California

Tenants' Rights

On the Bay Area's Peninsula: A Reborn Tenants' Rights Movement

A resurgent tenants' rights movement has found a home south of the traditional progressive capital of the Bay Area.

June 13, 2016 - The New York Times

BART Train

$3.5 Billion Bond Measure to Keep BART in Good Repair Approved for November

After extensive outreach, the BART Board of Director settled on the $3.5 billion sum to be on the November ballot. 'Unmet capital needs' are the target of the property tax measure.

June 13, 2016 - Bay Area Rapid Transit District

LADWP John Ferraro

A New 25-Year Plan for Los Angeles' Water Supply

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has adopted a new 25-year plan that aims to drastically reduce the amount of imported water the city relies on in a given year.

June 11, 2016 - KPCC

Clear-Sky Flood

Welcome to a Changed Climate: It Even Floods When it's Sunny

A new report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration documents the increasing frequency of nuisance floods and "clear-sky flooding."

June 11, 2016 - USA Today

Gateway Tower

Planetizen Week in Review: June 10, 2016

A two-minute-and-thirty-five-second tour of the news and events from the week in planning.

June 10, 2016 - Planetizen

110 South

New Promise Zones Include South Los Angeles

South L.A.'s inclusion in the Promise Zones program marks a shift in the way the federal government measures poverty.

June 10, 2016 - LA Streetsblog

China Railway Drops Out of L.A. to Las Vegas High-Speed Rail Project

China Railway, which had agreed to put up $100 million for XpressWest to build a 230-mile, 190 mph train from Victorville, Calif. to Las Vegas last September, withdrew from their agreement, primarily due to the inability to use their own trains.

June 10, 2016 - Los Angeles Times

Portland Transit

Rail Transit: You Get What You Pay For

Seattle Transit blog compares rail investments from five cities around the country.

June 9, 2016 - Seattle Transit Blog

Golden Gate

Bay Area Election Roundup: Wetlands, Housing, Ballot-Box Planning, Sales Tax

A regional measure to tax all property owners in the 9-county Bay Area to adapt to sea level rise passes; S.F. voters support raising the affordable housing bar; Richmond voters reject ballot-box planning; San José approves sales tax increase.

June 9, 2016 - Planetizen

Los Angeles Street

Artist to Help Los Angeles Meet Vision Zero Goal

LADOT’s first artist-in-residence will engage the city’s many subcultures, and its lively art scene, in his effort to improve pedestrian safety.

June 9, 2016 - Gizmodo

Los Angeles Metro

Los Angeles Metro Releases First Quality of Life Report

Metro's first Quality of Life report measures the impact of the agency's transit investments since 2008.

June 8, 2016 - The Source

Supermarket

California’s Messy Code Hinders Housing and Climate Goals

It’s time to rewrite California’s building and planning codes for the 21st century, says architect Mark Hogan.

June 8, 2016 - BOOM: A Journal of California

Bart

Santa Clara County to Vote on Tax for Silicon Valley BART Extension

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority unanimously approved the 30-year, half-cent transportation sales tax for the countywide ballot in November. $1.5 billion in tax revenues would go to Phase II of a BART extension in the Silicon Valley.

June 8, 2016 - Planetizen

Bus Lane

Yelp for Transit? San Francisco Will Give it a Shot

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency will invite ratings from transit users via the existing MuniMobile app. That's brave.

June 7, 2016 - CityLab

Roundabout

The Case for Modern Roundabouts: Increased Safety

Roundabout are gaining popularity in California and across the nation. While they have been shown to reduce crashes, not all are sold on the innovative concept, and when it comes to multi-lane roundabouts, cyclists have legitimate concerns.

June 7, 2016 - Napa Valley Register

Expo Line LA Skyline

Light Rail Successes Draw Attention to L.A. Metro's Rail Problems

Two new light rail extensions opened in Los Angeles within two and a half months. Ridership is soaring on the Gold Line extension and preliminary reports look good for the Expo Line, but new riders experience problems familiar to long-time riders.

June 6, 2016 - Planetizen

A New Bus Rapid Transit Route for Fresno

Construction is set to begin on a $28 million, 15.7-mile bus rapid transit route in the city of Fresno.

June 5, 2016 - The Fresno Bee

East Brother Light Station

Developer's Ballot Box Planning Would Allow Suburban Development at Ferry Terminal

A June 7 ballot measure in Richmond, California would permit 59 single family homes to be built on a 5-acre bayfront lot within walking distance to a future ferry landing for San Francisco service. The site is zoned for high-density housing.

June 4, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

Metro Bikes

L.A. Metro and City of Los Angeles to Launch Metro Bike Share on July 7

One thousand bikes will be available exclusively to Metro passholders who subscribe from July 7 to August 1, when the general public will be able to sign-up. Subscribers will use a single card to access both transit and Metro Bikes. Sponsor needed.

June 3, 2016 - The Source (Metro's blog)

Qualcomm Stadium

AIA San Diego Op-Ed on Chargers' Stadium Ballot Initiative: 'Not So Fast'

The San Diego Chapter of the American Institute of Architecture believes the NFL Chargers’ downtown stadium proposal is full of risk and lost opportunities. AIA - SD opines the existing stadium site is superior both for the fan and the taxpayer.

June 1, 2016 - UrbDeZine

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.