California

Wilshire Grand

Los Angeles' New Tower and the Silly Rules That Govern Building Height

Los Angeles' new Wilshire Grand tower is tall and impressive. But, in reality, it's about 100 feet shorter and perhaps less impressive than the arbiters of skyscrapers say it is. Whatever the definition, it might be time to quit venerating height.

June 28, 2017 - California Planning & Development Report

Bay Delta

Feds Change Course, Approve $15.5 Billion California Water Project

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service gave a crucial green light for the intensely controversial and ambitious California WaterFix project, which would pump water around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

June 27, 2017 - The Sacramento Bee

Subsidized Carpool Rides: There's an App for That

Contra Costa County, California, located in the East Bay Area, is looking for new incentives to get commuters to carpool through the congestion region. If only there were an app for that.

June 27, 2017 - Government Technology

Waze

Cities Seeking New Weapons in the Battle Against Waze-Induced Traffic

Los Altos, California has erected a new roadblock in its ongoing effort to keep drivers from cutting through residential neighborhoods, beckoned by the popular navigation app Waze.

June 26, 2017 - Slate

Caltrain

Three Bay Area Counties May Decide Whether to Support Caltrain with Sales Tax Measure

The oldest commuter rail line west of the Mississippi is also unique in another way—it lacks a dedicated source of operating revenue. Legislation has been introduced to allow Peninsula counties to vote to increase sales taxes by 0.125 percent.

June 26, 2017 - The Daily Journal

Amid Controversy, More Density Urged Along San Diego Trolley Extension

In 2021, San Diego will open a northern trolley extension connecting its downtown and Golden Triangle. However, much of the route in between is barren and inaccessible. AIA-SD urges density and more effort to win over opponents.

June 26, 2017 - UrbDeZine

Los Angeles Traffic - The Newhall Pass

April FHWA Report Shows Americans Continue to Drive More

There is good news in the most recent Federal Highway Administration Travel Trends report—if you look hard enough.

June 25, 2017 - AASHTO Journal

San Francisco Skyline

An Expanding Vision for San Francisco's Treasure Island

San Francisco is starved for ideas for ways to meet growing demand for housing, and skyrocketing prices. Here's a big idea: how about building space for some 20,000 new residents on Treasure Island, located in the middle of the bay?

June 25, 2017 - The Architect's Newspaper

Prop. 13 Will Blunt the Property Tax Windfall as Boomers Transfer Property to Millennials

The benefits of Prop 13's limit on property taxes will pass from generation to generation in California, at the expense of state and local coffers.

June 25, 2017 - California Legislative Analyst's Office

Los Angeles Skyline

New Tallest Building West of the Mississippi Now Open

Friday was the first day the public could walk into Los Angeles' new iconic skyscraper. The Wilshire Grand is noteworthy for more than just its height.

June 24, 2017 - KPCC

Sacramento

Business Owners Vote to Fund Sacramento Streetcar Operations

The two-thirds threshold proved to be no obstacle for Sacramento streetcar proponents in a special election held June 21, when at least *250 businesses owners voted to tax themselves to fund operations of the proposed streetcar.

June 24, 2017 - The Sacramento Bee

Marvin Braude Bike Path

Los Angeles Councilmember Chooses the Side of Traffic Safety

Los Angeles Councilmember Mike Bonin sent a clear message to commuters upset about traffic calming projects in his district: "We don’t have to lose one more precious life."

June 23, 2017 - Los Angeles Council District 11

San Diego Construction

San Diego, Marin County Heading the Opposite Direction on Housing Policy

The mayor of San Diego has acknowledged the ongoing crisis of housing affordability by pushing to make it easier to build housing at higher densities and with less parking. Marin County…not so much.

June 23, 2017 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Homeless Bike

New Projects to House Homeless in San Jose

The Bay Area is home to a large homeless population, and San Jose is doing more to create resources for the homeless than other cities in the area.

June 22, 2017 - The Mercury News

Los Angeles Galaxy Soccer Team

Southern California City Pins Hopes for Transformation on General Plan Update

The struggling, industrial South Bay city of Carson wants to shake its image as the site of Los Angeles' landfills and waste treatment plants. It has embarked on a $1 million overhaul of its general plan, despite having a $4.1 million budget gap.

June 22, 2017 - Daily Breeze

Port of Long Beach

Los Angeles and Long Beach Ports Put Zero Emissions Goal in Writing

Mayors Eric Garcetti and Robert Garcia pledge their ports will bring their carbon footprint down to zero by 2030.

June 21, 2017 - Los Angeles Times

Shipping Container Housing

Google to Buy 300 Modular Apartments for Employees

Mountain View is an expensive place to find housing, in part because of Google itself. The tech giant plans to do something about the housing crunch, for its employees at least.

June 20, 2017 - The Wall Street Journal

Zero Emissions Bus

Los Angeles Metro to Go Fully Electric by 2030

The move is risky. The agency has no electric buses now, and the last ones it operated performed so badly they had to be returned. The plan is to make the transition in phases, and hope that battery technology improves.

June 20, 2017 - KPCC

Bike Lane

Road Diets and Bike Lanes in the Works in South Los Angeles

Urbanize.LA has the scoop on the first indications of plans in South L.A. to give more space in the road to bikers.

June 19, 2017 - Urbanize LA

Citi Bike Rack

Nation's Second Bikeshare Fatality Under Investigation in Manhattan

The police report conflicts with videos showing CitiBike rider Dan Hanegby, 36, an avid cyclist on his daily commute, being hit by a charter bus on June 12. Almost a year earlier, a Divvy Bike rider was fatally struck by a truck in Chicago.

June 19, 2017 - The New York Times

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.