California

BART Station

Vote to Take Money from Train Station to Pay for a New Road Causes a Stir

An expanded roadway outside the Union City BART station would mean more drivers and likely more congestion. City and county officials still argue those changes are necessary for the area around the station to function.

April 16, 2018 - East Bay Times

Bay Bridge

A Dissenting Take on the Bay Area's Proposed $3 Bridge Toll Hike

Beware of transportation officials promising traffic reductions, according to this opinion piece.

April 15, 2018 - The Mercury News

New Report Examines the Bay Area's Broken Housing Market

The twin challenges of a housing shortage and low wage increases threaten the growth of the San Francisco Bay Area, according to a new report.

April 14, 2018 - PolicyLink

Legislation Would Ensure California Housing Construction Keeps Pace with Population Growth

A companion bill to the controversial SB 827, also introduced Sen. Scott Wiener (D-S.F)., could have a similar impact on housing production but hasn't gathered nearly as much attention. SB 828 makes critical changes to the state's housing supply law.

April 14, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Yosemite

Friday Eye Candy: Watch Yosemite's Streams Overflow

Mandatory evacuations were in order, so there was no threat to the general pubic. Witness the fury of mother nature from a safe distance.

April 13, 2018 - The Washington Post

Security cameras on a building

How Surveillance in Cities is Evolving

Across the globe, smart cities are increasingly procuring and implementing information technology in order to improve the efficiency and sustainability of urban spaces. The former CTO of L.A. and the mayor of Beverly Hills weigh in on the subject.

April 13, 2018 - The Planning Report

Bikes and Kids

San Francisco Schools Teach Bike-Riding in P.E.

Bike safety could become part of the second-grade curriculum districtwide.

April 13, 2018 - San Francisco Examiner

Condos Smart Growth

Squaring Urbanism, Equity, and Density in the SB 827 Debate

As Sen. Wiener has announced new amendments to the controversial land use, transit-oriented development, and real estate bill, The Planning Report turns to three experts to unpack the legislation's consequences.

April 12, 2018 - The Planning Report

Coast Stream

Stream Restoration Projects More Likely in Whiter, Wealthier Areas

Stream restoration projects along the Central Coast of California tend to reinforce class and racial distinctions, just like so many other matters of environmental justice.

April 11, 2018 - UC Santa Cruz

Texas Townhomes

California Bill Seeks to Facilitate 'Missing Middle' Housing

Affordable housing developers are increasingly asked to build middle-income units, but can't afford to do so.

April 10, 2018 - Mercury News

The Dilemma of Autonomous Vehicle Testing

Autonomous vehicles hold the potential to greatly reduce auto crashes. Advocates want them on the road as early as possible to reduce fatalities. Skeptics worry that the public will be guinea pigs during the testing—case in point: Elaine Herzberg.

April 9, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

Oroville Dam Crisis

Rebuilt Oroville Spillway Could Get its First Test This Weekend

The quickly repaired Oroville Dam spillway is hoping for better performance this year, after a year of intense repair work.

April 6, 2018 - California Department of Water Resources

Millennium Tower

S.F.'s Central SoMa Plan Would Add 40,000 Jobs, 7,000 Housing Units

YIMBYs are describing the jobs-housing imbalance represented in the Central SoMa Plan as reminiscent of the housing policies of cities farther down the Peninsula.

April 6, 2018 - BeyondChron

San Francisco Residential Neighborhoods

San Francisco to Grant Low-Cost Housing Preference to Artists

A new program underway at the San Francisco Arts Commission would make it easier for artists to gain access to the city's stock of affordable rental and ownership opportunities.

April 5, 2018 - KQED

BART Station Construction

Decision Deadline Coming Fast for San Jose BART Extension

BART and VTA officials must come to an agreement about whether to use a single- or double-bore tunnel for transit extension in San Jose, and time is running out.

April 4, 2018 - The Mercury News

Free Floating Bikeshare

BART Has Had Enough of Dockless Bikes

With piles of them strewn around stations, the transit agency is "cracking down" on bikeshare companies.

April 4, 2018 - San Jose Mercury News

Rural Traffic

Rollback of Fuel Efficiency Standards Announced by EPA

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt announced Monday that his agency is siding with auto manufacturers and relaxing greenhouse gas emission standards for new cars and light trucks.

April 3, 2018 - Bloomberg Politics

Virginia Freeway

Popularity of Express Lanes Spreads Beyond Virginia

Dan Vock of Governing takes a broad look at congestion pricing, beginning with the success of Virginia's 66 Express Lanes, the ones where tolls initially topped $40. Notwithstanding complaints, managed lanes are spreading, but challenges remain.

April 3, 2018 - Governing

Automated Vehicle

Police Officer Issues a Ticket to a Self-Driving Car

In San Francisco this week, a city police officer issued a ticket to an autonomous GM Cruise vehicle for failure to yield to a pedestrian. Specifically, the self-driving vehicle got too close to a person walking in a crosswalk.

April 2, 2018 - The Connected Car

Bay Area Rapid Transit

Op-Ed: Infrastructure Projects Need More Women in Leadership Roles

Calling attention to progress in the Bay Area, two leaders at employee- and women-owned firms argue that more female leadership will help projects better serve the entire population.

April 2, 2018 - The Mercury News

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.