California

Documentary Explores the Realities of the Mega-Commute
What does the way people commute reveal about the role of individuals in society?

U.S. Recycling Markets in Free Fall After China Pulls Import Plug
China has stopped purchasing the recyclables that millions of Americans place curbside on recycling days, upending the industry. Recyclables are already directed toward landfills as domestic markets are sought. Berkeley, Calif. may go a novel route.

San Diego County Officials Ask State to Lower Housing Production Goal
The San Diego Association of Governments requested that the number of new housing units that the state housing agency assign the state's second largest county be reduced to more accurately reflect what the 18 cities and county can actually build.

Defeating SB 827 Did Not Discourage the YIMBY Movement
Though the California housing bill was a high-profile failure for pro-development activists, there are initiatives all over the country that carry its spirit.

Behold: Elon Musk's First Tunnel
Take a first look at the fruits of the Boring Company's labor. According to Elon Musk, the tunnel will be open to the public for free rides later this year.

Campaign Launched to Electrify School Buses
U.S. PIRG wants states to use funding from multi-billion dollar Volkswagen settlements to convert the nation's school bus fleet, 95% of which is diesel-powered, to zero-emission buses to reduce children's exposure to toxic air pollution.

Bay Area Home Prices Rise Despite Out-Migration
Kathleen Pender, business columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, points to two reasons why home prices rise amidst a Bay Area exodus to other states. On a state level, out-migration shows California's strong but dysfunctional economy.

Plugging in Scooters for a Living
Electric scooters need maintenance and charges, so Bird is using the gig economy to make sure its scooters keep scooting.

Climate Change Already Obvious in California
We've all seen the maps that show the water rising around the edges of costal and waterfront communities as sea-level rise and climate change take effect. A new report shows the effects that have already changed the state of California.

California Population Grows to 39,810,000 in 2017
California added 309,000 residents last year, an 8 percent drop compared to annual increases since 2010. The state added a net 85,000 housing units, accounting for losses to wildfires.

Why Equity Groups Opposed California Legislation to Increase Housing Production
YIMBYs don't understand poverty, claimed one social justice group. Few, if any, connections with equity groups and too many with tech companies may have helped doom SB 827's chances of making it to first base in the legislature this year.

Contractor Allegedly Lays 3 Miles of the Wrong Steel; Delays for S.F.'s Central Subway Ensue
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency ordered high-strength steel to ensure the long-term quality of the under-construction Central Subway. The contractor laid 17,000 linear feet of standard-strength steel anyway.

Homeless Shelters a Tough Sell With Neighborhood Activists
A plan to streamline approval of a wave of homeless facilities in the city of Los Angeles is running into an early snag with an emergency shelter proposed for a parking lot in the Koreatown neighborhood.
Are You Ready for a Sky Full of Autonomous Flying Taxis?
Some lucky people could be flying over traffic in autonomous drones within two years, according to a media blitz this morning.

California as a Model for Housing Legislation
The Golden State may have the nation's most severe housing crisis, but there is one area of state housing policy where it shines, becoming a model for other states that want to advance accessory dwelling units, also called granny or in-law units.

California to Require Solar on New Residential Buildings
The California Energy Commission will decide on new energy standards for residential construction this week.

Op-Ed: 'Public Mood' Has Turned Against Cars in Cities
A survey of recent planning decisions demonstrates that cities are no longer necessarily looking to more and bigger highways to solve their traffic problems.

Sacramento Debuts On-Demand Transit Service
Sacramento Regional Transit's SmaRT Ride service is an on-demand public option to compete with Uber and Lyft.

Report Details Racial Inequality in Four Cities
Five decades after the Fair Housing Act, racial inequality is still rampant in American cities. Trulia and the National Fair Housing Alliance collaborated on this report on four of them.

California and 16 States Sue EPA Over Decision to Rollback Vehicle Emissions Rule
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt had announced the rollback of greenhouse gas emission and fuel economy standards on April 2. While the auto industry supports the move, not all auto executives agreed.
Pagination
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