California

Green painted bike and pedestrian trail with view of San Francisco Bay.

California Legislature Issues Revised Budget Proposal

The new plan rejects some of Gov. Newsom’s proposed cuts to active transportation funding.

June 2, 2024 - Streetsblog California

 The west tunnel entrance to the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant in March 2020 with O and A letters missing in Oceanside.

San Francisco Takes on EPA in Supreme Court Case

The Court has agreed to hear an appeal challenging federal water pollution regulations.

May 30, 2024 - San Francisco Chronicle

BART heavy rail train on elevated track pulling into Concord, CA station with cloudy sky and trees in background.

Bay Area Transit Projects Awarded $18 Million

The funding supports eight ‘near-term’ projects slated for completion within the next one to three years.

May 29, 2024 - Contra Costa Herald

Close-up of electric stove range with front burners red-hot.

California Cities Suspend Natural Gas Bans Following Court Ruling

A Ninth Circuit court ruling forced Berkeley to reverse its ban on natural gas in new buildings, prompting other cities to suspend their own efforts to promote all-electric buildings.

May 28, 2024 - East Bay Times

Bird's eye wide view of schoolyard with coated pavement.

Cool Pavements Show Promise as Part of Urban Climate Resilience Strategy

Results from a pilot project in Los Angeles show that cool pavement treatments can serve as a key tool in a city’s climate resilience strategy.

May 27, 2024 - Dr. Haider Taha

California Governor Gavin Newsom announcing funding for tiny home shelter project in front of quick-build tiny home shelter unit.

California’s Tiny Home Pledge Still on Paper, One Year Later

A promise to fund 1,200 tiny homes for unhoused residents in four cities as a way to rapidly and cost-effectively provide shelter has yet to yield tangible results, but projects are moving ahead in some cities.

May 24, 2024 - CALmatters

Close-up on white "Bikes may use full lane" and green "Bike route" signs with tall California palm trees in background.

California Could Cut $600 Million From Active Transportation

Complete Streets advocates want the governor to fill the gap with funding from the state highway fund instead.

May 23, 2024 - Politico

Glass dome at front of modern San Jose City Hall building in San Jose, California.

San Jose Tests AI Translation Tool to Improve Access to Public Meetings

More than half of the city’s population speaks a language other than English at home, making translation services a key pillar of accessibility.

May 22, 2024 - GovTech

Aerial view of Oceanwide Plaza skyscrapers covered with graffiti tags.

LA’s Abandoned Towers Loom as a “$1.2 Billion Ruin of Global Capital”

Oceanwide Plaza, shuttered mid-construction after its developer filed for bankruptcy, has stood vacant on prime Los Angeles real estate since 2019.

May 21, 2024 - The Architect's Newspaper

Water flowing through Glendale Narrows section of Los Angeles River in Glendale, California with a concrete bridge, power lines, and hills in background.

Los Angeles County Making Progress in Stormwater Capture

During this “super year” of storms, L.A. County has successfully captured 96 billion gallons of stormwater which is enough to meet the needs of about 2.4 million people a year.

May 20, 2024 - Los Angeles Times

Rolling green hills in San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles

Regenerating and Healing Land Through Parks

Through thoughtful planning and restoration efforts, parks can help heal degraded land, meeting multiple community needs, improving soil quality, restoring native vegetation, and creating habitats for wildlife.

May 20, 2024 - National Recreation and Park Association Open Space Blog

Blurred traffic speeding by on freeway with Los Angeles skyline in background.

California Testing Per-Mile Gas Tax Alternatives

A summer pilot program will test the fairness and efficacy of collection mechanisms for mileage-based fee options.

May 17, 2024 - Newsweek

California State Capital

California Halts Three Years of Population Loss

The Golden State grew by 67,000 people, or 0.17%, last year, to just over 39.1 million on Jan. 1, 2024, according to a demographic report released April 30 by the California Department of Finance.

May 16, 2024 - California Department of Finance

Aerial view of dense housing in San Francisco Bay Area.

Is California's Housing Situation Turning Around?

Population is stagnant. But housing supply is growing. Is this the beginning of a Great Correction?

May 14, 2024 - California Planning & Development Report

White Waymo self-driving taxi on street in San Francisco, California with brick buildings in background.

The Era Of Autonomous Vehicles Has Arrived

Autonomous vehicles are no longer perpetually “five years away.” They are here now. Planners must act now to ensure they don't degrade city life.

May 14, 2024 - California Planning & Development Report

Close-up of express lane marker on Bay Area freeway.

Congestion Pricing in the San Francisco Bay Area

Planners call them “express lanes,” but make no mistake, they are congestion pricing in action, and they're successful. The Bay Area network of what the Federal Highway Administration calls “high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes” is growing.

May 12, 2024 - San Francisco Chronicle

Man wearing sweater and messenger bag walking into white autonomous four-person Glydcar vehicle.

Self-Driving Microtransit System Coming to Contra Costa County

The autonomous, four-person pods would travel on an enclosed track, but is it an effective model for public transit?

May 8, 2024 - CBS News

Close-up on young tree planted on urban median flanked by a sidewalk and a bike lane.

Planting Trees Where They are Most Needed

Recently, the U.S. Forest Service awarded over $1 billion in competitive grants to expand equitable access to trees and their benefits. Grantees include Los Angeles County and TreePeople, who are working to plant trees where they are most needed.

May 7, 2024 - United States Forest Service

Expansion of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument Approved

President Biden just signed a proclamation to expand the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument by over 100,000 acres.

May 7, 2024 - Los Angeles Times

Wood-frame apartment building under construction with tall palm trees and power lines in background.

Redefining Housing Affordability

A new study highlights how many — or how few — Californians can afford to live in each of the state’s counties.

May 6, 2024 - KQED

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.

Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO

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.