Los Angeles

A Think Tank for an Urban Garden

With new fast food restaurants temporarily banned in South L.A. and few new sources of food coming into the area, one local architecture professor set his students loose to work on ideas for a small urban farm.

November 24, 2010 - Los Angeles Times

Effort to Streamline Development Process Underway in L.A.

Officials in Los Angeles are trying to streamline the process of getting projects permitted and approved -- an effort that could rapidly increase the amount of time it takes to develop in the city.

November 23, 2010 - LA Downtown News

School's in Session for Urban Planning High School

A new high school has opened in East Los Angeles that focuses specifically on urban planning.

November 18, 2010 - Metropolis

The Wisdom and Future of Short-Run Transit

By looking at three Los Angeles examples of very short rail lines, writer Alissa Walker suggests that seemingly pointless but fun transit systems could be the best way to use transit to improve urban areas.

November 16, 2010 - Gelatobaby

New L.A. Planning Codes Could Create 'Transit Sprawl'

A new group of activists in Los Angeles is warning that recently approved changes to the city's planning code could make it easier for transit-related projects to be approved even if they are not in alignment with neighborhood planning documents.

November 15, 2010 - Streetsblog L.A.

The Cultural Reshaping of Los Angeles

In this reflection on the new book "Los Angeles in Maps", James Rojas wonders what shape the city will take in the near and far future.

November 13, 2010 - KCET

A Petri Dish for Dreams

That's how architect Brenda Levin, FAIA, describes her adopted city of Los Angeles, where she's spent the last 30 years helping the city's urban form evolve.

November 12, 2010 - The Planning Report

Developing A Coexistence Between High Speed Rail and L.A.

Los Angeles architect Roger Sherman is trying to help guide the car-centric L.A. area into harmonious coexistence with the state's planned high speed rail.

November 12, 2010 - AIA

Doing More With Less in Los Angeles

In a recent press release, L.A. Director of Planning Michael LoGrande announced that he is reorganizing their reduced staff to "focus on and master critical functions."

November 8, 2010 - Los Angeles Department of City Planning

Elections Could Sabotage L.A.'s 30/10 Plan

Christopher Hawthorne at the L.A. Times says that the Republican rise to power will likely spell doom for Mayor Villaraigosa's request for a federal loan to speed up transit construction. Still, he writes, the work will go on.

November 5, 2010 - The Los Angeles Times

Political Cleavage Intensifies Debate On A More Connected LA

Christopher Hawthorne, the architecture critic at the LA Times the contradictory evidence surrounding LA's machinations toward becomming a post-suburban city. He finds public opinion fractured as the MTA finalizes plans for two Westside subway lines.

October 31, 2010 - Los Angeles Times

L.A.'s 'Subway to the Sea' Gets Close

The L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority board has selected a route for its long planned Westside extension of the city's subway system. It falls a little short of hopes for a "Subway to the Sea".

October 29, 2010 - Los Angeles Times

The 'Negligible' Building Safety Benefit of Helipads

In the second part of a series looking at codes in L.A. that require tall buildings to have flat roofs for helicopter landing, Curbed LA discusses a new building that has been exempted from the code and whether more are likely to follow.

October 27, 2010 - Curbed LA

The Fire Department Code That Flat-Tops L.A.'s Skyline

All buildings in Los Angeles taller than 75 feet are required to have a flat surface on the roof where helicopters can land, according to a fire department-mandated code. Now leaders are thinking about updating that code -- and the city's skyline.

October 26, 2010 - Curbed LA

LA Weighs New Design Guidelines

Some critics say the proposed voluntary measures don’t have teeth, while others worry they lay the groundwork for overdevelopment.

October 26, 2010 - The Architect's Newspaper

The Conflicted Culture of Los Angeles

Christopher Hawthorne reflects on the simultaneous rise of bicycle culture and anti-transit NIMBYs. Can Angelenos come together to move forward when it comes to transportation and the built environment?

October 25, 2010 - The Los Angeles Times

Time-Based or Distance-Based Transit Fares: Is One Better Than the Other?

Is there a difference between the two most common fare structures in public transit?

October 23, 2010 - TheCityFix

A Post-Sprawl Los Angeles

CNN's Richard Quest takes an incredulous look at the changes brewing in Los Angeles as downtown revitalizes and the city densifies.

October 10, 2010 - CNN

New Report Proposes Ways to Combat L.A.'s "Food Deserts"

A new report from The Los Angeles Food Policy Task Force calls for the government to take steps to increase accessibility to local, healthy food in urban areas.

October 6, 2010 - Good

Finding Safe Places For Homeless To Park

Venice Beach (City of LA) is the latest community to restrict overnight parking of vehicle-dwelling homeless residents, including those living in RVs. It's a growing problem, especially in areas with inviting climates and tolerant political attitude

October 6, 2010 - The New York Times - U.S.

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.

Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO

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.