California
L.A. Subway Construction Timeline is "Unacceptable"
It will take more than two decades to expand Los Angeles' Subway to the Sea by 10 miles, according to an MTA timeline. The mayor's office and transit activists are pushing for it to get done more quickly.
One Victory for the City in Billboard Battle
A federal court has knocked down a previous ruling that Los Angeles' billboard ban is unconstitutional.
TOD at Hollywood & Western, 10 Years Later
Stephen Box, a bicycle advocate in Los Angeles, reviews the famous TOD project at the intersection of Hollywood and Western 10 years after it opened. Is "It's Not As Bad As It Used To Be" enough?
Importing the Tijuana Model
Architect Teddy Cruz is creating new models of affordable housing using the shantytowns of Tijuana as his inspiration.
'Instant Cab Culture' Unlikely in L.A.
The city of Los Angeles has instituted an experimental program encouraging people to hail taxi cabs rather than call ahead, an effort the city hopes will create a "cab culture". This column is skeptical about how much impact the plan can have.
Rand: Best Congestion Strategies Are Price-Based
In 2008, RAND Corp. conducted a study on mitigating traffic congestion in Los Angeles. They studied two types of strategies: conventional, e.g. signal timing, and market-based, e.g. increased the price of driving. The results were surprising.
Bell Tolls for California Cities and Their Creative Borrowing Schemes
Cities in California have been finding creative ways to generate funding and financing in recent years. Now, it seems lenders are coming to cities to collect on loans and many are left scrambling to pay up.
California's Biggest Land Use Story Is Not The Housing Market
The deepening of the housing market crisis is certainly a big deal in California. But the land use story of the year was the Legislature's passage of a measure mandating regional planning.
Wood Burning Ban Saves Lives
Five years ago, the Central Valley became the first area of California to ban indoor wood burning when an 'alert' was called by the air district; other air districts followed in 2008. This study, released in Nov. shows that "no burn" days save lives.
Congestion Pricing No Sure Thing in Liberal San Francisco
The political climate in San Francisco might seem likely to approve the city's congestion pricing plan, but opposition is strong.
Federal Funding Seems Likely for California High Speed Rail
California transportation officials are confident that federal support will back up $10 billion in recently approved bond sales to fund the state's proposed high speed rail system.
Foreclosures Become Illegal Skate Parks
The New York Times reports that skateboarders are coming from as far away as Germany to skate empty swimming pools throughout foreclosed neighborhoods in cities like Fresno, where boarders have set up shop.
CEQA–Exemption: Schwarzenegger’s Bargaining Chip
Gov. Schwarzenegger wants the California Environmental Quality Act- a requirement for major transportation projects- waived if he is to sign the $18 billion Democratic package that balances the budget and is crafted to circumvent Republican approval.
Pain at the Pump, Suburban Blues and the Resurgence of Compact Growth
A paradigm shift is occurring in the development patterns of American cities -- even the inner cities that have struggled for decades with decay and abandonment, writes Kofi Sefa-Boakye of the Compton Community Redevelopment Agency.
Budget And Credit Crises Halt California Infrastructure Projects
Infrastructure funding in California is grinding to a halt as two crises hit simultaneously: a political impasse unable to resolve a budget gap of $42 billion and a credit crisis leaving the state unable to sell its bonds.
Sea Ranch Still Fascinates
Journalist Patricia Leigh Brown pays a visit to Sea Ranch, the legendary early attempt at ecological community design.
Save a City, Win a Prize
A California state arm called the Bay Conservation and Development Commission has announced plans for a $125,000 contest to come up with ideas for cities to deal with climate change in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The Case Against San Francisco's Congestion Pricing Plan
In this op-ed, "San Francisco is not London", Steve Falk, the CEO of the S.F. Chamber of Commerce, explains why London-style congestion pricing is inappropriate for the downtown core - that it would only hurt businesses without reducing congestion.
Remade as a Retail Mecca, Emeryville Falters
Emeryville, CA is a success story of redevelopment. City leaders transformed a decaying industrial area into a booming retail landscape. But with the economic downturn, locals are questioning the wisdom of basing the city on retail.
Proposed Road Through Park Blocked
The federal government has blocked plans to build a 16-mile road through a Southern California state park, mainly over environmental concerns.
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
