California

The Little Park That Could: The New Park on Southern California's Gold Line

A new train themed park at a Metro Gold Line station in Monrovia is reviewed by park planner Clement Lau.

March 22, 2016 - UrbDeZine

How Gaming Can Revolutionize Planning

The new game Block’Hood seeks to illustrate and educate about the connection between sustainability and social and economic needs in city and neighborhood building.

March 21, 2016 - Dezeen

Activist and Urbanist Collaborate for San Diego's North Park

San Diego's diverse urban North Park Community, once a victim of suburban flight, is now dealing with urban remigration. Urban planner Howard Blackson and community activist Don Leichtling collaborate on community plan update recommendations.

March 21, 2016 - UrbDeZine

Metro Subway Los Angeles

Infographic: Incomes Along Los Angeles Metro Lines

As Los Angeles weighs the merits of more major funding for Metro Rail projects, the current slate of new routes is already coming online. This graphic depicts median household incomes along existing and future rail lines.

March 21, 2016 - Los Angeles Times

FLV California train

California's High-Speed Train to Nowhere?

Don't tell that to the 18,000 residents of Shafter. However, the Legislative Analyst's Office made clear in its March 17 report that it questioned having the southern end of the first operating segment located "in an unpopulated agricultural area."

March 21, 2016 - Silicon Valley Business Journal

A collaborative art project

What Is Placemaking, Really?

It's a term that gets bandied about by the "creative class" to describe an endless array of projects, from whimsical pop-up art to new uses for century-old buildings. But what does placemaking really mean?

March 21, 2016 - Comstock's Magazine

Technology Companies Selected for California Road Charge Pilot

California's Road Charge Pilot Program is set to start this July. Applications for the 5,000 volunteers are being collected. Three companies hope to entice participants to select their programs by offering them 'high-tech perks.'

March 20, 2016 - FutureStructure

Southern California Association of Governments Stalling on CEQA Reform

One of the largest, most influential regional governments in the state has asked for exemptions from changes to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) that will measure Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT) instead of Level of Service (LOS).

March 19, 2016 - Streetsblog California

How Oakland Is Tackling Its Housing Crisis

Just across the Bay Bridge from one of the most famous examples of a broken housing market, Oakland is working to keep up with the effects of housing demand.

March 18, 2016 - SPUR

Metro Service Resumes After Electrical Problems Detected and Repaired

The nation's second busiest subway system reopened as planned on Thursday at 5 a.m. after being shut down for safety reasons on Wednesday after fixing several electrical problems found in 26 areas during the inspection. Electrical problems hit BART.

March 18, 2016 - The Washington Post

Los Angeles Voters Won't Decide on Anti-Development Measure in November

Saying that their controversial "Neighborhood Integrity Initiative" would be 'buried' in a November ballot, the Coalition to Preserve L.A. will revise it and gather signatures to put it on the March ballot next year.

March 17, 2016 - Los Angeles Times - L.A. NOW

Tenderloin District

Op-Ed: Overcoming a New NIMBYism

Rick Jacobus argues that those who block new development on social justice grounds aren't fighting to win long-term. Building is necessary, but with it should come robust affordable housing mandates.

March 17, 2016 - Shelterforce

$120 Billion Transportation Bond May Be Headed to Los Angeles County Voters

The transit and road measure, based on extending and increasing half-cent sales taxes, would fund a massive amount of light rail, bus, and road measures, including building a Sepulveda Pass tunnel which would accommodate a toll road and rail line.

March 16, 2016 - Los Angeles Times

Op-Ed: Politicians Should Leave the Transit Routes to Planners

While it will certainly comes as a relief to some commuters living in the San Gabriel Valley, the Metro Gold Line extension that opened earlier this month was more the result of politics than planning.

March 16, 2016 - Los Angeles Times

BART to the Silicon Valley: Phase 1 Well Underway, Phase 2 Now on the Way

What seemed for decades like an impossible dream is becoming more and more of a reality: BART service to San Jose and the Silicon Valley.

March 15, 2016 - Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority

More Anti-Density Measures Headed to the Ballot in Southern California

Witness the full force of anti-development animus in Southern California, where at least three cities are facing variety of backlash to the status quo of zoning and development processes.

March 15, 2016 - KPCC

More Evidence That Bikeshare Systems Are the Safest Way to Bike

Another study from a reputable think-tank offers evidence that bikeshare is the safest way to bike.

March 14, 2016 - Curbed

Another California Columnist Rails Against CEQA Abuse by NIMBYs

With the help of housing experts, San Francisco Chronicle columnist Chip Johnson points to abuse of the California Environmental Quality Act by NIMBYs as one of the main reasons for the Bay Area's housing crisis. Ethan Elkind offers an opposing view.

March 14, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

How Process Stops Change in San Francisco

San Francisco loves process and fears change. It's costing residents in more ways than housing, laments David Prowler, former Special Assistant to Mayor Willie Brown.

March 14, 2016 - UrbDeZine

San Francisco Leading CEQA Reform Process—Scraps Level of Service

The San Francisco Planning Commission took historic action earlier this month, voting to end the use of Level of Service in environmental review.

March 11, 2016 - San Francisco Planning Department

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.