California
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.
The Cautionary Tale of Vallejo
Vallejo, CA declared bankruptcy last spring, felled by fiscal mismanagement and falling property taxes. Cities around the country are looking to Vallejo's example as they teeter near the edge.
Financing Solar Power
Berkeley, CA was one of the first cities to use special utility districts to fund the switch to solar power in their community. Now the man behind the plan is trying to make the financing system national.
San Francisco Weighs Congestion Pricing Options
Officials in San Francisco will be presented with reports today on possible ways to integrate congestion pricing and toll zones into the city. If approved, San Francisco would be the first city in the nation to implement congestion pricing.
'Firescaping' For Fire Safety
The first 'firescape' garden is in Santa Barbara, CA, and stands as an educational tool for landscaping homes for fire protection.
How Much Does Bad Air In LA and Central Valley Cost California?
An economic study has been published showing that the costs of air pollution to the 20 million Californians living in the state’s (and nation’s) two most polluted regions, the LA basin and San Joaquin Valley, to be around $28 billion annually.
Pricing Parking at a Premium
On Tuesday, San Francisco's MUNI approved a pilot program to price 6,000 of the city's parking spots according to popularity.
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
