California
Market Crash Leaves L.A. Flush With High-Priced Plots
Bought at the height of the real estate market and intended for conversion into high-priced luxury apartment buildings, empty plots of land are littered throughout Los Angeles, undeveloped and quietly back on the market at greatly reduced prices.
Saving Modernism in Palm Springs
Palm Springs is seen as a haven for Modernist architecture, but so far no local buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Suburb That Never Was
California City, California was designed to be the state's next great metropolis. But today it's hardly more than a dream. Geoff Manaugh reports on this modern-day ghost town.
Portland the Weird
The Economist looks at Portland's "weirdness" with an arched eyebrow, and asks, is this the next great model for the American city?
Conservation Efforts Straining Water Infrastructure
Water conservation efforts that limited when Los Angeles County residents could water their lawns may have caused a spate of water main bursts last summer and fall.
Radical Growth Management
Who should pay for growth? In the crunchy enclave of Bolinas California, newcomers pay a steep entrance fee. Fair or not, it's a good anecdote to share among planners and budget analysts.
Ambitious Plan for San Francisco's Treasure Island
Plans for a re-envisioned Treasure Island are reaching the approval stage. John King takes a close look at the ambitious plan, which includes lots of protected open space and a 650 ft. tower.
'49 Cities' That Made a Difference
"49 Cities" is a touring exhibition that looks at the relationship between urban design and the success or failure of cities, from Levittown to ancient Rome to Le Corbusier's Radiant City.
The Age of Infrastructure
Alex Marshall argues that the previous decade saw a dawning awareness of infrastructure and the importance of investing in it, in the United States and around the world.
Bay Area Rediscovers the Creeks Under The Streets
A new proposal in Berkeley to daylight a portion of Strawberry Creek is the latest in a lineage of small interventions to bring buried portions of the urban watershed to the surface.
Bay Area Commuter Railroad On Life Support
Caltrain, the Peninsula railroad that dates back to 1863 serving points between San Francisco and San Jose, could potentially cease operations or at the least, cut all non-commute service.
China Tells CA: We'll Build Your Trains
A number of foreign countries and firms are jockeying to build high-speed rail in California, but the Chinese government is proposing that they cover some of the financing as well.
Cramming Three Decades of Transit Improvements into One
Despite a less-than-stellar reputation of public transit, Los Angeles has plans to expand its system of light rail and BRT over the next 30 years. But now momentum is growing to fast-track that work into the next 10 years.
State Seeks 1.5 Million Missing People in 2010 Census
How many people live in California? The current count could be off by 1.5 million people, and a lot is riding on the results of the 2010 Census. Josh Stephens talks to planners and state leaders about the flaws in the Census and how they'll shape state policy.
Does Land Conservation Drive Housing Costs?
A new study in the San Francisco Bay Area says no, that had there been no controls in place there would be only 6.5% more housing built over the past 50 years.
Want Your TOD To Work? Add Parking
A panel of experts at a ULI Los Angeles came together to talk best practices for transit-oriented development. Their recommendations include better security, improved connectivity, and yes, more parking.
Guerrilla Sharrows
In Los Angeles, wheat-pasted posters that indicate bike lanes have been cropping up on utility boxes all over the city.
Residents Get More Say in Redevelopment
A scandal over bonuses and the recession leads to change in project to redevelop Southeast San Diego, but some critics want to see more construction, not just kumbaya.
Neighborhood to City: Project Is Too Suburban
Here's one you don't find often - a neighborhood may sue the city of Sacramento for approving an infill project they categorize as 'too suburban and car-oriented', while the city council woman extolls the infill qualities, citing SB 375 and AB 32.
General Plans Getting Increasingly Specific
As cities like Long Beach and Santa Monica get more focused on urban design, their general plans become more and more proscriptive.
Pagination
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