California
Los Angeles Subway Work Halted Amid Serious Safety Lapses
A string of unaddressed worker injuries prompted the county transit agency to suspend work on a subway line that will connect downtown Los Angeles to the westside.
Remembering a Titan: Mike Davis Dies at 76
Davis’ unflinching portrait of Los Angeles politics and power dynamics remains a penetrating analysis of modern city-building, who it benefits, and who it leaves behind.
Waymo Wants to Bring ‘Robot Taxis’ To L.A.
After launching pilot programs in San Francisco and Phoenix, the company says it is ready to begin deploying its autonomous vehicles on Los Angeles streets.
How the 'Builder's Remedy' Is Disrupting Planning and Development in California
The state of California has long looked the other way while cities blocked growth. With the state now enforcing growth plans, more and more cities are faced with losing local control of zoning. Introducing the “Builder's Remedy."
Designing a New Nature Center at a Geological Wonder
Los Angeles County has developed a conceptual design for a new nature center at the Devil’s Punchbowl Natural Area based on community input. The old nature center was destroyed by a wildfire in 2020.
Uproar Over San Francisco’s $1.7 Million Toilet
Critics question why a single-toilet public bathroom could cost the city close to $2 million and take two years to build.
Identifying and Addressing Rural Park and Recreation Needs
Rural communities are not homogeneous. Each has its own unique demographics, location, topography, history, park and recreation needs, and community preferences.
Ramping Up Recycled Wastewater
States like Colorado and water suppliers in parts of Southern California are expanding the use of recycled wastewater to protect dwindling drinking water supplies.
How Office Conversions Could Benefit San Francisco
The city could emulate Calgary, New York, and other cities in supporting office conversions as a way to boost floundering downtown economies and provide much-needed additional housing.
Wildfires Second-Largest Source of Emissions in California
New research quantifies the impact of wildfires on California’s air quality, indicating that bigger and more frequent fires contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.
Unhoused People Overwhelmingly Want One Thing: Shelter
Two new studies shed light on what people experiencing homelessness actually need by using a shocking new tactic: asking them.
The Consequences of Sprawl: Overcrowded Housing and Covid Deaths
Los Angeles is the nation's capital of both crowding and sprawl. A feature published by the Los Angeles Times provides the history of how the metropolis achieved this contradiction.
West Coast Offshore Wind Takes a Step Forward
The federal government announced a lease sale for locations along the California coast approved for offshore wind energy production.
Majority of Southern California Cities Miss Housing Deadline
Close to two-thirds of the region’s municipalities missed the October 15 deadline to revise their housing elements, jeopardizing state funds and control over local development.
Dodger Stadium Gondola Completes Draft Environmental Impact Report
No World Series? At least Dodger fans can imagine themselves soaring over the traffic jams on the way to and from Dodger stadium in a new gondola.
Caltrain Railyard Redevelopment Back on the Table in San Francisco
An incredibly complex development proposal for 20 acres of Caltrain railyard is back on the table, nearly a decade since it first made news in San Francisco.
How to Hire and Retain Bus Drivers During the Great Resignation
Bus systems all over the country are cutting service due to an ongoing shortage of operators—the drivers who make the whole system go. A few examples of success provide a way forward.
Orange County Desalination Plant Wins Key Approval
A desalination plant is moving forward in Orange County with California Coastal Commission approval just a few months after another, uch more expensive project, failed the same test.
Fresno Development Will Provide Little Parking
The builder is relying on demand for lower-cost, transit-oriented housing units for residents who don’t own private cars, opting to provide only seven parking spaces for a 37-unit building.
California Needs More Housing—But Where?
The state’s housing shortage is complicated by the growing number of places threatened by wildfires.
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
