California
Will Cheaper Gas Cause Increased Driving?
As oil prices plunge to well below $100/barrel, will Americans reverse all their fuel-efficient behavior learned from $145 oil seen in July? It appears that the economic crisis may continue where the energy crisis left off.
Wasting Resources and Destroying History
Preservation of iconic buildings is important for historical reasons as well as environmental one, according to actress and preservationist Diane Keaton.
A Tale Of Two Theaters
The theaters are in the same city, owned by the same company, a mile apart. One is by the highway on a 14-acre lot, the other is two stories in the middle of town with underground, metered parking, and eateries on the ground level. One is closing.
California Transit: It'll Drive You To Drive
Northern California planner and lawyer Joel Ellinwood has committed himself to riding trains and public transit whenever possible. He's learning a lot along the way.
Noise Pollution in San Francisco is A Health Risk, Study Shows
A new study shows that noise pollution on the streets of San Francisco is putting nearly one in six residents at risk for heart disease, high blood pressure and other stress-related illnesses.
Farming in Skid Row...Vertically
Around Los Angeles' Skid Row, vertical farms have been installed on walls. Its project leaders note that it not only promotes locally grown foods, but it also beautifies areas that "would otherwise just be concrete and steel."
Three Perspectives on CA's 'Smart Growth' Bill
The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and Sacramento Bee editorialize on the signing of SB 375, California's new landmark law that is intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing vehicle miles traveled through better land use.
Folding Bikes Increasingly Popular on Rail
In the Bay Area, where transit and cycling are encouraged and on the rise, cyclists are increasingly turning towards folding bikes to enjoy unrestricted access to the two major rail systems, BART and Caltrain, due to conventional bike limitations.
L.A. Facing Drought
Los Angelenos have long forgotten that they live in a desert, but the coming drought will mean water consumption patterns will need to change on a massive scale writes Scott Thill.
Schwarzenegger Vetoes Port-Air Pollution Bill
CA Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed perhaps the most important air quality bill of the year just before the deadline to the dismay of the state's environmental and health community. Alaska Gov. Palin's letter asking for the veto may have played a role.
'Broken Windows' Rebuffed: The Social Life of Skid Row
On L.A.'s Skid Row, revitalization efforts fail to consider the human aspects of life on the streets, according to Rocco Pendola.
East L.A. Bids for Incorporation
For the fourth time, the unincorporated area of East Los Angeles is making efforts to become a city. This article examines its colorful history and what East L.A. hopes to accomplish in gaining cityhood.
Schwarzenegger Signed It: Bill Fulton Explains It
Yesterday, Gov. Schwarzenegger signed SB 375, California's anti-sprawl bill. Bill Fulton explains that it is both stronger and weaker than advertised.
Congestion Pricing Gains Political Traction
California State Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) makes the case for a congestion pricing pilot program funded by the federal government.
Incomes to Mix in New L.A. Housing Plan
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is planning to propose a $5 billion housing plan for the city that focuses on mixed-income development and locations near transit. Some applaud the move, but others worry it may not be feasible.
Relating Peak Oil To Auto Dependency And Urban Planning
Daniel Lerch, author of "Post Carbon Cities" presents his thoughts for a new California Dream in a 'post carbon future' in which cars still exist but are used sparingly due to urban planning that reduces their necessity. He looks toward Portland.
Rule-Bending Keeps Fresno Sprawling
Despite a 2002 General Plan update aimed at curbing sprawl in the Central California city of Fresno, repeated zoning amendments have allowed hundreds of developments to push the city's edge farther out into the fringe.
Complete Streets Bill Moving Forward in California
The California legislature has approved a "complete streets" bill to help make city streets more accessible and livable. The bill is awaiting approval from the governor.
History Trumps Art on San Francisco Waterfront
Over the past few years, San Francisco's waterfront has become home to art pieces like an enormous, cartoony bow and arrow and a giant spider. Labor historians have a different idea: A five-story crane built in the early 1970s for loading coconuts.
Half-a-Penny for Your Transit?
After being signed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a half-cent sales tax increase will appear on the November ballot in Los Angeles County, where it would create a fund for public transit projects.
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
