California
People Mover to Link BART and Airport
Oakland International Airport will link directly with a nearby BART station through a driver-less people mover, according to a decision made recently by BART directors.
Is Marketing the Key to Transit Success?
Los Angeles County's transit agency has increased its marketing efforts in recent years. This piece from The City Fix suggests the push has been an effective tool and that other transit agencies should take note.
New Retail Space Faces Challenges in San Francisco
A developer who hopes to put a new shopping center on a stretch of Market Street will face challenges from local groups who take issue with the accompanying parking structure and modern design.
New CEQA Guidelines for Greenhouse Gases
The Bay Area's air pollution regulatory agency may approve in January the nation's first guidelines to limit greenhouse gas emissions for new developments, but it would be up to local governments to enforce them.
Two Options for L.A. High Speed Rail Station
High speed rail is slowly transitioning from idea to reality in California, and one of its major stops will be in Los Angeles. But exactly where in Los Angeles remains an unanswered question.
Major Setback for CA High Speed Rail
At its Dec. 3 meeting, the CA HSR Authority board members unanimously voted to 'decertify' the program EIR to comply with a judge's order in a suit brought by Peninsula cities and rail and environmental nonprofits over the corridor to the Bay Area.
Cycling and Road Rage in Los Angeles
This report from NPR's All Things Considered examines some of the dangers of cycling in Los Angeles, with special attention given to the case of the doctor who nearly killed two cyclists.
Can Homeowners "Save the Dream"?
Andy Kroll wanders through the rubble of California's subprime crisis and finds homeowners waiting 10-12 hours in lines for mortgage relief, plummeting property values, and what may be the seeds of more foreclosures to come.
Affordable Housing Laws At Risk in CA
The California Supreme Court has refused to re-hear a decision made by a lower court on affordable housing requirements, which may make such requirements throughout the state invalid.
One Step Towards Orange County's Great Park
The Orange Country Great Park has received the official go-ahead, with a dedication of $65 million for the first phase of construction.
Scars of a Subdivision That Wasn't To Be
This post from BLDGBLOG looks at the ghost of a planned but never realized subdivision on the outskirts of a Southern California exurb where only faint lines of unfinished roads remain.
Historic Preservation? No Thanks
Homeowners in Palm Springs are turning the Palm Desert Cultural Preservation Committee down cold, saying they can't afford and don't want the designation.
California's Roads and Highways Remain 'Unspeakably Bad'
In another unsurprising study, California's roads and highways are ranked nearly last, and said to be the worst in urban areas.
'Getting Religion' in Water Conservation
Since dealing with drought in the 80s and 90s, San Luis Obispo offers some inspiration for water conservation in California as the state struggles to get individuals to cut down on their use.
The Ghost of Architecture Past
Architecture critic John King laments the could-have-been: a beautiful Toyo Ito museum designed for UC Berkeley and killed for financial reasons. And yet the un-built project represents a new connection between town and gown, says King.
Krier Pulls No Punches
On a recent walking tour of Pasadena, California, noted architect Léon Krier didn't mince words over his disapproval of the cityscape and modernism in general.
Denser Neighborhoods Could Save Bay Area $31 Billion
Walkable, transit-accessible neighborhoods do more than just lower greenhouse gas emissions of their residents - they save them money too, states a new report, "Windfall for All", from the Bay Area's TransForm, a coalition of over 100 non-profits.
Broad Plan to Reshape San Francisco's Skyline
Planners in San Francisco are proposing a 145-acre "transit center district" that would dramatically reshape the city's skyline.
Brand-New Offramp Must Be Torn Down, Rebuilt
In Bakersfield, California contractors nearly completed a highway offramp when it was decided the grade was too steep and last-minute exiters might flip over. Parsons Brinkerhoff has agreed to eat the cost of rebuilding.
Alternative Fuels Won't Change the Expense of Driving
One of the conclusions of a new study in the San Francisco Bay Area is that switching to electric and alternative fuel cars won't reduce the burden on households because ownership is the most significant expense. Thus, density is the only way out.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
