California

Solar Power To Stop Being A Luxury Item

Solar power and cheap electricity are becoming available to those who need it most.

April 30, 2004 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Honoring Design Solutions to Urban Ills

Bay Area landscape architect, Walter Hood, to be honored by city of Oakland, CA for his influential urban park designs.

April 29, 2004 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Budget Problems Causing Havoc With California Transportation Plans

Without money, even the best plans can go bad.

April 28, 2004 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Even Racetracks Are Moving To Suburbs

Will the famous Southern California Hollywood Park racetrack abandon inner city Inglewood for Irvine's suburbs?

April 27, 2004 - The Los Angeles Times

The Significance Of Wal-Mart's Defeat In Inglewood

Despite a million dollar public relations effort, Wal-Mart plans for a "Supercenter" in Inglewood, CA, were thwarted by a historic grassroots intiative.

April 24, 2004 - Democracy Now!

Smog Regulations Just Got Tougher

Half of Americans live in areas that violate air standards, and L.A. faces the hardest challenge.

April 24, 2004 - The Christian Science Monitor

Anatomy Of A Large Scale Redevelopment Deal

Jon Jerde is negotiating with the city of Sacramento to develop a 240-acre rail yard and Superfund site into a new neighborhood for the capital's downtown.

April 23, 2004 - The Slatin Report

Anatomy of a Downtown Revitalization Plan

Since Los Angeles's Bunker Hill was blighted and cleared 50 years ago, developers and architects have attempted to bring life back to the area, with Grand Avenue as its core.

April 21, 2004 - LA Weekly

Orange County Builders Are Filling Up Space

Much of the coastal 42-mile stretch from San Clemente to Seal Beach is already occupied but O.C. developers continue to build

April 20, 2004 - The Los Angeles Times

My Tall Mature Tree v. Your Gorgeous Unobstructed View

Conflicts between neighbors about trees and views have been esacalating. Would a "view ordinance" work?

April 20, 2004 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Finding The Right Agricultural Buffer Zone

As new development replaces agricultural land, cities struggle with an appropriate buffer zone between the two uses.

April 19, 2004 - Santa Maria Times

How To Spot A Suburb Becoming An Urban County

Once considered a suburb, Orange County, CA has run out of coastal land for building, and is now more crowded than Los Angeles.

April 19, 2004 - The Los Angeles Times

How Ventura, CA Became One Of The Nation's Most Livable Cities

In the 1990s the city's downtown was deserted. Yet Ventura, CA has come back to win the designation of "most livable city" in the small-city category.

April 18, 2004 - The Los Angeles Times

Affordable Housing Mandates Backfire

Do affordable housing mandates work? A new report by the Reason Foundation argues that they actually cause housing prices to rise.

April 17, 2004 - Reason Public Policy Institute

Apple's Urban Design Not As Popular As Its Computer Design

Apple's new downtown San Francisco store has only lived up to expectations on the inside.

April 16, 2004 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Geologist Predicts Southern California Earthquakes

Southern California's San Andreas fault may be about to produce several earthquakes, according to University of Oregon geologist Ray Weldon.

April 16, 2004 - CNN

Inclusionary Zoning Policy Could Exacerbate Affordability Crisis

A report written by San Jose State University economics professors contends that new zoning rules requiring builders to sell dwellings at below-market prices will likely squelch residential construction.

April 15, 2004 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Rewarding Fuel-Efficiency

California officials are supporting a bill to allow drivers of hybrid vehicles to travel in the state's carpool lanes--alone.

April 14, 2004 - The San Francisco Chronicle

The Newest 'New Town'

Mountain House, CA promises the same elements that other new towns have for decades--pedestrian-oriented neighborhoods, varied architecture, affordable homes with efficient access to employment. Will this one be able to deliver?

April 14, 2004 - USA Today

A Public Transit Duel

Two journalists retry the auto versus public transit duel in Southern California. This time the train wins -- but only for comfort.

April 14, 2004 - The Los Angeles Times

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.