California

Housing Construction

Op-Ed: Affordability Depends on Market-Rate Housing

California State Senator Scott Wiener argues that advocating for subsidized affordable housing isn't enough. Anyone concerned with ending the state's housing crisis needs to get behind market-rate development.

May 1, 2017 - Art + Marketing

King Tides

A Timeline of CEQA-Circumventing Court Rulings

The California Environmental Quality Act is generally considered a major obstacle for development. In a few cases, however, the law's definitions have been used to clear the way for development in environmentally sensitive areas.

April 27, 2017 - San Francisco Public Press

Presidio Park

The Environmental Trade-Off for Raising California's Fuel Taxes

Come November 1, gasoline and diesel taxes will increase by 12 and 20 cents per gallon, respectively, in California, providing badly needed revenue to repair roads, bridges, and improve transit, but truck pollution loophole will still foul the air.

April 27, 2017 - The Press-Enterprise

Ocean Grove Sidewalk

What Would Delivery Robots Mean for Public Space?

If companies like Startship and Marble get their way, sidewalks will play host to hundreds of rolling delivery bots. It's one solution to "last-mile" logistics, but are pedestrians prepared to give way?

April 26, 2017 - The Guardian

Debating Los Angeles' Proposed Affordable Housing Development Fee

A proposed affordable housing development fee has inspired a debate about how far developments fees can go in generating funds for affordable housing before they finally stop development altogether.

April 26, 2017 - KPCC

Google Headquarters

Report: Bay Area Needs More Transit Oriented Companies

The irony isn't lost on the authors of a new report by SPUR: Bay Area companies committed to technology innovation obstinately rely on traditional and inefficient commutes in automobiles.

April 25, 2017 - The San Francisco Chronicle

When Environmental Goals Collide

Using the movie titled "When Worlds Collide" as a metaphor, environmental attorney Richard Opper describes how environmental regulations can get in their own way to defeat density and infill development—and NIMBYs are not just residents.

April 25, 2017 - UrbDeZine

Air Quality

Air District Connects Climate Protection to Clean Air Plans

With the adoption of the "Spare the Air - Cool the Climate" program, the Bay Area's air quality regulatory agency has broadened its mission to make reduction of greenhouse gases a paramount goal, along with protecting public health.

April 24, 2017 - San Francisco Chronicle

Air Quality and Environmental Justice Lead to Push for Zero-Emission Locomotives

The California Air Resources Board has petitioned the U.S. EPA to adopt more stringent emissions standards for locomotives in order to improve air quality at rail yards, many of which are located adjacent to disadvantaged communities.

April 23, 2017 - RailwayAge

Wildfire

Coming to Grips With the Future of Wildfires

As wildfires become bigger, more frequent, and more expensive to fight, new methods for preventing the worst impacts of fire will be necessary, according to a new study.

April 22, 2017 - Pacific Standard

Metro Bikeshare

After a Wet Winter, Bikeshare Ridership Lags in Los Angeles

Bikeshare is still fairly new in Los Angeles, located mostly around downtown before expanding to the rest of the city. So far, however, residents have been slow to adopt the system.

April 21, 2017 - KPCC

Freeway Construction

PIRG Releases Third Highway Boondoggles Report

A new report from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group and the Frontier Group indicates that highway boondoggles have been getting bigger, more costly, with the benefits more limited. Nine projects are analyzed in "Highway Boondoggles 3."

April 20, 2017 - Illinois PIRG

Golden Gate

A Public School Teacher on Trying to Raise a Family in San Francisco

Trevor McNeil and his wife make a little too much for their family of five to be eligible for low income subsidies. If one of them were to quit their job, they fear they wouldn't be able to afford the lifestyle they want to live.

April 20, 2017 - The Bay City Beacon

Los Angeles

Which Is the Most Sprawling City in the World?

Most people would probably guess that the world's most sprawling city is located in the United States, and according to most measures, they'd be right.

April 20, 2017 - The Guardian

Moving Van

Ten Most Popular Millennial Moving Destinations

In addition to determining the most popular destinations for 18 to 35-year-olds, Mayflower (the moving company) found that 41 percent of this age group have no intention of staying at their selected cities permanently.

April 19, 2017 - Mayflower

Los Angeles

Lawsuit Closes Popular Hiking Trail to the Hollywood Sign

Closing today: one of the most popular hiking trails in the Hollywood Hills, another case of the antipathy between public access and private property.

April 18, 2017 - KPCC

110 South

Opinion: Don't Forget the Benefits of Urban Freeways

After reading this recent opinion piece by Bill Fulton, some pro-transit and anti-highway advocates might be thinking, "Et tu, Bill Fulton?"

April 18, 2017 - Governing

San Francisco Bay Bridge

Plan Bay Area 2040 Sets Ambitious Housing and Transportation Agenda

The last time the San Francisco Bay Area got together to set a regional agenda on housing and transportation, the Sierra Club and the Tea Party teamed up to oppose the Plan Bay Area. A draft of the new Plan Bay Area 2040 hopes to avoid the drama.

April 17, 2017 - San Francisco Chronicle

BART Station

BART Extension Kerfluffle: East Bay Officials Pushing for New Rail Authority

If the city of Livermore and several state legislators gets their way, a proposed extension of BART to the city of Livermore would be planned and built by the Tri Valley-San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority.

April 17, 2017 - East Bay Times

Lafayette BART

Passage of 12-Cent Gas Tax Hike Allows BART to Reduce Service Cuts

The gas tax bill couldn't pass soon enough for the Bay Area's metro system. Service cuts and fare increases, scheduled for approval April 13, were greatly reduced due to an unexpected $16 million BART will receive, and the bill has yet to be signed!

April 17, 2017 - SF Gate

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.