California
Los Angeles' Historic Pershing Square to Receive Family-Friendly Makeover
Los Angeles' Pershing Square, a five-acre park initially opened in 1866, will undergo major transformations to accommodate the increase of families with children living in Downtown Los Angeles.
How LEDs Re-Illuminate the Urban Night Sky
Forbes Magazine reflects on the importance and impacts of light-emitting diode (LED) lights as more cities replace their traditional streetlamps with LEDs.
New Development Projects Boost San Francisco's Northern Waterfront
The historic Fort Mason, along with several other development projects, has helped alter the landscape of the city’s northern waterfront, according to Jim Chappell, former head of the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association.
Late-Night Buses to Run When BART Service Stops
Alameda-Contra Costa Transit* and Bay Area Rapid Transit are considering a one-year pilot program that would provide transit service after BART's Cinderella-esque closing time.
Developer Pins Los Angeles' Infrastructure Problems on Bureaucratic Bloat
According to developer and consultant Michael P. Russell, the city of Los Angeles has a chronic shortage of funds for infrastructure due to a bloated bureaucracy, small district city council elections, and term limits.
All Aboard Florida's California Connection
All Aboard Florida, the diesel-powered, high speed (125 mph) train connecting Miami to Orlando has ordered new locomotives and coaches with Siemen's Sacramento, California plant. The mostly privately funded train should be running by 2016.
Kids vs Dogs in Park Design Debate
West Hollywood, California Mayor John D'Amico is leading calls to add more dog-friendly amenities to designs for Phase 2 of the city's civic park.
Regulating Electric Vehicles and Energy Storage
As California continues to set a national example for greenhouse-gas emission reductions while meeting the goals of AB 32, the state must grapple with new regulatory issues around energy.
San Francisco Initiative a Setback for Progressive Parking Policy
San Francisco's voters are continuing their trend of deciding complex and difficult planning issues at the ballot box. Last time it was height restrictions—this time it's parking.
New Bill Allows Expanded Bike Racks on California's Transit Buses
Governor Jerry Brown recently signed a law to allow all 40-foot buses throughout the state to increase their bike rack capacity.
6 Ways Urban Renewal Misses the Livability Mark
Despite spending millions on urban renewal projects, municipalities often miss a common group of opportunities to make their communities more livable and walkable, according to William Adams, a San Diego-based land use attorney.
On the Value of Small Spaces in Remaking the Public Realm
San Francisco Chronicle Architecture Critic John King reviews, and celebrates, the recent string of small projects that reclaim public space in the city, calling them "modest works of true ambition."
Downtown Los Angeles Punching Above its Weight in Residential Development
Shane Phillips shares the results of his own analysis about how completely Downtown Los Angeles has dominated the supply of new housing units in the city since 1999.
Lessons Learned from Decades of California Planning
Since the 1980s, California has been both a beacon of cutting-edge urban policy and an example of the ways planning can go awry.
$213 Million for Homeless Tracking, Support System in Los Angeles
Broadening a system first tested in Los Angeles in 2013, a coalition of local and national government agencies and philanthropic organizations has provided $213 million for the Home for Good program—described as "match.com for homeless people."
Transportation Planning a Key Issue in Upcoming City Elections
Rachel Dovey provides a roundup of mayoral races that feature special interest and attention on the issues of public transportation and transit-oriented development.
Nevada's $1.2 Billion Investment in Tesla Predicted to Have $100 Billion Impact
The generous incentives granted the electric car company for securing the $5 billion factory will yield disproportionate economic benefits, according to Gov. Brian Sandoval, for a state suffering high unemployment and a lack of economic diversity.
Prioritizing Resilience: Fraught with Challenges, But Worthwhile
In the face of climate change, making cities "resilient" before crises strike has become a pressing concern.
Los Angeles County's Creative Plans to Boost Parks
A recent Los Angeles Times article described the creative ways the city of Los Angeles is trying to meet park needs. Los Angeles County park planner Clement Lau describes the county's side of the story.
Staying Vigilant on Level of Service Reform
The Natural Resources Defense Council's (NRDC) Switchboard blog chimes in on the potential benefits of California's ongoing reform of Level of Service (LOS) review.
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.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association
