California
Sacramento Chooses Practical Over Transformative in Downtown Revitalization
Spurning an elaborate but costly proposal to transform two blighted blocks of Sacramento's ailing downtown K Street mall the city council chose a less costly, mixed-use plan restore the blocks sooner with four story buildings and 256 housing units.
Can A New L.A. Park Please Everyone?
Christopher Hawthorne says that new Civic Park in downtown Los Angeles, which breaks ground this morning, "shows the strain" of trying to reconcile differing visions, but it also has "a coherent aesthetic identity."
From Bus Yard to Housing
A decades-old plan to convert a bus yard into a housing project has gained new momentum in San Francisco.
Brownfield Approved For Huge, Controversial Mixed-Use Redevelopment
By an 8-3 vote at 1:35 AM, July 14, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a plan to add 10,500 homes (32% affordable) on a 720-acre brownfield site known as Hunters Point, a former shipyard, including 320 acres of parkland and open space.
Road Diet Crash Reduction Variations Studied By DOT
This 4-page summary report (PDF) is a summary of a technical paper attempting to show differences in the reduction in road crashes that result from road diets.
S.F.'s Market Street Railway Celebrates Sesquicentennial
Carl Nolte, the San Francisco Chronicle's historian, writes on the 150-year anniversary of the Market St. Railway that began operation as a 2-car steam train on July 4, 1860, and the evolution of rail on/under Market St including BART & Muni Metro.
Foreclosure Rate Highest Among Wealthy
What's not known is how many of the homes are investments, or primary or secondary residences, but it's clear that the foreclosure rate for mortgages exceeding $1million is higher than for lower priced homes, according to the New York Times analysis.
The "Blunt Savvy" of Eli Broad
"For all of Eli Broad's consistent prominence on the public stage in recent years, the buildings he has helped develop make up a disparate, even contradictory group," writes Christopher Hawthorne as he describes the patron's philanthropic endeavors.
TOD Boom in L.A.
Light rail is expanding to Los Angeles' Westside, and with it is coming a wave of transit-oriented developments.
A Watershed Decision for the LA River
In a move to cement its importance as an urban waterway, the EPA declared the Los Angeles River a 'traditionally navigable waterway.'
Ciclovia Goes to Oakland for 'Oaklavia'
Oakland, California recently closed off two miles of city street to cars, creating a Bogota-inspired ciclovia, dubbed 'Oaklavia'.
A Prescription for TOD
Renata Simril, regional VP for national developer Forest City, describes the financing and policy mechanisms she sees as necessary to bring TOD to cities.
'The Valley' Gets Place-Making Power
A new joint powers authority comprised of cities and county supervisorial districts will help planning efforts in the San Fernando Valley--a sub-region often lost in the shuffle of the sprawling Los Angeles metropolis.
Calthorpe Clashes With Environmentalists
Famed architect Peter Calthorpe has designed several large developments planned for the San Francisco Bay Area, but some local environmentalist groups aren't satisfied that they are green enough.
Villaraigosa Must Back His New Planner With Comprehensive Reorganization
Mayor Villaraigosa must appoint a planning director who will overcome the sprawling bureaucracy that has hindered much of the LA's endeavors, says the Los Angeles Times.
Jerry Brown's Energy Revolution, Part Two
Former California Governor (and current gubernatorial candidate) Jerry Brown may be the only person able to give the state a clean energy policy -- mainly because he's already done it before, according to this article.
November in California: Sea Change for the American Dream?
Columnist Dan Walters looks at issues coming before California voters this November that could revise the traditional "American Dream" within the state -- or undo efforts to change it.
Debate Over How to Measure Ridership Plagues HSR Project
The UC Berkeley Institute of Transportation Studies has issued a report questioning ridership projections on the $43+ billion, 800 mile, voter-approved California High Speed Rail project. Cambridge Systematics defends their numbers.
Fear of Tunnels
Around 100 people turned out in Beverly Hills to protest a planned subway connecting the famous 90210 to downtown. While most people said they liked the idea of the subway, protesters worried about the safety of burrowing tunnels under their homes.
BART Expansion Raises Questions About TOD in San Jose
Plans to expand the Bay Area's BART system to the Silicon Valley have brought into question the future of a San Jose flea market that some want to turn into a transit-oriented development.
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
