California

The 'Loin's Grunge and Grime Now Historic

Stocked with architectural gems but fraught with crime, San Francisco's Tenderloin district has long been debated as a possible historic site. The debate is now over, as it was recently named to the National Register of Historic Places.

March 19, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

Catering to Oakland's Enclaves

A one-size-fits-all urban landscape doesn't mean that different ethnic neighborhoods don't find ways to personalize them. A UC Berkeley graduate student investigates how cultures perceive space.

March 18, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

The Battle Over The Transbay Terminal

The Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA) and the California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) are sparring over the size of the "train box" in the new Transbay Terminal. Streetsblog makes sense of the brouhaha.

March 18, 2009 - Streetsblog SF

One Point for Supergraphics

The same judge who decided that banning outdoor ads is unconstitutional has rule that the city of Los Angeles acted unlawfully in denying an outdoor advertiser new permits. The city began trying to eradicate billboards and giant ads in 2002.

March 18, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Planner's Predictions Uncovered

Fifty years ago, Kenneth E. Norwood placed a time capsule and his predictions for Burbank, CA in a newly constructed bridge. According to the planner, monorails and "multi-unit garden apartments" were the waves of the future.

March 18, 2009 - Los Angeles Times Blog

Concerns Over Sidelining CEQA

The California Environmental Quality Act is being set aside for a handful of stimulus projects, but even when the project is to the benefit of the community many see the sidelining as silencing much-needed input.

March 17, 2009 - California Planning & Development Report

City Financing is Spurring Solar Growth

Municipal financing gives homeowners the ability to install solar panels while defraying the large initial investment. The system is creating a solar boom throughout California.

March 17, 2009 - The New York Times

Supergraphics Baron Claims Right to Expression

As the city and activists work to control giant 'supergraphics' posted without permits around the city, the largest poster of posters attempts to claim that it's a free speech issue. His Statue of Liberty banners can be seen across L.A.

March 17, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Revitalization Falters in Downtown L.A.

The revitalization of downtown Los Angeles took another hit this week, as real estate firm Meruleo Maddox Properties Inc., the largest private landowner in the area, revealed that it may have to file for bankruptcy protection.

March 16, 2009 - The Wall St. Journal

Downtown LA Park Falls Short as a Whole

According to architecture critic Chris Hawthorne, Downtown Los Angeles' Civic Park does nothing in the way of creating its own identity. Instead, it neglects its image as a whole by being too fixated on its "aesthetic responsibility."

March 15, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Horse Track Sees Possible Future as Mixed Use

Developers have released plans for a mixed use retail project to replace a horse racing track, a proposal that would be one of the largest redevelopment projects in the region.

March 14, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Failure of Palmdale Airport Frustrates Regional Planning In SoCal

Once the object of grand plans, L.A. county's Palmdale Regional Airport has tried in vain to sustain regular service and ease congestion at LAX. United's pullout in December leaves the future of regionalization in doubt.

March 13, 2009 - California Planning & Development Report

Protecting California's Coastal Development Will Cost Billions

Computer modeling predicts sea levels rising 55 inches by 2100, and a recent report from California's interagency Climate Action Team is calling for a radical reorganization of the state's coastal development and infrastructure to avoid disaster.

March 13, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Feds Stop Stimulus Swap

Officials in Southern California cities that had hoped to trade off their share of federal stimulus funds for transportation projects to other cities have been denied by Congress, which is calling on municipalities to use the money as intended.

March 12, 2009 - The New York Times

Neighborhood Councils Get Sophisticated

San Pedro, CA is the scene of a battle between developers and locals, and local neighborhood councils are using increasingly sophisticated organizing tools to bring residents to the table.

March 12, 2009 - The Los Angeles Times

Sacramento's Growing Tent City

A tent city is burgeoning in Sacramento, Calif., prompting local officials to consider whether such an encampment should be made permanent, with plumbing and all.

March 12, 2009 - The New York Times

L.A. is Number One in Traffic Delays, Says Study

As part of a larger series, NY Times guest blogger Eric A Morris talks about traffic in LA, and how the city's structure affects ease of transportation.

March 12, 2009 - Freakonomics - NY Times Blog

Stimulus Shell Game in Los Angeles

Some cities in Los Angeles were caught cutting deals to sell shares of their federal stimulus funds to the highest bidder. The MTA has put the kibosh on any money swapping.

March 11, 2009 - The San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Commercial Vacancies Hit Tax Rolls Hard

As commercial vacancies increase, cities are feeling the pain of lower tax revenues.

March 11, 2009 - BusinessWeek

Three Things the Mayor Can Do to Fix L.A.

Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne offers three pieces of advice to recently re-elected L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for improving his city -- and his urban planning credibility.

March 10, 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.