California
California High Speed Rail Authority Denied Request to Overturn Lawsuit
Seems like it's nothing but bad news for the rail authority since a judge ruled in November that the project was not in compliance with the proposition that the voters approved in 2008. This appeals court ruling means that a trial will move forward.
Should Tesla Buyers Receive a $2,500 Rebate from California?
Currently, California residents who purchase plug-in electric vehicles can receive up to $2,500, depending on the type of electric vehicle, with all-electrics receiving the maximum rebate. However, the Air Resources Board is proposing a change.
The Economics Behind Crude by Rail
Sure, it costs more than moving by pipeline—double or triple the price per barrel. But look at the speed: five days versus 40. A new rail terminal in Beaumont, Texas sheds light on the economics that make CBR attractive to shippers and refineries.
Is it a Suburban Exodus Yet?
A new report finds that suburban areas are losing residents to urban areas like New York City and Washington D.C., even well past the point when people would have traditionally made the choice to return to the suburbs.
Urban Planning for Public Health in California’s San Joaquin Valley
The American Lung Association is making an “urban planning push” in three San Joaquin Valley counties, according to a recent article in Associations Now. The idea behind the efforts to reduce public health risks: promote walkable communities.
Walk, Bike, Transit Advocates Lose Sunday Parking Vote
Despite a grassroots campaign to retain Sunday parking meter charges it only approved two years ago, the San Francisco MTA agreed with Mayor Ed Lee to drop the charges, hoping that voters would approve two transit funding measures in November.
A Comprehensive Examination of the Bay Area Housing Crisis
The Google Bus protests got the media’s attention, and the Ellis Act has politicians' attention, but the Bay Area’s current tech-housing-gentrification crisis is a big, complicated mess.
Cities Map—and Track Benefits—of Urban Forest
OpenTreeMap allows cities to inventory trees and see the environmental and economic benefits.
CA Court of Appeals: Some Projects Require 'Urban Decay' Mitigation
When a new shopping center may leave existing retail areas short of business, a California court has ruled that mitigations of "urban decay" must be spelled out up front.
Beyond Oil: Trains Turn to LNG Fuel and Hybrid Locomotives
According to a new EIA report, the cost advantages of liquefied natural gas make it an attractive alternative to diesel fuel for major U.S. freight railroad companies. Hybrid diesel-electric locomotives on order for 5 states will power HSR routes.
Coming this Summer: Airbnb Will Collect Taxes in San Francisco, New York State
The ongoing saga of the tax and regulatory standing of Airbnb, the popular room rental app and poster child for the sharing economy, is evolving in San Francisco, Portland and the state of New York.
Real-Time Multi-Modal Way-Finding—Displayed in the Public Realm
The TransitScreen service has been around since 2012, but it’s latest product, real-time displays of all modes of transportation, can display in the public realm, providing a whole new level of interaction with the city.
Cloud Computing Company Will Have its Name in the Clouds above San Francisco
It is only fitting that Salesforce, whose logo is a cloud, won the naming rights to what will be the West Coast's tallest building when completed in 2017 where they will lease half the space. When the fog rolls in, that's all the workers will see!
How Well Does Light Rail Attract New Transit Riders?
The answer to the question in the headline is “not very.” Thirty years into the initial experiment, however, light rail has not been the game changer it was hoped to be.
Advocating a New Planning Covenant for Los Angeles
Two well-known Los Angeles civic leaders advocate a new framework for understanding the built environment and landscape of Los Angeles, setting a trajectory for sustainable development.
Caltrans Really Is Becoming More Bike and Walk Friendly
News flash: California has become only the third state to endorse the National Association of City Transportation Officials’ (NACTO) Urban Street Design Guidelines to enable more walk and bike friendly projects such as protected bike lanes.
Mapping the U.S. Mexico Border Fence
Journalists at the Center for Investigative Reporting undertook the herculean task of mapping the extent of the secretive and sometimes strange fence between the United States and Mexico.
Street Parking as Car Share Incentive
SFMTA is allowing three car share services: Zip, Get Around and the non-profit CityCar Share to receive designated access to up 450 street and city garage parking spaces in order to promote car sharing as an alternative to auto ownership.
EVs, Carpool Lanes, and Affirmative Action: Where's the Connection?
Call it the factionalization of retribution politics in California. When Asian American Democrats dropped their support for an affirmative action measure for education, African American and Latino Dems responded, and new Volt owners lose.
Oil, Oil Everywhere, But How to Tap?
At 15 billion barrels, California's Monterey Shale is said to hold the nation's largest deposit of recoverable oil. The only problem is that its extraction has not proven to be economically profitable. Blame it on the shale's unique structure.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
