California

Berkeley Releases Resilience Plan

Berkeley's Resilience Strategy is one of the first in the nation, and one of the first work products of the Rockefeller Foundation's 100 Resilient Cites network.

April 7, 2016 - Berkeley Patch

San Francisco Teachers Could Get Eviction Protections

San Francisco may move to protect teachers from "no-fault" evictions during the school year.

April 5, 2016 - San Francisco Examiner

California Scaling Back Controversial Delta Tunnels Plans

The planning process has revealed more modest potential benefits for the highly controversial proposal to spend $15 billion on tunnels to ease environmental strain on the Bay Delta.

April 4, 2016 - Los Angeles Times

Planning for a Network of Trails in the Heart of the Silicon Valley

San Jose, California's Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services has begun the process of updating its Trail Strategic Plan.

April 4, 2016 - San Jose Mercury News

The Golden State of Disabled Drivers

"Something is wrong," proclaimed Los Angeles Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D), "when one in eight California drivers claims a disability." Gatto has introduced two bills: one to address disabled parking, the other could promote variable pricing of parking.

April 4, 2016 - Streetsblog California

How High is Too High for Transportation Sales Taxes?

Sales taxes are regressive, but unlike the gas tax, they bear no relationship to transportation. Should a November transportation ballot measure pass, sales taxes in three cities in the county of Los Angeles would exceed 10 percent.

April 4, 2016 - KPCC

Los Angeles River Restoration Going From Grassroots to Glam

As excitement around the L.A. River revitalization heats up, neighbors of the once-neglected channel wonder who will benefit from the billion-dollar redevelopment.

April 3, 2016 - The Nation

Only in L.A.: Botanic Garden Displays LEGOs to Connect Visitors With Nature

A fun exhibit at the South Coast Botanic Garden is reviewed by park planner Clement Lau.

April 2, 2016 - UrbDeZine

Plans Advance for Orange County Streetcar

The $289 million streetcar would serve the cities of Santa Ana (population 329,00), county seat and second densest in California after San Francisco, and Garden Grove (population 170,000) on a 4.1-mile route. Service could begin 2020.

April 2, 2016 - Orange County Breeze

Legislature Raises Questions on Draft 2016 California High-Speed Rail Business Plan

Uncertainty as to whether cap-and-trade funding would continue past 2020 and opposition to the initial operating segment leaving out the city of Merced were two issues that arose during a Assembly Transportation Committee hearing of the plan.

March 30, 2016 - Fresno Bee

Could Tent Cities Work in California?

Seeking new approaches to a growing homelessness problem, Sacramento officials recently toured the "tent cities" of Seattle.

March 30, 2016 - The Planning Report

L.A. County's Strategy for Better Park Planning Explained

Los Angeles County's Community Parks and Recreation Plans (CPRPs) are an evolved methodology to process a broad range of data to better site and design community parks. CPRPs are explained by L.A. County park planner Clement Lau

March 30, 2016 - UrbDeZine

Klyde Warren Park

Op-Ed: Tech Can Enhance Parks

In the traditional view, nature and digital technology clash. But for many people, tech can offer ways to better engage with parks.

March 29, 2016 - KCET

Creating an Urban Mobility Ecosystem Helps Public and Private Actors

With new transportation options coming to cities from a plethora of innovators and entrepreneurs, how will public transit agencies respond? Are these modes in competition, or does their widespread use actually benefit one another?

March 29, 2016 - The Planning Report

Cities Try To Figure Out How To Be 'Resilient'

The organization 100 Resilient Cities has funded 'chief resilience officers' in 66 cities worldwide. It's helping four California cities prepare for 'stresses and shocks' including earthquakes, sea level rise, and even poverty.

March 28, 2016 - California Planning & Development Report

Will San Diego's Sweeping Stadium and Tourism Initiative Pass Constitutional Muster?

A coalition of unlikely allies are circulating a sweeping ballot initiative in San Diego that would decide a hodge-podge of land use and tax issues confronting the city in one fell swoop. But is it legal?

March 28, 2016 - UrbDeZine

U.S. Gasoline Consumption Up, Oil Production Down

Gas prices are on the rise, though they will remain well below 2014 levels through this year. U.S. oil production dropped by 600,000 barrels from last year, while gas consumption is on track to break the 2007 record thanks to cheap gas and more SUVs.

March 28, 2016 - The New York Times

Op-Ed Urges Pasadena to Adopt Balanced Homeless Measures

Pasadena should adopt measures that couple homeless services with controls on aggressive panhandling and camping in certain areas of the city, urges Jonathan P. Bell, urban planner and Pasadena resident.

March 28, 2016 - UrbDeZine

Stormwater Permits Create Funding Problems for SoCal Cities

The MS4 Permit was designed as a way to clean up urban stormwater runoff in Southern California. Many of the smaller cities in the region, however, are struggling to pay the bill to cover the permits costs.

March 27, 2016 - San Gabriel Valley Tribune

BART Train

How BART Hopes to Open the Rush Hour Window

In the hopes of letting some air into the congested rush hour commute, BART is considering a social-media focused program to entice riders onto trains at times other than the peak commute.

March 26, 2016 - The San Francisco Chronicle

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.