California

Desert 5, Humans 0
Look no further than the American Southwest for signs that human ingenuity is no match for the ability of the planet to reassert its power.

San Diego Activists Plan a Pedestrian Promenade and 'Nudillo'
Activists organized to save their downtown San Diego neighborhoods from the NFL Chargers' stadium proposal. Their defense strategy? A fine-grained community plan with no stadium. In the process, they came upon the idea of a promenade and a "Nudillo."

Venice, California Has Fewer Housing Units Than in 2000
Venice, the famously picturesque neighborhood in Los Angeles, has become a poster child for wealthy urban enclave that has closed its doors to development and new residents—despite a strong local economy.
Court Ruling Sides With Regional Officials Over Statewide Climate Goals
The California Supreme Court sided with the San Diego Association of Governments on July 13 in the first court case to decide how regional planning agencies must meet state-required reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from transportation.

A City With Room for Everyone
A vision set forth for Los Angeles in 1970 still has powerful relevance in 2017.
Historic Vote by California Senate on Cap-and-Trade Expected Monday
Caling the upcoming vote on AB 398, which has created strange political bedfellows, "the most important vote of your life," Gov. Jerry Brown cast the decision as choosing between "massive new regulations" and market-based mechanisms.

Why was BART's Ridership Forecast for Millbrae Station So Wildly Off-Base?
In 1995, planners forecasted that the Millbrae BART Station in San Mateo County, where riders can transfer to/from Caltrain, would attract 16,500 weekday riders. Fourteen years after it opened, ridership is 7,000. Planners were off by 58 percent.

Owens Valley Calls on Eminent Domain to Buy its Water Back from Los Angeles
Call it a reverse Chinatown.

Sea Level Rise Will Displace Communities in Every Corner of the Bay Area
Sea level rise is already flooding communities with such regularity that many residents are deciding to leave. The sea level rise tipping point will expand its reach as the climate changes.
Report Predicts the End of Individual Car Ownership
The first report from independent think tank RethinkXL predicts that by 2031, 95 percent of U.S. passenger miles traveled will be served by on-demand, autonomous electric vehicles owned by companies providing transport as a service.

Trump Budget Would Nix Tsunami Warning System
The difference in lives saved between tsunamis that hit Crescent City, California in 1964 and 2011 was an early detection and warning system. Now it's up to Congress to save the $12 million system from the proposed cuts in Trump's budget.
California Earning Clean Air Despite the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
While premature to claim victory, a report from the San Francisco Chronicle suggests that the California Air Resources Board will prevail in a looming showdown with the U.S. EPA over whether to allow the state to set vehicle emission standards.

Expo Line Between L.A. and Santa Monica Hits 2030 Ridership Projections
Finally, good news regarding public transit ridership in Los Angeles, where the Expo Line connection to Santa Monica has very quickly outpaced its projections.

Density Debate Fills San Francisco's Balboa Reservoir
Developers, neighbors, and housing advocates are debating the fate of the Balboa Reservoir. Their visions for how many units should be built there range from 680 to 1,245.

San Francisco's $1.6 Billion Central Subway Project 10 Months Behind Schedule
The $1.6 billion Central Subway project will bring the first subway to San Francisco's Chinatown. After early funding and planning delays, construction had seemed to be moving along swiftly. Now the project is expected to be delayed by 10 months.
Study Reveals Housing Discrimination Against Same-Sex Couples, Transgender Individuals
A study of three of the country's population and cultural centers reveals the kinds of discrimination same-sex couples and transgender individuals are likely to encounter on the rental market.

Second Attempt at Renewal for California's Clean Air Vehicle Decal Program
New legislation would continue the Clean Air Vehicle program after Jan. 1, 2019 to allow zero and near-zero emission vehicles to continue to qualify for carpool lane stickers in the Golden State.

Making the Coast Accessible for Black and Latino Californians
A history of segregation and other barriers have made California's beaches and oceanfront disproportionately white.

Interior Secretary Issues Order to Expedite Drilling on Public Lands
Secretary Zinke's order is part of the "energy dominance" agenda of the Trump Administration to make the U.S. a major energy exporter. The order will reduce the time needed by the Bureau of Land Management to process permitting for new wells.

Facebook's Expansion Plans Would Create a New 'Village' in Menlo Park
Facebook has proposed a campus expansion that would take shape as a neighborhood center or village, providing needed community services and amenities in the sprawling Menlo Park.
Pagination
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.
City of Moorpark
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Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions