California

Tiny Home Village Approved for Homeless in San Jose
Now San Jose's tiny home village pilot project, meant to create 40 units of "sleeping cabins for homeless individuals, needs to find a neighborhood to call home.

Bay Area Express Lanes Turn a Profit
Not all of them, just the I-580 lanes. One of the reasons is that most users are actually paying, unlike the other two express lanes where a majority of users are clean-air vehicles or carpools, neither of which pay.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee Dies Suddenly at 65
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee passed away of a heart attack early this morning. He was 65.

Real Estate Industry Wants to Expand Prop. 13 Property Tax Breaks
A proposed ballot initiative in California would extend the property tax limits offered by Proposition 13 as a lifetime benefit to homeowners over age 55 or severely disabled—even if they move to a new home in another part of the state.

BART Goes Renewable
The Board of Directors approved a path to 90 percent renewable energy.

Can We Know Which Homes in California Will Burn?
As the state's worst wildfire season ever refuses to end, an analyst from UCLA considers how land use and building codes determine the location and extent of the damage.
Complying With New State Laws on ADUs No Easy Matter
Santa Rosa is struggling to complying with two laws passed last year to encourage construction of inlaw units to increase affordable housing. Council members are concerned that loosened restrictions would degrade neighborhood character.

Sunday Fun: Watch the Path of the Tunnel Boring Machine Below Downtown Los Angeles
Like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but for a tunnel boring machine.

Powerful Political Voices Call for Another Bay Area Bridge
U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein is leading calls for the so-called Southern Crossing—a bridge that would connect San Francisco and the East Bay somewhere south of the Bay Bridge.

The Artist Hubs of America
Data analysis reveals which cities have the most working artists.

Hepatitis A Outbreak Spurring Cities to New Actions on Homelessness
A series of articles from around the Internet in recent weeks highlights the need for more services and support for the homeless. The location of this story is set in California, but all communities should heed these warnings.
New California Housing Laws Not Well Received Locally
City council members of Burlingame, a small, affluent suburb south of San Francisco, are not happy with new laws that take away their discretion to reject developments that fail to meet "neighborhood character" criteria, but meet zoning requirements.

View the Smoke from the California Fires From Satellite
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been making the most of its celestial perch to illustrate the scale of the fires currently burning in Southern California.

The Final Days of 'Level of Service' in California's Environmental Review Process
A long-awaited draft update of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) has finally been released, and Level of Service will finally be a thing of the past in the next two to four years.

Microsoft Adds to the Tech Industry's Construction Schedule in the Silicon Valley
Microsoft is the latest tech industry titan to announce a major construction project in the Silicon Valley.

House Bill Would Streamline Construction of New Dams and Reservoirs
House Republicans from Washington are hoping to cut red tape for the development of surface storage facilities as the American West grapples with intensifying droughts.

Report: Suburban Construction Will Dominate the Office Market in 2018
Despite reports that the office market is shifting to the center city, the suburbs will dominate the office market in 2018, according to analysis from Yardi Systems.

Los Angeles Could Streamline Temporary Shelters, Permanent Supportive Housing
Los Angeles is exploring multiple angles for sheltering the 34,000 homeless living in the city. Urbanize LA takes a look at two of the city's most recent legislative efforts to develop more supportive housing.

San Francisco Considers Citywide Demand-Based Parking
San Francisco could become the first U.S. city to use demand-based parking rates citywide.
Greener Gasoline to Come from Solar-Powered Oil Wells in California
Crude oil from Kern County's Belridge field will soon have a much lower life cycle carbon intensity thanks to new solar technology used to extract hard-to-get oil. The renewal of California's carbon cap-and-trade market made it possible.
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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.
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