Jon Christensen and Mark Gold survey the environmental accomplishments of the Los Angeles region as well as the state of California over the course of the past year.
The survey by Jon Christensen and Mark Gold, "[starts] with what we would have liked to have seen this past year, and then what we predicted would happen. We end with what really happened and what we can look forward to in 2015 and beyond."
The list includes ten items, starting local, like the as-yet-unrealized goal to create a sustainable city plan for Los Angeles. The list also touches on the approval of a plan for the restoration of the Los Angeles River by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a statewide ban on plastic bags, and comprehensive reform of the state's water management. On that last issue, Christensen and Gold note the progress made in the past year: "The state got more done on water supply management in 2014 than over the previous 10 years combined, maybe even the past two decades. It took a drought, strong legislative leadership, and most of all, a governor who declared a drought emergency and emboldened his staff to move forward with strong implementation of the California Water Action Plan."
FULL STORY: How are we doing?
Gov. Jerry Brown Restricts Funds for Affordable Housing in New Budget
California's recent rains brought relief to a large part of the water-starved state, but another drought of a political nature hasn't seen relief—the will of coastal municipalities to permit more housing. Brown outlined a way for new funding.
Demise of Entertainment Industry Mirrors Demise of Housing in LA
Making movies has a lot in common with developing real estate: producers = developers; screenwriters = architects; directors = general contractors. The similarities are more than trivial. Both industries are now hurting in L.A.
Downtown Los Angeles Gears Up for Growth
A new report highlights Downtown L.A.’s ongoing revival through major housing projects, adaptive reuse, hospitality growth, and preparations for global events in the years ahead.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?
Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.
Engineers Gave America's Roads an Almost Failing Grade — Why Aren't We Fixing Them?
With over a trillion dollars spent on roads that are still falling apart, advocates propose a new “fix it first” framework.
The European Cities That Love E-Scooters — And Those That Don’t
Where they're working, where they're banned, and where they're just as annoying the tourists that use them.
Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”
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.
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City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
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