California
Huge Solar Power Plants Proposed in California
Solar power will get a big boost from two facilities planned for California, which will together be capable of generating 800 megawatts of power.
Mixed-Use Faces Mixed Reviews in Fullerton
In Fullerton, CA, a dense new mixed-use building is facing criticism from neighbors and residents. 'All of a sudden we get one of these mixed-use buildings, [and] it's like a fort got dropped out of the sky,' says one neighbor.
Historic Land Use Bill's Steam Could Run Out
A California bill that seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by controlling land use may be one of the most important land use bills in years, according to Bill Fulton. But if it passes, the progress it makes could be short lived.
Golden Gate Bridge Congestion Pricing Replaced With Parking Pricing Plan
The Feds won't agree to a $1 congestion peak bridge toll, so SF planners have proposed peak hour parking fees on corridors leading to the Golden Gate Bridge to satisfy the Urban Partnership Agreement terms to retain the $158 million grant.
The New Urbanist Racetrack
Bay Meadows Racetrack in San Mateo,CA is being transformed into 19 blocks of office buildings, dense housing, parkland and plazas.
Sprawlfighting in San Jose
San José, California, after decades of sprawl that left the region one of the least-dense cities in the state, is on track to densify their underused areas. As one planner put it, "The decision was, let's not build out anymore, let's build up."
Unlikely Partners Oppose L.A. Transit Funding Plan
In an unlikely collaboration, tax payers and the Los Angeles Bus Riders Union have joined in opposition to a proposal that would raise L.A. County sales tax a half-cent to provide funding for public transit.
L.A.'s Fast Food Ban Boosts Health and Healthy Businesses
A moratorium on new fast food restaurants in Los Angeles is seen as a way to encourage better public health, but also a way to encourage healthier businesses.
Forget Coffeehouses- Businesses Want Freeways, Labor, Energy
Manufacturing still matters, and what manufacturers want hasn't changed much. The question is whether a "new economy" state like California can compete in the old economy.
Rare Show Of Unity on Growth Legislation in CA
An unusual coalition of environmentalists, builders,and city leaders announced their support for a controversial land use and transportation bill that aims to involve the CA Air Resources Board in setting reduction targets.
Smart Growth or Smart Food?
"Locavores" hoping to promote more sustainable agriculture through urban gardening are facing a new hurdle: infill housing projects.
Flaunting Lawn and Order With Astroturf
Upkeep and Water Consumption Prompt Reviews of the Esthetics of Faux Turf
Desalination Plant Approved in California
A large water desalination plant has been approved in Southern California, where water supplies are historically low and the population is high.
Pixar Director Building Fake Treehouse Home
Peter Docter, director of the animated film 'Monsters Inc.', has submitted plans to build a series of artificial tree houses on his land in Lafayette, CA to be his family's home. The Planning Commission is currently considering the project.
Could Downtown L.A. Transform From Parking Lot to Park?
A handful of EDAW interns have created an ambitious plan for a new park to connect L.A.'s disconnected downtown with lush greenery.
Rethinking California's Irrigation Strategy
Astride the maze of rivers east of San Francisco that crisscross California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta stand two imposing edifices — the pumping stations that supply water to vast swaths of the state. When operating at full throttle, the Harvey O. Banks Pumping Plant, managed by the state of California, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's C.W. "Bill" Jones Pumping Plant, have the capacity to entirely reverse the flow on the delta tributaries upon which they sit.
San Francisco Streetcars 'Too Popular'
The F-Market is a streetcar line in San Francisco that features restored historic streetcars. When it was built in 1995, many saw it as a novelty, but today it is so popular and crowded that it has become an inefficient means of transportation.
Broad Green Building Law Passed in San Francisco
San Francisco has passed some of the strictest green building requirements in the nation, for new construction and renovations.
Bike Warriors in L.A.
In many cities across the U.S., commuters are taking to their bikes as gas prices climb. But as the Wall St. Journal reports, it takes guts to bike in Los Angeles, where bike lanes and racks are a rarity.
Pagination
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