California
When Life Doesn't Imitate Art
As television uses more and more suburban settings, viewers should ask how closely do the on-screen places resemble reality.
Global Warming Bill Represents A Quandary For Shwarzenegger
Having just signed an historic environmental accord with PM Blair, CA Gov. Schwarzenegger will soon face a bill that ties him to his rhetoric - the first bill in the nation to cap greenhouse gas emissions, that has been targeted by Big Business.
Property Rights Votes Face Six States
Libertarians are pushing ballot initiatives in six Western states to vastly reduce the government's power to regulate land uses. The initiatives seek to limit regulatory takings of land by requiring the government to compensate owners for any losses.
Upscale Suburban City Looks At Options For Creating Affordable Housing
Planning commissioners from Santa Clarita, California, have recent visited several Southern California cities with affordable housing ordinances in hopes of gaining insight for a possible inclusionary housing ordinance.
California's Failed Attempts With Alternative Fuels
The state's efforts to wean itself from petroleum since the 1979 oil shock have not produced a shift away from gasoline powered cars, though regulations have proven successful in improving air quality.
Heat Wave A Brutal Test For LEED Platinum Rated Building
Software maker Adobe Systems' headquarters, the first building ever to receive a platinum rating from the U.S. Green Building Council, was pushed to the breaking point during the recent heat wave.
California and Britain Sign Global Warming Accord
Sidestepping the federal government, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a historic partnership with British Prime Minister Tony Blair to address climate change.
No Free Rides For Public Transit
Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa proposes to waive Metro fees for a week to increase ridership. L.A. Times editorial argues that the idea won't work.
Parking Crunch Coming To Downtown San Francisco
New Bloomingdales and related retail uses planned for downtown San Francisco's extremely dense retail district--with exceptional transit access--is bringing parking worries among merchants and the small minority of downtown shoppers who drive.
Battle Over Gentrification Rages In Los Angeles
A recent op-ed in the Los Angeles Times outlines the issues around "gentrification" using the city's recent wave of downtown redevelopment as a case study.
Bay Area Residents Will Vote On Urban Growth Boundry
After years of debate by local officials, Contra Costa County will be asked to approve an urban limit line intended to preserve farmland and open space.
Will The Bay Area Make Public Transit Free?
With daily ridership up 15% during the Bay Area's recent free transit experiment, some officials are calling for the policy to be made permanent.
In The Heat Of The Night
Urbanized areas are becoming increasingly warm during night, a time most places experience a cool-down. According to climatologists, the more development there is in an urban area, the more heat it retains throughout the day -- and night.
L.A.'s Housing Authority Tackles Public Housing's Bad Image
HUD's Los Angeles Housing Authority is replacing its older, "oppressive", public housing stock with friendlier, mixed-income complexes to ease the city's housing crisis.
Taxpayers Funding Gas-Guzzlers For Public Employees?
Steve Lopez asks why Los Angeles county supervisors use taxpayer dollars for chauffer-driven gas-guzzlers.
Top-Down Greening In The Urban Core
Can cities get back in touch with nature? Planners, developers, architects, and policy makers convened in Los Angeles June 7 to face the challenge and develop a plan of action to help bring life onto the rooftops of L.A.'s downtown.
Hot L.A. Nights Caused By Urban Heat Island Effect
Climatologists blame the urban 'heat island' effect for a rise in Southern California's average evening temperatures, which have hit record highs in recent days.
Many Bay Area Cities Flunk Housing Report Card
A business group publishes its annual "report card" or housing profile for Bay Area communities by comparing local housing permits issued to state-mandated housing goals.
Evicting Homeless For L.A. River Revitalization
For years, drifters and homeless people have been living on some of the small islands of earth that remain in the paved-over Los Angeles River. While they are not a high priority for police, the river revitalization movement wants them gone.
New Towers Designed To Become San Francisco Landmarks
Approved twin towers at the base of the San Francisco entrance to the Bay Bridge are designed to withstand earthquakes and hurricane gales.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
