California
World’s First Municipal ‘Heat Officers’ Combat Extreme Heat
As extreme heat threatens infrastructure and public health, municipal ‘heat officers’ work to develop cooling strategies to keep urban residents safe from increasingly hot temperatures.
Inland Port Planned for Mojave Desert
California’s Kern County approved plans to build a 410-acre logistics hub to expand capacity for cargo coming from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Analysis of Downtown Recoveries Reveals Post-Pandemic Winners and Losers
The recovery of U.S. downtowns is happening at widely different paces depending on which city you consider.
Opinion: Los Angeles Transportation Plan Will Increase Driving
L.A. Metro’s plan to add hundreds of miles of new traffic lanes is projected to increase carbon emissions by 10 million metric tons.
Key Warehouse Centers Challenge Distribution Center Expansion
Communities near major e-commerce distribution centers are increasingly resisting new construction, citing air pollution and other public health impacts.
Another Silicon Valley Enclave Resists Multifamily Housing
Ultrawealthy residents have blocked a proposal to build townhouse developments in one of California’s most affluent communities.
Opinion: California Needs an Overnight SoCal-to-Bay Area Train
A red-eye between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area could make train travel a viable options for millions of Californians.
Could Los Angeles Emulate Barcelona’s ‘Superblocks’?
A proposal in the city council could bring the ‘superblock’ model to Los Angeles, opening up neighborhood streets to more biking, walking, and public amenities.
Digital Tool ‘Gamifies’ Planning Decisions
Interactive platforms help stakeholders visualize and understand the challenges faced by planners in distributing new housing construction, building infrastructure, and other projects.
California Governor Outlines Plan for a ‘Hotter, Drier Future’
With California’s water supply expected to drop by 10 percent in the next two decades, Governor Newsom’s strategy calls for conservation and increased investment in water collection, storage, and desalination infrastructure.
Did L.A.’s Supportive Housing Bond Fail?
Six years after Prop HHH was passed, the fund appears to be delivering on its housing construction goals in the 10-year timeline. But the measure is being routinely criticized on all sides.
Los Angeles Tightens Restrictions on Encampments
During a city council meeting that had to pause while police cleared the room of activists opposing the measure, the council voted to ban public sleeping within 500 feet of schools, making one-fifth of city sidewalks off-limits to unhoused people.
Los Angeles County Launches New Power of Play Initiative
The L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation and the L.A. County Parks Foundation are partnering on an initiative to build awareness, support and a safety net to provide vulnerable youth and families access to high-quality programming.
The Importance of Trails
Trails play a vital role in encouraging and facilitating outdoor recreation that contributes to the health and well-being of residents and visitors alike.
Judge Bars Sacramento Encampment Sweeps
Advocates for unhoused people are calling on the city and county to provide more resources for supportive housing, open more cooling centers, and build more shelter beds.
People’s Park—Symbol of Berkeley’s Storied Past—Temporarily Cleared and Fenced Off for Development
A few days after a judge’s ruling cleared three pending lawsuits blocking the development of People’s Park, the unhoused people living in the park were cleared and fence surrounds the site. Protestors took back the park within a day.
San Francisco Housing Construction Far Slower Than Other Tech Hubs
Experts blame high land and construction costs and restrictive regulations for San Francisco’s dismal rate of housing construction, which lags behind other fast-growing cities like Austin and Seattle.
Reckless Driving and Illegal Activity Shut Down L.A.’s Newest Bridge
Could the chaos that has plagued the 6th Street Viaduct’s first few weeks signal an opportunity to reimagine its intended uses?
This Street Treatment Fights Extreme Heat
Applied to streets, parking lots, and other asphalt surfaces, a reflective epoxy coating can lower temperatures by as much as 10 degrees and cool neighborhoods vulnerable to extreme heat.
Advancing Parks and Recreation Through Storytelling
July is Park and Recreation Month and this year’s theme is “We Rise Up for Parks and Recreation.” One way for park and recreation professionals to rise up is for them tell their stories.
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
