California

House to Probe California's High-Speed Rail Project

In their rush to avoid working on a long-term transportation funding measure, a congressional committee has launched a wide-ranging examination of the California high-speed rail project, reports Dan Weikel.

April 10, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

Straight Talk on the Dissolution of California Redevelopment Agencies

A panel of distinguished Angelenos recently discussed the missteps that led to the dissolution of California's redevelopment agencies, the hole that their closure creates, and the possible paths forward.

April 10, 2012 - The Planning Report

Planners Driving Californians Out Of State

In this opinion piece, transportation consultant Wendell Cox explains why residents are fleeing CA in droves. By not providing single family homes Cox feels most want, residents must find their quarter-acre lots elsewhere. He blames regional plans.

April 9, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal - Cross Country

CicLAvia: A Celebration of the Street, Minus the Roaring Engines

Hillel Aron unravels the long and arduous journey that community activists took to make LA's newest public tradition a reality.

April 9, 2012 - LA Weekly

Held Up by Environmental Litigation, Playa Vista Finally Gets Its Own Downtown

After a hard-won legal battle, Los Angeles' youngest coastal community can finally begin construction on its mixed-use downtown, report Roger Vincent and Martha Groves.

April 8, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

High-Speed Rail's Cap & Trade Gamble

While the revised business plan did shave off $30 billion, there remains a $55 billion funding shortfall. Dependent on federal and private funds that may never appear, could revenue from the sale of carbon credits bridge the funding gap?

April 7, 2012 - San Jose Mercury News

Downtown LA Stadium Developers Release 10,000 Page EIR

David Zahniser and Ari Bloomekatz report on yesterday's release of the EIR for a proposed $1 billion football stadium in downtown LA, by developer AEG, which intends to take significant steps to encourage event-goers to use mass transit.

April 6, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

Is a Denser Future Best for Los Angeles?

Inspired by the controversial new Community Plan for Hollywood, The New York Times has invited six debaters to its opinion pages to offer their views on whether Los Angeles should "New Yorkify".

April 6, 2012 - The New York Times

Monumental Regional Plan for Southern California Gets Final Approval

As the largest council of governments in the country adopts a $525 billion transportation and land use plan for the next two decades, Josh Stephens marks the beginning of Southern California's age of climate-friendly, smart-growth regionalism.

April 5, 2012 - California Planning & Development Report

Bay Area's Population Problem: More Out Than In

More people leave the 9-county region than migrate there from other states. In fact, the population would be in decline if it wasn't for foreign migration. Notably missing from the report on Census data is the birth rate for the region.

April 5, 2012 - Bay Citizen

Snapping Up Foreclosures on a Whole New Scale

A California real estate group aims to capitalize on cheap foreclosures, collecting homes en masse thanks to a semi-automated decisionmaking system.

April 5, 2012 - The New York Times

Tracking Los Angeles' Racial Geography, 1990 - 2010

From black flight to Asian invasion, Mark Wilson offers his take on a stunning map that lays out the changing demography of Los Angeles.

April 4, 2012 - Fast Company

The Ordinance Behind the Rebirth of Downtown LA

For the latest in a series on the laws that shaped Los Angeles, KCET's Jeremy Rosenberg examines 1999's Adaptive Reuse Ordinance, which made possible downtown's wave of condo conversion projects.

April 4, 2012 - KCET Departures

California Redefines Density

Census data reveals that California is the most urbanized state, with the most dense urban areas. But in California, sprawl, density, crowding, and urbanism are not always what they seem. Fortunately, a new law may help planners make sense of it all.

April 3, 2012 - California Planning & Development Report

As It Turns 100, MUNI Showing Its Age

On the San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency's (MUNI) centennial birthday, Zusha Elinson reports on the sad fact that service is slower than it was when it began 100 years ago.

April 3, 2012 - The New York Times

A Precipitous Price Drop for California's High-Speed Rail

Knowing that a $100 billion project stood a poor chance of passing muster in a budget-conscious state legislature, Gov. Jerry Brown shaved off $30 billion by using a "blended rail" strategy in the Bay Area and South Coast, i.e. sharing tracks.

April 2, 2012 - The Sacramento Bee - Transportation

Public Water Works! to Grow Jobs, Protect the Environment

With a $600 billion investment gap facing the tap, citizens, organizations, and elected officials call for a renewed commitment to protect access to safe drinking water on World Water Day at Los Angeles City Hall.

April 2, 2012 - USC Annenberg Radio News

Hollywood Freeway Cap Park Gets Boost From LaHood

Kate DeFronzo reports that an ambitious 44-acre freeway cap park envisioned for Hollywood took an important step towards reality last week, with the blessing of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

March 31, 2012 - The Architect's Newspaper

Historic Agreement Reached To Fund Caltrain Electrification

An agreement has been reached to electrify Caltrain from San Jose to San Francisco, using early investment High-Speed Rail funds, but will Bay Area HSR opponents take notice?

March 30, 2012 - Palo Alto Online News

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