California

Pasadena's Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance Called Out as a 'Poison Pill'

Pasadena's accessory dwelling unit is designed more to prevent than accommodate accessory dwelling units. Planner and Pasadena resident Jonathan P. Bell implores the city's Planning Commission to reform it.

December 13, 2016 - UrbDeZine

San Francisco Street

Op-Ed: San Francisco's New Urban Design Guidelines Could Backfire

John King argues that the city's new guidelines may leave too many loopholes open, potentially defeating their purpose: well-integrated new buildings.

December 12, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

California State Water project

California Water Plan Foretells Tension Between Cities, Farmers

Recognizing the ongoing drought's severity, Sacramento is set to adopt a new statewide conservation plan. But some say the regulations don't place enough pressure on California's agricultural sector.

December 12, 2016 - KPCC

New York Bike Lane

Making Long-Term Planning and Democratic Politics Work Together

To the potential surprise of many planners in the United States, strategic planning and politics can work together to produce significant policy outcomes in democratically governed cities.

December 12, 2016 - Lily Song and Diane Davis

San Francisco STreetcar

San Francisco Muni Hack Could Have Been a Catastrophe

The Internet of Things will continue to be a concern for cities, the ransomeware that struck the San Francisco transit system could have been much worse. A future attack will be.

December 11, 2016 - Wired

Construction

A Pro-Development Argument in the Great Housing Debate

In the ongoing and contentious debate about whether market-rate development is a cure or a disease, another writer comes down on the side of more supply, no matter the cost.

December 11, 2016 - Bloomberg

facebook

Facebook to Donate $20 Million for Housing and Jobs in its Own Backyard

Facebook has decided that being a good neighbor means donating funding toward affordable housing.

December 10, 2016 - The Wall Street Journal

Bay Bridge

More Evidence that Bay Area Housing Prices Are Hurting the Economy

Beacon Economics projects a slowdown in job growth in the San Francisco Bay Area due to the region's high housing costs.

December 9, 2016 - San Francisco Business Times

No Luxury Condos

San Francisco Rejects Environmental Review for Lack of Gentrification Analysis

In what could be a first, but potential not a last, the power of the California Environmental Quality Act was invoked in San Francisco with regard to concerns about gentrification.

December 7, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

The Architecture at Zero Competition Imagines the Future of Net Zero Energy

The winners of the 2016 Architecture at Zero competition took a case study located in the fog-locked city of San Francisco and delivered a net-zero site plan for a mixed-use academic facility.

December 7, 2016 - The Architect's Newspaper

Death Toll at 36 in Friday Night's Fire at Oakland Warehouse

Lax code enforcement is one of the concerns being raised by the devastating fire that occurred during a rave-style party, Artists had taken up residence in the building, which was not permitted for either general assembly events or residences.

December 6, 2016 - Los Angeles Times

Chariot Commuter Shuttle in San Francisco Expands 50 Percent After Ford Acquisition

Chariot shuttle service, recently acquired by Ford Motor Company, may soon be a more formidable competitor for San Francisco's public transit provider, Muni, due to an expansion to 150 vans. Expect new routes, five-minute headways, and $4 rides.

December 6, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

Ventura County Transportation Commission

What it Takes To Pass a Transportation Sales Tax Measure in California

Ventura County's transportation sales tax measure failed after receiving almost 57 percent of the vote, illustrating the difficulty in passing tax measures intended for transportation improvements in California.

December 6, 2016 - Ventura County Star

L.A. Streetcar

Route Approved for Downtown Los Angeles Streetcar

Construction on the Downtown Los Angeles Streetcar could begin as soon as 2018.

December 6, 2016 - Studio City Patch

What Mobility Leaders Think About Car Connectivity

As autonomous vehicles prepare to disrupt transportation systems, Ford Motors President & CEO Mark Fields, L.A Chief Sustainability Officer Matt Petersen, and rideshare company Chariot co-founder Ali Vahabzadeh opine on tomorrow's mobility ecosystem.

December 6, 2016 - The Planning Report

recycled water sign

California Using Data To Maximize Water Conservation Efforts

Even as the Golden State has a wetter fall, California's water leaders have launched a new tool to leverage information technology and available information to support decisions around local water reliability.

December 5, 2016 - The Planning Report

South of Market

Plan Bay Area Update Calls for 30 Percent More Housing by 2040

The plan centers a large portion of the housing growth — around 46 percent — in the Big 3 Bay Area Cities: San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose.

December 4, 2016 - Greenbelt Alliance

Lake Mission Viejo

Orange County's Water Supply Is Ahead of the Resilience Curve

The Southern California county has long been a pioneer in water management.

December 3, 2016 - The Planning Report

Model of Downtown LA

Mapping Los Angeles' Underutilized City-Owned Property

New data shows that the city of Los Angeles owns nearly 9,000 parcels throughout the region—and that it could be doing a lot more with them.

December 2, 2016 - The Planning Report

God Rides BART

Bay Area Sends Mixed Message on BART Funding

BART won big on election night with the passage of Measure RR, a $3.5 billion infrastructure bond measure. But the San Francisco Chronicle observes that results from two other local ballot measures suggest a mixed message on the rapid transit system.

December 2, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

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.