California

This weekend's opening of the 12-acre park stretching from City Hall to the L.A.'s cultural acropolis marks the maturation of a downtown transformed from office park to vibrant neighborhood, reports Sam Allen.

July 26, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

The $4.7 billion high speed rail bond appropriation, signed by Gov. Brown on July 18 included $2 billion for transit upgrades in the Bay Area and Southern CA. Max Taves reports that litigation in the Central Valley could target that funding.

July 25, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal - San Francisco Bay Area

Last week, San Francisco's supervisors approved new legislation intended to jump-start urban farming throughout the city, reports John Upton.

July 25, 2012 - Grist

When California planned to close 70 parks this month to save $22 million, donors sprang into action to help keep them open. It turns out they needn't have, as last week it was revealed the CA Dept. of Parks and Recreation stashed away $54 million.

July 23, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

The Bay Area's two regional agencies approved funding a study to pursue a 9-county "vehicle-miles-traveled" fee of as much as 10-cents per mile that could involve GPS technology to fund regional transportation improvements.

July 23, 2012 - San Jose Mercury News

Although the first segment of the state's recently approved high-speed rail line terminates in California's Central Valley, a significant portion of the initial funding will go to improving rail lines from San Diego to San Francisco.

July 22, 2012 - KPCC

Following precedents from other cities, San Francisco is looking to redesign its famous Market Street by removing automobiles, creating raised bike lanes, implementing faster transit, and making for a more inviting public space.

July 22, 2012 - Streetsblog

The Bayview Hunters Point/Candlestick Point project in San Francisco looks like it'll be significantly funded by an unlikely source: the China Development Bank. Bruce Katz and Robert Puentes believe that this deal could change U.S.-China relations.

July 20, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

In signing ceremonies in both Los Angeles's Union Station and San Francisco's Transbay Terminal (under construction), Gov. Jerry Brown appropriated $4.7 billion in Prop. 1A, 2008 bond funds that will be matched with $3.2 billion in federal HSR funds.

July 20, 2012 - CNN U.S.

With construction beginning, Michael Cabanatuan reports on the unresolved problems dogging San Francisco's $1.6 billion Central Subway project.

July 19, 2012 - San Francisco Chronicle

In its attempt to clean up the mess left by the dismantling of the state's redevelopment agencies, the California legislature is holding cities hostage with a 'draconian' penalty for failing to relinquish funds to the state.

July 19, 2012 - California Planning & Development Report

Jefferson Graham describes how an influx of tech start-ups are turning Los Angeles into "Silicon Beach" - the newest hot spot for entrepreneurs with an entertainment, celebrity or mobile edge.

July 19, 2012 - USA Today

Even smaller than Mayor Bloomberg's 'micro-apartment' proposal for Manhattan, Berkeley developer Patrick Kennedy has his 'SmartSpace' model, based on his experience living in an Airstream trailer, headed to the Board of Supervisors on July 24.

July 19, 2012 - San Francisco Chronicle

Jessica Garrison and Angel Jennings report on a new lawsuit filed this week by the City of Los Angeles that is part of "an aggressive attempt to deal with the urban decay caused by the housing crash."

July 18, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

Chris McKenzie, Executive Director of the California League of Cities, discusses the specter of bankruptcy and the structural difficulties cities face in addressing their fiscal deficits. The San Bernardino bankruptcy does not mean the worst is over.

July 18, 2012 - The Planning Report

Dowell Myers pens an opinion piece for The Sacramento Bee arguing that it's time to reform California's infamous property tax cap - Proposition 13 - in order to solve the challenges facing the state today, and in the future.

July 18, 2012 - The Sacramento Bee

John Hoeffel reports on the unwavering efforts of bee enthusiasts to legalize beekeeping in residential areas of Los Angeles.

July 17, 2012 - The Los Angeles Times

Former California governors and Southern California Leadership Council members George Deukmejian, Pete Wilson and Gray Davis discuss the necessity of modernizing one of the state's oldest environmental laws in order to protect the state's economy.

July 17, 2012 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Christopher Hawthorne completes his second installment in an ongoing series examining the transformation of Los Angeles through the lens of its famous boulevards. This entry focuses on the most famous street in the city - Sunset Boulevard.

July 16, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

As the number of completed parklets in San Francisco nears three dozen, after debuting only two years ago, "the latest trend in urban placemaking" has entered the planning mainstream without losing its grassroots origins.

July 16, 2012 - San Francisco Chronicle