California

Calif. Bill Advances To Recognize Protected Bike Lanes as Class IV Bikeways

Hoping to encourage other cities to follow San Francisco's successful application of protected bike lanes, Asm. Phillip Ting (D-S.F.) would have Caltrans "develop minimum safety design criteria" for what would be a new class of bikeways in the state.

February 4, 2014 - San Francisco Bay Guardian

Barrio Logan Community Plan's Political Rift Deepens in San Diego

The city of San Diego adopted the Barrio Logan plan a few months ago, provoking a successful movement to place a referendum on a future ballot. The city’s mayoral race could hinge on the issue, with large military contractors as political donors.

February 3, 2014 - San Diego Reader

Oakland skyline and San Francisco Bay

How to ‘Not Be a Gentrifier’—Oakland Edition

As an urbanist, it can be easy to think of gentrification as a macroeconomic trend or a collection of data points, not as an individual experience. A community organizer in Oakland would like to bring the issue home for the city’s newcomers.

February 3, 2014 - Oakland Local

Wrestling with the ‘D’ Word (Density)

There are few hot buttons in planning conversation like the word “density.” One writer in San Diego claims that the breakdown inspired by the term originates from concerns with cars, not buildings.

February 3, 2014 - Voice of San Diego

Proposed design for Glendale-Hyperion Bridge

Bridge Redesign a Victory for Pedestrian, Cycling Advocates

In Los Angeles, months of agitation by pedestrian and bicycling advocates have finally paid off.

February 2, 2014 - LA Streetsblog

Bringing Caltrans Into The 21st Century

Can the nation's largest state department of transportation, long oriented to building highways and fighting congestion, be brought into the modern, multi-modal era? The State Smart Transportation Initiative's report for Caltrans may do just that.

February 1, 2014 - The Sacramento Bee

Riverside, CA, Could Scrap Citywide WiFi

The hit or miss efforts of cities to deliver citywide wireless networks has its latest case study: the city of Riverside in the Inland Empire of California is considering an effort to shut down or downsize its 2007 network.

January 30, 2014 - The Press Enterprise

San Diego

What Makes San Diego Walkers Stop So Much?

San Diego's downtown street grid features smaller blocks than almost all other major U.S. cities. Small blocks mean more intersections, less distance between them, and a lot of interrupted bipedaling. Bill Adams reviews some potential fixes.

January 29, 2014 - UrbDeZine.com

Gov. Jerry Brown Looks to Calif. Supreme Court for High Speed Rail Relief

Hoping to bypass the Sacramento Superior Court's twin rulings in November that crippled the Calif. High Speed Rail Authority's ability to tap $10 billion in state bond funds, Gov. Brown has petitioned the state Supreme Court to overturn the rulings.

January 29, 2014 - The Sacramento Bee

California’s Gold Rush Origins Revealed By Drought

A pair of recent stories explores the reemergence of California history, especially it’s gold rush history, as a result of falling water levels around the state.

January 28, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal

Report: Caltrans Systematically Quelled Bay Bridge Safety Concerns

Instagram images and group bike rides now celebrate the Bay Bridge’s eastern span, but the bridge’s long construction process was a constant source of concern. A new report details what went wrong to (hopefully) prevent future mistakes.

January 25, 2014 - Los Angeles Times

L.A. Breaks Ground on New Light Rail Line as Pols Debate Airport Connection

Tuesday was a day of celebration in South L.A. as officials broke ground on the 8.5-mile Crenshaw Line, the newest addition to the region's expanding transit network. But just two days later, politicians resumed bickering over how to connect to LAX.

January 25, 2014 - Los Angeles Times

Model of Downtown LA

A Primer on Types of Zoning Codes

Los Angeles' City Planning Department offers a layman's introduction to the many forms of zoning codes, from Euclidean to Performance to Incentive.

January 24, 2014 - Los Angeles Department of City Planning

Waterfront Ballpark in Oakland a Tough Sell

Following unsuccessful attempts to move the Oakland Athletics to San Jose (an area controlled by the San Francisco Giants), team owner Lew Wolff is resistant to a plan to move the team to a waterfront location.

January 24, 2014 - San Jose Mercury News

Ted's Hot Dogs signage

The Perils of TEDification

On Places, Simon Sadler explores the magical thinking and many contradictions of the TED Talks.

January 23, 2014 - Places Journal

Sorry Cars, L.A. Begins Turning its Streets Over to People

With the launch of a new website, the city of L.A. has begun an exciting experiment in community-based placemaking. The "People St" program will soon accept applications to convert underused street space into plazas, parklets, and bicycle corrals.

January 23, 2014 - LA.Streetsblog

Slowing the Rush to Sell Historic Post Offices

Outcry over the potential sale of post offices in Berkeley and the Bronx has prompted those areas’ respective Congressional representatives to seek federal legislation to put the brakes on the Postal Service’s rush to sell historic properties.

January 23, 2014 - Washington Post

The Dark Side of Electric Vehicle Charging

You've heard of road rage. Electric vehicle drivers at Silicon Valley workplaces where EVs substantially exceed chargers may experience "charge rage" when a "top-off" can take as long as eight hours.

January 23, 2014 - San Jose Mercury News

Pedestrian Infrastructure in LA Neighborhood a Study in Contrasts

In Los Angeles’s Boyle Heights neighborhood, some locals are benefiting from public-space improvements as part of the Eastside Access project. But many nearby streets and sidewalks are sorely neglected.

January 22, 2014 - LA Streetsblog

Ellis Act or Airbnb—Which to Blame in S.F. Housing Crisis?

A closer look at the number of Ellis Act evictions indicates that the controversial law that allows property owners to evict rental tenants might be more of a symptom of San Francisco’s housing problem, rather than the problem itself.

January 22, 2014 - San Francisco Magazine

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.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA

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