California

Breaking News: California's Transit Oriented Upzoning Bill Stuck in Limbo
Senate Bill 50, the closely watched upzoning bill proposed by State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), made it a lot further through the Legislature than the prior attempt, SB 827. Still, SB 50 will short of the finish line in 2019.

Why Harvard Looked to Los Angeles to Imagine the Future of Streets
The so-called car capital of the world is now a "hotbed for mobility disruption," a Harvard studio suggests.

Funding Approved for Interstate 10 Express Lanes in Southern California
Construction of 10 miles of dual express lanes on I-10 received the go-ahead last month after a TIFIA loan closed for $225 million of the $925 million project planned by the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority.

Nipsey Hussle Wanted Community Partnerships for South L.A.’s Development Future
Before his death in March, Hussle has plans for an opportunity zone investment fund that would ensure the community wouldn’t lose out in the development process.

Revisiting a Pre-Recession Plan to Transform North San Jose
San Jose wants to remake the North San Jose neighborhood as "Uptown San Jose," but the amount of development that will require isn't proving an easy sell with some locals.

Downtown Subway Project Delayed in Los Angeles
The Regional Connector project will have to wait until 2022.

Gov. Cuomo Signs Street Safety Legislation For New York City on Mother's Day
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo took his mother to work on Sunday so she could join him in a panel where he signed life-saving, street safety legislation to reinstate and expand the school zone speed camera program in New York City.

New Study Examines the Congestion Effects of Uber and Lyft
A new study, published by Science Advances and available in full online, "examines whether transportation network companies (TNCs), such as Uber and Lyft, live up to their stated vision of reducing congestion in major cities."

Bus Ridership Improving, More Improvements Arriving Soon in San Francisco
Muni is planning on making improvements on 50 miles of bus routes as the system faces increasing demand.

L.A. Failing to Reach Vision Zero Goals
The city has seen a rise in car crash deaths since implementing its Vision Zero initiative. Advocates say not enough action is being taken to make streets safer.

Many Lives, One Space on an L.A. Bus
A reporter rides the bus in Los Angeles and discovers the interesting, complicated, and sometimes heartbreaking stories that riders bring on board.

Five Years After $1 Billion Freeway Expansion, Traffic Only Gets Worse
The lesson of the I-405 widening project that birthed meme-worthy events like "Carmageddon": widening a freeway won't reduce congestion for long, if ever.

Toward a More Useful, and Accurate, Definition of Gentrification
Recent studies have called into question the predominant narratives on gentrification. A more precise definition of the term as it works in the United States is required.

An Unexpected Turn for California's New State Population Report
Population data released May 1 by the Department of Finance reveals the Golden State's lowest population growth rate on record, at 0.47 percent.

The Consultants Behind the CA High-Speed Rail Debacle
The state's high-speed rail project is billions of dollars over budget and years behind schedule. A major problem is that consultants have been running the show from the start, say critics.

A New Plan for Sea Level Rise in the San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay has 400 miles of shoreline, and a dire need for a new approach to dealing with the effects of rising water levels. An estimated $100 billion in potential property damage is at risk.

The Regional Planning Agency Wanted to Evolve on Transportation. The County Said No.
A kerfuffle in San Diego, as San Diego County and the San Diego Association of Governments find themselves at odds over the future of transportation in the region.

When a Few Neighbors Speak for the Entire Neighborhood
This probably sounds familiar in more places than one: just a few stakeholders accounts for a clearly disproportionate number of the appeals made to the Planning Department in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Westwood.

Unequal Distribution of Shade Is Environmental Injustice
A longread, written by Sam Boch and published by Places Journal, has been creating a stir online and is highly recommended for those with an interest in intersections between social justice and urban design.

Thinking Outside of the Transit Box in L.A.
Metro is analyzing new geolocational data to look beyond conventional understandings of travel behavior.
Pagination
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.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions