California

E-Scooters

Looking for Scooter Shame, a Local Paper Found Scooter Support

The Willamette Week put out a call for tips about electric scooter users acting badly. They got an earful of the unexpected.

August 9, 2018 - Willamette Week

Refueling

What Comes Next if California Repeals Its Gas Tax Increase?

Repeal proponents have already planned a sequel for Proposition 6, regardless of whether the measure passes, resulting in the loss of over $5 billion annually from new transportation user fees, including a 12-cents per gallon gas tax increase.

August 8, 2018 - The Sacramento Bee

Salesforce Transit Center

San Francisco's Transbay Transit Center Opens This Weekend

The $2.16 billion Transbay Transit Center opens to the public on August 11, with bus service launching on August 12.

August 8, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

Ford GoBike

The Ford GoBike Resistance

Politicians and residents are uniting to delay Ford GoBike's expansion around San Francisco.

August 7, 2018 - San Francisco Examiner

Lake Mead

A Plan to Transform the Hoover Dam into Energy Storage

A proposal by the nation's largest utility could be a model to deal with the most formidable problem presented by intermittent renewable electricity sources.

August 6, 2018 - The New York Times

Antioch, California

Antioch, California BART Extension So Popular There's No Place to Park

The new Antioch station is seeing ridership well over predictions, and some think there would be even more riders if there were more parking.

August 6, 2018 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Vacant Land Languishes in the High-Priced Market of Oakland, California

Oakland property prices have gone way up, but vacant land can be found all over the city. Hayley Raetz argues getting development on this land should be a policy priority.

August 6, 2018 - Terner Center for Housing Innovation

Glen Ellen, California

Designing Houses to Survive Wildfires

Houses that aren't vulnerable to embers blowing in the wind, could save the government and homeowners millions.

August 6, 2018 - 99 Percent Invisible

Trump Administration Proposes to Freeze Fuel Economy Standards at 2020 Level

On Thursday, the U.S. DOT and U.S. EPA announced one of the Trump administration's most consequential rollbacks of environmental and efficiency regulations that will have a detrimental effect on climate change, air pollution, and oil consumption.

August 5, 2018 - The Washington Post

Boyle Heights

Why L.A.'s Boyle Heights Matters to Anti-Gentrification Activists

The historically Latino working class neighborhood is a frequent touchstone in debates over gentrification in Los Angeles. That history goes back decades and colors residents' perceptions.

August 4, 2018 - BOOM: A Journal of California

Yosemite National Park

Editorial See Ulterior Motives in Recent Hetch Hetchy Discussion

There have been multiple movements to remove the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, but the most recent flirtation with the idea comes from Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. A Chronicle editorial argues Zinke's interest lacks good faith.

August 3, 2018 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Muni Bus Market Street

San Francisco Buses Slower than Any Peer City

Though San Francisco residents are more likely than residents of other cities to ride transit and avoid driving, the buses they ride on are unreliable.

August 2, 2018 - Curbed SF

High-Speed Rail

California's $100 Billion High-Speed Gamble

The state has less than one-third the funds necessary to build the 800-mile line connecting Northern and Southern California, depending on the cost estimate. The immediate goal is to build a 119-mile section in the Central Valley.

August 2, 2018 - The New York Times

Sea Level Rise

Bay Area Businesses Launch Challenge to Fund Climate Resilience

A regional business association hopes to raise private funds for climate adaptation planning throughout California.

August 1, 2018 - The Planning Report

Metro Rail Map

Coming to Los Angeles in 2047: The Busiest Light Rail Route in the U.S.

An extended Crenshaw Line would cut north-south through the middle of the Los Angeles basin, connecting three rail transit lines and some of the busiest buses in the county. Some don't want to wait 30 years for the plan to come to fruition.

August 1, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Agriculture Exhibition

Urban Farming Program Struggles to Sprout

Los Angeles created a tax incentive to promote urban farms on the thousands of vacant lots around the city. So far, the incentive has been given out only four times.

July 31, 2018 - CityLab

Twitter Headquarters

San Francisco Could Zone Out Workplace Cafeterias

Large corporations providing on-site cafeterias are considered a threat to local restaurant business.

July 31, 2018 - San Francisco Examiner

School Chlidren

A Third Court Win for Children's Climate Change Lawsuit

Strike three for the federal government in trying to dismiss a lawsuit launched by 21 children in Oregon who sued the Obama administration in 2015, claiming the government was endangering their future because of its failure to reduce climate change.

July 30, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

Sacramento

The Greening of California's Republicans?

One finding from a new statewide survey, "Californians and the Environment," suggests that the environment is becoming a more bipartisan issue, but that finding is still subject to interpretation. What isn't is the top environmental issue: water.

July 29, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

Venice Beach Pedestrian and Bike Path

Study: Scooters Are Really Popular

The narrative of electric scooter users as affluent, entitled, and "tech bro-y" does not reflect the demographics of fans of the new mobility technology, according to a new study. Electric scooters are actually very popular.

July 27, 2018 - Wired

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.

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.