Los Angeles
LA Metro Greenlights South Bay Light Rail Extension
When complete, the K Line extension will offer a 19-minute ride from Torrance to LAX.
LA is Using 500 Goats to Clear Vegetation on Olympic Practice Fields
Grazing as a wildfire prevention tool is one of the most eco-friendly ways to clear dry brush and remove invasive plants.
California Seals 21 Urban Oil Wells in South LA After Decades of Activism
The permanent closure of a long-troubled South Los Angeles oil site marks a hard-fought victory for residents and underscores the growing urgency of addressing hazardous idle wells in communities nationwide.
Report: LA Construction Permits Fell 40% After ‘Mansion Tax’
New housing permits fell sharply for both single-family homes and multifamily buildings after the city enacted a tax on property sales over $5 million.
Study: LA Could Get Rid of Almost Half its Pavement
Researchers say nearly half of the county’s paved surfaces could be redesigned to cool neighborhoods, manage stormwater, and improve public health.
LA Considers Reviving Zoning Rule That Would Prohibit ICE Facilities for Children
A 2019 proposal would bar private detention facilities from contracting with federal agencies to detain minors.
Study: LA’s Homelessness Program Displaced 5 People for Every One it Helped
Researchers say a city program designed to help people access housing and services “does not live up to its name” and has caused more harm than good.
LA County Adopts First Heat Action Plan
LA County has adopted its first Heat Action Plan, a long-term, people-centered framework to reduce heat risks, protect public health, and adapt communities, homes, and public spaces to a hotter and more dangerous climate.
LA Proposal Would Forcibly Remove Unhoused People Near Olympic Venues
Los Angeles County sent city officials a report outlining strategies for clearing homeless encampments, but advocates point out that the report itself notes there are not enough shelte resources to accommodate all unhoused residents.
LA’s Laws Against Rent Gouging are Going Unused — Not Because it’s not Happening
The county has not fined anyone under new laws passed after last year’s wildfires.
LA Metro Opposes TOD Law, Fearing Backlash to Transit Expansion
Metro wants an exemption from California’s new housing law, despite the law’s potential to increase ridership by putting more housing near transit stations.
LA Metro Board Approves New Subway for One of Nation’s Busiest Freeway Corridors
The new subway could cut the hour-long trip between west Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley to 20 minutes.
California’s Brightline West High-Speed Rail Announces 2029 Completion Date
The Las Vegas-to-Southern California rail line was originally slated to open for service in time for the 2028 Olympics.
AirBnb Commits Empty Los Angeles Listings for Emergency Housing Within 24 Hours of Future Disasters
The company’s nonprofit arm formalized an agreement to offer free housing to residents after disasters.
The Overlooked Spaces That Can Prevent the Spread of Fire
The space between homes can as much as double a chance’s home of survival during a fire.
One Year After the LA Fires, Just 13% of Damaged Homes Have a Rebuilding Permit
After a slow start, permitting is starting to pick up.
2025 Brought Seismic Changes to California Housing Laws
New state laws and policies created in reaction to devastating wildfires could spell massive changes for Southern California’s housing landscape.
Commentary: LA’s ‘Large Asphalt Repair’ Policy Privileges Drivers, Endangers Others
A new policy to perform spot repairs rather than resurfacing entire streets lets the city skirt requirements to install accessibility and pedestrian infrastructure.
LA Cites Guerilla Crosswalk Painter With Vandalism
The LA Police Department stopped a group of volunteers who was painting missing crosswalks in a Westwood intersection.
LA Metro Approves Controversial Dodger Stadium Gondola Plan
The vote came after a contentious meeting in which dozens of speakers, including three city council members, spoke against the proposed aerial taxi.
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
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
