California

A visit to Cal-Earth in Hesperia leads aspiring environmental designer Daniel Ebuehi to examine how some aspects of desert living could translate to an urban environment.

March 18, 2014 - UrbDeZine

Larry Kosmont, CRE, President and CEO of Kosmont Companies, spoke with The Planning Report about tools for creating economic development in California without redevelopment agencies and traditional tax increment financing.

March 18, 2014 - The Planning Report

We've come to expect hight air pollution levels in Beijing and other Asian cities with high traffic levels and surrounded by dirty coal plants, but not in cities using emission-free nuclear energy and lots of bikes and mass transit. So why Paris?

March 17, 2014 - The New York Times - Europe

Los Angeles Deputy Mayor for Budget and Innovation Rick Cole shares his views on the critical ingredients necessary for the city to improve its thoroughfares at a Urban Land Institute-Los Angeles’ panel discussion titled "Can LA’s Streets Be Great?"

March 16, 2014 - The Planning Report

The city of Santa Rosa, California, has “cut against the trend” by implementing a safe parking program at the county fairgrounds lot. What has your surface parking lot done for you lately?

March 16, 2014 - Los Angeles Times

A successful agriculture program in Southern California introduces farming as a viable career choice to suburban students.

March 16, 2014 - Public Radio International

Recycled wastewater, or "direct potable reuse," proved successful in Orange County, and following the driest year on record in California, more cities are looking to implement water purification facilities.

March 15, 2014 - San Jose Inside

The city of San Francisco will vote on Prop. B, an ordinance that would limit the height of developments along the waterfront, in June. The ballot will list the campaign manager for the Yes on B campaign as the official opponent of the measure.

March 14, 2014 - SFGate

The concept of surveying residents to get their take on a development may seem like a simple idea, but it is no easy task. Planner Clement Lau shares key lessons learned about conducting and creating surveys as part of the planning process.

March 14, 2014 - Los Angeles UrbDeZine

A repair crew was en route to investigate a complaint of gas odor when the two five-story, one-hundred-year-old buildings in East Harlem exploded, killing seven with eight still missing as of press time. Leaking cast iron pipelines may be to blame.

March 14, 2014 - WNYC

SPUR states its case clearly by announcing, “We believe cities are the key to our future” at the opening of a new report called “SPUR’s Agenda for Change.”

March 13, 2014 - Next City

Transportation network companies like Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar are growing quickly. A recent article examines the potential of such networks to build new efficiencies into urban transportation, as well as some of the risks to that potential.

March 13, 2014 - LA.Streetsblog

Results are in from the California Household Travel Survey and they look good for alternative transportation—use has doubled since 2000. The survey also says a lot about the surveyor—Caltrans, long known for counting only vehicle trips.

March 12, 2014 - Napa-Solano Times-Herald

Golf courses and Los Angeles are the most frequently cited public enemies when droughts hit California, but it isn’t that simple. Recent articles have debunked myths about water use in the Golden State by providing a more accurate portrait of use.

March 11, 2014 - Mother Jones

The high profile Grand Avenue project in Los Angeles’ Downtown Civic Center had been stuck in recession purgatory for years, until updated design plans by Frank Gehry were announced. Can the new development avoid the failures of Grand Avenue’s past?

March 11, 2014 - The Huffington Post

A new report points to the 10-15% of vehicles in California that cause half the smog caused by light duty vehicles. Rather than urban strategies such as transit or TOD, the authors support improving the vehicle retirement and replacement program.

March 9, 2014 - Napa-Solano Times-Herald

Piggybacking on John Karras's article, "12 Strategies That Will Transform Your City’s Downtown" (posted in Planetizen as "12 Strategies for Revitalizing Downtowns" on 2/26/1014), Bill Adams takes a look at how downtown San Diego measures up.

March 9, 2014 - UrbDeZine.com

City leaders have been in a struggle to come up with a viable solution to fix its buckling sidewalks for the past 50 years. Real estate developer Michael P. Russell takes a look at the work that needs to be done and outlines a plan for a fix.

March 8, 2014 - UrbDeZine

First came plastic bags, then styrofoam cups, and now, plastic water bottles—though the ban is not as far-reaching as the former two in that it is restricted to sales on city property, including street fairs.

March 8, 2014 - San Francisco Examiner

Southern California takes a lot of heat for sucking up the water from Northern California and the Colorado River, but the Orange County Water District, at least, is doing its part.

March 7, 2014 - KPCC