California
Go...East, Young Man?
Commentator Andrei Codrescu speculates that with the economy in dire straits, California may experience a population loss as people move back to the states they left in the Great Depression.
High-Speed Rail to The Happiest Place on Earth
LA's Metro board is getting on board with high-speed rail, announcing Thursday that a Los Angeles-to-Anaheim (home of Disneyland) train could be a reality in less than 10 years.
The Battle Over a Historic L.A. Hotel
Preservationists and developers are deep in a dispute over the Century Plaza hotel in L.A. On the drawing board are two high rise towers, but defenders of the site argue the hotel's historic value trumps the benefit the new project would bring.
Solving Scarce Parking With 'Benefit Districts'
Transportation planners in San Francisco are proposing "parking benefit districts" where residents control pricing and boundaries to make parking easier in the congested city.
CA's High Speed Rail Hampered By Controversy
In this political column, Sac Bee columnist Dan Walters opines that the $.9 billion of CA's HSR $9.9 billion bond measure may be the only realistic accomplishment of Prop 1A due to budgetary and political hurdles the train may not be able to succumb.
More Ped Plazas On The Way
With the successful launch of the 17th St. park, San Francsico's "Pavement to Parks" project is moving to its next location, the corner of Guerrero and San Jose. Activist Gillian Gillett has been pushing for something to happen there for years.
Soaking Up Runoff For a Greener Street
The city of Santa Monica has just unveiled its first segment of green street, one where rainwater runoff seeps into porous pavement and landscaping.
CA's Top Cities for Solar
Environment California has released a study that shows significant growth in the state's solar power construction, and ranks cities by how many solar roofs they have. San Diego is tops.
Making Property Owners Pay for Sidewalks
Los Angeles sidewalks are in an advanced state of disrepair, with little to no funds available. A new proposal in front of the city council puts the burden on new property buyers.
Historic Preservation for Tract Homes?
A resident of a Rancho Palos Verdes, CA development of 262 tract homes designed by Paul R. Williams, the first African-American architect in the AIA, is seeking an historic preservation measure to protect the 1950s-era homes.
Changing Tune on Density
Back in 1971, Alvin Duskin mounted an all-out campaign to limit buildings in San Francisco to 72 feet. Today, he is one of many Bay Area activists reconsidering density.
Lighting Fighting Crime
Fighting gang crime in Los Angeles is as easy as leaving the lights on at neighborhood parks.
Eating Healthy Now Required in San Francisco
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has issued a directive that seeks to mandate healthy eating and food production in the city.
The City That Killed Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson's life would have been incredibly different (read: more normal) and lasted longer if he lived in New York instead of L.A., argues Gigi Levangie Grazer. She says the isolating qualities of L.A. enabled the downfall of the King of Pop.
Keeping an Eye on License Plates
The posh San Francisco Bay Area town of Tiburon is planning to install cameras that record the license plate numbers of all cars coming into town. Police will use the system to apprehend criminals or investigate crimes.
Thousands of Crimes Not Displaying on LAPD Crime Map
The Los Angeles Police Department's crime-tracking website has been omitting thousands of violent crimes. 40% of crimes reported so far in 2009 are not included in the public website.
A Little Too Tough on Blight?
The City of Chula Vista has a highly successful anti-blight ordinance- so successful that some critics say they may actually be delaying the recovery of the local real estate market.
Las Vegas Included in California's Rail Plans
Las Vegas will now be included in plans for California's high speed rail network, according to the Department of Transportation.
Making Temporary Use of Empty Development Lots
Empty lots are scattered throughout San Francisco, sites of would-be towers that have been temporarily put off by the building bust. Instead of letting these lots sit empty until construction, some are finding ways to utilize them in the meantime.
Jerry Brown Sues Suburb Over Housing Element
The CA Attorney General wants cities to take their housing obligations seriously - so much so that he has joined a 2006 lawsuit against the Alameda County suburb of Pleasanton over a 'housing cap' of 29,000 units approved by its voters in 1996.
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
