California

Construction Materials Increasing Building Costs
With the price of steel increasing significantly since the beginning of the year, the construction industry has little choice but to build through a more expensive process.

A Showcase of Innovative Climate Change and Resiliency Design Projects
A competition in the San Francisco Bay Area highlights projects considering new ways to design for impending environmental changes.

California's Climate Leadership Put to the Test
A three-day global summit on climate action in San Francisco, hosted by Gov. Jerry Brown, is unlike other international climate summits in that it features "non-state actors," such as governors, mayors, and businesses, rather than nations.

Addressing a Bus Driver Shortage in San Francisco
The ongoing quest to fix Muni enters a new chapter, after a driver shortage impacted bus service earlier this year.

Proposed State-Level Wetlands Regulations in California: Protections and Complications
The state is seeking to protect wetlands from federal regulation rollbacks, but broader protections could also mean more costly and cumbersome processes.

L.A. County Caps Rents in a Temporary Measure
Hoping to provide relief to renters in unincorporated parts of Los Angeles, the County Board of Supervisors has approved temporary rent control for 50,000 older apartments.

'100-Year Decision': First Approval for Train Route to S.F.'s Salesforce Transit Center
John Rahaim, director of the San Francisco Planning Department, calls the decision to route Caltrain to the newly opened Salesforce Transit center a "100-year decision."

New Bus Rapid Transit Line Proposed for L.A.'s San Fernando Valley
Measure M, approved by L.A. County voters in 2016, is enabling a slew of transit projects in the San Fernando Valley.

Chicago and San José Achieve LEED for Cities Certification
The U.S. Green Building Council launched the LEED for Cities program in 2016.

Drinking Water Lessons from West Texas
Several cities in West Texas have a long history in wastewater reclamation, even using the water for drinking, due to the Texas drought. El Paso aims to build the nation's largest advanced purification project for direct water reuse.

San Jose BART Extension Facing More Delays
Service on a long-awaited BART extension to the Berryessa district in San Jose may be delayed again due to equipment problems.
Keep it in the Ground – 2018
As climate hawks gather in San Francisco for the Global Climate Action Summit that convenes Wednesday, Gov. Jerry Brown, host of the summit, is dogged by critics who can't distinguish between oil production and consumption.

Year One of L.A.'s 'Transit Oriented Communities Affordable Housing Incentives Program'
After one year in action, the Transit Oriented Communities Affordable Housing Incentives Program has enabled a rare feat in Los Angeles: new development.

Transit-Area Tax Increment Financing Bill on Gov. Jerry Brown's Desk
Transit, affordable housing, TODs, active transportation and local governments should all come out ahead should Brown sign SB 961. The bill follows in the path of earlier legislation that created enhanced infrastructure finance districts.

'Vida' Examines Gentrification in East L.A. But Now Faces Backlash from Real-Life Protesters
A show about the impacts of gentrification in a working-class immigrant neighborhood in Los Angeles is generating controversy among those it represents.

Friday Eye Candy: All 1,000 Miles of Southern California's Historic Rail Network
An intrepid mapmaker has created a stunning map of the Pacific Electric Railway System, the old public transit system for L.A. and surrounding environs, once the largest trolley system in the world.

In the Midst of a Housing Crisis, Soaring Costs Leave San Francisco Projects at a Standstill
San Francisco desperately needs more housing, but many projects sit unfinished as developers face cost challenges.

Report: Transportation Emissions Sully California's Environmental Reputation
There's good and bad news from an annual assessment on the Golden State's economy and environment. Gross domestic product per capita increases as emissions per capita decrease, with the major exception of emissions from transportation.

San Francisco Wants Its Ambitious Zero-Waste Initiative to Go Global
In an effort to address climate change, San Francisco has a plan to get residents and businesses to do more than just recycle and compost.

Sacramento Will Lower Transit Fares
Sacramento Regional Traffic has seen a dip in its ridership, so they are making the uncommon move of cutting fares.
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 Charlotte
Municipality of Princeton
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)