California
San Francisco Nixes Slow Street
Lake Street’s designation as a ‘slow street’ is overwhelmingly popular with residents. Why does the city plan to dismantle it?
Can Los Angeles Join the Anti-Gas Station Movement?
A growing number of cities in California have prohibited the construction of new gas stations. Los Angeles could soon consider an ordinance to do the same—in a landmark move for the city some believe to be a symbol of car-dependent sprawl.
Mapping Heat Inequality
A new mapping tool underscores inequities in infrastructure that lead to higher rates of heat-related illnesses in low-income neighborhoods.
Californians Struggle To Cut Water Use
The state is slowly starting to curb water consumption, but progress has been ‘disappointingly slow’ as water supplies across the West diminish to historic lows.
Los Angeles to Test Road Closure Through Scenic Griffith Park
After a driver killed a cyclist on Griffith Park Drive in April, the city of Los Angeles is studying safety upgrades on streets in its famous park. The L.A. Times says the changes are part of a growing movement.
California Density Law Didn’t Kill the Single-Family Neighborhood
After the passage of a contentious zoning reform law that encourages ‘light infill’ in single-family neighborhoods, few California households have submitted applications to build extra units, largely due to onerous restrictions imposed by local laws.
Advancing Play Equity Through Mobile Recreation
The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation is offering the Park on the Move program to enable more youth in park-poor communities to play and stay active.
Funding Allocated to Extend Life of Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant
In order to to ensure that the lights stay on, the California legislature approved allocating up to $75 million to extend the life of the state's sole remaining nuclear plant and four natural gas powered plants, to the chagrin of environmentalists.
6,000 Acres of Prime Open Space in Los Angeles County Now Protected
The largest undeveloped private property in L.A. County is now part of a protected ecological area that will preserve habitat and expand wildlife corridors between the San Gabriel, Sierra Madre, and Santa Susanna mountains.
Skyline-Shifting Development Approved in Los Angeles
The Downtown Los Angeles-adjacent neighborhood of Echo Park is set to get its first towers—including one new building reaching 49 stories.
The Demographics of San Francisco’s Pandemic Urban Exodus
New Census data break down San Francisco’s population losses during the first year-plus of the pandemic by race and age.
Almost 36,000 California Households Got Eviction Notices Last Year
Despite efforts to implement rental assistance programs and eviction moratoriums during the COVID-19 pandemic, tens of thousands of California households were served eviction notices last year, with more falling behind on rent payments.
Bay Area Pop-Ups Aim To Activate Vacant Storefronts
As commercial storefronts experience high vacancy rates, cities like Oakland and San Francisco are making concerted efforts to support temporary tenants, public art installations, and small entrepreneurs that can revitalize abandoned spaces.
San Jose Begins Lowering Speed Limits
Thanks to a state bill, California cities can reduce speed limits on city streets by 5 miles per hour to improve traffic safety.
California Budget Includes $4.2 Billion for High-Speed Rail
The recently approved state budget directs $4.2 billion in bond funding to the Bakersfield-to-Merced leg of California’s long-awaited high-speed rail project.
Long Beach Opens New Water Playground
The coastal city just celebrated the grand opening of its newest beach attraction, an inflatable aquatic playground called the “Wibit.”
San Francisco to Reconsider Inclusionary Zoning as Development Slows to a Crawl
Critics of inclusionary zoning frequently point to San Francisco as an example of what not to do. A sluggish year of development has some local politicians ready to reconsider the city’s program.
California Senate Committee Kills Freeway Expansion Bill
The proposed legislation would have prohibited new construction in historically underserved areas that often bear the burnt of the negative impacts of freeways.
Sacramento Households Hit Hard by Evictions
With pandemic-era renter protections ending and rents rising by close to 20 percent, renters in Sacramento are finding it harder to afford housing in the region.
California Approves Revised Los Angeles Housing Element
State officials officially approved the city’s housing plan, which was initially rejected for not doing enough to enhance housing equity.
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
