Santa Monica

Santa Monica Garage-to-Affordable-Housing Conversion To Receive $2 Million
The city has been awarded $2 million in federal funding to support the conversion of a downtown parking structure into an affordable housing project.

Santa Monica Offers Affordable Housing to Residents Displaced by Freeway Construction
A new program seeks to make restitution for the damage inflicted on Black communities by highway construction and urban renewal.

Businesses Oppose Conversion of Parking Structure Into Affordable Housing
Business owners in downtown Santa Monica have filed a lawsuit opposing the city's planned replacement of a parking structure with housing, despite city studies showing that the city's downtown parking supply far exceeds demand.

Santa Monica Institutes 'Zero-Emissions Delivery Zone'
A new pilot program in Santa Monica aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide a testing ground for new technologies.

Some Santa Monica City Councilmembers Unhappy With Housing Element Update
Local leaders are challenging state-mandated affordable housing requirements for the 2021-2029 cycle.

Add More Bicycle Friendly Communities to the List
The League of American Bicyclists announced in December the round of Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) awards.

Reforms Would Ease Approvals Process for Downtown Developments in Santa Monica
The city of Santa Monica will consider approvals process changes that will make it easier to entitle the largest projects allowed under zoning for the city's downtown.

A Canary in the Coal Mine for All Cities? Santa Monica City Manager Steps Down
Rick Cole discusses the existential challenges cities must grapple to be a leading city in the 21st century, Santa Monica's achievements during his five years as city manager, and the sacrifices that will be made as the city endures COVID-19.

The Disruption of 'Safer at Home' for L.A.'s Unhoused
Alisa Orduña shares her insight on Santa Monica's COVID-19 response and the pandemic's disruption both on the lives of L.A.'s unhoused and the approach cities take towards crises of public health, safety, and wellbeing, going forward.

Santa Monica Designs Greenest Municipal Building in the World
Amber Richane, Project Manager for the city of Santa Monica's new City Services Building, on the city's commitment to building the world's most sustainable public building.
County of Sonoma
City of Malibu
EMC Planning Group Inc.
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Redwood City
City of Rohnert Park
City of Hot Springs
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.