California
SF's Pyramid Defies Expectations
Forty years ago, an unusual proposal for a pyramid-shaped skyscraper caused outrage across San Francisco. Today, it is recognized as a worthy addition to the skyline. John King looks at the building's transformation from eyesore to icon.
NASA Says Agriculture Is Draining Groundwater in California
NASA satellite imagery reveals that two of California's main groundwater sources are being rapidly depleted by agriculture and exurban development.
A Bright Outlook For Freight Railroads
While rail is known to be much greener than its competitor long-distance trucking, it is also a key component to globalization and big-box retail. This article spotlights the growth of Burlington Northern Santa Fe RR and the Port of Los Angeles.
Residents Upset About New FEMA Flood Maps
Flood maps redrawn by the Federal Emergency Management Agency are causing thousands of Southern California residents to buy mandatory flood insurance, even though they say flooding is rare and barely an issue.
SF's Transbay Terminal Project Edges Closer to Groundbreaking
The New York Times looks at plans for the new Transbay Terminal in San Francisco, which could break ground within months.
Urban Planning in Los Angeles, 2009
Curbed LA takes an amusing look at the urban planning proposals that bubbled up in L.A. throughout 2009.
Pushing Public-Private Partnerships in San Francisco Parks
Parks officials in San Francisco look to mimic New York City's approach to funding parks through public-private partnerships.
The New Bay Bridge, In-Depth
SF Public Press and McSweeney's Panorama newspaper bring a series of in-depth reports on the construction of the new Bay Bridge, focusing on why the project has become so expensive.
Marin TOD Planning: Drop The 'D'
Marin County, long known for its environmental awareness, is concerned about anything that is "growth inducing", and that certainly includes the new SMART passenger rail system, approved by the voters in November, that will serve Sonoma and Marin.
Employer-Based Trip Reduction Rule Adopted By California Air District
Air pollution rules recently passed in California seek to change the way workers get to their jobs. While solo commuters won't be forced out of their cars, businesses must choose from a selection of strategies aimed to do just that.
Fighting Drought in California
Three years into a statewide drought, California officials have taken drastic steps to reduce water use in cities and farms. 60 Minutes looks at the drought and efforts to combat the water shortage.
Air Quality Rules May Hinder Densification
New air quality guidelines aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of new housing developments may turn out to hinder the approval of dense projects in California.
Treasure Island A Future Atlantis?
The City of San Francisco recently inked a deal to purchase the man-made Treasure Island sitting in its bay. But some wonder if an island threatened by rising sea levels was really such a smart buy.
New Research: Effect of Suburban TODs on Surrounding Property Values
Mention 'density' in suburban areas and the knee-jerk reaction is, "there go the property values". But is that really the case? In this study from San Jose State University, 4 suburban TODs are evaluated for their effects on nearby property values.
Improving on LEED
Bay Area non-profit TransForm has launched a new program called GreenTRIP that aims to supplement LEED requirements with a VMT calculation on each project.
A Floating Airport?
A private group is proposing a wild scheme to build a much-needed new airport for San Diego as a floating offshore platform.
'Safe Harbor' Along Sacramento River
A new program along a 222-mile stretch of the Sacramento River aims to encourage landowners to create riparian habitats without fear of being sued later if they need to remove it for crops.
Documenting The Mother Road
The California Preservation Foundation and the National Park Service are funding a cultural survey of Route 66, which could result in several new national landmarks along the old highway.
CalTrans Sued Over Disability Access, Settles for $1.1b in Fixes
Civil rights activists sued CalTrans for failing to provide wheelchair ramps across the state. In federal court yesterday, CalTrans settled with the groups, agreeing to over a billion dollars in access improvements over 30 years.
Spend More, Get Less
Is San Francisco the worst-run big city in the country? The SF Weekly argues that despite spending more per capita than any other city, SF fails to deliver on almost everything.
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.
