California

The city of Bell made news in 2010 with rampant misappropriation of public funds, but the problem is still (as ever) more widespread than anyone realizes.

February 8, 2011 - The Planning Report

A transit program in California is intended to be a lifeline for the homeless population, allowing for easier access to medical services and employment opportunities.

February 8, 2011 - GOOD Magazine

The City Council of Temecula, CA decided that a proposed mosque met all zoning requirements and voted to approve its construction, despite opposition that supporters claim was fueled by religious reasons and not concerns over traffic and parking.

February 8, 2011 - The Huffington Post

Plans are afoot to densify one of San Francisco's biggest, most suburban apartment complexes, the 152-acre Park Merced constructed in 1941. If the Planning Commission approves the plan, the existing housing could be tripled, adding 14,000 units.

February 7, 2011 - San Francisco Chronicle

Service will be cut 44%, half the stations to close, elimination of mid-day and weekend service - that is the scenario laid for Caltrain, the West's oldest commuter rail, unless $30 million can be found - unlikely.

February 7, 2011 - San Jose Mercury News

The decade-long plan for a proposed bus-only lane on Wilshire Blvd. faces yet another political battle as politicians relent to public complaints.

February 5, 2011 - The Los Angeles Times

Of all the environmental problems facing California, depletion of its groundwater may be the most important according to this piece.

February 2, 2011 - NRDC Switchboard

Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne begins a year-long series reading and reviewing 25 books all about L.A.

February 2, 2011 - Los Angeles Times

Entertainment Giant AEG appears to have partnered with Farmers Insurance for naming rights to the proposed stadium in Downtown L.A.

February 1, 2011 - Bloomberg

If a San Mateo County agency has its way, congestion pricing will be applied to two toll bridges to create additional revenue and reduce congestion as was done successfully on the S.F./Oakland Bay Bridge last July - but there are major differences.

February 1, 2011 - San Mateo County Times via Mercury News

The Oprah Show says San Luis Obispo, California is America's Happiest City, citing urban planning decisions like making the town pedestrian-friendly with wide sidewalks and limiting fast food drive-throughs.

January 31, 2011 - Oprah.com

Sharrows are a great way to give cyclists access to the full traffic lane without designating a bike lane, but as this case in San Francisco illustrates, not all applications are good ones. The presence of a bus-only lane created the problem.

January 31, 2011 - The Bay Citizen

Developer FivePoint Communities has cleared hurdles, and the financing flowing again for two major California projects, one on San Francisco's Treasure Island and one at the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station near Irvine.

January 31, 2011 - Builder Magazine

The mayor of the small town of Lancaster, California, has proposed broadcasting recordings of bird noises along one of the city's main streets to "make people happier".

January 31, 2011 - CBS

At the subway stop at Wilshire Blvd. and Vermont, developer Jerry Snyder halted construction on his planned vertical retail mall, saying that the apartment market is comparatively "very strong."

January 28, 2011 - The Los Angeles Times

In the heart of Koreatown in Los Angeles, an experimental community took over 2 apartment complexes in the '90s. Today, it's a thriving group of folks trying to live greenly in the big city.

January 28, 2011 - GOOD Magazine

In what looks like a developing battle between states and cities over redevelopment, the California state comptroller announced that he will audit 18 redevelopment agencies.

January 28, 2011 - Los Angeles Times

When Los Angeles drained Owens Lake to bring water into its quickly growing urban basin, it simultaneously created a dry lakebed and one of the worst dust pollution problems in America. Various efforts to fight the problem have only failed.

January 27, 2011 - Places

New Urbanist Stefanos Polyzoides is profiled by the Los Angeles Times, which mentions a few projects the architect and planners is working on in East L.A. and Fresno.

January 27, 2011 - Los Angeles Times

Former Palo Alto Mayor Yoriko Kishimoto has formed "Friends of Caltrain" to help prevent the train from spiraling downhill due to lack of funds. The tri-county train faces a $30 million deficit, with a total budget of just under $100 million.

January 26, 2011 - Streetsblog San Francisco