California

Answer for California's Problems: Divide and Conquer?

County of Riverside Supervisor Jeff Stone proposes breaking up California in order to form a new "State of South California."

July 5, 2011 - Los Angeles Times

Redevelopment Plans Shaken Up as California Cuts Budget

Urban redevelopment plans to slow or stall in California, as Governor Jerry Brown slashes the budgets of redevelopment agencies in the state.

July 3, 2011 - The Sacramento Bee

Using Technology to Advance Sustainability in Cities

Providing wifi on public transit and encouraging people to Check In with their smart phones are two of the three examples cities could implement to bring people closer together.

July 1, 2011 - Mashable

Parklets Poised To Revolutionize Public Space, In a Tiny Way

Imported from Europe, parklets transform parking spaces into inviting public spaces. They are flourishing in San Francisco, and are poised to invade other cities across the country.

June 29, 2011 - California Planning & Development Report

L.A.'s Green Paragon

The Los Angeles Times calls the Leipert-Pasker residence "the greenest house in L.A." In fact, the only thing that isn't green about this three-story home is its color.

June 29, 2011 - The Los Angeles Times

Clean-Fuel Zone Widened Per Navy's Request

Known for its puritanical environmental laws, California's shipping pollution standards just got tougher. The California Air Resource Board voted unanimously to expand the 2009 clean-fuel zone, which mandates ships to use less-polluting fuels.

June 27, 2011 - The Los Angeles Times

Cab's Eye View of L.A.

When other musicians opt to romanticize L.A. with images of Hollywood and Malibu mansions, pop band Death Cab for Cutie captures the opposite in the music video for their new single, "Home Is A Fire."

June 24, 2011 - Sustainable Cities Collective

Will Congestion Pricing Backfire in the U.S.?

The U.S. Department of Transportation in 2007 selected five cities it thought could effectively implement congestion pricing, but none have come to fruition. What's holding back congestion pricing in the U.S.?

June 24, 2011 - Next American City

The Role of Background Buildings

San Francisco architecture critic John King talks about his new book Cityscapes and the role that so-called "background buildings" play in creating the city's mosaic.

June 23, 2011 - Metropolis Magazine

Yacht Race to Bring New Cruise Terminal to San Francisco

As San Francisco prepares to host the America's Cup yacht race in 2013, one of the key building areas for the event is also being fast-tracked as the site of a new cruise terminal.

June 23, 2011 - San Francisco Chronicle

Preservation and Development Coexist in Hollywood

The Millennium Hollywood, a proposed mixed used development near Sunset Boulevard and Vine Avenue, is expected to increase the density in the area while preserving the nearby Capitol Records building.

June 22, 2011 - The Architect's Newspaper

Will Dogs Return To Downtown Santa Cruz?

Banished for 35 years, the merchants themselves have asked the city council to loosen this legislative leash. Dog-walking visitors are surprised when police inform them of the current law, and merchants seek the business that they provide.

June 20, 2011 - Santa Cruz Sentinel

Friday Funny: Keepin' it Real in the Whole Foods Parking Lot

DJDave, aka David Wittman, spoofs L.A. culture and the politics of the parking lot in this clever video.

June 17, 2011 - YouTube

Conan O'Brien's Streetscape Improvements to Proposed 'Conan O'Brien Blvd.'

In response to Chicago's recent naming of a street in honor of Oprah Winfrey, late night TV host Conan O'Brien has suggested having his own street in L.A., along with various streetscape improvements.

June 17, 2011 - Curbed LA

Busy L.A. Street to get Bus-Only Lane

The Los Angeles City Council has approved a 7.7-mile bus-only lane on one of the city's busiest thoroughfares.

June 17, 2011 - Los Angeles Times

Which is the Real Culprit, Growth or Cars?

Jeff Wood of Reconnecting America interviewed a variety of thought leaders at the recent Congress for the New Urbanism. In this video, he talks with Jeff Tumlin about getting Santa Monica, California to embrace growth.

June 16, 2011 - Reconnecting America

New Housing Starts Reveal Shift Toward Multi-Family Housing Construction

AP reports on the Anderson Forecast from UCLA that looks into CA's housing slump and shows two distinct markets, one on the rise and the other (single-family housing) falling.

June 16, 2011 - AP via Bloomberg Business Week

Megaprojects Approved in San Francisco

Two major redevelopment projects - Treasure Island and Parkmerced - have been approved after a lengthy process by San Francisco's Board of Supervisors.

June 16, 2011 - The Architect's Newspaper

New City Planned For Unlikely Corner of California Desert

Travertine City would house 35,000 residents on the shores of the Salton Sea, California's largest - and most unpleasant - body of water. Developers claim that it will be a model of sustainability. "

June 14, 2011 - California Planning & Development Report

Designing New Parks for Los Angeles

One of the most park-poor major cities in the U.S., Los Angeles is in the midst of a slight park renaissance, with a few new major projects in the works. A new exhibition looks at the state of new parks design in L.A.

June 14, 2011 - 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.