California
More Tourists Riding Transit Than Residents
A recent survey has revealed that more than 40% of the tourists planning to visit San Francisco this year will use public transit as their main mode of transportation -- a figure that outpaces the ridership of the city's residents.
TOD Residents Still Driving
An investigation reveals that transit use remains low for residents of several Los Angeles-area transit-oriented housing developments.
Residents Fed Up With Filming
Downtown Los Angeles has long been a heavily used site for filming. But as the area's population rises, filmmakers are meeting resistance from residents who are fed up with the disturbance.
Who Pays The Cost Of Living In Paradise?
The cost of living in California keeps on rising. Who is paying for it?
BART Has Few Funding Sources For Proposed Improvements
BART has ambitious plans to improve its stations to handle a predicted increase in ridership, but it doesn't know where its going to get the money to implement them.
So Long To L.A.'s Freeways?
After recently losing out on federal dollars due to a lack of congestion pricing plans, local transportation officials have overcome their reluctance for "Lexus Lanes" and agreed to begin planning for tolls.
Downtown Malling Continues To Haunt Some Cities
The Silicon Valley cities of Mountain View and Sunnyvale are alike in many ways. But their downtowns offer a study in contrasts because of land use decisions made 30 years ago.
High Density Housing Element Overruled
A district appeals court ruling has invalidated the housing element of San Francisco's general plan, arguing that the environmental consequences of the plan's increased density were not considered.
Using Universities As A Cover For New Development?
Developers are hoping that by putting private colleges and universities within new developments, communities will be more likely to loosen land use approvals.
California's Carpool Lanes Struggling To Meet Demand
In California, plans to build nearly 1,000 miles of carpool lanes are being reconsidered as a new report reveals that the lanes are not meeting federal standards for flow and effectiveness.
Planning For Rising Sea Levels
For the coastal California city of San Diego, the threat of global warming and rising sea levels is on the minds of many local officials and planners.
The Modern Duplex
With more homeowners looking for creative ways to finance their home or house relatives, Los Angeles is experiencing a revival of interest in duplexes.
Troubled L.A. Suburb Manages Dramatic Turnaround
Through a myriad of efforts -- including helping residents install picket fences -- the once ailing suburb of Paramount, California, is now on the rise.
High Bottled Water Spending Prompts City Ban
Amid revelations that San Francisco City government had been spending almost half a million dollars a year on bottled water, the mayor has instituted a ban that would require all government water use to come straight from the tap.
BART's Vision For The Future
Now 50 years old, BART looks to the future with a 50-year plan for vast system improvements and expansions throughout the Bay Area including a new transbay tube between Oakland and San Francisco, and an East Bay station in downtown Martinez.
The Downtown That Doubles As A Movie Set
Downtown Los Angeles has long stood in for other cities in Hollywood movies. But the area's new burgeoning residential population is clashing with movie makers over filming.
U.S. Cities Follow Californian Opposition To Wal-Mart
Many cities are following the lead of various municipalities up and down California that are using any and all possible powers to prevent Wal-Marts from moving in. But despite the growing opposition, business is booming.
L.A.'s One Way Proposal Goes The Wrong Way
While there's no doubt Los Angeles has a traffic problem, it would be a mistake to put congestion relief over neighborhood revitalization.
Following in The Footsteps Of Chinatown
From Thai Towns to Little Ethiopias, cultural and ethnically-themed neighborhoods are increasingly sought by cities to lure economic activity and residents.
Mickey Mouse's Idea Of Planning
California Planning & Development Report columnist Morris Newman doesn't think much of the Disney Company's attempts to prevent housing development in Anaheim's resort district.
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
