California
Friday Funny: San Diego Maximum Security Zoological & Convict Reserve Opens
Facing a tight budget, officials in California have found an innovative way to mix uses and save money -- by combining a zoo and a prison into one efficient facility.
New Train Tunnel Ads Irk Riders, Draw Revenue
Flashing lights on the walls on train tunnels that display a 15-second video to passengers have been introduced in L.A., bringing new revenue to the area's transit agency, but bothering some riders. Some say the ads intrude on public space.
Bankrupt City Could Serve As Model
The northern California city of Vallejo has declared bankruptcy, becoming one of few cities and the largest in the state to do so. Other struggling cities are watching closely to see if the strategy helps to save the city.
Neighborhood Zoning Offices Give Residents Help And Answers
Following the lead of law enforcement, San Diego's code enforcement department is opening storefront offices where residents can come in with questions and complaints.
A Congestion Pricing Plan For America's Most Famous Bridge
Plans call for raising the tolls on the San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge depending on the time of day, but commuters have so far reacted negatively to the plan, arguing there are too few alternatives.
Street Signs And Traffic Islands As Art?
A Los Angeles activist and artist has taken to placing street signs mimicking the city's no parking signs on traffic islands, declaring them parks.
Behind the Scenes of Los Angeles
In this travelogue, Dwell tours the often-overlooked infrastructure that keeps the metropolis of Los Angeles running.
New Urbanist Town Designed For Ultimate In Green Living
A planned New Urbanist development in Northern California wants enable its eventual residents to live within their prescribed ecological footprint.
Major Land Deal To Protect 240,000 Acres In Southern California
The developer of the Tejon Ranch agreed to a plan to put permanent conservation easements on almost 375 square miles of ranch lands and wilderness 60 miles north of Los Angeles, in exchange for rights to develop 10 percent of its land holdings.
California Housing Construction Crashes
There is very, very little new housing construction in most of California, where the number of housing starts is down 75% from the boom year of 2005. One result is layoffs for planners, building inspectors and plan checkers.
Potential Reservoir Of Urban Open Space
What do you do when 96 football fields worth of space opens up in a major metro area?
A City Serious About Recycling
With 70 percent of its waste already diverted from landfills, San Francisco continues to push forward with new laws and programs to increase recycling.
Monied Interests Triumph in L.A.
In two separate examples, a Los Angeles Times columnist shows how stakeholders with money tend to win the support of local politicians more often than the less fortunate.
Red Tape Holds Back Drivers Using Biofuels
Environmentalists say laws have yet to catch up with greener fuel alternatives for cars.
Streetfilm: A Car Tour of Hollywood with a Pedestrian Advocate
Go for a ride with Los Angeles' leading pedestrian activist and learn about some of the challenges in bringing change to the Car Culture Capital of America.
Los Angeles Cracks Down On Mansionization
Despite concerns about lowering property values across the city, the L.A. City Council moved to limit the size of newly constructed homes in older neighborhoods to about 4,000 square feet.
Landfill Gas To Fuel Garbage Trucks
In an incredible recycling operation that reduces global warming, a waste hauler is building a facility to produce Liquefied Natural Gas from methane emitted from its California landfill to fuel its garbage trucks.
Unprecedented Agreement Between Oil Company and Enviros
The agreement trades a massive open space donation and other terms for clearance to conduct exploratory drilling off the coast.
L.A. Transit Chief Calls for Highway Tolls
In this opinion piece, Roger Snoble of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority discusses why the region's mobility would benefit from toll lanes on highways.
Debating L.A.'s Growth, Traffic and Transit
The Transit Coalition's Bart Reed and USC planning Professor Peter Gordon debate transit and traffic in L.A. in this five-part point-counterpoint series.
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
