California
Bay Area Transit Projects Awarded $18 Million
The funding supports eight ‘near-term’ projects slated for completion within the next one to three years.
California Cities Suspend Natural Gas Bans Following Court Ruling
A Ninth Circuit court ruling forced Berkeley to reverse its ban on natural gas in new buildings, prompting other cities to suspend their own efforts to promote all-electric buildings.
Cool Pavements Show Promise as Part of Urban Climate Resilience Strategy
Results from a pilot project in Los Angeles show that cool pavement treatments can serve as a key tool in a city’s climate resilience strategy.
California’s Tiny Home Pledge Still on Paper, One Year Later
A promise to fund 1,200 tiny homes for unhoused residents in four cities as a way to rapidly and cost-effectively provide shelter has yet to yield tangible results, but projects are moving ahead in some cities.
California Could Cut $600 Million From Active Transportation
Complete Streets advocates want the governor to fill the gap with funding from the state highway fund instead.
San Jose Tests AI Translation Tool to Improve Access to Public Meetings
More than half of the city’s population speaks a language other than English at home, making translation services a key pillar of accessibility.
LA’s Abandoned Towers Loom as a “$1.2 Billion Ruin of Global Capital”
Oceanwide Plaza, shuttered mid-construction after its developer filed for bankruptcy, has stood vacant on prime Los Angeles real estate since 2019.
Los Angeles County Making Progress in Stormwater Capture
During this “super year” of storms, L.A. County has successfully captured 96 billion gallons of stormwater which is enough to meet the needs of about 2.4 million people a year.
Regenerating and Healing Land Through Parks
Through thoughtful planning and restoration efforts, parks can help heal degraded land, meeting multiple community needs, improving soil quality, restoring native vegetation, and creating habitats for wildlife.
California Testing Per-Mile Gas Tax Alternatives
A summer pilot program will test the fairness and efficacy of collection mechanisms for mileage-based fee options.
California Halts Three Years of Population Loss
The Golden State grew by 67,000 people, or 0.17%, last year, to just over 39.1 million on Jan. 1, 2024, according to a demographic report released April 30 by the California Department of Finance.
Is California's Housing Situation Turning Around?
Population is stagnant. But housing supply is growing. Is this the beginning of a Great Correction?
The Era Of Autonomous Vehicles Has Arrived
Autonomous vehicles are no longer perpetually “five years away.” They are here now. Planners must act now to ensure they don't degrade city life.
Congestion Pricing in the San Francisco Bay Area
Planners call them “express lanes,” but make no mistake, they are congestion pricing in action, and they're successful. The Bay Area network of what the Federal Highway Administration calls “high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes” is growing.
Self-Driving Microtransit System Coming to Contra Costa County
The autonomous, four-person pods would travel on an enclosed track, but is it an effective model for public transit?
Planting Trees Where They are Most Needed
Recently, the U.S. Forest Service awarded over $1 billion in competitive grants to expand equitable access to trees and their benefits. Grantees include Los Angeles County and TreePeople, who are working to plant trees where they are most needed.
Expansion of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument Approved
President Biden just signed a proclamation to expand the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument by over 100,000 acres.
Redefining Housing Affordability
A new study highlights how many — or how few — Californians can afford to live in each of the state’s counties.
Waymo Expanding Robotaxi Service to More Bay Area Cities
The company was permitted to operate in 22 Bay Area cities without restrictions in March.
Sea Level Rise Prompts Closure of San Francisco’s Great Highway
The city plans to repurpose a segment of the roadway frequently blocked by blowing sand into a pedestrian plaza.
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
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
