Los Angeles

Los Angeles Clarifies and Strengthens Protections Against Source of Income Discrimination
Los Angeles officials hope a new law will cut off one of the city's pipelines to homelessness.

A Sneak Peek at the New Plan (and Zoning Code) for Downtown Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Department of City Planning has released a draft of the DTLA 2040 plan. In addition to the changes it proposes for the downtown area, it's the first community plan update to roll out the city's new zoning code.

Public Outcry Greets Plan to Connect L.A. to Pasadena via Bus Rapid Transit
Voters might have approved transit funding multiple measures by wide margins in Los Angeles County in recent years, but actual project proposals still have trouble appealing at the hyper-local level.

New Bus Rapid Transit Route Takes Shape for the San Fernando Valley
The Valley helped popularize public transit and bus rapid transit in Los Angeles, after the Orange Line achieved immediate, unexpected success last decade. Now new routes are under consideration.

'Speed' Turns 25: Planners Think About Fast Buses
In the '90s, Keanu Reeves was hurtling down the roads and freeways of L.A. in a bus; 25 years later, city officials ponder ways to bring the city’s average bus speed above 10 mph.

An Investigation of the Nation's Increasing Number of Pedestrian Fatalities
PBS New Hour takes a deep dive into the climbing number of pedestrian deaths in the United States—now at their highest level in almost three decades.

The Environmental Costs of Slow, Empty Buses
Flagging ridership on Metro buses in Los Angeles redoubles the need to speed buses up with dedicated lanes, hopefully recovering lost riders and finding some news ones along the way, too.

Understanding Cities Through Their Life Cycles
Cities go through ups and downs over time, and where a city is in its longer history can reveal the reasons behind population changes.

Wild LA: An Excellent and Beautifully Illustrated Resource for L.A.’s Biodiversity
Los Angeled has plenty of urban wildlife, but people don’t usually associate the city with the term biodiversity. L.A. County park planner Clement Lau offers a book review on the a book on that subject, "Wild LA."

Revealed: Three Park Design Proposals for Key L.A. River Parcel
Three design proposals have been unveiled for the Taylor Yards parcel along the L.A. River.

L.A.'s Union Station Turns 80 and Looks to the Future
Ridership is down and the station has struggled in recent years, but new plans could help revive the 80-year-old historic landmark.

Using Gas Tax Revenue to Remove Traffic Lanes Adds to Road Diet Debate
Reducing the number of traffic lanes to improve bike and pedestrian safety can be inherently controversial when auto travel times are increased, and it can upset motorists further when they learn gas taxes are funding those safety improvements.

Why New York's Transportation Infrastructure Costs So Much
It's been remarked upon before. Infrastructure in New York City is a cost nightmare compared to other global cities. Accountability is lacking, Josh Barro writes, but MTA also suffers from an "institutional lack of power."
Mobile Parks and Recreation Fill a Need
Several cities are using mobile park and recreation services to augment existing parks and fill gaps in parks. LA County parks planner Clement Lau describes a sampling of mobile programs.

New on Netflix: How Street Vendors Create Vibrant Cities
Street vending has been a contentious issue in many places, but this part of the informal economy is important to the social and economic well-being of cities.

Report: Ballot Measure Intended to Spur Affordable Development Had the Opposite Effect in L.A.
L.A. voters approved Measure JJJ in 2016 in the hopes of encouraging more affordable housing as a trade-off for discretionary approval. The result has been no development at all.

From April to May in L.A.: From a Green New Deal to Transit Service Cuts
Can Los Angeles convince drivers to cut the number of automobile trips in half while also transit frequency on several light rail lines?

Transit Needs Improvements Sooner Rather Than Later
The Los Angeles transit system is losing riders, but L.A. Metro has been slow to implement changes that could keep people using it.

Embedded Planning Movement Gains Traction
Jonathan Pacheco Bell chronicles the growth of a movement he created.

Four Bus-Only Lanes Under Consideration Around Los Angeles
The transit planning agency in Los Angeles is preparing to make a major addition to the city's number of bus-only infrastructure.
Pagination
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions