California

Two years after Councilman (now Council President) Herb Wesson vowed to allow vegetable gardens to be planted in public parkways to help improve access to fresh food, an 'edible landscape' motion languishes while the city cracks down on homeowners.

July 31, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

Richmond, California is prepared to become the first city in the U.S. to use eminent domain, a power traditionally utilized to force owners to vacate their land in the name of the public good, for the purposes of stopping foreclosures.

July 30, 2013 - The New York Times

A 'toxic tour' of Los Angeles raises awareness of the harmful effects the city's industrial infrastructure brings to adjacent, often minority, communities. Stops include a battery recycling plant, rendering plant, oil refinery, and scrap yards.

July 29, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

It might be a stretch to think that attractive sidewalk bike racks will increase motorists' willingness to "share the road", but it helped a bike shop owner convince the city of Hayward, Calif. to approve the installation of the $450 racks.

July 29, 2013 - The Daily Review

As Director of Public Policy at Airbnb, Molly Turner has noticed she's the only planner in attendance at the Bay Area's myriad hackathons and conferences. As tech increasingly addresses urban issues, is it doomed to repeat planning's past mistakes?

July 27, 2013 - Next City

The mass ride through city streets was originally intended to increase the visibility of bicyclists. Though it still attracts participants, as bicycling has been embraced as a mainstream mode, Critical Mass has lost its relevance, says Joe Eskenazi.

July 26, 2013 - SF Weekly

According to SF State University geographer, Jason Henderson, the adoption of Plan Bay Area by MTC and ABAG last Thursday was a "watershed moment in regional planning", but it also was a missed opportunity to improve transit to capture more trips.

July 26, 2013 - San Francisco Bay Guardian

In a wide-ranging interview with Metropolis Magazine, CNU founding member Peter Calthorpe opines on China's planning process, the future of America's suburbs, CA high-speed rail, and why he would retire the term 'transit oriented development'.

July 24, 2013 - Metropolis POV Blog

This summer marks a key moment in the effort to transform the Los Angeles River from eyesore to amenity. A newly announced greenway plan and much-delayed U.S. Army Corps of Engineers feasibility study could fundamentally change the river's course.

July 24, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

A UCLA master's student and Don Shoup found that Santa Monica, CA's flexible parking requirements have led to significant fiscal and urban form benefits. A sample of parcels showed eight-times more sales tax revenue per sq. ft. than a control group.

July 24, 2013 - Streetsblog L.A.

Tired of the private shuttles ferrying tech workers to Silicon Valley campuses clogging city streets and illegally using 250 city bus stops, San Francisco's Municipal Transportation Agency has proposed a plan for regulating their operation.

July 24, 2013 - Next City

Over the heckles of hundreds of residents opposed to higher density and the two regional planning agencies making the decision, the Bay Area's growth plan designed to cut carbon emissions 15% by 2040 through better planning was approved.

July 20, 2013 - Pleasanton Weekly

The Planning Report asks Long Beach Mayor, CAISO Chair, and former Southern California Edison president Bob Foster what impact the closure of the San Onofre nuclear power plant will have on energy supply in the Southland.

July 19, 2013 - The Planning Report

A pilot program will reserve 900 on-street parking spaces for car-sharing vehicles. While the number of spaces is just .3 percent of the on-street supply, the program is expected to generate controversy in a city "where parking is at a premium".

July 19, 2013 - San Francisco Chronicle

Doug Failing, Executive Director of LA Metro's Highway Programs, proudly shares the agency's $700 million strategy for testing the value of public-private partnerships to finance and accelerate planned transportation upgrades.

July 17, 2013 - The Planning Report

No form of energy production comes without controversy, including solar, despite it being renewable. In advance of the world's largest solar thermal plant opening in Calif's Mojave Desert, KQED's Lauren Sommer shows both sides of the green debate.

July 17, 2013 - KQED Science

According to economist Christopher Thornberg, sky-high housing prices in California indicate a state suffering from an acute housing shortage. In an op-ed for the LA Times, he argues that local interest groups and "populist politicians" are to blame.

July 17, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

Small-lot homes are popping up in the hillsides north of downtown L.A. While the new occupants, often young buyers who can't afford or aren't interested in traditional single-family homes and high-rise condos, are pleased, some neighbors are not.

July 16, 2013 - Los Angeles Times - Real Estate

A rising chorus of architects, urban planners and developers are criticizing the suburban scale of development sweeping through downtown L.A. as a missed opportunity. They argue high-rises should be built instead of mid-rise apartment complexes.

July 16, 2013 - Los Angeles Downtown News

Thanks to mobile technology, Los Angelenos no longer have to choose between driving their own cars and paying expensive cab fares after a night out on the town.

July 15, 2013 - New York Times