Oakland
Pittsburgh to Oakland Bus Rapid Transit Taking Shape, Seeking Funding
The city of Pittsburgh and the Port Authority of Allegheny County are working together on a proposal to build dedicated bus lanes between Downtown Pittsburgh and the suburb of Oakland. A federal partner is still necessary.
Vacant Land Languishes in the High-Priced Market of Oakland, California
Oakland property prices have gone way up, but vacant land can be found all over the city. Hayley Raetz argues getting development on this land should be a policy priority.
San Francisco Voters to Decide on Employer Tax to House the Homeless
It started in Seattle with the Amazon Tax to pay for transportation and housing needs exacerbated by the city's largest employers. Last month, a Google Tax was placed on the November ballot in Silicon Valley. A landlord tax in Oakland could be next.
Seattle Beats San Francisco to Plastic Straw and Utensil Ban
Seattle's ban took effect Sunday, while San Franciso's proposed legislation, if successful, would begin July 1, 2019. Other cities have plastic straw restrictions, but Seattle's is the first outright ban. Compostable alternatives are permitted.
Big Oil Wins Climate Change Lawsuits
The courts are no place to be deciding on the contribution of fossil fuels to climate change, ruled a Northern California federal district court judge in a "stinging defeat" to San Francisco and Oakland that wanted Big Oil to pay mitigation costs.
Federal Judge Strikes Down Oakland's Ban on Coal Exports
Shipping coal from Utah to export to Asia through a new cargo facility in Oakland, California took a significant step forward on May 15 with a strongly worded ruling condemning the adequacy of the city of Oakland's environmental analysis.
Report Details Racial Inequality in Four Cities
Five decades after the Fair Housing Act, racial inequality is still rampant in American cities. Trulia and the National Fair Housing Alliance collaborated on this report on four of them.
Oakland Slow in Keeping Its Promise to Help Small Businesses Deal With Transit Changes
Oakland created a fund of $4 million dollars to aid small businesses affected by the construction of a new BRT line on International Blvd. So far, none of that money has been spent, though some of the funding was supposed to be spent by 2017.
Researchers Find a Model of Redevelopment Without Displacement
It's the "holy grail" of urban planning, say researchers.
Both Sides of the Parking Spectrum
Examples from California and Texas exemplify two extremes in thinking about parking.
Is CEQA the Main Impediment to Housing Construction in California?
According to a new study by UC Berkeley and Columbia University, local land use processes, specifically the approval process, rather than the California Environmental Quality Act, is the main impediment to housing production in California.
'Screen Door' Pilot to Be Installed at Oakland BART Station
The 12th Street station in Oakland, California will provide an initial test of a rail transit safety technology known as screen doors. Screen doors are rare in the United States, but not in other parts of the world.
Downtown Pittsburgh to Oakland BRT Moving Forward, With or Without Federal Money
Expect more cities and transit agencies around the country to wrestle with funding quandaries if the Trump Administration gets its way with existing capital investment grants.
One Native American Family, Two Housing Crises
In Oakland, California and Torreon, New Mexico, Julian Brave NoiseCat reports that "[f]or Indigenous people, the crisis of the home is intergenerational."
Former Bay Bridge Piers Offer a New Approach to the Water
"Four piers from the old eastern span of the Bay Bridge will live on as a public boardwalk and vista point in Oakland and on Yerba Buena Island," reports Erin Baldassari.
University of Pittsburgh Settles for Pedestrian Improvements on Adjacent Street
The university wanted to limit a section of Bigelow Boulevard to pedestrians, but the city pushed for a compromise: better crosswalks and traffic calming features. Now the challenge is finding the funds.
$312 Million Corridor Improvement Project Coming to the East Bay Area
Two county transit agencies, seven cities, and three regional transit agencies are joining forces to plan improvements to the growing San Pablo corridor in the East Bay Area.
A Radical Idea to Help the Homeless: Homeowners Should Open Their Doors
The mayor of Oakland is challenging homeowners to offer their extra rooms and in-law units to the homeless, with a target to create a modest 100 new permanent supportive housing units.
Oakland to Turn Vacant Properties into Affordable Housing
Oakland pilot program to buy up vacant lots and properties, whose owners have defaulted on their property taxes, to transform them into low- and medium-income housing.
Proposed Development Could Redefine Height in the East Bay Area
The Easy Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area isn't known for skyscrapers, with none of its high-rise buildings topping 25 stories. A newly proposed development could change that.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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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.
