California
California Launches E-Bike Incentive Program
The state is directing $13 million to a program to help low-income Californians purchase electric and cargo bikes, but limited bike infrastructure keeps many California streets unsafe for cyclists.
City Requiring Permits for Twitter’s Dystopian Office Bedrooms
After a Forbes article revealed dozens of makeshift sleeping areas in Twitter’s downtown San Francisco offices, the city is asking the company to file for permits if they want to keep them.
State Estimates Show Third Year of Population Loss for California
Demographic data from the California Department of Finance released last month shows a third consecutive year of population loss, mirroring Census data. Los Angeles and Santa Clara counties saw the highest numeric losses.
L.A. County Towns Clash Over Homelessness Policies
Local governments often come to different conclusions about how to address homelessness within their respective borders, but varying approaches only exacerbate the problem.
Green Alleys: A New Paradigm for Stormwater Management
Rather than shuttling stormwater away from the city and into the ocean as quickly as possible, Los Angeles is now—slowly—moving toward a ‘city-as-sponge’ approach that would capture and reclaim more water to recharge crucial reservoirs.
Orange County Project Could Go Forward Under ‘Builder’s Remedy’
The nation’s largest home builder could receive approval for a 530-unit development under an obscure state law as the city of La Habra’s zoning laws hang in limbo after the state rejected its proposed housing plan.
California Rejects Six-State Colorado River Plan, Proposes Its Own
State officials claim a proposal agreed upon by the other six states using Colorado River water disproportionately impacts California farmers.
L.A. Times Editorial Board Calls for CEQA Reform
The Board argues that the environmental law, while important, has too often been ‘weaponized’ by NIMBY groups to delay or halt housing development.
Despite Water Crisis, Desert Golf Courses Thrive
Officials in the Coachella Valley seem reluctant to restrict water supplies to the many golf courses and ornamental lakes that dot the region, opting instead to cut water deliveries to a groundwater recharge facility.
Taking the ADU Model to the Next Level
How can we get more accessory dwelling units built, keep them affordable, and make them a force for increasing racial equity?
San Francisco Tunnel Project Balloons in Cost
The plan to extend a Caltrain line to the Salesforce Transit Center is now expected to cost $6.7 billion as the agency faces a budget shortfall for its electrification project.
Pre-Approved ADUs Now Available in Sacramento
The city of Sacramento is making it easier to develop accessory dwelling units.
How Emergency Planning Fails People With Disabilities
In California and elsewhere, power outages can threaten the lives of people dependent on medical devices, while evacuation plans often don’t account for the needs of disabled people.
San Francisco Plans for 82,000 New Housing Units
California housing regulators have granted preliminary approval for the city of San Francisco’s housing element as mandated by the state’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation process.
Outdoor Destinations for the Carless in Los Angeles
Learn about eight L.A. parks that you can reach from Union Station without a car.
Tragedy Strikes America's First Suburban Chinatown
Learn more about Monterey Park, a city in the San Gabriel Valley, which was devastated by a mass shooting over the weekend.
Analysis: California’s Single-Family Zoning ‘Killer’ Barely Making a Dent So Far
Senate Bill 9, approved by the California State Legislature to much fanfare in 2021, has had little impact on the way local governments do development business, according to a recent analysis by researchers at the University of California.
Downpours Yield 33 Billion Gallons of Captured Stormwater in L.A. County
County officials hope reclamation efforts will help the region reduce its dependence on imported water supplies.
California Could Cut $2 Billion in Transit Spending
The governor’s proposed budget would slash public transit investment to help make up for a projected $22.5 billion deficit.
The Importance of Cooling Centers
A new UCLA study examines how formal and informal cooling centers are being used in Los Angeles County.
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
