California

The Bay Area's Coming 'Freeway Revolution'

This will not be a revolution against freeways, as some may have hoped, but a revolution marked by new express lanes totaling 550 miles, beginning with a new stretch of 14 miles on I-580 through Dublin, Pleasanton, and Livermore in the East Bay.

February 16, 2016 - San Jose Mercury News

Los Angeles Harbor Freeway

Slow Express Lanes Causes L.A. County Metro to Tinker With Toll Pricing

As more solo-commuters have moved into the express pay lanes designed to quickly move traffic on Los Angeles's congested freeway system, speeds have dropped and L.A. Metro officials are looking to pricing disincentives to speed things up again.

February 16, 2016 - San Gabriel Valley Tribune

San Diego

San Diego's Bold New Plan for Downtown Cyclists and Walkers

San Diego's downtown, dominated by 3-lane one-way streets engineered to maximize car velocity and traffic flow, may be getting redesigned to make it hospitable for bicyclists and pedestrians.

February 15, 2016 - UrbDeZine

Los Angeles Passes Sweeping Homeless Plans—Funding Still Needed

The easy part for politicians at both the city and the county of Los Angeles is over. Funding their plans to improve services for the homeless will be the hard part.

February 12, 2016 - Los Angeles Times

After Almost Four Months, Monster Methane Leak is Capped

It's a temporary cap, but it means that thousands of Porter Ranch, Los Angeles residents can return home. SoCalGas has begun the process of permanently capping the leak of the huge natural gas storage field first detected on Oct. 23.

February 12, 2016 - KTLA5

Compromise Struck: Virginia Will Widen I-66 Inside the Beltway

Some local advocates and officials had hoped that tolls and transit could salve the congestion on I-66. Now it will be tolls, transit, and an extra lane.

February 11, 2016 - Greater Greater Washington

Report: New Market-Rate Housing Affects Low-Income Housing Supply

A new report from California's nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office may dispel assumptions that construction of market-rate housing displaces low-income Californians.

February 11, 2016 - California Legislative Analyst's Office

Fresno State

How One University Will Become Less Car-Centric

Fresno State University in California has released plans for a suite of changes that will redefine its approach to transportation—away from a devout focus on cars and toward more transportation options.

February 8, 2016 - Stop and Move

When Regressive is Progressive

With the two Democrat candidates debating who is the real progressive, it would be interesting to see how they would respond, if asked, about President Obama's proposed $10-per-barrel fee to fund a 21st Century Clean Transportation System.

February 8, 2016 - The New York Times

Oklahoma-Style Earthquakes Now Affecting California

Disposal of wastewater from fracking has long been associated with earthquakes in Oklahoma as well as Ohio and Texas. A new study shows they were likely the cause of a swarm of quakes in 2005 in the capital of oil in California, Kern County.

February 8, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

Uber Drivers to Protest on Super Sunday

It's easy to see why Uber would look on a Super Bowl hosted near its Bay Area home would look on the event as a large PR opportunity. Disgruntled Uber drivers see it the same way.

February 7, 2016 - Mother Jones

Take a Tour of Super Bowl City (San Francisco) Then and Now

So the Super Bowl is actually being hosted down the road in Santa Clara, but San Francisco has been Super Bowl City all week. Luckily a feature by The Guardian offers a chance to compare The City's history with its present.

February 7, 2016 - The Guardian

Friday Eye Candy: The Nuclear Missile Sites of Los Angeles

The former locations of nuclear missile sites are more mundane than you probably realize. Geoff Manaugh explores satellite images of Los Angeles, and other cities, for examples.

February 5, 2016 - Travel + Leisure

Up for Debate: Rent Control Expansion in San Francisco

A newly elected member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has proposed an expansion of rent control that would circumvent state laws that limit such measures.

February 5, 2016 - Beyond Chron

What to Watch for on Super Bowl Sunday: Traffic

The contest on the gridiron might be of secondary consideration if the NFL and regional transportation planners can't manage the traffic to and from the game on Sunday.

February 5, 2016 - SFGate

Volkswagen Submits Another Recall Plan for Diesel Cars

Volkswagen has already submitted its recall plan for its 2-liter diesel engines—it was rejected by both the EPA and California Air Resources Board. It also needed to submit a recall plan for 3-liter diesel engines to CARB by Feb. 2, which it did.

February 4, 2016 - Bloomberg Business

Los Angeles' Contentious 'Neighborhood Integrity Initiative' Explained

The soul of planning in Los Angeles will be up for vote in the citywide election that will occur on the same day as the U.S. presidential election.

February 3, 2016 - California Planning & Development Report

What's Wrong With the Ethanol Mandate?

A former EPA official makes the case in a New York Times op-ed that the ethanol mandate, a major issue in Monday's presidential caucus in Iowa, the nation's top corn producer, is implemented so poorly that it is not benefiting the environment.

February 2, 2016 - The New York Times - The Opinion Pages

How the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Failed the People of Flint

While blame squarely lays with Michigan state officials, agencies, and possibly Gov. Rick Snyder himself, the EPA also played a role by both detecting the cause of the problem but not acting on the reports of improper treatment of river water.

January 31, 2016 - Huffington Post

Skyscrapers and Starchitects Coming Soon to Downtown San Francisco

Take a tour of the changes coming the to the Transbay District in San Francisco.

January 31, 2016 - 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.