California

Lucrative Congestion-Priced Parking Applied in SF

Parking by the Giants Stadium costs $1 less an hour than before the pilot program began, but on 'game days', the rate shoots up four-fold. Parking rates are not set daily but hourly by time of day, and have become quite profitable.

November 12, 2009 - San Francisco Examiner

Bay Area's First Bike Sharing Program Proceeds

The Valley Transportation Authority plans to release its final report on a bike share program by the end of the year.

November 11, 2009 - SF Streetsblog

The Green Stadium That Isn't

A critical look at the football stadium proposed for outside Los Angeles, called "green" architecture, but it seems the costs will far outweigh its benefits.

November 11, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Cycling Safety for All

The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition and Kaiser Permanente are teaming up to offer safety training, bike helmets, and lights to day laborers.

November 11, 2009 - Daily News Los Angeles

California Seeks Statewide Growth Strategy

The state of California is unveiling an effort to create a detailed strategy for how the state should grow. The ambitious plan is being kickstarted with a modest $2.5 million investment.

November 9, 2009 - The San Francisco Chronicle

'We Can't Fight Blight With Blight'

That was the message of nonprofit San Francisco Beautiful in their successful campaign to stop Proposition D, which would have created a special sign district in the mid-Market area in hopes of revitalizing it.

November 9, 2009 - PreservationNation

There Are Planners, And There Are Politicians

Put the chief planners of seven of North America's most progressive cities in a room and ask about their challenges, they inevitably point to the overriding role of the political leaders they serve. Expanding public open space also was raised.

November 9, 2009 - S.F. Streetsblog

The Fall of Victorville

Victorville, CA is a textbook case of the housing bubble gone wrong. Moving forward, Warren Karlenzig argues that places like Victorville show the need to consider a new paradigm of density and efficiency moving forward.

November 8, 2009 - Green Flow blog

The True Cost of Commuting from the Exurbs

A new study from ULI details the transportation costs for households around the San Francisco Bay Area, and finds that SFers spend on average $500 less each month than suburban dwellers in the area.

November 5, 2009 - The San Francisco Chronicle

California Election Results Reverse Trend on Growth

It's no surprise when voters in the college town of Davis, California, say no to a housing development. But it is a surprise when Modesto says "whoa" to growth, and when development-averse Santa Barbara and Ventura reject new controls.

November 5, 2009 - California Planning & Development Report

Car-Free Sundays Coming to L.A.?

A group of cyclists in Los Angeles is hoping to move forward in talks with the city to establish car-free days, based on the ciclovia street closures originated in Colombia.

November 5, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Motorist-Cyclist Trial a Rallying Call for Respect and Rights

The ongoing trial of a California driver who allegedly injured two cyclists on purpose has become a rallying point for cyclists around the country, who are hoping the verdict elicits greater respect to cyclists from motorists.

November 3, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Measuring the Health Impact of Land Use

Officials in Oakland, CA are pioneering a new method of measuring the health impact of development, going beyond EIRs to get a more fully-fleshed assessment.

November 2, 2009 - Sustainable Industries

Andrés Duany Visits Sacramento

Paul Shigley reports that Duany spoke to planners at an event in Sacramento, and has a new issue: the broken process for getting things built.

November 2, 2009 - California Planning & Development Report

49% Spike in Ridership After Bay Bridge Closes

BART beat previous records for ridership on Weds. after a piece of the Bay Bridge that was fixed over the Memorial Day weekend failed.

November 2, 2009 - Transportation For America blog

Giving Developers A Break

The City of Wildomar, CA is considering cutting developer fees in half in order to spur the local economy.

November 1, 2009 - The Press-Enterprise

Hitting Fast-Forward on Transit

LA Mayor Villaraigosa an ambitious new plan to speed up new rail projects throughout the city, and to complete it all within 10 years instead of the previously proposed 30.

November 1, 2009 - The Los Angeles Times

A Little Soy for Your Groundwater?

In order to clean up groundwater pollution from dry cleaning chemicals, Orland, California is planning on injecting soybean oil into the problem area. The plan is touted as lower risk and lower cost than other methods.

October 30, 2009 - Oroville Mercury Register

Transportation Planning In Federal Climate Legislation

In this short radio broadcast, U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer welcomes the support of influential land use planner Mike McKeever of Sacramento, who testifies in support of the bill that incorporates smart growth strategies first employed by his MPO.

October 30, 2009 - Capital Public Radio

Bay Bridge Still Broken

This week's wind storm has highlighted problems that remain in the Bay Bridge's construction.

October 30, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

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.