California
Submerged Ghost Towns Re-emerge
The site of the Lexington Reservoir for the last 56 years, two ghost towns in Santa Clara County, California have re-emerged since the water level was temporarily lowered.
Totally In My Backyard
A Corona del Mar couple have been battling the Coastal Commission over the placement of their shower, tables, and barbecue, all right on the sand. Even though those and other items are within the property line, the Commission isn't having it.
Air Resources Board Weighing Climate Plans
At a crucial two-day meeting, the California Air Resources Board may adopt, reject or modify two separate, landmark, controversial plans - one on climate change, the other on diesel emissions from trucks and buses.
Ethnic Integration Up in Greater L.A. Suburbs
Many residents can still recount when their neighborhoods were far less ethnically diverse than their are now, which is backed by new census data showing that in most cities, the white population is down.
Teamsters And Enviros Unite
The Los Angeles and Long Beach Ports’ new Clean Trucks program is the object of a legal battle pitting Teamsters, environmental and public health groups, the NAACP, and community groups demanding clean air against trucking companies and shippers.
Subway Approved for San Francisco
A proposal to run a light rail subway through central San Francisco passed environmental scrutiny at the federal level, green lighting the project to move forward. Now all the $1.3 billion project needs is some federal funding.
Best Cities to Find Jobs
CNN argues that the best cities to find a job right now aren't the usual suspects. Using low unemployment rates as their guide, the network points to Bismark, ND, Casper, WY, and Logan, UT as jobhunting meccas.
Urban Design Studio To Transform Glendale
Glendale, California, has recently established an Urban Design Studio within its planning department to help developers create more appropriate, aesthetically appealing projects.
Draft EIR on SF's Bike Plan Released
A court order prohibits new bicycle infrastructure in San Francisco, but its Municipal Transportation Agency and Planning Department have crafted a 1,353-page Draft Environmental Impact Report to make a case against it.
The Budget and Billy the Elephant
Los Angeles' budget shortfall could mean sending its zoo's only elephant to a Northern California sanctuary. Over time, funding for city services are also predicted to get slashed.
The Urban Shortcomings of 'L.A. Live'
L.A. Live, the city's new megadevelopment, does little to engage the growing downtown area and ends up being little more than another separate commercial enclave in a city desperately needing closely-knit urbanism, according to Christopher Hawthorne.
Effect of California's New Anti-Sprawl Law Uncertain
Clearly it has aroused enormous excitement and hope amongst California's smart growth advocates, but the new anti-sprawl, greenhouse gas-reducing law, SB 375, may do more in the tone it sets than in the changes its supporters hope it makes.
Mayor Takes Message To YouTube
The mayor of San Francisco delivers his annual state of the city message in ten 45-minute segments on YouTube rather than in person.
Could Vagrants Doom A Rebounding Downtown?
The issues posed by homeless people in downtown Riverside, California, are not out of the ordinary. But they definitely do not help the city's efforts to revitalize downtown.
New Rail Brings Opportunities and Fears to East L.A.
As rail expands into East L.A., residents are both excited about economic opportunities and worried about gentrification and the possible loss of the area's distinct Latino character.
RAND Corp. Offers SoCal Short Term Congestion Fixes
Author Paul Sorensen details the findings of a recent RAND study recommending short term (i.e., within five years) fixes for rampant congestion in Southern California.
Inland Empire Prepares for 350,000 Foreclosures
Local and regional governments in Riverside County, California, have assembled a "Red Team" task force to mitigate the impacts of the foreclosure crisis in the fastest growing region in the state.
Can L.A. Go Solar?
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has an ambitious plan to get L.A. to go solar. Still, without a proper financial analysis, skeptics find it too lofty to be true.
L.A. Freeway Cap Park Edges Towards Feasibility
For years, citizens have been calling for a freeway cap and park in Hollywood. Now, a preliminary design has been released and advocates say work could begin as soon as 2012 -- if funding comes through.
Santa Monica Bans Exercising on Traffic Medians
After noise complaints by residents nearby, any exercise that takes place on a grassy traffic median in Santa Monica that can qualify as "congregating" has been banned.
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.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association
