Southern California
Storms Sever California Rail Line—Again
The coast-hugging rail corridor linking Los Angeles and San Diego faces an uncertain future as mudslides once again force part of the line to close.
Brightline West Awarded $3 Billion in Federal Funding
The high-speed rail line will cut travel time between Southern California and Las Vegas roughly in half.
Southern California Rail Corridor In Danger From Erosion, Lack of Leadership
With a patchwork of management and local agencies involved, the imperiled rail corridor has no unified plan for improving or relocating tracks impacted by coastal erosion.
New Vision for Southern California’s Great Park
The newly unveiled comprehensive plan includes a botanical garden, museums, and a 22-acre lake system.
Southern California City Raises Development Fees on Housing
In the midst of a historic housing crisis, the city of Santa Ana is raising fees on housing construction, which housing advocates fear will drive developers from the city.
Omicron Breaks Another Pandemic Record: Hospitalizations
The highly infectious Omicron variant is contributing to a record number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U.S. The record set in last winter's surge fell on Tuesday as hospitals suffer from massive labor shortages caused by the variant.
A Stark Picture of the Climate Gap in the Coachella Valley
In the low desert of Southern California, dwindling water supplies and a lack of infrastructure funding pose major challenges for working-class communities struggling to survive.
Los Angeles' Merchant of Sprawl
Los Angeles is mourning the death of billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad. For all of Broad's many civic contributions, he made his fortune in a decidedly anti-urban way.
California's Stringent Coronavirus Restrictions Worked
Public health experts credit the controversial L.A. County public health order and the state's regional order, both of which banned outdoor dining, with reducing the viral spread that overwhelmed hospitals with COVID patients last month.
Outdoor Dining and Indoor Haircuts Return to California
With COVID infections plummeting, Gov. Gavin Newsom surprisingly lifted California's regional stay home order that had imposed the nation's strictest personal and business restrictions during the most deadly phase of the pandemic.
The Southwest Contends With a Crisis on the Colorado River
With warmer temperatures sapping the flow of water and communities clamoring for higher volumes, the Colorado River needs strict management to continue serving millions of people and farms.
California Hospitals Now Operating Under Contingency Care Guidelines
The three levels of care provided by hospitals: conventional, contingency, and crisis, were outlined in a letter sent to all hospitals. They must notify the state by Wednesday that they have adopted some version of crisis standards to ration care.
The Pandemic's Most Critical Health Metric Just Shut Down Most of California
Gov. Gavin Newsom, who issued the nation's first stay-at-home order to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, issued a new order to prevent hospitals in the nation's most populous state from being overwhelmed with COVID patients.
Another Grim Coronavirus Milestone: This Time in Southern California
COVID-19 deaths topped 5,000 in Los Angeles County last week as deaths continue to mount due to a hasty reopening after an early shutdown. The center of the of outbreak in California now shifts to the Central Valley.
California Awards $500 Million in Grants for Low-Emissions Transportation Projects
The Amtrak route between Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Luis Obispo is one of the projects to receive a boost from the California State Transportation Agency's 2020 Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP).
Economic Argument for Historic Preservation in L.A.: Older Housing is Affordable Housing
Donovan Rypkema and Adrian Scott Fine highlight myth-busting findings on the impacts of historic preservation overlay zones (HPOZs) on affordability, density, diversity, and economic resilience of neighborhoods across Los Angeles.
Opinion: Regional Planning Fails the Needs of Southern California's Housing Crisis
The director of a leading "Yes In My Backyard" (YIMBY) organization in Southern California questions the effectiveness of a Regional Housing Needs Assessment methodology recently published by the Southern California Association of Governments.
Coastal City Rejects 'Managed Retreat' Strategy
Del Mar, in Southern California, says it does not want to adopt the approach as part of its sea-level rise adaptation plan.
Governor Calls for 1.3 Million New Homes in Southern California
Local governments in Southern California have chafed at a call from Governor Gavin Newsom for 1.3 million new homes over the next decade. The Southern California Association of Governments has proposed only 430,000.
Southern California's Metrolink Defies Declining Ridership Trends
Primarily serving commuters in the Greater Los Angeles metro area, Metrolink just attained the highest annual ridership in its 27-year existence. Officials chalk up the increase to a significant investment in marketing.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.
