California

Multicolored tulips in Descanso Gardens, Los Angeles, CA.

Spring Spectacle: Thousands of Tulips Bloom at One of LA’s Top Gardens

Descanso Gardens, one of Los Angeles County’s most beloved botanical destinations, is welcoming spring with 35,000 tulips in bloom, creating a breathtaking seasonal display expected to peak in late March.

March 10, 2025 - NBC 4

Yellow bird with black head sitting on power line.

City Nature Challenge: Explore, Document, and Protect Urban Biodiversity

The City Nature Challenge is a global community science event where participants use the iNaturalist app to document urban biodiversity, contributing valuable data to support conservation and scientific research.

March 10, 2025 - City Nature Challenge

View of mountains with large shrubs in foreground in Altadena, California.

Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

March 9, 2025 - Pasadena NOw

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

March 9, 2025 - Axios

Close-up of row of electric cars plugged into chargers at outdoor station.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives

A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.

March 9, 2025 - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation

Blue train on coastal rail in Southern California.

SoCal Leaders Debate Moving Coastal Rail Line

Train tracks running along the Pacific Ocean are in danger from sea level rise, but residents are divided on how to fix the problem.

March 7, 2025 - The New York Times

Black and white photos of couple walking on Great Highway road in San Francisco on the water during the pandemic when the road was closed to vehicular traffic.

Part of San Francisco Waterfront Highway to Become Pedestrian-Only in April

Two miles of the ‘Great Highway’ will be permanently closed to cars, in part due to erosion that makes the road unsafe for vehicles.

March 6, 2025 - Streetsblog San Francisco

Adult holding young child facing away from camera looking at wind turbines sillhouetted against the sunset.

Art in Action: USC Event Calls for an Urgent Green Energy Transition

The El Respiro / Respire event at USC uses a large-scale human geochoreography to demand an urgent and equitable transition to green energy, blending art, activism, and community engagement to amplify the message of climate justice.

March 5, 2025 - USC Today

Bird's eye view of half full parking lot at night.

Safe Parking Programs Help People Access Housing

The safety and stability offered by Safe Parking sites have helped 40 percent of unhoused San Diego residents who accessed these programs get into permanent housing.

March 5, 2025 - Maui Now

Los Angeles bridge

Don't Cement Our Future: Rethinking LA’s Landscape After Fire (and Floods)

A call for regenerative approaches to rebuilding that work with nature rather than against it.

March 5, 2025 - Omar Brownson

People walking on San Francisco street with 'Slow Streets' signs.

San Francisco Slow Streets Bucks Citywide Trend, Reducing Injuries by 61 Percent

Low-cost interventions aimed at slowing traffic are making a major impact on road safety.

March 4, 2025 - KQED

Charred trees on hillside in Altadena, California after Eaton Fire.

Preserving Altadena’s Trees: A Community Effort to Save a Fire-Damaged Landscape

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena Green is working to preserve fire-damaged but recoverable trees, advocating for better assessment processes, educating homeowners, and protecting the community’s urban canopy from unnecessary removal.

March 3, 2025 - LAist

Tent covered with camouflage tarp with American flag on front under freeway overpass in California.

Investigation Reveals Just How Badly California’s Homeless Shelters are Failing

Fraud, violence, death, and chaos follow a billion dollar investment in a temporary solution that is proving ineffective.

March 3, 2025 - The Associated Press

View of downtown Los Angeles at dusk with Echo Park lake and palm trees in foreground.

Parks for All: LA Looks to Residents to Help Shape Park Equity and Access

Los Angeles is launching a citywide park needs assessment to gather resident input on improving its park system, addressing inequities in access, and making the case for increased funding and long-term investments.

March 2, 2025 - Ethnic Media Services

View of Los Angeles skyline at sunrise with yellow and green trees in foreground

LA’s Trees Absorb More Carbon Than Expected, But Can’t Do It Alone

A USC study finds that Los Angeles’ urban trees absorb more carbon than expected, but while they provide crucial environmental benefits, they cannot replace the urgent need for systemic emissions reductions.

February 28, 2025 - Phys.org

Red tailed hawk in flight with scrubland hills and trees in background in San Dimas Canyon Natural Area and Nature Center, California.

A Greener LA County: 623 Acres of New Parkland for Communities

Los Angeles County is investing $17 million to create 623 acres of new parks and open spaces, expanding access to nature, advancing equity, and enhancing community health and well-being.

February 26, 2025 - Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District

An overhead image of a large wooden building as it's being constructed.

California’s Housing Laws Yielding Disappointing Results

A relatively few number of new units are being built as a result of new laws aimed at boosting the housing supply.

February 25, 2025 - CALmatters

Aerial view of coastal Hawaii with houses.

Elevating Environmental Journalism: A Masterclass in Climate Storytelling

Pulitzer Prize finalist Rosanna Xia visited the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, sharing her climate reporting expertise through sea level rise field tours, engaging storytelling workshops, and an inspiring public lecture.

February 25, 2025 - University of Hawai'i News

Tents set up against fence by unhoused people under freeway overpass in San Francisco, California.

New Book Highlights Human Side of Homelessness Crisis

A San Francisco reporter’s empathetic portrait of unhoused Bay Area residents reminds readers why supportive housing is worth fighting for.

February 24, 2025 - The New Yorker

Playground and picnic benches in city park in San Francisco Bay Area.

Philanthropy for Parks: Strengthening Recreation and Green Spaces

The Los Angeles County Parks Foundation is dedicated to supporting parks and recreation through fundraising, advocacy, and community-driven initiatives, focusing on expanding access to green spaces and programs for underserved communities.

February 24, 2025 - Los Angeles County Parks Foundation

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.

Community Development Director

City of Wisconsin Rapids

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

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An annual review of books related to planning.

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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.