California

Shasta

Shasta Dam Expansion Explorations Underway

Raising the height of the Shasta Dam in Northern California has been on the table since the 1980s. Now it looks like the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation is going through with it.

September 27, 2018 - Maven's Notebook

Silicon Valley

San Jose to Vote on $450 Million Affordable Housing Bond

A $450 million bond referendum will come before San Jose voters this November. Mayor Sam Liccardo promises it is "a necessary but not sufficient tool" to provide stable housing at an epicenter of the housing crisis.

September 27, 2018 - Next City

Stadium construction at Hollywood Park

The Latest on Los Angeles' Hollywood Park Development

New photos and renderings show the Inglewood Stadium construction and future plans for the 300-acre multi-use project.

September 26, 2018 - Urbanize LA

The Villages, Florida

Neighborhood Electric Vehicles Welcomed in San Diego County—But a Plan is Needed

Neighborhood electric vehicles may become more popular in California's second most populous county thanks to legislation signed by Gov. Jerry Brown. The small zero-emission vehicles are prohibited from crossing streets with speed limits above 35 mph.

September 26, 2018 - KPBS

Los Angeles Metro

With a Growing Number of Transit Projects Planned, L.A. Considers Renaming Rail Lines

Like many cities, L.A. already has two trains in the blue color family. With more rail projects in the works, some think it's time to update the system.

September 26, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Northridge Earthquake, 1994

California Considers Creating Directory of Buildings Most Likely to Collapse in an Earthquake

Cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles already keep lists of vulnerable buildings, but a new piece of legislation would require all California cities do the same. The catch? The bill will not provide funding to support these lists.

September 25, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

California State Capital

Regional Housing Needs Allocation Reform Bill on Gov. Brown's Desk

The lone survivor of Sen. Scott Wiener's trio of "Housing-First Policy" bills awaits a decision by Gov. Jerry Brown. Senate Bill 828, intended to increase the amount of land zoned for housing in California cities, was weakened by amendments.

September 25, 2018 - The Real Deal

Crosswalk Market and Third San Francisco

Vision Zero’s Ambitious Safety Plans Face Implementation Realities

The program’s outcomes in different cities show varying levels of success and some failures.

September 24, 2018 - The Guardian

Accessory Dwelling Unit

Retrofitting Cities with Accessory Dwelling Units Is a Win-Win

Expensive West Coast cities are looking to these alternative and add-on structures to ease their housing challenges.

September 24, 2018 - SF Gate

Hilton Hotel Harbor Island San Diego

Court Reinstates Coastal Commission's Decision on San Diego Harbor Island Project

A long-running legal battle over proposed hotel developments in San Diego appears to have come to an end.

September 24, 2018 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Gaslamp Quarter

Transit Oriented Upzoning Can't Win Local Support in San Diego

Residents are shooting down plans that propose increased density and height in San Diego. The city had planned to cut its carbon footprint by encouraging transit oriented development.

September 23, 2018 - Voice of San Diego

Los Angeles Homeless

Alternative Analysis Pegs L.A. Homeless Count at Over 100,000

Casting doubt on an official estimate of around 52,000, researchers at a Los Angeles-based nonprofit put the number at close to double that level. That's accounting for anyone who became homeless at some point during the year.

September 23, 2018 - The Los Angeles Times

Carpool Lane Sticker

220,000 EV Drivers in California to Lose Carpool Lane Perk in 2019

The good news: the Clean Air Vehicle program for electric vehicles will be extended for at least three years. The bad news: not all EVs that have a decal now will be able to be renewed. Congestion on HOV and HOT lanes is a major concern.

September 21, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Homeless Tents Missing the Permanent Housing Mark in San Diego

The occupants of homeless tents in San Diego haven't been moving to permanent housing in the numbers city officials had hoped.

September 21, 2018 - Voice of San Diego

BMW Electric Vehicle

Gov. Jerry Brown Signs 16 Bills to Spur Sales of New and Used Electric Vehicles

On the second day of the Global Climate Action Summit, co-host Gov. Jerry Brown signed 16 bills onboard a new plug-in hybrid electric ferry in San Francisco Bay to spur sales of zero-emission vehicles and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

September 20, 2018 - The Sacramento Bee

Cupertino, California

Silicon Valley City to Approve Massive Vallco Development, Like it or Not

A new state law meant to overcome local barriers to development is having its first big test run in Cupertino, California.

September 19, 2018 - The Mercury News

Las Vegas and Environs

Brightline, Florida's High-Speed Rail Company, Goes All in on Vegas

Shocking news from the high-speed rail industry, as Brightline announced its purchase of XpressWest, which is underway with plans to link Las Vegas to Victorville, California and eventually to Los Angeles.

September 19, 2018 - Las Vegas Review-Journal

Traffic

Study Reveals the Futility of Building Out of Congestion

Even if widening highways enough to relieve all congestion were possible, it would only benefit a very small number of commuters, according to new research.

September 19, 2018 - Streetsblog USA

Electric Car Charging Station

Phasing Out the Internal Combustion Engine No Easy Task

A report from the Global Climate Action Summit on a looming deadline set by the Paris climate agreement: ending sales of new gas and diesel-powered light-duty vehicles by 2035.

September 18, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

South San Jose houses

Through Thick and Thin, Support for California’s Proposition 13 Hasn’t Waned

Since its passage 40 years ago, the controversial legislation has remained consistently popular with Californians.

September 18, 2018 - CALmatters

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.