California

New Master Plan for L.A.’s Hollywood Walk of Fame
The plan will detail $4 million in improvements to one of the city’s biggest tourist draws.

Opinion: California Needs to Close Gig Economy Loopholes
A state bill would force gig companies to treat workers fairly and would stanch the flow of subsidies that keep customer costs artificially low.

S.F. Bay Area Fare Integration Study Voted Down
Transit officials pass on a proposal to take a closer look at the possibility of an integrated fare system that would simplify transit travel in the Bay Area.

Revealed: New Plans for San Francisco's Waterfront
The Port of San Francisco is wrapping up a three-year planning process to chart the ongoing transformation of the city's waterfront.

New Bus Rapid Transit Route Takes Shape for the San Fernando Valley
The Valley helped popularize public transit and bus rapid transit in Los Angeles, after the Orange Line achieved immediate, unexpected success last decade. Now new routes are under consideration.

'Speed' Turns 25: Planners Think About Fast Buses
In the '90s, Keanu Reeves was hurtling down the roads and freeways of L.A. in a bus; 25 years later, city officials ponder ways to bring the city’s average bus speed above 10 mph.

An Investigation of the Nation's Increasing Number of Pedestrian Fatalities
PBS New Hour takes a deep dive into the climbing number of pedestrian deaths in the United States—now at their highest level in almost three decades.

California to Study a Ban on Sales of Cars with Internal Combustion Engines
California Assemblyman Phil Ting has tried unsuccessfully for the last two years to end the sale of new gas and diesel-powered passenger motor vehicles by 2040. He achieved some success by securing funds in an approved budget bill to study a ban.

Orange County Streetcar Project Ignoring Equity Issues, Say Activists
Critics say transportation officials have failed to address the potential equity and displacement effects of the Southern California streetcar project.

Accessory Dwelling Units Legalized, Finally, in San Francisco
Legislation approved this week finally brings the city of San Francisco up to date with state laws approved in 2016.

The Environmental Costs of Slow, Empty Buses
Flagging ridership on Metro buses in Los Angeles redoubles the need to speed buses up with dedicated lanes, hopefully recovering lost riders and finding some news ones along the way, too.

California Looks North for a Climate Partner
California has been lonely for the last seven years as the only state that prices carbon emissions from most sources. Oregon is expected to decide this month whether to join them.

Breaking News: Google to Spend $1 Billion on Housing in the Bay Area
The tech industry giant answers a call to do more to help alleviate housing prices in the region it calls home by promising to build tens of thousands of units on its own land.

Wild LA: An Excellent and Beautifully Illustrated Resource for L.A.’s Biodiversity
Los Angeled has plenty of urban wildlife, but people don’t usually associate the city with the term biodiversity. L.A. County park planner Clement Lau offers a book review on the a book on that subject, "Wild LA."

Sea Ranch's Changing Architectural Vision
The progressive Northern California project is adapting to the times.

Density Demands Good Design
California's Senate Bill 50, to increase housing near transit hubs and job centers, failed amid fears of density. If the next version is to succeed, architects and urban designers must ensure that critics' fears are not realized.

Mayor Wants to Eliminate Height Limits Near Transit in San Diego
San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer has proposed his latest in a series of pro-development policy proposals.

World's Largest Co-Living Development Coming to San Jose
The communal living opportunity for San Jose residents was made possible by the creation of an entirely new designation in the city's zoning code.

A Route Through the City, S.F. Crosstown Trail Opens
After five years of planning, a San Francisco trail now runs across the city linking neighborhoods and greenspaces.

For Lack of Free Parking, Downtown San Jose Loses a Grocery Store
Why isn't there a place for a major grocery store brand in the downtown of one of the most economically active cities in the country?
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