Toyota's April 30th announcement that it would take its headquarters from Torrance to Plano, Texas is proof-positive that California's high regulatory, high tax, and high cost of living environment is unfriendly to business. Or is it?
(Updated 5/12/2014) Correction: The Los Angeles Times reported on April 28 a correction on this news story. "Although 2,300 Toyota employees will remain in California, none will be at the Torrance facility."
For Torrance, a city of 147,000 and eighth largest in Los Angeles County, the debate as to whether California is business-unfriendly or not is irrelevant now.
"Figuring out how Torrance can fill the 101-acre hole the giant auto maker will leave behind when it vacates its sprawling campus," write Tamara Audi and Mike Ramsey, is one of many new concerns that Mayor Frank Scotto must deal with now that the city's largest employer with 5,300 workers, unexpectedly announced their relocation to Plano, Texas, population 272,000, "located within the metropolitan area commonly referred to as the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex" (per Wikipedia).
As to whether the Toyota relocation says anything about California's business climate, the answer is clear.
California was never considered in the search for a new headquarters site, these people said, but its location—far from Toyota's other operations in the U.S.—was a bigger factor than its business climate, which has been criticized by some for its high taxes and myriad regulations.
In fact, a more relevant question would be why Toyota chose Texas over Atlanta, Charlotte., N.C. and Denver, as those cities were Plano's competition, according to those familiar with the search.
I'm sure it didn't hurt that "Texas offered Toyota $40 million to move, part of a Texas Enterprise Fund incentive program run out of the governor's office. At $10,000 a job, it was one of the largest incentives handed out in the decade-old program and cost more per job created than any other large award," write the Journal's Mike Ramsey and Joseph B. White (article also available in MarketWatch).
FULL STORY: California City of Torrance Grapples With Toyota Relocation to Texas

The Right to Mobility
As we consider how to decarbonize transportation, preserving mobility, especially for lower- and middle-income people, must be a priority.

America’s Best New Bike Lanes
PeopleForBikes highlights some of the most exciting new bike infrastructure projects completed in 2022.

Early Sharrow Booster: ‘I Was Wrong’
The lane marking was meant to raise awareness and instill shared respect among drivers and cyclists. But their inefficiency has led supporters to denounce sharrows, pushing instead for more robust bike infrastructure that truly protects riders.

L.A. County Towns Clash Over Homelessness Policies
Local governments often come to different conclusions about how to address homelessness within their respective borders, but varying approaches only exacerbate the problem.

A Mixed-Use Vision for Houston Landfill Site
A local nonprofit is urging the city to consider adding mixed-use development to the site, which city officials plan to turn into a stormwater detention facility.

Milwaukee County Makes Substantial Progress on Homelessness
In 2022, the county’s point-in-time count of unhoused people reflected just 18 individuals, the lowest in the country.
Town of Palm Beach
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
York County Government
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Fitchburg, WI
City of Culver City
Sonoma County Transportation Authority
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.