Over 80% of Californians live within an hour’s drive of a beach, but that does not mean that everyone has easy access to beaches.

Beaches are some of California and Los Angeles County's most popular and beloved destinations. But not everyone can get to or enjoy them equally. As Frank Shyong reports in this article, there are numerous factors that contribute to inequitable beach access, including (but not limited to):
- Lack of public transit service to some beaches
- Lack of direct connections to some beaches via public transit, requiring transfers and use of multiple bus lines or modes of transportation
- Costs of parking, food, and activities
- Actions by some coastal homeowners, including putting up fake no-parking signs, painting curbs red, installing their own gates and staircases and hiring private security
- Racial bias and the lingering effects of the coast's history of segregation
The article also references a recent study by UCLA's Institute of Environment and Sustainability which offers some valuable data and recommendations regarding coastal access.
On a related note, the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) is currently working on a study to analyze and document the need for facilities like beaches, natural areas, open spaces, regional parks, trails, and local parks in rural areas. As part of this process, DPR is conducting an online survey to better understand whether and how L.A. County residents are using these facilities.
FULL STORY: The beach is there for all of us — we just have to get there

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

Seattle Builds Subway-Sized Tunnel — for Stormwater
The $700 million ‘stormwater subway’ is designed to handle overflows during storms, which contain toxic runoff from roadways and vehicles.

Feds Clear Homeless Encampment in Oregon Forest
The action displaced over 100 people living on national forest land near Bend, Oregon.

Is This Urbanism?
Chuck Wolfe ponders a recommended subscription list of Substack urbanists and wonders — as have others — about the utility of the "urbanist" moniker.
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
Tyler Technologies
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions