California

California Homeless

Key Failures That Led to San Diego's Homeless Crisis

San Diego has one of the largest homeless populations in the country. Years of neglect by the city has led to a recent Hepatitis A outbreak, killing 20 people to date. Poverty lawyer Parisa Ijadi-Maghsoodi identifies eight failures by the city.

November 3, 2017 - UrbDeZine

Amazon Warehouse

Logistics Industry Footprint Grows in the Inland Empire

Some residents are holding out as warehouse developers scope out their property. Others have already accepted offers well above market value.

November 3, 2017 - KPCC

Supreme Court

U.S. Supreme Court Won't Overturn California's Inclusionary Zoning Laws

The U.S. Supreme Court turned down a case with the potential to eradicate inclusionary zoning and in-lieu housing fees in the state of California.

November 3, 2017 - Los Angeles Times

Pedestrian Only

Fresno Returns Cars to a Pedestrian Mall in the Name of Downtown Revitalization

While global cities in other parts of the world are taking steps to ban cars from city centers, Fresno, California has taken the opposite approach. Time will tell if the return of vehicle traffic to Fulton Street project pays dividends.

November 2, 2017 - The Fresno Bee

Inland Empire

'Millennial Livability' Takes Shape in Suburban Inland Empire

The Inland Empire's housing boom and economic growth are attracting plenty of new residents—especially millennials.

November 1, 2017 - The Planning Report

Pomona Transit Center

Southern California Bus System Cuts Costs to Compete with L.A. Metro Light Rail

Bus riders can expect two rounds of fare increases, plus service cuts along the light rail route.

November 1, 2017 - Pasadena Star News

Adapting Combined Sewer-Stormwater Systems to Climate Change

Only one coastal city has a sewer system that must handle stormwater as well as wastewater. San Francisco's efforts to adapt its combined sewer-stormwater system has put it on the vanguard of the city's climate adaptation efforts.

October 31, 2017 - San Francisco Chronicle

Proterra Electric Bus

Electric Transit Becoming the New Norm in California

Electrification is at a tipping point in California, expanding into the heavy-duty sector with the buy-in of transit agencies across the state.

October 31, 2017 - The Planning Report

Los Angeles River Kayak

High Bacteria Levels Require a New Approach to Los Angeles River Recreation

The city of Los Angeles created a new plan to notify the public about high levels of E.coli in the Los Angeles River after kayakers were exposed to E.coli earlier this fall.

October 29, 2017 - KPCC

6th Street Viaduct

A Bold Housing Vision for the L.A. River

An unsolicited proposal from the engineering firm reimagines a stretch along the L.A. River as a mixed-use mega-development, rich in housing and jobs.

October 28, 2017 - The Architect's Newspaper

Power Lines

The High Cost of Burying Power Lines

With speculation that downed power lines and exploding transformers may have caused California's most deadly and destructive wildfires, many question why utility companies don't bury these lines through fire-prone areas.

October 27, 2017 - San Francisco Chronicle

Apartment for Rent

Rent Control Advocates Turn to California's Initiative Process after Bill Fails

A statewide initiative has been filed by California tenant activists that would repeal the Costa-Hawkins Act, the 1995 legislation that restricts the type of rental housing regulated by local rent control ordinances.

October 27, 2017 - The Sacramento Bee

Desert Farm

An Agrihood Takes Root in Palm Springs

Developer Freehold Communities is planning a suburban farming community in California's Sonora Desert.

October 26, 2017 - Mercury News

Houston And L.A.: Kindred Spirits Meet In World Series

Planning scholar Bill Fulton, longtime resident of L.A. and relatively recent transplant to Houston, sizes up the urban implications of a World Series played between two very similar cities.

October 25, 2017 - California Planning & Development Report

Gas Pump

California Gas Tax Repeal Provokes Internecine Republican Conflict

Chances for a repeal of California's 12-cents gas tax increase have doubled in that two measures aim to qualify for the November 2018 ballot. The initiatives are opposed by the state's major business groups that usually side with Republican causes.

October 25, 2017 - CALmatters

2017 World Series

The World Series of Housing Markets

Comparing the housing markets of Houston and Los Angeles—two of the nation's metropolitan area's most commonly associated with auto-centric sprawl—before their respective Major League Baseball teams square off in the 2017 World Series.

October 24, 2017 - Real Estate Consulting

Prototypes for Trump's Border Wall Now on View in California

The U.S.-Mexico border between San Diego and Tijuana received eight controversial additions over the weekend.

October 24, 2017 - New York Daily News

Northern California Wilidfires

Wine Country Wildfires Put Spotlight on Transmission Lines

No cause has yet been attributed to California's deadliest wildfires, but the connections to fallen power lines and exploding transformers, maintained by PG&E, have been exposed in a series of reports by the Bay Area News Group.

October 23, 2017 - The Mercury News

Highway Speed

Speed Limit Changes Coming to L.A.

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation announced proposed speed limit changes and enforcement budgets. Changes to the speed limit will mean an increase in most places.

October 22, 2017 - Streetsblog LA

Wood Fire Smoke

California to Implement Wood Smoke Reduction Program

The program is voluntary, providing incentives to replace older, uncertified wood stoves for cleaner replacements or alternatives. In addition to decreasing air pollution, it reduces emissions of a "super climate pollutant," black carbon.

October 21, 2017 - California State Senate

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.