California
Strike Two for Calif. High Speed Rail: Setback by Surface Transportation Board
After suffering a major setback from a court decision that prevents the authority from selling $10 billion in voter-approved bonds, a key federal agency has ruled that the authority must comply with environmental regulations before laying tracks.
Engineer is Focus of Metro-North Derailment Investigation
With the train's black box showing that the speeding commuter train entered a 30 M.P.H curve at 82 M.P.H, causing the derailment, attention has turned toward the engineer. CNN reports that the engineer admits to "nodding off" before the crash.
Tale of Two Californias Misses the Bigger Story of Inequality
California's inequality is usually described in geographic terms that distinguishes between the state's affluent coastal areas and impoverished inland areas. When considering the cost of living, a statewide poverty crisis comes into focus.
Do Psychological Barriers Doom L.A.'s Transit Transition?
Creating a culture of transit in Los Angeles will require more than just expanding the area's train and bus infrastructure. New riders will have to overcome the psychological barriers that prevent many people from ditching their cars.
Comprehensive Survey of L.A. Pools Dips Its Toes in Privacy Debate
A project by two researchers to map and measure all of the swimming pools in the Los Angeles basin is revealing not just for the information collected, but in how it exposed the ways in which personal privacy is being eroded by digital technology.
Downtown L.A.'s Residential Revolution
A plan to build 1,500 rental apartments where six parking lots now sit is just the latest sign of the insatiable demand for housing gripping downtown Los Angeles.
L.A. Addresses its Growing Homeless Population by Making it Harder for Them to Eat
Forced onto the street by decreased public spending, a poor economy and congested prisons, L.A.'s homeless population surged by 27 percent last year. Tensions are growing between those trying to help and those uncomfortable with the inundation.
Healthy School Food Initiative Nourishes L.A.'s Economy
A push by the Los Angeles Unified School District to increase its supply of healthy and locally-produced foods is paying dividends for area farmers and businesses.
Ten Billion Dollar Tally for Fixing S.F.'s Transportation Infrastructure
What would $10.1 billion in transportation-directed funding buy San Francisco? Not as much as you might think. That's what a Task Force has determined it will take to modernize the city's existing infrastructure.
Cities Pursue Different Paths to One Goal: Safer Streets
In the face of rising pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities, the District of Columbia's police department began deploying automated photo enforcement technologies while San Francisco took a multi-agency, collaborative planning approach.
Has CA's High-Speed Rail Been Dealt a Mortal Blow?
In issuing two stinging decisions on Monday, a superior court judge has erected significant obstacles to the construction of California's high-speed rail project. His invalidation of the project's financing plan has put its future in doubt.
Frank Gehry Rides to Grand Avenue's Rescue; Will Officials Cheer or Jeer?
Christopher Hawthorne reports that Frank Gehry is back in charge of the design for the quixotic $650-million Grand Avenue redevelopment after a disastrous redesign nearly scuttled the star-crossed project.
San Francisco's Crisis of Affluence
The booming tech industry has brought economic development to the Bay Area. But lavish lifestyles, astronomical housing prices, and rising evictions has put the industry in the crosshairs of a very public backlash. Can the city broker peace?
The Challenges of Re:Coding L.A.
A comprehensive zoning rewrite is a complex undertaking for any city. But for one that’s seeking to evolve its land use and transportation patterns, and is as physically and demographically diverse as L.A., a unique set of challenges has emerged.
Bucking National Trend, Homelessness Rises in N.Y. and L.A.
Despite a "remarkable" drop in homelessness across the U.S., sobering new data from HUD reveals that New York City's struggle with record high homelessness is getting worse, not better. Homelessness is up substantially in Los Angeles as well.
Proposed Gated Community Threatens L.A. Wildlife, Scientists Claim
A proposed gated community in Los Angeles County has provoked the ire of a group of scientists concerned about its environmental impact.
Long Beach Considers Replacing Parkway with Park
For those living in one of the most industrial areas of Los Angeles County, a little green can go a long way. A landmark project could see an isolated piece of freeway in Long Beach replaced with much-needed park space.
California Ballot Measure Will Propose New Fee to Fund Roads
Would you be willing to increase the annual license fee you pay on your vehicle if the funds were to go to road repair and expansion? That's the question Californians will be asked to decide if the Road Repairs Act qualifies for the Nov. 2014 ballot.
The Promise and Peril of Eco-Crowdfunding
Officials in Oregon, New York, and California have embraced crowdfunding as a way to push forward with environmental projects in a time of constrained budgets. Though the emerging tool is attractive to many, others see danger.
Apple "Spaceship" Gets Approval to Land in Cupertino
Steve Jobs's final product got the go-ahead from an enthusiastic Cupertino City Council yesterday. The company's controversial new headquarters, dubbed the "spaceship campus", forgoes the tech trend towards urban offices for a pastoral setting.
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.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
