California
Super-Healthy City Gets First McDonalds
Loma Linda, California has an average lifespan higher than most cities, and a significant population of vegetarians. Last week, the city council approved the first McDonald's in town. Will it have an impact on the community's health?
Congressional Transportation Committee Debates CA High Speed Rail
The stage moved to D.C. from Sacramento for the latest debate on the pros and cons of California's embattled HSR plan. The more vocal detractors from the Central Valley and Peninsula testified before the few members of the committee who attended.
Santa Monica OKs Urban Forest Master Plan
The plan is believed to set a precedent for urban forestry management. It includes a Street Tree Designations component, created in response to one failed attempt to replace non-native palms with other types of trees.
High-Speed Rail Project Faces Opposition
In California, a recent poll, according to Charles Chieppo, brought bad news stating that 53% of the states voters approved a $9.9 billion bond three years ago, but of those polled, 64% support a re-vote, and 59% would vote no if they had the chance.
Implementation of L.A.'s New City-Wide Bike Plan Hits a Rough Patch of Road
Writing in The Atlantic Cities, Nate Berg looks at why the discouraging results of one pilot project has implementation of L.A.'s heralded new bicycle master plan off to an inauspicious start.
Banning Cell Phone Use by Drivers Nationwide
The National Transportation Safety Board's recommendation is voluntary - it is up to the states to enact them into law. The CA state senator responsible for the ban on talking on hand-held cell phones and texting called it a 'political nonstarter'.
San Francisco's Performance Parking Pilot Less Successful Than Hoped
In San Francisco, a performance parking pilot program has not had as big an impact as many thought it would. According to Michael Perkins, "Even with high rates, popular blocks still fill up, and other blocks remain under-filled even at low prices."
ULI Says Demand for Multifamily Housing is Real
Housing preferences are shifting dramatically to smaller, multifamily dwellings, creating a dramatic mismatch between housing supply and demand, according to a new report from the Urban Land Institute.
LA Artist Reopens Derelict JC Penney As Art Complex
An LA based artist is about reopen a 100,000 square foot disused JC Penney as an arts complex in West Houston. The former West Oaks Mall anchor had been vacant for two years before becoming the focus of the new rehab concept.
$600,00 Pocket Park Completed, Then Bulldozed to Build School
Jessica Garrison reports on how the City of Los Angeles spent $600k designing and building a park that no one ever got to use when it was claimed as a site for a public school.
LA City Council Moves Closer To River Centric Development
The Los Angeles City Council last week approved an update to the Los Angeles River Implementation Overlay to encourage good quality river centric development and begin removing some of the concrete that covers the river and its banks.
The Traumatizing Effect Of Train Suicides
Caltrain, the 77-mile, Gilroy/San Jose - SF commuter railroad, is suffering an unwelcome resurgence of ‘suicide by train’--16 deaths this year, of which 11 are confirmed suicides. Bay Citizen investigates the psychological effect on train engineers.
Ice Cube's LA Vision...at the Eames
In this short video, Ice Cube waxes poetic about Los Angeles' attitude, highways, and landmarks.
How Local Manufacturing Can Rub the Rust off the Rust Belt
William Bostwick explores how locally-sourced, niche product manufacturing could help the Rust Belt rise.
ULI Descends Upon LA With Ideas for Union Station
Carter Rubin at LA Metro’s The Source reports on ULI’s vision for Union Station, which Metro bought for a song earlier this year.
Population Growth Slows Dramatically in California, Including Fewer Births
Not only are more Californians leaving the state for greener pastures than those moving to it, but the birth rate is dropping as well according to a detailed new demographic report by county on 2010-2011 growth by the state Department of Finance.
Los Angeles Considers Lifting Artistic Mural Ban
Los Angeles is considering a new ordinance that will allow artists to paint murals on private property as long as they have permission from the owner.
Los Angeles Drafts Pro-Mural Ordinance
Part of the trouble is finding language that will prevent billboards from proliferating, but planners finally have a draft for public review (available in the article).
LaHood Defends HSR At House Transportation Committee Hearing
Speaking before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood defended the viability of the President's ambitious, national high-speed rail program.
Zoo Wants Billboards
As Los Angeles works to rein in billboard blight around the city, the Parks and Recreation Dept. comes out with a surprise request for permission to put up more off-site signage.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
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
