California

Iconic Hippie Neighborhood At Gentrification Crossroads

Ex-hippies-turned-homeowners and younger drifters have different expectations from San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury neighborhood.

June 1, 2007 - The Los Angeles Times

Urban Parks: For Nature Or People?

After a devastating fire, competing visions emerge for restoring Los Angeles' Griffith Park, one of the largest urban parks in the nation.

June 1, 2007 - Abhijeet Chavan

California Farmland Mitigation Policies Grow

Cities and counties in California's Central Valley are starting to adopt policies to offset the development of farmland. The new policies require developers to fund or purchase agricultural conservation easements.

June 1, 2007 - California Planning & Development Report

California Wine Country Develops Resort Status

The Northern California wine country town of Napa is on its way to becoming a high-class resort, with many housing and resort developers breaking ground on big projects.

May 31, 2007 - The San Francisco Chronicle

After Kelo: New Challenges To Eminent Domain Abuse

New Kelo-fighting measures make their way to ballots.

May 31, 2007 - The Los Angeles Times

City And School At Odds Over Massive North San Jose Redevelopment Plan

North San Jose's redevelopment plan calls for 32,000 apartments and 7 million sq.ft of industry along the light rail line, but demand for the latter has dropped. Now the school district wants 4 new schools while the city insists only 1 is necessary.

May 30, 2007 - San Jose Mercury News

Climate Protection & Land Use: California Begins To Address The Connection

Land use is finally being addressed in California as an intrinsic part of the state's global warming reduction strategy, thanks to passage of the Global Warming Solutions Act and a recent lawsuit by the attorney general against a sprawling county.

May 30, 2007 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Berkeley's Green Blueprint

Strict guidelines have been proposed in Berkeley, California, that would require local residents and businesses to make broad energy efficiency improvements and to make other environmentally-conscious lifestyle changes.

May 29, 2007 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Collaborating For Greener, Healthier Cities

For 37 years, L.A.-based non-profit TreePeople has advocated an enlightened method of community and governmental engagement to create healthier urban ecosystems and built environments.

May 29, 2007 - The Planning Report

Veteran Architect Jan Van Tilburg Evaluates Los Angeles

Having watched L.A. evolve for over three decades, architect Jan van Tilburg has dedicated himself to producing the high-quality, dense, multi-unit housing that the city desperately needs.

May 28, 2007 - The Planning Report

Fare Hikes And Service Cuts For Bus Riders In Chicago

Facing large budget deficits, the Chicago Transit Authority has announced plans to raise fares and cut service.

May 27, 2007 - The Chicago Tribune

Los Angeles Increases Transit Fares

After a heated public hearing that drew 1,500 people, the LAMTA board approved a compromise proposal that will increase fares, though less than originally planned.

May 25, 2007 - The Los Angeles Times

Global Warming Regulation Warms Up In California

State agencies in California are starting to review projects based on their greenhouse gas contributions, an approach that may conflict with the state's energy policy.

May 23, 2007 - California Planning & Development Report

Slow Food & Urban Density

The Slow Food movement has lessons for giving cities a humane density.

May 23, 2007 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Can Google Set the Standard for Corporate 'Green' Building Practices?

New publication VerdeXchange offers an interview with Google's Director of Corporate Environmental Programs about the company's efforts to transform its campus into a greener workplace and the future model of corporate environmentalism.

May 22, 2007 - VerdeXchange News

Innovative Bike-Transit Concepts That Work

Bike lanes are the wrong approach that end up marginalizing cyclists argues Will Campbell.

May 21, 2007 - The Los Angeles Times

City Struggles With Density Issue In Fighting Global Warming

Menlo Park, California, struggles with the compatibility of being green and fighting climate change, while resisting high density housing, even around transit stations and corridors.

May 20, 2007 - Menlo Park Almanac

Prefabricated Homes Attracting Buyers At Both Ends Of The Housing Spectrum

Many modern day manufactured homes have upgraded their looks, attracting both buyers looking for value as well as style and sustainability.

May 19, 2007 - San Jose Mercury News

Historic Rail Corridor Dilemma: Rails to Trails or Rails?

Rail buffs hope to run a tourist train on an unused rail line in the Sierra foothills outside of Sacramento, but there are concerns that it would prevent the corridor from being used as a recreational trail for hikers, bikers and equestrians.

May 17, 2007 - The Sacramento Bee

'Tent City' For Oakland's Homeless

City officials in Oakland, California, are proposing the creation of a "tent city" to provide temporary shelter to the homeless. Advocates say the private tents will be preferred to the city's existing barracks-style shelters.

May 14, 2007 - The San Francisco Chronicle

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.