California

#TimesUp

Urban Design Professor Suspended for Harassment and Intimidation

The field planning and urban design has seen relatively little in the way of controversy or consequences since the #MeToo movement gained a foothold in the public consciousness. The status quo ended this week.

August 21, 2018 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Antioch, California

BART TOD Bill Advances Despite Opposition from East Bay Cities

Amidst fierce opposition from East Bay cities who want to control the destiny of BART parking lots in their jurisdictions, Assembly Bill 2923, which would partially preempt local land use authority, passed a critical committee last Thursday.

August 20, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

Public Toilet

San Francisco Taking a Proactive Approach to Poop

The problem of feces in the public realm is rampant in San Francisco, so the city is launching a new "Poop Patrol."

August 19, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

Bottled Water

Taste Buds Don't Lie: Recycled Water Tastes as Good as Bottled Water

We're talking about toilet to tap. There, we said it.

August 18, 2018 - The Mercury News

Secret Stairs

A Stroll With Los Angeles' Own 'People Walker'

A cartoon strip captures the essence of Chuck, the creator of The People Walker in Los Angeles.

August 18, 2018 - The Nib

Campanile

Signatures Submitted for Initiative to Reform California Proposition 13

A coalition of groups advocating for more funding for local communities and schools want to reform the landmark tax-cutting initiative by treating commercial and industrial properties different than residential, creating the so-called "split roll."

August 17, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

Scooter Citations

Pilot Bike and Scooter Share Program Inspires Protest in Santa Monica

Bird and Lime launched their "Day Without A Scooter" protest this week.

August 16, 2018 - Santa Monica Daily Press

Hollywood Welcomes Carbon Neutral Complex Amid Revitalization

Kilroy Realty Corp. has broken ground on Academy on Vine, a long-anticipated campus of offices, apartments, and stores in the heart of Hollywood.

August 16, 2018 - The Planning Report

Body Scanners

Airport-Style Body Scanners Coming to L.A.'s Rail System

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority will be it the first in the country to deploy body scanners on its rail system.

August 16, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Community enagagement

Empowered Through Design: How a Purposefully Rudimentary Activity Sparks the Imagination

Memory can be an intensely powerful tool when planning for the future.

August 16, 2018 - James Rojas

Security Camera

New Surveillance Technology Gathers Plenty of Data, but Who Has Access?

As new technology for data collection becomes available to police departments around the country, concerns grow about what is being collected and who has access.

August 15, 2018 - Voice of San Diego

California REITS Have Much at Stake on Election Day

One of the most controversial measures on the November 6 ballot in California is Prop. 10: the repeal of the landmark Costa-Hawkins Act that places limits on rent control. Real estate investment trusts are donating big time to defeat it.

August 15, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

163:365 - Green Energy

Five Key Energy Bills the California Legislature May Decide this Week

Energy stakeholders in California are watching five important bills to see which go forward with three weeks remaining in the legislative season. One would require the state to generate all electricity from renewable sources by 2045.

August 14, 2018 - The Desert Sun

Peninsula

New Linkage Fee Approved in South San Francisco

The city of South San Francisco recently approved a linkage fee for commercial developments, following the lead of a few other cities that have decided on linkage fees as a similar mechanism to fund affordable housing.

August 14, 2018 - The Daily Journal

Agriculture

Federal Appeals Court Orders EPA to Ban Harmful Pesticide

The ruling puts another stain on former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt's legacy as it rebukes his denial of a petition to ban a pesticide that causes neurodevelopmental damage in children. Pruitt had rejected his own scientists' recommendation.

August 14, 2018 - The New York Times

Transbay Transit Center

San Francisco's Transbay Transit Center Open, When Will Trains Arrive?

To great fanfare, the Salesforce Transit Center opened on Saturday to thousands of visitors anxious to see the huge facility. Sunday was quieter, with the first AC Transit buses arriving on the third-floor bus deck. Train arrivals: TBD.

August 13, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

California Wildflowers

Paying for Climate Change Mitigation at the Pump in California

Two market-based programs add about a quarter to every gallon of fuel purchased in the Golden State, but don't expect to see the prices listed anywhere. Furthermore, costs to comply with the Low Carbon Fuel Standard are expected to increase.

August 13, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

City by the Bay

Ride-Hailing Companies Agree to Tax in San Francisco

Essentially, Uber and Lyft chose a tax on rides instead of a gross-receipts tax.

August 13, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

Exurban Commute

'Valley Link' Planned to Relieve Bay Area Super Commuters

Planners are working quickly to refine a proposal for a $1.8 billion project connecting the 680 corridor in the East Bay Area to bedroom communities in the Central Valley.

August 12, 2018 - The Mercury News

Commercial Corridor Going Car Free in L.A.'s Playa Vista

A proposal to block cars from the Runway in Playa Vista reflects a new approach to user experience in retail environments.

August 12, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

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.