California
Density Uber Alles
Is density a goal unto itself? John Parman argues that a 38-story building proposed for San Francisco has little to do with walkable urbanism, and continues "a sorry tradition of case-by-case rezoning."
Redevelopment Agencies Circle the Wagons, Fight for Funding
Redevelopment agencies, lead by the CRA, are planning their strategy for how to keep their local redevelopment funding from the state. CP&DR blogs and tweets from the California Redevelopment Association conference.
Land Conservation Not Responsible For High Cost of Housing
High housing prices cannot be blamed on land conservation efforts, at least not in Silicon Valley, is the word from researchers at Stanford University.
Coastal Areas Prepare For The Other 'Big One'
California has just completed a landmark effort to assess the state's worst-case tsunami danger. Now emergency response officials, and even some planners, are considering how to keep the state's coastal populations safe.
A Green Mega Mansion?
Approved plans for a 10,000 square foot mansion in Berkeley, California have been classified "green" by the city's environmental rating system. Neighbors and environmentalists, however, say the house is hardly an environmental model.
Trying to Let the Sun Shine on San Francisco's Public Agencies
The City of San Francisco has for years had a "Sunshine" ordinance, requiring that public agencies make their documents and proceedings available to the public. But recent reviews show that sunshine has been hard to find in the city of fog.
Are California's Green Laws Killing Jobs?
California republicans are arguing that the state's environmental laws are hurting the economy. This editorial from the Los Angeles Times questions the wisdom of that argument and wonders what negative impacts would come from lifting CEQA.
Plan to Daylight Creek in Downtown Berkeley Hits Roadblock
Berkeley's popular plan to turn a section of Center Street into a pedestrian walkway with a stream and wetlands has been slowed by the fight over downtown development.
OP-ED: Make "High-Speed" Rail Speedier
Train writer Christian Wolmar argues that the best application for high speed rail funds would be to upgrade the Washington D.C. to Boston, 150 mph Acela line to true, high speed rail status and used as a showcase for American rail technology.
Can Urban Design Alleviate the Need for Cops?
A look at public space as a "community living room" and the role of police within the context of Los Angeles.
The Meaning of Authenticity
Architecture critic John King reads Sharon Zukin's new book "Naked City: The Death and Life of Authentic Urban Spaces" and ruminates on the meaning of authenticity in his own hometown, San Francisco.
West Oakland: Upscaling Neighborhood, or Reviving Industrial Hub?
West Oakland's days as an industrial center are long gone, but city officials have a vision of rebuilding it as a clean energy mecca. Problem is, many locals have their own vision of upscaling the neighborhood with local eateries and condos.
Zoning for Food Trucks
Food trucks are hot in Los Angeles, but local restaurateurs are understandably upset by the surprise competition. Mobile vendors have banded together and established a "gourmet food lot" downtown as a sort of solution.
Putting Good Energy with the Bad
Facing resistance when siting green energy projects like wind turbines, energy companies are considering brownfields like the Leviathan Mine in California's Alpine County.
Do California's Environmental Regulations Harm Business, or Drive Innovation?
Bill Fulton takes a rational approach to determining whether California's strict environmental regulations are a burdensome expense to business or if they drive them to innovate and succeed.
O.C. Homeowners Sued for Removing Lawn
In Orange, California, city codes require that front yards be 40% landscaping. After considerately adding drought-resistant plants and bark to save water, the city sued an Orange couple.
San Diego Looks At Density to Meet Projected Housing Demand
With population estimates adding an additional 1.2 million people to the San Diego region in the next 40 years, planners say the region will need nearly 400,000 additional housing units to meet the demand.
In Land Of Hi-Tech, Why Do Newspapers Flourish?
Palo Alto is where Silicon Valley started, yet locals eagerly pick up the Daily Post, the Daily News, as well as read PaloAlto-Online. The New York Times investigates why print media flourishes here while regional and national papers struggle.
Arrest Made as L.A. Cracks Down on Illegal Billboards
In an unprecedented move, L.A. City Attorney Carmen Trutanich has placed a business owner under arrest for posting an illegal "supergraphic" billboard.
A Successful "Blue-Green Alliance" At Port Of LA
The single largest source of air pollution in Southern California are the Ports of LA and Long Beach. Environmentalists, environmental justice advocates, and Teamsters are working together to replace offending diesel drayage trucks.
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
