California
Cars Are Here To Stay, Transit Is Not The Answer
UC Davis Professor Daniel Sperling, a transportation expert and member of CA's ARB has co-written "Two Billion Cars: Driving Toward Sustainability". In this radio interview, Sperling describes cleaner auto technologies but dismisses transit's role.
Seeking Sponsors As Infrastructure Dies
This piece from New Geography looks disparagingly at an idea in San Francisco to allow corporate sponsorship of the Golden Gate Bridge in order to raise money for infrastructure projects.
Restoring the San Joaquin
One of the largest and most complex river restorations in the West, on the San Joaquin River, should pass the Senate later this week- but not without controversy.
No Superfund Status for Rocketdyne Site
California has rejected a proposal to list a polluted nuclear testing facility as a federal Superfund site. State officials believe they can clean it up more quickly and thoroughly.
'Green' Governor Fast-Tracks Highway Construction
Environmentalists reject CA Gov. Schwarzenegger's attempt to waive new highway construction projects from environmental review to qualify for Obama's stimulus package, offering 'fix-it-first' construction and public transit projects as alternatives.
SF's Parking Experiment to Test Shoup's Theories
San Francisco's federally-funded parking experiment SFPark will be a live test of the theories of dynamic parking management popularized by Donald Shoup.
Critics May Miss The Green Point of the SmartCode
Communities aren't going to get a green code implemented, or any code, without that code appealing to developers, says Sandy Sorlien. They're building our new sustainable places and infilling our old ones.
California's High Speed Rail Struggles Through Recession
The economic recession is hurting the California High Speed Rail Authority, the lead agency developing the high speed rail network for which the state's voters approved $10 billion in bonds in 2008. With no buyers, the bond money is unavailable.
L.A. Subway Construction Timeline is "Unacceptable"
It will take more than two decades to expand Los Angeles' Subway to the Sea by 10 miles, according to an MTA timeline. The mayor's office and transit activists are pushing for it to get done more quickly.
One Victory for the City in Billboard Battle
A federal court has knocked down a previous ruling that Los Angeles' billboard ban is unconstitutional.
TOD at Hollywood & Western, 10 Years Later
Stephen Box, a bicycle advocate in Los Angeles, reviews the famous TOD project at the intersection of Hollywood and Western 10 years after it opened. Is "It's Not As Bad As It Used To Be" enough?
Importing the Tijuana Model
Architect Teddy Cruz is creating new models of affordable housing using the shantytowns of Tijuana as his inspiration.
'Instant Cab Culture' Unlikely in L.A.
The city of Los Angeles has instituted an experimental program encouraging people to hail taxi cabs rather than call ahead, an effort the city hopes will create a "cab culture". This column is skeptical about how much impact the plan can have.
Rand: Best Congestion Strategies Are Price-Based
In 2008, RAND Corp. conducted a study on mitigating traffic congestion in Los Angeles. They studied two types of strategies: conventional, e.g. signal timing, and market-based, e.g. increased the price of driving. The results were surprising.
Bell Tolls for California Cities and Their Creative Borrowing Schemes
Cities in California have been finding creative ways to generate funding and financing in recent years. Now, it seems lenders are coming to cities to collect on loans and many are left scrambling to pay up.
California's Biggest Land Use Story Is Not The Housing Market
The deepening of the housing market crisis is certainly a big deal in California. But the land use story of the year was the Legislature's passage of a measure mandating regional planning.
Wood Burning Ban Saves Lives
Five years ago, the Central Valley became the first area of California to ban indoor wood burning when an 'alert' was called by the air district; other air districts followed in 2008. This study, released in Nov. shows that "no burn" days save lives.
Congestion Pricing No Sure Thing in Liberal San Francisco
The political climate in San Francisco might seem likely to approve the city's congestion pricing plan, but opposition is strong.
Federal Funding Seems Likely for California High Speed Rail
California transportation officials are confident that federal support will back up $10 billion in recently approved bond sales to fund the state's proposed high speed rail system.
Foreclosures Become Illegal Skate Parks
The New York Times reports that skateboarders are coming from as far away as Germany to skate empty swimming pools throughout foreclosed neighborhoods in cities like Fresno, where boarders have set up shop.
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
