California

Preservation Office Delaying Stimulus Projects in California

California stimulus projects and job creation are being delayed by a state office tasked with reviewing federally-funded construction projects to prevent adverse affects on historic sites, according to a new report.

January 8, 2010 - The Sacramento Bee

Transitioning From Sprawl To Compactness

Regional planning in CA's sprawling Central Valley has turned to the huge challenge of increasing density. Fortunately, SB 375 will facilitate planners' efforts to double Fresno County density to 8 units per acre. Yet institutional obstacles remain.

January 7, 2010 - The Fresno Bee

Initiative Launched To Protect CA Transportation Funds

CA's chronic budget deficit has taken its toll on transportation funding, be it public transit operations or fixing potholes. An initiative has been launched to prevent diversion of transportation funds just as the Gov. proposed another scheme.

January 6, 2010 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

SF's Pyramid Defies Expectations

Forty years ago, an unusual proposal for a pyramid-shaped skyscraper caused outrage across San Francisco. Today, it is recognized as a worthy addition to the skyline. John King looks at the building's transformation from eyesore to icon.

January 6, 2010 - The San Francisco Chronicle

NASA Says Agriculture Is Draining Groundwater in California

NASA satellite imagery reveals that two of California's main groundwater sources are being rapidly depleted by agriculture and exurban development.

January 6, 2010 - The Christian Science Monitor

A Bright Outlook For Freight Railroads

While rail is known to be much greener than its competitor long-distance trucking, it is also a key component to globalization and big-box retail. This article spotlights the growth of Burlington Northern Santa Fe RR and the Port of Los Angeles.

January 5, 2010 - Los Angeles Times - Business

Residents Upset About New FEMA Flood Maps

Flood maps redrawn by the Federal Emergency Management Agency are causing thousands of Southern California residents to buy mandatory flood insurance, even though they say flooding is rare and barely an issue.

January 5, 2010 - Los Angeles Times

SF's Transbay Terminal Project Edges Closer to Groundbreaking

The New York Times looks at plans for the new Transbay Terminal in San Francisco, which could break ground within months.

January 4, 2010 - The New York Times

Urban Planning in Los Angeles, 2009

Curbed LA takes an amusing look at the urban planning proposals that bubbled up in L.A. throughout 2009.

January 3, 2010 - Curbed LA

Pushing Public-Private Partnerships in San Francisco Parks

Parks officials in San Francisco look to mimic New York City's approach to funding parks through public-private partnerships.

January 2, 2010 - San Francisco Chronicle

The New Bay Bridge, In-Depth

SF Public Press and McSweeney's Panorama newspaper bring a series of in-depth reports on the construction of the new Bay Bridge, focusing on why the project has become so expensive.

December 30, 2009 - SF Public Press

Marin TOD Planning: Drop The 'D'

Marin County, long known for its environmental awareness, is concerned about anything that is "growth inducing", and that certainly includes the new SMART passenger rail system, approved by the voters in November, that will serve Sonoma and Marin.

December 30, 2009 - Marin Independent Journal

Employer-Based Trip Reduction Rule Adopted By California Air District

Air pollution rules recently passed in California seek to change the way workers get to their jobs. While solo commuters won't be forced out of their cars, businesses must choose from a selection of strategies aimed to do just that.

December 30, 2009 - The Stockton Record

Fighting Drought in California

Three years into a statewide drought, California officials have taken drastic steps to reduce water use in cities and farms. 60 Minutes looks at the drought and efforts to combat the water shortage.

December 29, 2009 - CBS

Air Quality Rules May Hinder Densification

New air quality guidelines aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of new housing developments may turn out to hinder the approval of dense projects in California.

December 28, 2009 - The New York Times

Treasure Island A Future Atlantis?

The City of San Francisco recently inked a deal to purchase the man-made Treasure Island sitting in its bay. But some wonder if an island threatened by rising sea levels was really such a smart buy.

December 28, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

New Research: Effect of Suburban TODs on Surrounding Property Values

Mention 'density' in suburban areas and the knee-jerk reaction is, "there go the property values". But is that really the case? In this study from San Jose State University, 4 suburban TODs are evaluated for their effects on nearby property values.

December 28, 2009 - Mineta Transportation Institute

Improving on LEED

Bay Area non-profit TransForm has launched a new program called GreenTRIP that aims to supplement LEED requirements with a VMT calculation on each project.

December 27, 2009 - Streetsblog

A Floating Airport?

A private group is proposing a wild scheme to build a much-needed new airport for San Diego as a floating offshore platform.

December 27, 2009 - The Infrastructurist

'Safe Harbor' Along Sacramento River

A new program along a 222-mile stretch of the Sacramento River aims to encourage landowners to create riparian habitats without fear of being sued later if they need to remove it for crops.

December 26, 2009 - Sacramento Bee

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.