California
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Commercial Vacancies Hit Tax Rolls Hard
As commercial vacancies increase, cities are feeling the pain of lower tax revenues.
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.
Reducing Emissions By Measuring Carbon In Fuel
CA's Air Resources Board has issued a new regulation to reduce carbon from fuels - and the ethanol industry isn't happy.
Planned SF Transit Terminal May Be Obsolete By 2030
Designs for the new Transbay Terminal in San Francisco may not be able to handle the amount of passengers expected by 2030, according to transportation officials. Some are calling for a redesign of the plans, set to begin construction next year.
Homebuilders Pin Hopes On State Tax Subsidy
California is now offering buyers of new housing units a $10,000 tax credit. The tax break was pushed hard by homebuilders, who say the measure should boost housing starts.
Serendipity for Downtown L.A.?
At a recent event in Los Angeles, Cecilia Estolano, CEO of the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles, presented her vision for the Downtown of the future in one of the country's most notoriously diffuse urban centers.
A Quarry Converting to Mixed Use
A quarry in San Diego is on a path towards conversion into a $1.5 billion mixed-use housing and retail project, one many thought unlikely in today's tight market.
Experts Question $8 Billion HSR Stimulus Investment
No one expects the $8 billion to build any one single high-speed-rail system in the U.S. But the U.S., with its vast distances and low gas prices, is not Europe or Asia, and some question whether the investment will produce any substantial results.
Crunch Leaves Thousands of Homes Half-Built or Abandoned
Thousands of homes in development are being halted and thousands more vacant new homes are being foreclosed across California, leading to crime, looting and squatting.
State Senator Wants California to Rethink Parking
Legislation written by State Senator Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) would require parking reform in the "Donald Shoup" mold in almost every city in California.
Old, NIMBY and Resilient?
The Economist wonders if Santa Barbara's relative financial health is owed to its aging population and resistance to development.
New Museum Turns Away From Starchitecture
Last year, plans for a new museum in San Francisco's Presidio were criticized for being harsh and not in keeping with the feel of the park. Back from the drawing board, John King says the new plans are much more in character and less iconic.
Bay Area Continues To Grow - At Fringes
In a report detailing three decades of growth in the SF Bay Area, an urban think tank details how commercial growth has been disproportionately in the non-transit accessible suburban office parks. However, SF shares the blame. Solutions are offered.
Better Transportation Needs Better Cities
A new design competition is seeking solutions to L.A.'s transportation problems. But the real solution may not have anything to do with transportation at all.
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
