California
L.A.'s Expo Line Hasn't Reduced Congestion—But it Has Done a Whole Lot More
A lot of promises get made in the hopes of building political support in transit options like light rail. Perhaps, however, officials in Los Angeles should stop promising that transit will alleviate congestion.
New Groundwater Regulations Taking Shape in California
Out of sheer necessity, the state of California has embarked on a new process for regulating the use of groundwater.
Northern California City Protests Closure Of Popular Rail Crossing
State rail officials decided that the risk posed by Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit trains is too grave to allow an existing grade crossing to remain open, forcing pedestrians and a cyclists out of their way to cross the tracks.
Three Examples from San Francisco that San Diego Can Use for the I.D.E.A. District
Three examples of problem solving and "catalytic action" can help San Diego with its I.D.E.A. District, writes former SPUR director Jim Chappell.
Opponents to California High-Speed Rail Board: Show Us the Money!
Bereft of private investment, how can the $68 billion project proceed? That's the question about 20 members of the public repeated in their public comments at Tuesday's High-Speed Rail Authority meeting in Fresno. To their surprise, it was answered.
San Francisco Planning Department Proposes Increasing Heights in Neighborhoods
The San Francisco Planning Department is proposing a trade-off to neighborhoods to comply with a state density bonus law: Modestly increase height and density limits in exchange for more affordable housing.
'Neighborhood Integrity Initiative' Would Put Plan Amendments to a Vote in L.A.
A group of activists calling themselves the Coalition to Preserve L.A. has announced initiations to seek a ballot initiative that would enact a moratorium on projects requiring changes to the city's General Plan.
San Francisco Mega-Project Sets the 'Affordable' Bar High
A mega-project in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood is exciting for its size an prize tag—and remarkable for the income levels that define "affordable" in San Francisco these days.
New Study Underway: Do Ride-Hailing Services Reduce Car Ownership?
The University of California, Berkeley and NRDC will team-up to verify whether Uber and Lyft reduce car ownership and are thus good for the environment. Such data already exists for a sister form of shared mobility: car-share.
To Connect Oakland—Remove the I-980 Freeway
A grassroots, ambitious vision called Connect Oakland is gaining steam in the East Bay city. The key element of the plan's ambition: replacing the I-980 Freeway with an urban boulevard and new housing.
Anaheim, Home to Disneyland, Proving Popular for Short-Term Rentals
Anaheim is struggling to keep up with a glut of houses in residential neighborhoods being used as short-term rentals catering to Disneyland's crowds. The city is profiting, but neighborhoods, perhaps, are not.
Google Bus Opponents Argue Need for CEQA Study in San Francisco Superior Court
On Friday, tech bus opponents took their case to court, arguing that the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency must comply with the California Environmental Quality Act due to impacts including air quality and community displacement.
Can California Kick the Oil Habit?
As the nation's third largest oil producer, California has a long history with the oil industry, yet it's also the birthplace of the American environmental movement. Lisa Margonelli makes the case for the Golden State reducing its oil addiction.
The Time the Google Self-Driving Car Got Pulled Over for Driving Too Slowly
Google's response to its self-driving car getting pulled over by police in California: " "Driving too slowly? Bet humans don't get pulled over for that too often."
Op-Ed: Over-Regulation Makes Public Spaces Exclusionary
A pointed editorial decries the over-regulation that has followed the renaissance of public spaces in Los Angeles.
Santa Monica Debuts GPS-Enabled Bikeshare
Serving beach-side Santa Monica and nearby Venice, Breeze Bikeshare equips its bikes with GPS tracking. The program claims to be more advanced than an L.A. Metro system set to debut in early 2016.
Morro Bay Could be Home to West Coast's First Offshore Wind Farm
If a Seattle company gets its way, in a few years there will be 100 floating wind turbines about 15 miles off San Luis Obispo County on the central California coast, generating about 1 gigawatt of electricity.
Palo Alto to Protect Single-Story, Eichler-Tract Neighborhood
The Palo Alto city council has approved one neighborhood's request to prevent the construction of two-story homes.
New Report Recommends Tough Medicine to Fix Bay Area's Housing Ailments
A new report by the Bay Area Council argues that the regionwide housing crisis demands a regionwide response, i.e., all nine counties and 101 cities need to build more housing, and if they don't, there needs to be consequences.
Los Angeles City Council Wants a 'Do-Over' on Mobility Plan 2035
Years of planning and strong political support aren't enough when the city council doesn't follow the letter of the law. Now opponents of L.A.'s Mobility Plan 2035 smell blood in the water.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
