, Options are Scarce
Created in 2003, a pact between rural Imperial Valley to provide water to San Diego has become mired in litigation due to its potential effects on the Salton Sea. But just nixing the deal isn't so easy, as Tony Perry reports.
California's 'Other' HSR Line Receives Key Go-Ahead
The privately funded, 190-mile grade-separated high-speed line linking Victorville, San Bernardino County and Las Vegas received clearance from the federal Surface Transportation Board provided DesertXpress implement mitigation measures..
A New Master-Planned City Would be Impossible, Says Donald Bren
At the Urban Land Institute conference this week, Donald Bren, Chairman of the Irvine Company, cites lack of capital and government and environmental regulation as reasons for this.
Coachella Valley: One of the Poorest, Densest Areas in the U.S.
Coachella Valley is home to agriculture, music festivals, and impoverished residents living in shanty mobile homes. Drinkable water, reliable electricity, basic sanitation, and clean air are scarce, says California Watch.
Nation's First Cap & Trade Program Approved In CA
History was made at a contentious California Air Resources Board Meeting when the board unanimously approved the nation's first Cap & Trade program to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. The program results from CA's 2006 landmark climate law, AB 32.
Does Affordable Housing Have to Look Bad?
Allison Arieff explodes the unspoken myth that public housing must look cheap and unattractive, citing some stellar examples of affordable design.
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
