California
Air Boards & MPOs Must Team Up To Reduce Carbon Emissions
The key to meeting carbon reduction goals lies in reducing transportation emissions through changing land use. But to do so requires air resources boards and the many metropolitan planning organizations to play key roles.
People Power
Volunteer-run neighborhood councils in Los Angeles are gaining political power and showing what a new kind of politics could look like.
Possible New Route For L.A.'s 'Subway To The Sea'
Building a "Subway to the Sea" in Los Angeles has been on the table for years, with local residents staunchly opposed to the rail line extension that would tunnel underneath their upscale neighborhoods. But now a new route is being proposed.
Pedestrian-Friendly City Plans Fall Apart
Plans for a pedestrian-friendly city near Sacramento, California, have fallen short of goals, creating neighborhoods that are just as car-oriented and car-dependent as other nearby suburbs.
Los Angeles Considers Development Process Overhaul
Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti is proposing much-needed changes to the way L.A. facilitates neighborhood development.
Mitigating Fire Damage in L.A. County
In a tough month for Southern California, L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky claims that infrastructure investment and land use policies lessened the damage of the fires in the county -- more so than in other Southern California counties.
Historic Hotels Approved To Be Demolished To Create Surface Parking
No treat for preservationists on this Halloween, as the City Council of Stockton, California approves demolition of historic hotels to build surface parking lots.
Congestion Pricing Facing Uphill Battle In San Francisco
London Mayor Ken Livingstone discusses how congestion pricing came about in 2003, and the key role the business community played. Unlike London or NYC, downtown San Francisco merchants fear that congestion pricing will only be bad for business.
High Speed Rail May Have Hidden Costs
With nearly $10 billion in bonds going up for a vote in 2008 to fund high speed rail in California, residents should consider the history of public works projects that have greatly exceeded their initial low cost estimates, writes Adam B. Summers.
San Jose Encouraged To Bend Rules For Soccer Stadium
This editorial calls on the city of San Jose, California, to bend recently-passed planning process rules to keep hopes alive for a mixed-use soccer stadium project.
The Fire Last Time...And The Time Before That And The Time Before That...
In this reprinted excerpt from his 1999 book The Ecology of Fear, Mike Davis recounts the fire-prone history of Malibu and shows that development there has succumbed to repeated disastrous fires.
Saying 'No' To Housing: Cities Defend Industrial Lands
A number of cities in California are adopting policies to limit the conversion of industrial lands to housing and, in some case, retail development. Cities insist they need to defend their industrial job bases.
Halloween Street Festival Cancelled In San Francisco's Castro District
After a rash of violence at its annual Castro district Halloween festival in recent years, San Francisco has put the kibosh on this year's festivities. City officials are hoping word of the party's cancellation has been heard.
Think About Site And Climate Before Approving Projects
In response to the latest Southern California wildfires, site locations and climate must be more carefully considered by the people who build and approve subdivisions, writes Christopher Hawthorne.
Feds To LA: Try Congestion Pricing On Freeways
In a clear message to L.A.’s transportation leaders, a U.S. Department of Transportation representative told the city's transit agency to consider congestion pricing as a method to both reduce congestion and show ‘the true costs’ of freeway driving.
Ambitious Transportation Pricing Scheme Proposed For Bay Area
At a unique, combined meeting of two regional agencies, planners in the San Francisco Bay Area proposed several transportation pricing strategies to reduce global warming.
Another Fire, Yet Still More Homes
With two major fires in four years, San Diego County officials are trying to evaluate their options. Though many acknowledge that the battle against forest fires is a losing one, there are no proposals to restrict home building in fire prone areas.
Ad Plans Dropped From Golden Gate
A proposal to include advertising in certain visitor areas near San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge has been rejected.
Berkeley Reveals Solar Vision
In an effort to curb its energy use, the city of Berkeley, California, is considering a plan that would subsidize the installation of solar panels on homes in the city.
CA High Speed Rail Receives 'Vote Of Confidence'
The California Transportation Commission allocated $15.5 million to the state's High-Speed Rail Authority for environmental, engineering and design work on short, designated corridors for the 700-mile, $40 billion rail system.
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
