ABAG

Regional Planning Merger One Step Closer to Reality in the Bay Area

The Bay Area is one of the few metro regions in the U.S. with a separate MPO and COG, but that could change after voting members of both the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Association of Bay Area Governments agreed to a merger study.

November 2, 2015 - Contra Costa Times

Grizzly Point Berkeley

Can a Single Regional Planning Agency Fix What Ails the Bay Area?

The potential to address the housing and transportation issues of the Bay Area by a single regional agency will be addressed this week.

October 28, 2015 - San Jose Mercury News

Gentrification and the Bay Area's Controversial Growth Management Plan

Is gentrification the inevitable result of land use planning that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by favoring infill development over auto-dependent sprawl? The Urban Displacement Project looks at the unintended effects of Plan Bay Area.

August 29, 2015 - Marin Independent Journal

California First: Carbon Fees Used to Fund Affordable, Transit-Oriented Housing

On June 29, the California Strategic Growth Council awarded $121.9 million in Greenhouse Gas Reduction Funds to help build 28 affordable housing developments on major transit lines. Funding originates from proceeds of the cap-and-trade market.

July 6, 2015 - PR Newswire

San Francisco Density

Density is Key to Fighting Climate Change, Rules Bay Area Judge

A group that coined the term, "stack and pack" to deride density and its role in reducing carbon emissions lost in court when the judge rejected their argument that only technological improvements in cars and fuels were necessary to reduce emissions.

July 9, 2014 - San Francisco Chronicle

Environmentalists Settle Lawsuit on Plan Bay Area

Two down, two to go. Rarely has a regional transportation/land use plan been sued by so many diverse groups. Environmentalists settled with Bay Area regional planning agencies with assurances that the 2017 plan will better account for GHG reductions.

June 24, 2014 - Contra Costa Times

Plan Bay Area: Sued From the Right, Now the Left

Plan Bay Area must be doing something right as it seems to be antagonizing those on both ends of the planning spectrum. First, a libertarian group sues because of "densification", and now environmentalists sue because not enough funds go for transit.

August 22, 2013 - KQED News

Libertarian Foundation Uses CEQA to Litigate 'Plan Bay Area'

The group, Bay Area Citizens, worried about loss of property values and quality of life, will be represented by the libertarian Pacific Legal Foundation, which will use CEQA as the basis of the lawsuit against regional agencies MTC and ABAG.

August 8, 2013 - San Francisco Chronicle

One Major Flaw of Plan Bay Area

According to SF State University geographer, Jason Henderson, the adoption of Plan Bay Area by MTC and ABAG last Thursday was a "watershed moment in regional planning", but it also was a missed opportunity to improve transit to capture more trips.

July 26, 2013 - San Francisco Bay Guardian

San Francisco Skyline

Bay Area's Controversial Growth Plan Approved

Over the heckles of hundreds of residents opposed to higher density and the two regional planning agencies making the decision, the Bay Area's growth plan designed to cut carbon emissions 15% by 2040 through better planning was approved.

July 20, 2013 - Pleasanton Weekly

San Francisco Peninsula Struggles with Growth Plan

The Bay Area is finalizing its plan to comply with state legislation to reduce vehicle emissions from transportation. "Plan Bay Area" has aroused fears of regional government and more, which were expressed at a recent public meeting.

May 3, 2013 - The San Mateo Daily Journal

Bay Area Selects Controversial Compact Regional Growth Plan

At a packed, May 17 meeting in Oakland, filled with transit advocates, tea-partiers, and builders, leaders of the two regional planning agencies selected "Plan Bay Area" as the blueprint to reduce transportation greenhouse gas emissions 17% by 2035.

May 24, 2012 - San Francisco Chronicle

Tea Party Sinks Planning Meeting

Public outreach on SB 375, California's climate change bill, began last month in the San Francisco Bay Area. But the East Bay Tea Party had other plans.

June 8, 2011 - Contra Costa Times

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.