California

Goldman Sachs Sees Gold in Humboldt, CA

Humboldt's port shows promise, but would require massive investment. Goldman Sachs expresses an interest, surprising locals.

June 2, 2008 - Times-Standard, Northern California

Cities Seek Ways to Fight Growing Housing Blight

In California's Inland Empire, abandoned houses are plentiful- the fallout from the subprime mortgage mess. Bill Fulton reports on what some cites are doing to keep the abandoned houses from dragging down neighborhoods.

May 30, 2008 - California Planning & Development Report

Will Bay Area Transit Riders Get Wi-Fi?

BART, the region's rail transit agency, is negotiating with a private company to install a wireless network that would allow riders to check email and access the Internet.

May 28, 2008 - PC World

Want to Renovate Your San Francisco Home? Good Luck.

San Francisco city planners take a hard line on renovating the city's stock of historic homes. Homeowners, architects, and even preservationists are saying the department has gone too far.

May 27, 2008 - The San Francisco Chronicle

City Of Stockton Gives Preservationists A Leg Up

The City of Stockton, California votes to impose a temporary moratorium on the demolition of potentially historic buildings to allow staff time to create a permanent ordinance.

May 25, 2008 - The Stockton Record

L.A. Subway Ridership Spikes in 2008

With gas prices rising beyond the comfort zones of many drivers, ridership on L.A.'s train system has seen record highs in the early months of 2008. For many in the city, the price is prompting a major paradigm shift in terms of mobility.

May 25, 2008 - BBC

Streets May Become Temporary Recreational Spaces in San Francisco

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is considering a plan to temporarily close down certain streets to car traffic, creating public space for pedestrians -- similar to the successful Ciclovia that takes place weekly in Bogota, Colombia.

May 25, 2008 - The Examiner

Parking Lot Hotels Serve Homeless

An outreach counseling group in Santa Barbara, California, has worked with the city to set up 12 parking lots where people can sleep in their cars at night -- an act that is illegal on city streets.

May 22, 2008 - CNN

Developer To SF: Let's Make A Deal On Affordable Housing

Hoping to head off a competing ballot measure, Miami-based developer Lennar Corp. has voluntarily agreed to set aside 3,200 of the planned 10,000 homes on San Francisco's Hunters and Candlestick Point for low- and moderate-income families.

May 20, 2008 - The San Francisco Chronicle

California Land Conservation Agreement Will Create Sprawl

A recent agreement between developers and environmental groups puts the conservationists in the unfortunate position of not being able to oppose a plan that is the epitome of sprawl, according this editorial.

May 19, 2008 - The Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Announces Plans To Recycle Wastewater For Drinking

Faced with increasing water shortages, Los Angeles Mayor Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has announced plans to recycle the city's sewage water to replenish drinking water qualifiers.

May 18, 2008 - The New York Times

L.A.'s Subway Planners Thinking Bigger Is Better

The city is already struggling to fund its planned $5 billion subway extension. But planners think adding a spur through West Hollywood could convince federal officials to chip in more funding for the project.

May 17, 2008 - WeHo News

Friday Funny: San Diego Maximum Security Zoological & Convict Reserve Opens

Facing a tight budget, officials in California have found an innovative way to mix uses and save money -- by combining a zoo and a prison into one efficient facility.

May 16, 2008 - The Onion

New Train Tunnel Ads Irk Riders, Draw Revenue

Flashing lights on the walls on train tunnels that display a 15-second video to passengers have been introduced in L.A., bringing new revenue to the area's transit agency, but bothering some riders. Some say the ads intrude on public space.

May 15, 2008 - The Los Angeles Times

Bankrupt City Could Serve As Model

The northern California city of Vallejo has declared bankruptcy, becoming one of few cities and the largest in the state to do so. Other struggling cities are watching closely to see if the strategy helps to save the city.

May 13, 2008 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Neighborhood Zoning Offices Give Residents Help And Answers

Following the lead of law enforcement, San Diego's code enforcement department is opening storefront offices where residents can come in with questions and complaints.

May 12, 2008 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

A Congestion Pricing Plan For America's Most Famous Bridge

Plans call for raising the tolls on the San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge depending on the time of day, but commuters have so far reacted negatively to the plan, arguing there are too few alternatives.

May 11, 2008 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Street Signs And Traffic Islands As Art?

A Los Angeles activist and artist has taken to placing street signs mimicking the city's no parking signs on traffic islands, declaring them parks.

May 11, 2008 - The Los Angeles Times

Behind the Scenes of Los Angeles

In this travelogue, Dwell tours the often-overlooked infrastructure that keeps the metropolis of Los Angeles running.

May 10, 2008 - Dwell

New Urbanist Town Designed For Ultimate In Green Living

A planned New Urbanist development in Northern California wants enable its eventual residents to live within their prescribed ecological footprint.

May 10, 2008 - The Washington Post

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.