California

White Flight Continues From Ethnoburbs Around the Country
As affluent whites have returned to more urban areas, some might think that white flight is a relic of the 20th century, but overwhelming evidence shows that white flight continues, just in a different place and time.
Cap-and-Trade Bill Boosts California's Struggling Biomass Facilities
California's new rigorous renewable portfolio standard of 50 percent by 2030 will support a renewable energy source that serves the dual purpose of reducing forest fire hazards.

Demographic Changes and Environmental Leadership in Sacramento
It has been a good year for environmentalists, but it hasn't come easily, as seen in the much-celebrated but delayed passage of SB 32 that continues the landmark emissions reductions first set in 2006. Joe Mathews explains the transitions underway.

Planetizen Week in Review: September 3, 2016
Books! Maps! Data! Renderings! What more could you want from one week?

Serenity Now! BART Finds a Solution to Its Screeching Trains
BART trains have always made a lot of noise—impacting riders and the people who live along the regional system's routes. Now there's hope that the racket could be a thing of the past.

Compromise Reached on $1.4 Billion in California Cap-and-Trade Proceeds
An earlier announcement awarded almost $400 million to transit agencies, but left a larger chunk of these funds still unsettled. On Wednesday, leaders agreed on a $900 million expenditure plan to cut emissions and address social concerns.

Mapping L.A.'s Zoning Changes Finds Little Room for Upzoning
A new study makes a visual case against the narrative that spot zoning and a broken development approval process are running roughshod over the entire city.

Los Angeles Wants to Use Housing Money to Boost MLS Soccer Stadium
Critics say the HUD program is meant to fund more direct anti-poverty measures, like affordable housing—not office, retail, and attractions.

One Man Reports a Quarter of All Tech Shuttle Infractions in San Francisco
A 70-year-old San Francisco resident is on a one-man mission to keep tech shuttles on the straight and narrow.

All Eyes on California's New Emissions Reductions Requirement
As difficult as it was for the legislature to pass SB 32 on Aug. 24, reducing emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 will prove far more challenging. Brad Plumer, senior editor of Vox, explains the bill and what it will take to meet the goal.

Pasadena Eases Into Bikeshare, Complete Streets
Located northeast of downtown Los Angeles, Pasadena is a "destination city" of its own. A recent push to make its streets more bike-friendly coincides with the upcoming arrival of bikeshare.

This November, Four Major Transportation Measures at Stake
If you live in Detroit, Atlanta, Seattle, or Los Angeles, you have more to look forward to in November than choosing Donald or Hillary. Major decisions concerning regional transportation are on the line.

Mapping Gentrification and Displacement in California
The Urban Displacement project produces not only a detailed portrait of gentrification and displacement in California, but also a comparison between the state's two mega regions: the San Francisco Bay Area and Southern California.

L.A. City Council Chooses Legal Limbo for Accessory Dwelling Units
Faced with the task of conforming its "granny flats" ordinance with state law, the Los Angeles City Council yielded.
Traffic Deaths Take a Big Jump in 2016
A 9 percent increase in fatalities on the nation's highways compared to the same period in 2015 does not appear to be a result of increased driving, which jumped 3.3 percent during that period, but rather an increase in the rate of fatal crashes.

Urban Forestry in L.A. Explained
Los Angeles County has inventoried their trees and devised a strategy for fostering an urban canopy. Park planner Clement Lau explains.
Ride Hailing to Replace Former Bus Route
A small public transit company serving the East Bay will be the first in California to conduct a pilot project to use transportation network companies and taxis to service low density areas of Dublin in Alameda County.

Planetizen Week in Review: August 26, 2016
It only takes two minutes and 55 seconds to catch up on the biggest news stories from the week in planning.

Climate Change Requires a Different Paradigm for California's Water Supply
Jeff Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, explains how the impacts of California’s historic drought are already changing the landscape of the American Southwest.

Sacramento Rising: Mayor-Elect Darrell Steinberg's Vision for Sustainable Communities
Mayor-Elect Steinberg enters City Hall as a leader with a unique opportunity to enact sustainable infill policies he championed in the California Legislature.
Pagination
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