California
Desalination Plant Approved in California
A large water desalination plant has been approved in Southern California, where water supplies are historically low and the population is high.
Pixar Director Building Fake Treehouse Home
Peter Docter, director of the animated film 'Monsters Inc.', has submitted plans to build a series of artificial tree houses on his land in Lafayette, CA to be his family's home. The Planning Commission is currently considering the project.
Could Downtown L.A. Transform From Parking Lot to Park?
A handful of EDAW interns have created an ambitious plan for a new park to connect L.A.'s disconnected downtown with lush greenery.
Rethinking California's Irrigation Strategy
Astride the maze of rivers east of San Francisco that crisscross California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta stand two imposing edifices — the pumping stations that supply water to vast swaths of the state. When operating at full throttle, the Harvey O. Banks Pumping Plant, managed by the state of California, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's C.W. "Bill" Jones Pumping Plant, have the capacity to entirely reverse the flow on the delta tributaries upon which they sit.
San Francisco Streetcars 'Too Popular'
The F-Market is a streetcar line in San Francisco that features restored historic streetcars. When it was built in 1995, many saw it as a novelty, but today it is so popular and crowded that it has become an inefficient means of transportation.
Broad Green Building Law Passed in San Francisco
San Francisco has passed some of the strictest green building requirements in the nation, for new construction and renovations.
Bike Warriors in L.A.
In many cities across the U.S., commuters are taking to their bikes as gas prices climb. But as the Wall St. Journal reports, it takes guts to bike in Los Angeles, where bike lanes and racks are a rarity.
An Argument for Congestion Pricing in Los Angeles
Robert Poole, director of transportation at the Reason Institute, delivers an open letter to Los Angeles-area elected officials in the hopes of persuading them to adopt a federally-supported pricing system for the region's freeway network.
Public Transit Benefits Mandate Proposed For San Francisco Employers
San Francisco's latest attempt to mandate employers to provide benefits to their workers is to provide economic incentives to use public transit or vanpools. However, unlike prior mandates, e.g. health care, the business sector appears OK with it.
Affordable Housing Relief Coming to Southern California
In the same week that Congress passed the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, Los Angeles announcemed the New Generation Fund, a $100 million program for affordable housing.
Swimmers Versus Seals
A popular swimming area at the San Diego area beach of La Jolla has been overrun by seals, making swimming unsafe. Many community members want the seals out, but animal rights activists say they should be allowed to stay.
'Time Bank' Creates Community of Bartering
An online "time bank" has opened in Los Angeles, allowing members to barter services with each other.
From Toilet to Faucet
Orange County, CA's new $480 million Groundwater Replenishment System is the world’s largest water recycling facility of its kind. It can turn wastewater and into drinking water, churning out up to 70 million gallons a day.
To Live and Diet in LA
In the face of alarming obesity rates among many of its low-income residents, LA's City Council has voted to approve a moratorium on the construction of new fast-food restaurants in South LA.
Bay Area Regional HOT Lane Plan Approved
The Bay Area's transportation agency, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, approved a comprehensive plan for regional High Occupancy Toll lanes, mostly from conversions of existing and already-planned carpool lanes, totaling almost 800 miles.
City Still Squabbling Over Dead Specific Plan
Last year, Sierra Madre voters passed Measure V, which placed strict limits on the size of downtown developments, effectively killing a specific plan that was in process. Now, the city council is fighting over releasing the plan's unfinished EIR.
Starbucks Closures Hit Home
Paul Shigley reflects on the impact of a Starbucks closing in downtown Redding, a small town in northern California.
Urban Neighborhood Seeks Grocery Store
San Francisco's Tenderloin district- notoriously seedy and poor- is also one the densest neighborhoods in the city, and greatly in need of fresh produce and groceries. City officials are trying to attract a store, but it's a tough sell.
Hercules Backs 'New', 'Smart' Waterfront
Plans for a "new urbanist/smart growth" development on the waterfront of the San Francisco Bay Area town of Hercules has received unanimous approval from the city council, eliminating the need for inclusion on the November ballot.
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
