California
California's Top-Rated Park for Hikers Is Inside the City of LA
According to AllTrails, a popular fitness and travel mobile app, Topanga State Park has many highly-rated trails, most of which are of moderate difficulty and vary in length from three to seven miles.
Preserving LA’s Dark Skies
Learn about the importance of dark skies for the health and enjoyment of individuals and wildlife, and how L.A. County's Rural Outdoor Lighting District is helping to reduce light pollution.
California Updating Outdoor Recreation Plan
State Parks is working on the 2026-2030 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) which serves as a vision for public outdoor recreation grant priorities in urban and rural neighborhoods, cities, and regions.
Want to Reduce Traffic Congestion? Cash Out Employer-Paid Parking
Employer-paid parking will undermine New York City’s congestion tolls. But parking cash-out policies like those in California and Washington D.C. can solve the problem.
LA-to-San Francisco Night Train Closer to Reality
A train operator has entered into formal negotiations with Union Pacific to move the project forward with a projected launch date of 2025.
Lawsuit Aims to Stop Dodger Stadium Gondola
A proposed aerial tram project that would shuttle visitors to L.A.’s Dodger Stadium faces backlash from environmental and community groups.
Mental Health Facility Uses Design to Improve Outcomes
Far from the drab and claustrophobic mental health facilities of cinematic fame, Ohana aims to serve patients in an aesthetically soothing, nature-driven environment.
California Cyclist Maps Animals Through Rides
The La Jolla resident plots local bike rides that, when viewed on a map, outline the shape of animals or seasonal items.
Southern California Rail Service Resumes After Landslide
The corridor has been closed multiple times in the past year as erosion and landslides put coastal rail infrastructure in jeopardy.
California Lawmakers Push Transit Funding Bill
The proposed legislation would also encourage consolidation of regional transit systems.
California Native Tribe to Co-Manage National Park Land
A historic agreement returns 125 acres — a fraction of the tribe’s historic lands — that will be used to build a cultural center and park facilities.
Eviction Prevention Program Sees Success in San Jose
Fighting a continued rise in homelessness in the region, a county program is successfully helping families avoid eviction.
Expanding LA's Urban Forest
The County of Los Angeles Chief Sustainability Office is leading the effort to prepare the county's first Urban Forest Management Plan.
California Developers Opt for Privately Funded Affordable Housing
Housing advocates worry that, without government guardrails, buildings may not remain affordable or well-maintained in the long term.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
LA County Makes Progress Toward Sustainability Goals
A newly released annual report by the Chief Sustainability Office (CSO) shows that Los Angeles County is making progress on meeting the goals of the OurCounty Sustainability Plan.
California's Lone Ballot Measure: Too Close To Call
Unlike on prior election days, California voters had only one state proposition to decide on March 5, a combination $6 billion general obligation bond and a restructuring of an income surtax, both dealing with behavioral health and homelessness.
LA Zoning Reforms Could Yield Up to 250,000 New Homes
A draft plan would speed up permitting for residential projects with an affordability component and make more buildings eligible for adaptive reuse.
Southern California Water District Offers $100 Rebate for Planting Trees
Residents and businesses can choose from a list of eligible trees to support efforts to boost urban tree canopies and help with stormwater retention.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
