California
Making Property Owners Pay for Sidewalks
Los Angeles sidewalks are in an advanced state of disrepair, with little to no funds available. A new proposal in front of the city council puts the burden on new property buyers.
Historic Preservation for Tract Homes?
A resident of a Rancho Palos Verdes, CA development of 262 tract homes designed by Paul R. Williams, the first African-American architect in the AIA, is seeking an historic preservation measure to protect the 1950s-era homes.
Changing Tune on Density
Back in 1971, Alvin Duskin mounted an all-out campaign to limit buildings in San Francisco to 72 feet. Today, he is one of many Bay Area activists reconsidering density.
Lighting Fighting Crime
Fighting gang crime in Los Angeles is as easy as leaving the lights on at neighborhood parks.
Eating Healthy Now Required in San Francisco
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has issued a directive that seeks to mandate healthy eating and food production in the city.
The City That Killed Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson's life would have been incredibly different (read: more normal) and lasted longer if he lived in New York instead of L.A., argues Gigi Levangie Grazer. She says the isolating qualities of L.A. enabled the downfall of the King of Pop.
Keeping an Eye on License Plates
The posh San Francisco Bay Area town of Tiburon is planning to install cameras that record the license plate numbers of all cars coming into town. Police will use the system to apprehend criminals or investigate crimes.
Thousands of Crimes Not Displaying on LAPD Crime Map
The Los Angeles Police Department's crime-tracking website has been omitting thousands of violent crimes. 40% of crimes reported so far in 2009 are not included in the public website.
A Little Too Tough on Blight?
The City of Chula Vista has a highly successful anti-blight ordinance- so successful that some critics say they may actually be delaying the recovery of the local real estate market.
Las Vegas Included in California's Rail Plans
Las Vegas will now be included in plans for California's high speed rail network, according to the Department of Transportation.
Making Temporary Use of Empty Development Lots
Empty lots are scattered throughout San Francisco, sites of would-be towers that have been temporarily put off by the building bust. Instead of letting these lots sit empty until construction, some are finding ways to utilize them in the meantime.
Jerry Brown Sues Suburb Over Housing Element
The CA Attorney General wants cities to take their housing obligations seriously - so much so that he has joined a 2006 lawsuit against the Alameda County suburb of Pleasanton over a 'housing cap' of 29,000 units approved by its voters in 1996.
If You're NIMBY, You Aren't Green
Environmentalists in Berkeley and Oakland are realizing that the inner-city development they protested in the past is actually more eco-friendly than the alternative.
Think You Can Balance California's Budget?
The Los Angeles Times has created an interactive game where you can make the hard choices in where to cut the State's expenditures.
Bid to Build Museum in San Francisco's Historic Presidio Dropped
A controversial effort to develop a modern art museum in San Francisco's Presidio has come to an end.
Women Close To Freeway 128% More Likely To Give Birth Prematurely
A new study from UC Irvine in Los Angeles concludes that women who live within 1.9 miles of a major roadway increase their risk of premature birth by 128%.
EPA OKs California's Plan to Regulate Emissions
The Environmental Protection Agency has reversed a decision by the Bush Administration that will allow California to create its own set of vehicle emissions standards.
Bike Activist Becomes The Man
What happens when a city hires a former bike activist to become it's mobility coordinator? No surprises, the city becomes more bike friendly.
Ownership of Bus Arrival Data Disputed
The story of how an iPhone application charting public transit arrival times led to as-yet-unanswered questions about who owns this public data -- or whether it can be owned at all.
City Styrofoam Bans Send Food Packaging Industry Scrambling
More than 30 cities and counties in California have passed some form of a ban on the use of polystyrene containers, and a new state law under consideration, AB 1358, would ban the use of polystyrene foam and non-recyclable food containers statewide.
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
