California

Irvine, Former Subprime Capital, Struggles in Wake of Meltdown

While housing markets in the rest of the country reel from the mortgage crisis, Irvine, the city that was once home to 18 subprime lenders, is seeing its local economy suffer as the effects of high profile bankruptcies ripples to other businesses.

March 29, 2008 - CNN Money

San Francisco's New PD Talks About City's Challenges

Architect Magazine talks with San Francisco's new planning director, John Rahaim, about the urban planning challenges and issues in the city.

March 29, 2008 - Architect Magazine

A Rerun In The Campaign For Mayor Of L.A.

Twenty years ago, Los Angeles voters chose Tom Bradley's "world city" vision over a slow-growth councilman's carping about overdevelopment. Voters may face the same choice - and one of the same candidates - in 2009.

March 28, 2008 - California Planning & Development Report

Wi-Fi Plans Dropped Over Health Concerns

Officials in the California city of Sebastopol have gone back on an agreement with an Internet provider that was planning to create a municipal Wi-Fi network for the city. They cited health concerns in their decision.

March 28, 2008 - The Press Democrat

New Bike Lanes Proposed in San Francisco

Officials in San Francisco are floating a plan that would add 34 more miles of bike lanes to the city, nearly doubling its current stock. The addition would require the removal of street parking and could take over some traffic lanes.

March 27, 2008 - The San Francisco Chronicle

'Tent City' for Residents Only

A "tent city" established in the Southern California city of Ontario for occupation by homeless people has been temporarily shut down as city officials and police attempt to evict people without clear ties to the city.

March 27, 2008 - The Los Angeles Times

Sprawl Slows Down in California

New census figures show that suburban growth is slowing down in the Sunbelt cities of California, Nevada and Arizona.

March 26, 2008 - The Los Angeles Times

Review Halted for Major L.A. Housing Project

Review of a project that would have added more than 5,500 homes to the fringes of Los Angeles has been halted after a recent City Council vote. Many expect this to be the death knell for the project.

March 25, 2008 - The Los Angeles Times

San Francisco's Little-Known Public Spaces

A policy requiring new commercial developments to include public spaces has created more than a dozen new public places in downtown San Francisco since the 1980s. Some say more effort is needed to make these public places known by the public.

March 25, 2008 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Ballot Measure to Weigh Eminent Domain in California

Two ballot measures on the June ballot in California will challenge the state's eminent domain and rent control rules.

March 23, 2008 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Viewing L.A.'s Density Debate From the Passenger's Seat

A Los Angeles Times columnist hears about the Los Angeles density controversy and sees its implications during a recent drive around town with County Commissioner Zev Yaroslavsky.

March 23, 2008 - The Los Angeles Times

Long Beach Cruisers

The city of Long Beach, California, has initiated a bike sharing program for city officials. The program consists of 16 shared bikes, usable by city employees for short trips and errands around the city.

March 22, 2008 - Press Telegram (Long Beach, CA)

'Make My Day' Meets 'Hasta La Vista'

In a classic Hollywood showdown that could only happen in California politics, Gov. Schwarzenegger axed actor-director-former Carmel, CA mayor Clint Eastwood from the Parks Commission at the expiration of his term after his 'no-vote' on a toll road.

March 21, 2008 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Introducing Smart Growth To An Edge City

A new master plan for Los Angeles's Century City attempts to undo some of the shortcomings that typically plague Modernist master-planned edge cities. Its goals include walkability, greening, and a more appealing public realm.

March 21, 2008 - Planning Magazine

The Pains of Popularity

San Diego's downtown trolley service is becoming too popular, causing officials to propose equipment upgrades to handle the rising crowds. But the bigger trolleys will take out some car lanes and affect traffic lights, and many are unhappy about it.

March 21, 2008 - San Diego City Beat

Subprime Tent Cities

This video from the BBC looks at the ten cities that have sprung up outside of L.A. as a result of the subprime mortgage meltdown.

March 19, 2008 - BBC via YouTube

Congestion Pricing Approved for Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge District, in agreeing to apply congestion pricing to the bridge, has saved the $158 million Urban Partnership grant for the Bay Area in the nick of time, but has created turmoil with S.F because of where the revenue goes.

March 19, 2008 - The San Francisco Chronicle

New Funding Resuscitates L.A.'s Grand Avenue Project

The highly anticipated mixed-use Grand Avenue project in downtown L.A. has just secured $100 million in funding. This new funding is expected to kickstart the project's construction, which has been delayed for months.

March 18, 2008 - The Los Angeles Times

Planning System Revamp May Speed Development in Santa Cruz

Bureaucratic red tape has slowed the development process for years in Santa Cruz, California. Now proposed changes look to speed up the process, but critics say the changes could open the door to under-controlled development.

March 18, 2008 - Santa Cruz Sentinel

Foraging for Food in the Urban Environment

This report from Weekend America talks with an urban food forager and looks at how to find food on the street in L.A.

March 15, 2008 - Weekend America

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.