California
How California Kept the Lights On
To stave off rolling blackouts during a record heat wave, California relied on dramatic conservation by households and a growing renewable energy sector.
Mountain Shuttle Could Be Revived, a Century Later
Close to one hundred years after the last funicular trains took tourists up to dizzying heights in the Angeles National Forest, a new shuttle service could bring the wilderness closer to more Los Angeles residents.
D.C., San Francisco Lead Pandemic Work From Home Trend
Remote work increased threefold during the pandemic, but the numbers vary significantly from city to city and region to region. Almost half of D.C.-area employees, for example, worked from home in 2021, according to American Community Survey data.
Investing in Green Schoolyards
California's budget now includes an unprecedented investment of $150 million to create green schoolyards and schoolyard forests at K-12 schools across the state.
Serving Communities and Advancing Equity Through Parks
Parks are not just for fun and games. They are also centers of community, offering shelter, food, and employment for the most vulnerable.
California’s Energy Emergency: Fodder for Democrats and Republicans
What are the lessons to be learned from California's 10-day power grid emergency this month? Democrats and Republicans in Congress have their own takeaways, and both may be right.
New Parks Needs Assessment Standards in L.A. County
The report contains data and analyses in support of expanding land conservation and restoration, transit to parks, and other strategies to meet regional and rural needs in Los Angeles County.
Activating L.A.’s Transit Stations
Advocates say encouraging community events, vendors, and activity at transit stations can improve public safety without increasing the presence of law enforcement.
Rise Of Electric Vehicles Makes Good Planning More Crucial Than Ever
There may be plenty of reasons to hail the rise of electric vehicles, including California's policy to ban the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035. But what may be good for the air is not necessarily good for cities.
California's Energy Reality Check
Is California ready for an all-electric future? The California energy grid barely withstood its biggest test during last week's heat wave as residents cranked up their air conditioners. CalMatters columnist Dan Walters questions if the grid is ready.
A Transit Ridership Role Reversal in California
Since the outset of the pandemic, the capital of car-oriented sprawl in California has become the king of public transit. Looking for lessons about the future of public transit in the United States? Look to San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Opinion: San Francisco’s Central Subway Is a Bad Investment
Critics of the subway project argue that the line is too short and disconnected from other transit options to be useful. Meanwhile, projected costs continue to rise.
L.A. Bus Stops Offer No Relief From Searing Temperatures
As heat waves intensify, bus riders in Los Angeles are forced to wait at bus stops that offer little shade or seating, putting vulnerable residents at risk of heat stroke and other health impacts.
New Downtown Master Plan for Danville, California
The city of Danville, located along the Easy Bay Area’s I-680 corridor, last week approved a new master plan for its downtown, with funding for implementation made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act.
Disaster Averted!
The California power grid withstood its biggest test ever on Tuesday and passed—barely. The only rolling blackouts that occurred during the Stage Three Energy Emergency alert were results of miscommunication.
Evictions on the Rise Among San Francisco Supportive Housing Residents
With COVID-19 assistance programs expiring, tenants of the city’s single-room occupancy hotels face growing eviction rates. Many of them have nowhere to go but back on the street.
California Poised To Eliminate Parking Requirements Near Transit
A state bill awaiting Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature would prohibit parking mandates in neighborhoods within half a mile of transit.
A Menu of Proposed Housing Policy Reforms
The Mercatus Center published a list of 16 policy recommendations designed to help states clear local obstacles for housing construction.
Will California's EV Rule Spread to Other States?
Last month California banned the sale of new light duty vehicles powered by internal combustion engines by 2035. Over a dozen other states have the ability to adopt the same rule, but will they? The Associated Press investigates nine of them.
San Francisco’s Tenderloin Makes a Compelling Case for Public Restroom Programs
San Francisco’s Pit Stop program, which provides public restroom facilities to vulnerable and unhoused residents, has helped contribute to a decline in feces-related service calls in the Tenderloin.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
