California
Bus-Only Lane Proposal Meets Opposition in L.A.
Officials in Los Angeles are considering a plan to install a bus-only lane on the region's most used commuter route. But neighbors along a small segment of the road are fighting the proposal.
When California Mountain Lions Become City Dwellers
As urban sprawl continues to encroach on what was once expansive habitat for mountain lions, the large predators have been involved in more encounters with humans in urban settings.
Los Angeles' Transit Rebirth
Los Angeles is engaged in one of the most massive rail building schemes of any American city since NYC extended its subways last century, however, LA's is a mixture of light and heavy rail, and may just be Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa's legacy.
GOP Moves to Rescind Stimulus Funding for High-Speed Rail
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Rescission Act was introduced by House Republicans to return $12 billion in unspent American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, aka stimulus funds, targeting the nation's largest public works project, CA HSR.
A Think Tank for an Urban Garden
With new fast food restaurants temporarily banned in South L.A. and few new sources of food coming into the area, one local architecture professor set his students loose to work on ideas for a small urban farm.
Effort to Streamline Development Process Underway in L.A.
Officials in Los Angeles are trying to streamline the process of getting projects permitted and approved -- an effort that could rapidly increase the amount of time it takes to develop in the city.
Counting the Costs of California's Prop. 26
In California, passage of Proposition 26 has raised the question of whether fees used for public services will be jeopardized at the local level. Some argue most fees will be unaffected, but others could take a hit.
San Francisco Finds Way to Fund Central Subway
Things looked grim for the Central Subway project last week, as SF officials were facing an impending deadline to come up with $137 million to match federal funds. This week, Mayor Newsom and MTC seem to have found a way.
Streetcar Fever Spreads Across US
With a growing belief in the streetcars' ability to catalyze redevelopment, cities are jockeying for federal and local funds to build retro transit systems in their downtowns.
Residents vs. Opera-Singing Waiters
Colloseo, a restaurant in San Francisco's North Beach, wants to feature Luca, their opera-singing waiter, as part of the ambience. The Telegraph Hill Dwellers, an influential neighborhood situation, says no.
High Speed Rail Versus Historic Tree
A historic tree near the campus of Stanford University is the centerpiece of a fight to redirect California's planned high speed rail project.
Beauty Queen Tries to Improve City's Image
A beauty pageant contestant from the crime-ridden Compton, California made famous by 1990s gangster rap is hoping to improve her city's reputation.
Making Space for Solar Power in Davis
The California city spent years cultivating an urban forest for shade and cooling benefits, which now presents a unique challenge to tapping the area's solar potential. A new company has a solution.
School's in Session for Urban Planning High School
A new high school has opened in East Los Angeles that focuses specifically on urban planning.
The Evolving Attitude of Environmentalists
Passage of a bill in Berkeley that allows taller buildings to be built in the city's downtown illustrates changing attitudes about development amongst environmentalists.
S.F. Needs Cash Fast for Central Subway
Federal funds come with a price - in order to hold on to $972m awarded to the Central Subway project, San Francisco's MUNI needs to come up with at least $137m by February.
The Wisdom and Future of Short-Run Transit
By looking at three Los Angeles examples of very short rail lines, writer Alissa Walker suggests that seemingly pointless but fun transit systems could be the best way to use transit to improve urban areas.
Will California Be The Saudi Arabia Of Solar Power?
Federal incentives have set off a rush to get solar power plants permitted for the California deserts. Plants approved before January could cover a combined 53 square square miles. Clean energy fans are happy. Desert tortoises, not so much.
New L.A. Planning Codes Could Create 'Transit Sprawl'
A new group of activists in Los Angeles is warning that recently approved changes to the city's planning code could make it easier for transit-related projects to be approved even if they are not in alignment with neighborhood planning documents.
SF's Congestion Pricing Plan Advances
Three possibilities for tolling San Francisco's downtown have been advanced by the Board of Supervisors; two involve tolling the 'Southern Gateway', the only entrance to the peninsula city that is untolled. However, Prop 26 could doom the plan.
Pagination
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