California
Los Angeles County Releases Updated Climate Action Plan
The revised plan reflects the county's commitment to fighting climate change and identifies strategies, measures, and actions to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from community activities and some municipal operations.
BART Reorients Service for Weekend Travelers
With weekday commuter ridership still lagging far below 2019 levels and remote work not going anywhere anytime soon, the agency plans to increase train frequencies on weekends and reduce some weekday service.
Bipartisan Lawmakers Support L.A.-to-Vegas Train
Legislators from California and Nevada are calling on Secretary Buttigieg to support a private effort to build a high-speed rail line between Southern California and Las Vegas.
San Jose Rail Extension Clinches Final Funding Piece
The new line will expand rail service to more communities in the South Bay.
L.A. County's Regional Planning Commission Celebrates 100 Years of Service
The first planning commissioners were appointed by the Board of Supervisors in 1923, making the Regional Planning Commission the oldest county planning commission in the United States.
California Developments Wait Months for Power
In areas served by PG&E, new developments sometimes have to wait months before the utility will turn on the power, creating extra costs for builders and keeping new affordable housing units off the market.
New Vision for Southern California’s Great Park
The newly unveiled comprehensive plan includes a botanical garden, museums, and a 22-acre lake system.
Startup Proposes L.A.-to-San Francisco Night Train
The privately operated train would use existing tracks to provide overnight service.
Coronado Openly Flouts California Housing Law
The affluent island town has failed to submit a housing element that meets the state’s requirements for affordable housing production.
Opinion: Save Culver City’s Bus and Bike Lanes
The small Los Angeles County city could remove 1.3-miles of protected bike and bus lanes installed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
101 Freeway in California Slower Than Ever After Widening, Locals Say
Induced demand strikes again.
Berkeley’s First-in-Nation Natural Gas Ban Overthrown by Court Ruling
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Berkeley does not have the power to mandate electric hookups in new development because a federal rule preempts the local regulation.
Boba as a Symbol of Identity and Culture
The Chinese American Museum in L.A. currently features an exhibit exploring the drink’s journey from the cassava root in South America, to the tapioca balls in the Taiwanese confection, and back to the U.S. as a symbol of Asian American identity.
Garden Transforms Trash Into Works of Art
South Coast Botanic Garden highlights the importance of sustainability through its latest exhibit which consists of 16 giant creatures made from beach debris that washed ashore.
Driverless Cars Blocking Buses, Traffic in San Francisco
Footage from buses and trains show self-driving cars from Waymo and Cruise frequently make unscheduled stops, blocking transit vehicles and causing traffic snarls.
How California’s Newest Housing Laws Could Affect Housing Production
While it’s too soon to assess the full effects of recently passed legislation on housing production in the state, planners and housing advocates express cautious optimism that the new laws could help alleviate the state’s housing shortage.
Eviction Protections Expire in Los Angeles County as Evictions Rise Around the U.S.
L.A.’s pandemic-era renter protections are credited with stabilizing homelessness in the region, but they ended at the end of March. Meanwhile, evictions are on the upswing around the country, led by L.A.’s neighbor to the east, Las Vegas.
Center-Running Bike Lane Pilot Project Approved on Dangerous S.F. Street
A plan to reconfigure Valencia Street between 15th and 23rd streets in San Francisco has been approved despite stiff opposition from community members and bike advocates.
Events on Rural ‘Ranchos’ Cause Zoning Controversy in the Coachella Valley
Large events featuring live music have become popular on Coachella Valley ranchos. Some locals want to create a new land use category to clarify the rules about noise generated from the events.
CA High-Speed Rail’s Latest Challenge: Floodwater
The historic precipitation that fell on the state of California in past months poses a unique and unanticipated threat to the state’s big infrastructure project in the Central Valley.
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
