California
High Minority Populations Near California's Toxic Facilities
California has the highest amount of minorities living near industrial facilities in the nation. Los Angeles alone has more than 1 million living within two miles of hazardous waste facilities.
Developers And City Battle Over Affordable Housing Rules
Upset developers forced to set aside 25% of their development as affordable housing are facing off with city officials in Los Angeles over its inclusionary housing policies.
Planning And TOD To The Rescue
This column from The San Francisco Examiner describes how "urban planning can save the world", and identifies transit-oriented development as a major solution to global warming.
Convert A Condo--Take A Hike
At yesterday's L.A. City Council meeting, landlords and tenants sparred over affordable housing, money, and incentives for the middle class. After the dust settled, councilmembers voted: landlords may have to pay higher fees to relocate tenants.
San Francisco Bay Area Begins To Grow Again
After many years of lagging population growth many attribute to the bust of the dot-com boom, the San Francisco Bay Area has shown a positive population growth rate for recent years.
Back To The Future: The 1970 Los Angeles 'Centers' Concept Plan
Many say Los Angeles is a city that grew without any rational planning. In reality the planning was there -- but much of the best planning never quite materialized.
An Ode To Red Tile Roofs and Stucco
Nostalgia for the red tile roofs and stucco exteriors of 1980's SoCal suburbia.
Getting Smart Growth Without Gentrification
Planning activists in San Francisco are working to encourage infill development without neglecting social equity concerns.
When Eminent Domain Arrives In Your Junk Mail
Marcos M. Villatoro responds to receiving a "clumsy, ham-fisted" form letter from the Los Angeles Unified School District informing him that his house is one of the many to be taken to build a new elementary school.
Property Owners Fight Ban On Cliffside Development
California oceanside property is at the center of a regulatory takings case over regulations prohibiting construction on a landslide-prone area. Owners want to build on their property, but the city has banned development amid safety concerns.
San Diego Clamps Down On Condo Conversions
As part of a settlement of a lawsuit brought by housing advocates and environmentalists, the city council will move to cap the number of rental apartments that can be converted to condominiums each year.
California Feeling The Impact Of Urban Heat Island Effect
Increases in average temperatures are mostly caused by urbanization and not greenhouse warming argue authors of a recent study.
The Tradeoff Between Speed And Convenience
While the "baby bullet" service on the Bay Area Caltrain commuter rail has attracted new riders, the resulting service cuts have also shunned others.
L.A.'s 'Persian Palaces' Spark Zoning Backlash
The construction of large, some say garish, homes built by immigrant families in several Southern California communities is prompting officials to tighten zoning restrictions.
San Francisco Unveils Major Stadium, Housing Plans
In an effort to woo the city's NHL team back, Mayor Gavin Newsom announced a planned partnership with Lennar Corp. of Miami to turn a blighted and contaminated part of the city into a new mixed-use community.
Is The Next American Dream A Condo?
With few residents able to afford a suburban home, residents of San Diego and increasingly other high-priced western cities are gradually embracing a new model for homeownership.
Meeting The Affordable Housing Challenge
Inclusionary zoning and community land trusts are two innovative methods that government and non-profits are starting to use to create affordable housing, though these, like past efforts, have their shortcomings.
A Sun Roof Over Their Heads
The sub-prime meltdown has some Los Angelenos sleeping (illegally) in their cars, and advocates for the homeless are divided about what to do about it.
Inside Southern Californian Slums
Near the California desert resorts in and around Palm Springs, huge slums have built up in trailer parks, occupied by migrant farm workers. These areas are overcrowded with thousands of people, many of whom have no access to clean water or plumbing.
The Cul-de-sac Conundrum
If most planners do not like cul-de-sacs why are so many being built in Southern California?
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
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
