California
Turning a Traffic Nightmare Into a Transit Dream
In an opinion piece for the Los Angeles Times, parking guru Donald Shoup sees the proposed construction of a new football stadium in downtown LA as an opportunity to boost mass transit ridership in the city.
Design Competition Rethinks the Role of the Hospital
James Brasuell reports on the results of a competition sponsored by healthcare giant Kaiser Permanente aiming to transform healthcare design in California by breaking from traditionally sterile and isolating hospital environments.
Ramping Up Attacks on California's Planners
The Wall Street Journal's obsession with planning in California continued this past weekend, as they asked Joel Kotkin, demographer and "Truman Democrat", to discuss what he believes is driving "the great California exodus".
20 Years Onward, How Have the Riots Changed LA?
In April 1992, L.A. erupted in a torrent of burning, looting, and rioting following the acquittal of three police officers charged in the beating of Rodney King. Josh Sides looks at how the city responded to those events and how it's changed since.
As LA Slowly Expands Transit, Looking at Programs to Get Commuters Out of Their Cars Today
Alissa Walker sheds light on the programs and institutions pushing Angelenos to change their commuting behaviors in an effort to recoup some of the 485 million wasted hours that cost the region more than $10 billion annually due to congestion.
Sacramento's Slam Dunk Stadium Deal Rejected
Steven Greenhut opines on the lucky break he believes residents of Sacramento received earlier this week when owners of the city's NBA franchise backed out of a partnership to build a new basketball arena in the city's downtown.
Vallejo Approves First City-Wide Participatory Budgeting Process in US
The City Council of Vallejo, California, approved the first city-wide Participatory Budgeting process in the US this week. Residents will directly decide how to spend around $3 million from new sales tax revenue.
LA Mayor Stakes His Legacy on Transit Plan
Stymied by multiple attempts to leverage one of his key political victories as mayor - the passage of a half-cent tax increase to fund transit in LA - Villaraigosa announced another bid to speed up the expansion of the region's mass transit system.
Concluding the APA Convention: 'The Cost Comes Before the Benefit'
Renée Jones-Bos, Ambassador of the Netherlands to the United States, spoke about water, infrastructure, planning, ports, and cost-benefit analysis as the closing keynote speaker at the 2012 APA National Convention in Los Angeles.
CA Legislative Analyst Recommends Minimal Funding For HSR Project
Gov. Jerry Brown was no doubt disappointed to read the report from the non-partisan Legislative Analyst Office that recommends minimal funding at best for the $68 billion project due to "highly speculative funding" from private and federal sources.
The Stark Differences Between the Two Californias
Many think the two geographic divisions in CA are north and south, but this article uses economic data to show that the real division is between coastal and inland. These differences transcend economics and are revealed in public policies as well.
How an Urban Oasis Gave Grade Schoolers a Boost
Louis Sagahun explores the unexpected benefits of trading 5,000 square feet of grass and pavement for native plants at a Los Angeles elementary school.
The Death and Life of Redevelopment in California
Kicking off their new long-form Forefront initiative, Josh Stephens writes for Next American City on the killing of the country’s largest redevelopment program, and its implications for economic and real estate development.
Survey Says: Bay Area 10-cent Gas Tax Would Fail.....Miserably!
Needing a two-thirds majority to pass, a recent survey suggests that a regional, 9-county gas tax proposal to fund transportation improvement projects in the Bay Area would only receive 43% support if it were to go to the ballot.
Los Angeles Announces Ambitious Bike Share Program
Nate Berg reports on the surprising news delivered on Sunday by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, timed to coincide with the latest iteration of CicLAvia, the city's marquee event for bicyclists and pedestrians.
LAPD Moves to Curb "Lawlessness" on Venice Beach
A rising tide of hostility along Venice's famous boardwalk has prompted residents to call on the LAPD for help, Martha Groves reports.
CA HSR Plan Approved. Next Stop: The Legislature
The Authority approved the $68 billion plan. Now the hard work begins in convincing the state legislature to sign off in order to capture the $3.5 billion allocated by the feds and begin construction from the Central Valley to the San Fernando Valley
Establishing a Voice for Pedestrians in Los Angeles
Nate Berg chronicles the efforts of planner and urban designer Deborah Murphy to establish a pedestrian advocacy group in one of the few large cities in the U.S. that doesn't have one.
Car-free in L.A.: It's Not as Tough as it Sounds
If you happen to find yourself in LA anytime soon, for a conference perhaps, Alissa Walker explores Nathan Landau's new book, "Car-Free Los Angeles and Southern California", which provides a wonderful guide to enjoying the city without using a car.
Organizing CicLAvia: An Experience of Public Space in Los Angeles
Days before the American Planning Association's national convention, CicLAvia's Aaron Paley describes the event's origins and evolution and explains how an open streets event in Los Angeles can transform one's sense of public space and the city.
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
