Los Angeles
The 20 Dirtiest Cities in the U.S.
California has 7 of the 20 cities with the poorest air quality, according to a list complied by Forbes. Bakersfield, which has 60 days of unhealthy air a year, takes the top spot for its hot and dusty weather and proximity to oil fields.
"Shoulder Pads" For A Stadium
Design and architecture firm Gensler has released their newest plans for the proposed football stadium in downtown Los Angeles.
Los Angeles' Streetcar Plans Under Fire
With available funding from U.S. Tiger grant, Los Angeles has big hopes for its downtown which include a streetcar line that would go from north to south. Critics say the line is redundant of other existing transit.
GTA V Trailer Satirizes LA Planning And Construction
The new edition of the Grand Theft Auto series will parody LA, including its idiosyncratic planning landscape, which will feature avaricious developers, activist NIMBYs, and a oceanside dwelling starchitect.
Among the Needy, Car Ownership Can be Key to Moving Up
In the last installment of a three-part series on "Buy Here Pay Here" car dealerships, Ken Bensinger reports on the link between car ownership and income among the poor. Historically, legislation for low-income car ownership has been resisted.
New Football Stadium in Los Angeles Faces Opposition
The Mayor has proposed a $1.5 billion plan to build a football stadium, named Farmers Field in L.A.'s downtown with the goal of boosting the region's overall economy.
L.A. Finally Updates 37-Year Old Bike Plan
Not updated since 1975, and years in the making, Los Angeles County has finally released a Bike Master Plan, available now for review.
The Top 15 Most Stressful Cities
Forbes Magazine picks 15 of the most stressful cities in the United States. To come up with the data, "we analyzed quality-of-life data from the 40 largest metropolitan statistical areas," says Beth Greenfield.
Miami's Burgeoning Downtown Art Scene
Mera Rubell, one of America's premier art collectors, explains to Richard Florida why she loves collecting her art in Miami, and which is the best American City for artists.
Parking (or Lack Thereof) Drives Choice
In this Climate Watch blog and accompanying "Miles To Go" radio report, the reporter observes how powerful parking rated as a factor in determining whether to drive, walk, or take transit, and the public policies that affect the quantity of parking.
Across the Freeway, Hesitation Toward Proposed L.A. Stadium
Yes, there will be jobs, and safety has improved since downtown revitalization efforts began over a decade ago. But Pico-Union residents are feeling routinely excluded--and shortchanged--when it comes to decisionmaking.
Two CEQA-Reform Bills Signed By Governor
Brown's main reason for signing the bills: "Too Damn Many Regulations". One gives environmental clearance for the AEG stadium in downtown LA, and the other other accelerates environmental review for projects costing at least $100 million.
Slow Growth in Cities May Have Lessened Foreclosures
Researchers found in their analysis of 300 California municipalities that the cities that had slow growth or anti-growth policies were less impacted by the housing crisis, writes Mark Bergen for Forbes.
L.A. Suing Billboard Magnate Over Supergraphics
Michael McNeilly of SkyTag covered building sides across Los Angeles with multi-story advertisements, disregarding laws prohibiting them. The city is suing SkyTag for millions in penalties.
Downtown Stadium Will Be "Sea of Billboards"
Gov. Jerry Brown will soon be asked to sign a bill that would loosen environmental regulations on a downtown L.A. stadium, which would also be smothered in LED billboards.
L.A. Ousts a Car Lane for Bikes
The unfathomable happened this week in Southern California when L.A. converted 2.2 miles of road into a bike lane that stretches along 7th Street from Koreatown to Downtown.
Analyst Says Economic Benefit of L.A. Stadium Would Be Minimal
As the city of Los Angeles considers a plan to allow construction of a football stadium downtown, some have called into question the economic projections of developers.
California Cities Hoping Projects Lure Teams and Development
Cities across California are proposing new stadium projects in hopes of luring football teams and economic growth as a result of their new megadevelopments.
TOD Booms in California
Transit oriented development is on the rise in California, with new projects being pushed in conjunction with new rail lines in Southern California and the Bay Area.
Vision Lacking in Downtown L.A. Stadium Plan
Plans for a downtown football stadium in Los Angeles are seeming ever more likely to pan out. The project present an opportunity for the city to develop a major center, but shortsightedness could keep it from becoming an exciting part of the city.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
