California

How To Really Fix L.A.'s Skid Row

Joel John Roberts looks to Hong Kong for a solution to Los Angeles' homelessness problem.

October 2, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

Environmental Role Reversal In California Politics

In an unusual role reversal, Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger has Democrat Phil Angelides on the defensive on environmental issues. Republicans in other states are also using the environment to appeal to voters.

October 2, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

When $5 Billion Is A Bargain

If Los Angeles is to finally get its subway to the sea, local officials will need a new definition of cost-efficiency, argues the L.A. Times.

October 2, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

A New Model For The Vertical Mall

A new high-rise mall on San Francisco's Market Street may provide a model for reviving other downtown shopping districts.

October 1, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

California 'Coconut House' McMansion Wins AIA Award

Architectural award bestowed upon an eco-friendly California McMansion in a neighborhood of bungalows.

September 29, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

California Enacts America's First Cap On Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Gov. Schwarzenegger, flanked by New York Gov. Pataki, and British Prime Minister Tony Blair by telecast, signed the landmark global warming emissions bill, AB 32, making California the first state to place a cap on greenhouse gas emissions.

September 28, 2006 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Smart Growth Threatens City's Character

Pasadena residents say new denser mixed-use development is threatening the character of the city.

September 28, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

Farmland Divided In Central California

2,800 acres of Central California farmland has been effectively split into a collection of 40-acre parcels, all of which have been zoned to contain up to two residential units. Many in the nearby community are upset at the loss of farmland.

September 28, 2006 - Modesto Bee

Downtown Shopping Malls Are Ripe For Expansion

Bloomingdale's opening in San Francisco on Sept. 28 is just another sign of major retailers investing in downtowns despite the higher costs.

September 27, 2006 - The San Francisco Chronicle

California's Not As Green As It Thinks It Is

The state with the most wind-generated energy is not California but Texas. Notwithstanding all its headline-making, landmark laws, renewable energy has increased a mere 1% in 4 years. The obstacles appear to lay more in bureaucracy than technology.

September 27, 2006 - The San Francisco Chronicle

L.A. Taxi Riders Pay More For The Ride

Inspectors found an unusually high rate of fraud, but taxi drivers and owners challenge the findings, citing the small sample size.

September 26, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

USC Planning School Dean Interviewed

The Planning Report interviews USC Planning School dean Jack Knott about the school's ambitions of preparing students to lead in regions throughout the world.

September 25, 2006 - The Planning Report

California's Prop 90 Threatens Environmental Protections

In the guise of an anti-eminent domain measure, California's Prop 90 seeks to trick voters into adopting a policy that would devastate the state's ability to set aside land for conservation.

September 24, 2006 - The Planning Report

California Sues Auto Industry Over Global Warming

With the State of California recently moving to seek damages from car makers, could auto manufacturers be the new tobacco industry -- ripe for litigation due to the global warming emissions from the vehicles they produce?

September 24, 2006 - The New York Times

ULI Honors Peter Calthorpe With Nichols Prize

Peter Calthorpe, an early pioneer of the new urbanism and smart growth movements, recently received the prestigious J.C. Nichols Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development by the Urban Land Institute.

September 23, 2006 - The San Francisco Chronicle

S.F. Redevelopment Opposition Denied On Technicality

A referendum opposing a redevelopment plan signed by more than 33,000 San Francisco voters has been ruled invalid, angering many who feel that the city is bending rules to appease developers and gentrify their neighborhood.

September 22, 2006 - San Francisco Bay Gueardian

The Wal-Mart Battle In Southern California

A Wal-Mart supercenter celebrates its opening in Rosemead, while the city of Long Beach joins a growing list of cities that have adopted measures making it harder for mega-stores to open.

September 22, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

Community Voices Heard in L.A.

Neighborhood Councils in Los Angeles have stopped the city's elected Council from using a misleading title for a ballot initiative facing voters in November. The volunteer groups are moving closer to providing a voice for the community at City Hall.

September 20, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

California Emission Law Has Its Day In Court

In U.S. District Court in Fresno on Sept. 15, a California deputy attorney general asked Judge Ishii to dismiss a suit by the auto industry that would void the state's new emission standards, applicable in 2009, that target carbon dioxide.

September 19, 2006 - AP via Los Angeles Daily News

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.