California
Making Two-Way Streets Act Like One-Ways
Plans are moving forward to address the traffic issues on two of L.A.'s most congested streets.
Friday Funny: How Real Estate Deals Work In LA
A Los Angeles City Planning Department employee accidentally leaves a message intended for the developer on the answering machine of a project opponent: The project will be approved "no matter what."
California Water Diversion Debate Continues
The debate over how to divert water around Central California's San Joaquin Valley for delivery to Southern California has been rekindled. A task force is meeting to find a way to address this and many of the state's other long-standing water issues.
Two Projects, 20 Years Apart, Constitute One CEQA Project
A court of appeal in California ruled that a decades-old plan to realign a road and a two-year-old plan to build a big box improvement store nearby only need to undergo one environmental impact analysis under the state's Environmental Quality Act.
World's Largest 'Toilet To Tap' Plant Debuts In Southern California
With the opening of the new facility, water officials in Orange County, California are launching a large scale program to recycle sewage for use as drinking water for millions. Other water scarce areas are watching closely.
California's Infrastructure May Go Private
Public-private partnerships are the most viable option for building and maintaining California's infrastructure according to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who recently announced a plan to explore possible partnerships with private firms.
Tunnel System Sparks Interest, Rumors
The re-discovery of tunnels beneath Fresno, California's Chinatown have sparked interest -- and elaborate rumors -- amongst historic preservationists and residents alike. But some say the rumors exaggerate the real purpose of the tunnels.
Power Plant Meets Opposition From Hunters, Environmentalists
Environmentalists and hunters have teamed up to fight against developers of a geothermal power plant who want to use the water from a California aquifer that sustains a large swath of vegetation and an active hunting ground.
San Franciscans Not Too Open To Public Art
The dedication of a piece of public art in San Francisco inspires this reflection on the not-so-welcoming arms of the city's progressive population to public art projects in the past.
Fighting Wildfires With Land Use Laws
More than controlled burns or flying water tankers, zoning could be the firefighters most powerful tool.
L.A. Is King Of Traffic Congestion, Dumb Growth
People who drive in L.A. have a lot of time to think about the urban form while they sit in traffic. Specifically, they wonder why everything in Southern California requires a trip in the car.
"Foreclosure Clusters" Bring Inner-City Crime to the Suburbs
The burgeoning increase in foreclosures is leaving some suburban California neighborhoods with multiple abandoned and unguarded homes, which become tempting targets for looters, vandals and thieves.
L.A. Set To Become Next Big City To Mandate Green Development
The L.A. planning commission approved regulations requiring that major new developments meet U.S. Green Building Council LEED standards, with the goal of reducing energy use in new building by 15%.
Big Vision For Little Saigon
Orange County, California's Little Saigon is not the tourist and cultural center it should be, according to the Urban Land Institute, which has completed a study of the area and released recommendations for revitalization.
Citywide Green Building Rules Under Consideration
San Jose, California is considering a plan to require all new private developments to follow strict environmental standards. Builders and developers are opposed and claim the move will be bad for the city as it tries to encourage business growth.
Double Decker Bus To Be Tested In San Francisco
San Francisco plans to test out a double-decker bus for possible adoption into its public transit fleet.
Land Use Planning And Climate Change May Be Linked In Lawsuits
While Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has received fame for making global warming a priority, he has studiously avoided the land use connection. Not so for California's attorney general, who is tackling the issue head on, even warning of litigation.
A 'Broader Renaissance' For L.A.'s Broadway
Long neglected, the Broadway theater district of Los Angeles is a far cry from New York's thriving theater district. But renewed interest in L.A.'s old theaters may bring about an arts renaissance.
Is Eminent Domain Being Abused?
Comedian Drew Carey takes a straight-faced look at eminent domain and how the land acquisition practice has gone from beneficial to abusive in National City, California in this video from Reason.
Small Town Uneasy About Chain Invasion
Plans to bring chain outlets such as Starbucks and Subway to a small California town have locals up in arms over what they see as a threat to their town's historic character.
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
