California

Biden Proposes Gas Tax Holiday to Reduce Gas Prices
President Biden asked Congress on June 22 to suspend federal fuel taxes, unchanged since 1993, for three months to provide motorists 'relief' at the pump. Additionally, he asked states to follow suit and for oil companies to increase refining.

San Francisco Just Ended Single-Family Zoning
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to Tuesday to eliminate single-family zoning, but pro-development advocates say additional changes are needed to unleash a wave of construction.

Seeking Public Input to Improve and Expand Waterfront Park in San Diego
The Port of San Diego is engaging the public to gather additional feedback on the latest draft design for the National City Bayfront’s Pepper Park.

Land Banking to Prevent Transit-Oriented Displacement in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) will implement a new land banking program to mitigate gentrification and displacement around future transit lines.

Preserving More Hillside Land for Conservation and Biodiversity
The Los Angeles City Council recently approved an ordinance giving the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy first right of refusal to purchase any surplus hillside land owned by the city so it can be preserved.

The Importance of Inclusive Playgrounds
The first fully inclusive playground in the Antelope Valley in Los Angeles County features full, accessible rubber surfacing and activities accessible to children of all abilities.

New Tool to Understand Heat Vulnerability and Resilience in California
The California Healthy Places Index: Extreme Heat Edition is a tool which provides datasets on projected heat exposure for California, including place-based indicators measuring community conditions and sensitive populations.

The Return of San Francisco’s Privately Owned Public Spaces
In San Francisco, you can find respite from city life in some unexpected places—if you know where to look.

California Coastal Commission Nixes Parking Reforms Intended to Spur ADUs in San Diego
Environmental causes run into conflict with zoning reforms intended for environmental benefit once again, as the California Coastal Commission requires San Diego to reinstate parking requirements for ADUs.

A New Master Plan for the Los Angeles River
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted to approved a new master plan for the L.A. River—the “Reimagined River.”

Envisioning a New Nature Center
Los Angeles County is seeking public input as part of the Devil’s Punchbowl Natural Area Nature Center replacement planning project.

Wanted: Taggers Responsible for Graffiti at Yosemite National Park
National Park officials are asking for the public's help to track down those responsible for graffiti recently painted in the park.

Energy Department Resumes Loan Program with Hydrogen Storage
The Energy Department's loan office, known for a bad loan to the solar panel startup Solyndra in 2011, will loan $504 million to a company that will use renewable energy to create 'green hydrogen' and store it in salt caverns in Utah.

Nation's First Jackie Robinson Park Declared a Historic Landmark
Jackie Robinson Park in Sun Village has just been designated as a County Landmark by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

L.A. Seeking Funding for New Transit Projects Prior to the 2028 Summer Olympics
Los Angeles officials have been working for years to deliver a suite of transit projects in time for the 2028 Olympics. Planners now hope federal infrastructure funding could reinvigorate the effort.

Waterfront Wonder: The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park in San Diego
Learn more about this beautiful concert venue located on the edge of San Diego Bay.

Downtown San Francisco Still Looking for a Post-Pandemic Comeback
“Downtown on the Brink” reads the headline of a recent San Francisco Chronicle feature.

Restoring Degraded Lands to Advance Park Equity and Environmental Justice
The restoration of degraded lands, including properties occupied by abandoned, redundant, or unwanted infrastructure, is of great importance in Los Angeles County where numerous underserved communities are plagued with environmental burdens.

How California Planning has Changed—and How it Hasn't
In the newest edition of his classic book Guide to California Planning, Bill Fulton says there is still tension between the state's suburban planning system and its urban reality.

How Goats Aid in Wildfire Prevention
Grazing goats can quickly and effectively clear steep or hard-to-reach hillsides of invasive, fire-fueling vegetation.
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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