California
California First in the Nation to Limit Embodied Carbon in Buildings
California’s Building Code accomplished a first-in-the-nation step to mitigate carbon emissions from the construction and maintenance of buildings, by limiting embodied carbon in some commercial and school buildings.
California Approves Autonomous Cars Over Local Concerns
Despite repeated calls from San Francisco officials to slow the deployment of self-driving cars, a state commission approved expanded access to San Francisco streets.
How One L.A. Developer Uses the Law to Build Apartments
California’s density bonus law lets developers skirt some zoning regulations to build multifamily housing.
San Diego Planning Commission Rejects Voluntary State Density Law
The density-enabling mechanisms of the California law Senate Bill 10 are too much for San Diego’s citizen planners.
The ‘Three Pillars’ of Carbon Reduction, According to Caltrans
The California Department of Transportation released its draft carbon reduction strategy last month to apply for Carbon Reduction Program funds included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Road pricing plays a prominent role.
New Park Breaks Ground Under L.A.’s Sixth Street Viaduct
The park will connect to the Los Angeles River bike path and transit projects coming to the area.
State Regulators Reject Palo Alto’s Housing Element a Second Time
More analysis and more equity will be required for Palo Alto to finally adopt a Housing Element that complies with state laws.
The ‘Necessity of Oil and Gas Drilling’
The California Supreme Court on Aug. 3 unanimously overturned a successful 2016 Monterey County ballot measure that banned new oil and gas drilling. According to plaintiff Chevron USA, the justices recognized the ‘necessity of oil and gas drilling.’
San Francisco Will Lower Speed Limits on 23 Streets
A 2021 state law allows cities to reduce speed limits next to ‘business activity districts.’
San Diego Park Funds to Finance Freeway Exit Ramp
City staff say the damaged ramp’s location in Balboa Park makes it eligible for funding from a regional park improvement pool.
Strategies for Speeding Up Bus Service
A new report will highlight solutions for making bus service faster, more reliable, and thus more attractive to riders.
Using Cellphone and Fitness App Data for Park Planning
Data from smartphone apps and fitness trackers are helping planners to better understand park usage patterns and plan for new and improved parks.
California Ballot Measures Would Aid the Mentally Ill and Drug-Addicted Homeless
Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed in March a two-part ballot initiative to tackle homelessness, focusing on mental illness and substance abuse, which would provide 10,000 beds in new, voluntary treatment facilities—but one funding source is controversial.
Community-Based Organizations Advancing Park Equity
July is Parks and Recreation Month and CBOs should be recognized for the important role they play in supporting parks and recreation in communities across the U.S.
Election 2024: California Oil Drilling Referendum
Environmentalists gear up for battle to reject a referendum funded by Big Oil on a law passed last year that would ban oil and gas drilling within 3,200 feet of homes, schools, nursing homes, and hospitals.
Another L.A. Gentrification Story
New art galleries are moving into a neighborhood recently dubbed ‘Melrose Hill,’ prompting both derision and concern on the part of local residents.
California Decline: Population Likely Peaked Three Years Ago
A July projection from the state's Demographic Research Unit indicates that the population in 2060 may be about what it is today.
L.A. Metro Introduces Fare Capping Tech
Los Angeles transit riders who pay as they go will have their fare capped at $5 per day or $18 per week.
Toll Lane Rebellion Fails to Materialize in Southern California
The 405 Express Lanes will open in Orange County later this year despite the warnings from a former Huntington Beach mayor of a resident-led rebellion in response to road pricing. But will the toll lanes mitigate congestion? Academics weigh in.
Popular L.A. Bus Line to Replace Schedule With ‘Headway-Based Operations’
Los Angeles’ 16 bus, which cuts across the city on Third Street through some of the city’s densest neighborhoods, will experiment with a new approach to service design.
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 Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
