California

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

For Rent

Opponents of Rent Control Claim Victory in Special Election in Bay Area

Voters in Santa Rosa, California rejected a measure that would have retained the rent and eviction control ordinance that the city council had approved lasted August. The referendum was placed on the ballot by the California Apartment Association.

June 18, 2017 - San Francisco Chronicle

Century City

L.A. Country Clubs Taking More Than Their Share and Paying Less

Malcom Gladwell takes on the racial and environmental problems related to the game of golf, particularly as it relates to L.A. property taxes and the Ship of Theseus.

June 16, 2017 - Revisionist History

Cupertino

Apple's New Headquarters: Sprawling and Sprawl-Inducing

Apple's new campus contains thousands of parking spaces, but neither transit options nor daycare.

June 16, 2017 - Wired

Sacramento River

Decision on California's $15.5 Billion 'WaterFix' Expected, Finally, in September

The massive project known as the California WaterFix has nearly come to its day of reckoning.

June 15, 2017 - The Sacramento Bee

Los Angeles Smog Skyline Zoom

Linkage Fees a Tough Sell for Affordable Housing

Advocates for linkage fees as a tool to enable the construction of additional have encountered stiff resistance in some of the country's most populated areas.

June 14, 2017 - The Los Angeles Times

Eichler

In the Silicon Valley, Eichler Is Synonymous With Single-Story Overlay

Residents of homes designed by Joseph Eichler are concerned that new two-story homes could invade their privacy and block sunlight and views. They have sought and won zoning protection.

June 14, 2017 - The Mercury News

Gas Station 7-Eleven

Odd Years are Good for Hiking State Gas Taxes

Already California, Indiana, Montana, South Carolina (overriding a governor's veto), Tennessee, and Utah* have raised gas taxes this year, while last year was a drought—only New Jersey increased its gas tax.

June 14, 2017 - The Council of State Governments

California Coast

How L.A.'s Nighttime Park Programming Lowered Crime and Costs

Los Angeles County's Parks after Dark (PAD) program and the city of Los Angeles' Summer Night Lights (SNL) program are proving to save lives, lower crime, and reduce costs, writes L.A. County parks planner Clement Lau.

June 13, 2017 - UrbDeZine

Renewable Natural Gas and Electricity Should Power Los Angeles Bus Fleet

It's not one or the other but both, argues Denny Zane of Move LA in a guest commentary for the Los Angeles Daily News about the decision that Los Angeles County Metro will make on June 22 on the future of the nation's second largest bus fleet.

June 12, 2017 - Los Angeles Daily News

Gas Pump

Voter Backlash Expected From Gas Tax Hike

There's a reason it can take decades to increase gas taxes — and many California legislators may soon found out why in November 2018, if not earlier. On November 1 of this year, state gas taxes will increase 12 cents per gallon.

June 12, 2017 - The Mercury News

San Francisco

California Progress Report: GDP Increases While GHGs Fall

California is demonstrating that improving the economy and the environment go hand in hand. A new inventory report from the state's Air Resources Board notes changes in gross domestic product, population, and greenhouse gas emissions since 2000.

June 10, 2017 - California Air Resources Board

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.