California

San Jose, California

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?

June 14, 2019 - The Mercury News

corn field in polk county iowa

Summertime Ethanol Restriction Lifted to Help Corn Farmers—But at What Cost?

President Trump made good on his promise last October to lift the E15 ban in time for the summer driving season. Not mentioned by the Des Moines Register are the downsides to allowing the higher ethanol blend to be sold during the summer, e.g., smog.

June 14, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

San Francisco Homeless

San Francisco to Use Conservatorship for Some Mentally Ill Homeless People

Thanks to legislation by Sen. Scott Wiener passed last year, San Francisco will apply a new tool to force treatment on some homeless, mentally ill people who refuse it, but it's limited to five people annually. A new Wiener bill would expand it.

June 13, 2019 - The Washington Post

Inland Empire, California

The Small City Leading the New Era of Redevelopment in California

La Verne is the first city in Los Angeles County, and one of the first in the state, to implement an Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District, designed to generate a source of funding to replace the loss of redevelopment funds during the recession.

June 12, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

Yosemite Shuttle

Yosemite Shuttles Reportedly Crowded and Unsafe

The popular park's shuttle buses are intended to ease traffic and get people out of their cars. But critics say management and maintenance of the shuttle system leave much to be desired.

June 11, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco Transbay Transit Center

Cracked Beams Repaired, S.F.'s Transbay Transit Center Ready to Reopen

Buses and people will soon return to the Transbay Transit Center, which operated for just over a month at the end of 2018 before structural flaws forced the closure of the facility for inspections and repairs.

June 11, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

Homeless in New York City

Beyond YIMBY: Racism and Finance in the Housing Crisis

Upzoning without addressing speculation and finance could exacerbate the housing crisis for the nation’s most vulnerable communities, a professor of urban planning warns.

June 11, 2019 - The Planning Report

Urban Solar Power

Expanded Solar Capacity Means Supply Exceeds Demand for Solar in California

California is setting records for the amount of solar energy it can’t use, but this cushion might be a good thing: it means the state won’t need to depend as heavily on fossil fuels as a stopgap.

June 10, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Ford GoBike

A Bikeshare Showdown Between Uber and Lyft

Lyft may soon not be the sole bikeshare operation in San Francisco as the city looks to expand the system and open the market up to other companies.

June 10, 2019 - Streetsblog USA

Glendale California

Poll: On Housing, Californians Want What the Legislature Won't Give

"This particular solution, which has been very controversial in the Legislature, is not very controversial when it comes to the general public."

June 9, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Angeles National Forest

New National Monument in California Finally Has a Plan

The U.S. Forest Service has completed a management plan for the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, and is ready to commence implementation.

June 8, 2019 - San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Denver, Colorado

Opposing Bike Lanes in the Name of Historic Preservation

Can a bike lane threaten the historic character of a parkway? One group of local advocates in Denver thinks so.

June 5, 2019 - CBS Denver

Oakland, California

Department of Transportation Caught in Political Tug of War in Oakland

The political debate surrounding the future of Oakland's streets has recently turned up a notch.

June 5, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

Los Angeles River

Revealed: Three Park Design Proposals for Key L.A. River Parcel

Three design proposals have been unveiled for the Taylor Yards parcel along the L.A. River.

June 5, 2019 - Urbanize LA

Muni Public Transit

Streamlining Protected Bike Lanes, San Francisco Style

Cutting the board of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency out of the approvals process for implementing bike lanes in San Francisco could shave three months off the delivery schedule.

June 4, 2019 - San Francisco Examiner

Union Station Los Angeles

L.A.'s Union Station Turns 80 and Looks to the Future

Ridership is down and the station has struggled in recent years, but new plans could help revive the 80-year-old historic landmark.

June 4, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

South San Jose houses

Property Transfer Taxes Gain Traction as Cities Search for Ways to Address Homelessness

San Jose, California is the latest city to consider raising its real property transfer tax to fund homeless programs.

June 3, 2019 - The Mercury News

Twitter Headquarters

Evaluating the 2011 'Twitter Tax Break' Along San Francisco's Troubled Market Street

The 2011 "Twitter tax break" was controversial at the time, and remains so to this day. New offices and employees have filled the corridor of Market Street where the tax break is in effect, but massive challenges persist.

June 2, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

BART System

BART's New Trains: Back to the Drawing Board to Make More Room for Bikes

BART is readying its "Fleet of the Future," which includes adding more room than originally designed for bike storage.

June 1, 2019 - San Francisco Examiner

Car Bike Lane

Using Gas Tax Revenue to Remove Traffic Lanes Adds to Road Diet Debate

Reducing the number of traffic lanes to improve bike and pedestrian safety can be inherently controversial when auto travel times are increased, and it can upset motorists further when they learn gas taxes are funding those safety improvements.

May 31, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.