California started the decade with a recession and hangover from rampant development in the 2000s. What ensued was an economic boom like none other. Meanwhile, its cities developed only incrementally, spiraling into a catastrophic housing shortage.
"California of the 2010s played host to the most potent combination of innovation and finance the world has ever known. We figured out how to build just about anything as long as it was made of gigabytes and lived in the cloud. We built some infrastructure too, like light rail and airport terminals. Building housing, though, was another story."
"The revival of downtowns that swept the nation included California too, fueled by changing demographic trends, new appreciation for urban life, and new distaste for sprawl and driving. That, along with the development of light rail, may be the one bright spot. Many downtown neighborhoods are livelier than ever. Even so, this is a trend that has been in the offing for well more than 10 years and that has moved achingly slowly. You can nearly build a whole city in China in the time it takes to get an alcohol license in California."
"Even amid one of the greatest outpourings of creativity since the invention of the city itself, California of 2020 doesn’t look that much different from California of 2010. The state’s flat population growth, announced just last week, is both a symbol and a result of our statis [sic]. But, many of the changes in the 2010s may yet lead to radically new urban landscapes in this new decade."
Read the full story: Top California Planning Stories of the 2010s
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax survives legal challenge
A panel of judges found that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate injury as a result of New York City's implementation of the tax.
Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity
Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.
Seattle passes record-breaking transit services expansion
Proposition 1 will double the city’s transit tax to add 95,000 more bus trips and preserve 180,000 bus trips annually.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority