California Planning & Development Report
How Regional Planning Can Be Antiracist
Under new board president Rex Richardson, the Southern California Association of Governments—the country's largest MPO—has pledged to combat racism through regional planning, including equitable housing development.
A Detailed Look at Women's Urban Experiences
In Feminist City, geographer Leslie Kern describes the often invisible ways in which cities are unwelcome to women. It's an essential look at the urban gender divide, and it passionately calls for gender equity in the planning profession.
How Christo Unwrapped Municipal Bureaucracy
Christo's site-specific artworks were known for their whimsy and playfulness. But the real beauty of his art lay in his ability to navigate local bureaucracies—and reveal how ridiculous they can be.
In Planning, Reality Can Be Worse Than Fiction
The Showtime Series Penny Dreadful portrays a bleak vision of 1940s Los Angeles. But, unencumbered by regulations and zoning laws, it also displays what great urban neighborhoods can look like.
Pandemic a Call to Arms for Planners
The pandemic has raised alarms about density. Post-pandemic, urban planners should fight more passionately than ever for progressive principles that make cities more equitable, pleasant, and, yes, healthy.
Planning Work Continues (Remotely) Amid Pandemic
While cities may be shut down, city planners have not turned off the lights. Planning departments around California, which is mostly on lockdown, have resorted to working from home. Long-range planning could even benefit.
Who Are The YIMBYs?
"Golden Gates: The Fight for for Housing in America," a new book by New York Times reporter Conor Dougherty, chronicles the early days of the YIMBY movement in the Bay Area.
2010s Were Best Of Times, Worst Of Times in California
California started the decade with a recession and hangover from rampant development in the 2000s. What ensued was an economic boom like none other. Meanwhile, its cities developed only incrementally, spiraling into a catastrophic housing shortage.
Retail Apocalypse Blazes New Trails
The demise of a beloved outdoors gear chain in Southern California suggests that no store is safe in America's high-priced cities.
Torrent of Pro-Housing Policies Could Overwhelm California's Planners
Ben Metcalf recently stepped down as director of the California Department of Housing and Community Development. His tenure coincided with adoption of aggressive new statewide policies. But are they too much of a good thing?
Proposed Tower In San Jose Distracts From Good Urbanism
A group has proposed a monumental tower to advertise San Jose and Silicon Valley to the world. The city would be better off focusing on its streetscape rather than its skyline.
Spotlight On Bay Area Planners
At this week's American Planning Association National Conference in San Francisco, a roundtable of eight planning directors from the Bay Area discussed their cities unique situations and common challenges.
California Governor Envisions Revitalized Cities Along Curtailed Rail Route
California Governor Gavin Newsom dropped a bombshell earlier this week by announcing that California's ambitious high-speed rail project would be pared down. He envisions the Central Valley segment as the spine of a resurgent urban region.
The Mysteries Of 'Social Infrastructure'
In his new book Palaces for the People, sociologist Eric Klinenberg explores the places—from libraries and schools to cafes and churches—where cities' social lives take place. It's a compelling idea but one that Klinenberg discusses clumsily.
Gabriel Metcalf Reflects On 20 Years Of Change In Bay Area
For over 20 years, few people have understood or influenced the Bay Area like Gabriel Metcalf, president of San Francisco Planning and Urban Research. Metcalf recently announced a move to Sydney, Australia, and reflected the past two decades.
How Land Use Policy Helped Turn California Blue
As recently as a half-generation ago, California passed anti-immigrant laws, routinely elected Republican politicians, and wallowed in land use laws—like Prop. 13—enacted by conservatives. Manuel Pastor explains California's change of heart.
The One Tech Company That's Engaging In California's Housing Debate
While tech giants like Google, Facebook, and Apple have approached the Bay Area's housing crisis gingerly the CEO of Yelp has thrown himself into the YIMBY movement. His activism says a lot about the real world and the virtual world.
A Planner Goes To City Hall
Longtime planner and journalist Bill Fulton took on a side-project in the 2000s: a seat on the city council and then mayorship of the city of Ventura, California. Fulton's new book Talk City offers a real-time account of local politics.
Can Electric Scooters Solve 'First-Mile, Last-Mile' Problem?
Countless ideas have been proposed to bridge the first-mile, last-mile gap: bike share, dockless bike share, ride-hailing services, circulator buses, trolleys, and, of course, good old-fashioned feet. The newest entrant: electric scooters.
Planners Cannot Ignore Legacy Of Government-Sanctioned Segregation
Even in liberal states like California, government-sanctioned residential segregation persisted in the 20th century. In a recent talk in L.A., Richard Rothstein, author of The Color of Law, charged planners with undoing this shameful legacy.
Pagination
City of Yakima
City of Auburn
Baylands Development Inc.
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
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.