Portland's river is a central gathering place for the city. New York lives between two rivers. A river defines Washington DC's geography.<br /> <br /> In Los Angeles, the river is a concretized ditch.<br /> <br /> But that river was always wilder than the others. Until the last century it ran not north-south -- its course today -- but east-west, emptying in Santa Monica instead of San Pedro. I have an antique map of Los Angeles on my living room wall, the first one published (1849 or so), and the river does indeed run perpendicular to the one I grew up driving over, or next to.
Portland's river is a central gathering place for the city. New York lives between two rivers. A river defines Washington DC's geography.
In Los Angeles, the river is a concretized ditch.
But that river was always wilder than the others. Until the last century it ran not north-south -- its course today -- but east-west, emptying in Santa Monica instead of San Pedro. I have an antique map of Los Angeles on my living room wall, the first one published (1849 or so), and the river does indeed run perpendicular to the one I grew up driving over, or next to.
Here's a nice little radio story -- the link goes to the transcript -- about efforts to re-naturalize parts of the river, to put a little more ecology and a few more square miles of parkland into the big sprawl.
If you're really into the LA River, also check out Blake Gumprecht's book The Los Angeles River. It's a complete history, and charming, too. And it'll totally put you off the seemingly annual snotty newspaper stories where correspondents for East Coast papers make fun of LA's waterway and make obligatory references to the drag race in Grease.
The Hyperloop’s Prospects Dim
The media is coming around to the idea that the hyperloop is not a near-term solution for the country’s transportation woes. It’s too little, too obvious, too late.
The Great American Exodus: A Conservative's Perspective
During his keynote speech on September 11 at the National Conservatism Conference in Miami, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis describes the demographic shifts in America since he became governor in 2019 in what he calls the 'Great American Exodus.'
Disneyland Is Too Crowded. Is More Capacity Needed?
Disneyland has a plan to create more supply to meet contemporary demand, a strategy reminiscent of contemporary debates surrounding housing and transportation.
Jaywalking Decriminalized in California
Another day, another historic planning-related bill signed into law in the Golden State.
Smart Growth Plan Hopes to Rein in Sprawl in Walla Walla
The Washington city reformed its zoning code to support more multifamily development and a diversity of housing types to meet the needs of its growing population.
The Resilience of Bikeshare
The inherent simplicity of bikes makes shared mobility systems a crucial transportation option during natural disasters.
University of Florida
Town of Mills River
City of Modesto
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Smart City Expo World Congress
California High Speed Rail Authority
City of Fargo, North Dakota
City of Crystal River
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
