California

Fracking

The End of New Hydraulic Fracking Permits in California Would Still be a Half Measure

As part of a series of dramatic environmental announcements in September, Gov. Gavin Newsom has promised to work with legislators to end new hydraulic fracking permits in California.

October 1, 2020 - Palm Springs Desert Sun

Water Emergency Transportation Authority

Plan Bay Area 2050 Proposes 60% Telecommute Rates for Office Workers

A drastic and unprecedented measure included in the draft Plan Bay Area 2050, released this summer, would require 60 percent of all workers in Bay Area office jobs to telecommute.

October 1, 2020 - Bloomberg CityLab

Suburban Homes

An Academic Debate With Very Real Consequences: Land Use Regulations and the Cost of Housing

An article from the journal Urban Studies is inspiring debate and controversy over a year after publication, presenting opposing opinions on fundamental questions about how land use regulation affects the housing market.

September 30, 2020 - James Brasuell

Texas Bike Lane

Bike Ridership Booms in Some Unlikely Cities

A fitness tracking app reports dramatic increases in bike ridership since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

September 24, 2020 - Bloomberg CityLab

Oil

Gone by 2035: Gas-Powered Car Sales Have an Expiration Date in California

California Governor Gavin Newsom announced yesterday an executive order that would ban the sale of cars powered by internal combustion engines by 2035. California is the first state in the country to take such action.

September 24, 2020 - Palm Springs Desert Sun

Silicon Valley aerial view

Calthorpe Makes the Case for a Corridor-Based Approach to Affordable Housing

Peter Calthorpe's case study of El Camino Real in the Silicon Valley shows the potential for affordable housing development in the land surrounding side right-of-ways.

September 22, 2020 - CNU Public Square

Car-Centric Planning

The Causes of California's Development Malaise

A spate of recent articles has taken a critical look at the regulatory obstacles to a progrssive planning vision in the state of California.

September 22, 2020 - San Francisco Chronicle

California Homeless

Permanent Supportive Housing Works for the Chronically Homeless, Study Says

A groundbreaking study provides some of the strongest evidence yet of the powerful results of permanent supportive housing for the chronically homeless.

September 21, 2020 - The Mercury News

Disneyland, Main Street

What Will Disneyland Be Like When it Reopens?

According to a study, Disneyland could comfortably accommodate 50% of the 110-acre theme park’s pre-COVID-19 attendance capacity.

September 20, 2020 - The Orange County Register

Los Angeles River Kayak

Keeping Gentrification From Following Green Space

Los Angeles organizers work with park professionals on policies to allow green space investment in neighborhoods that have lacked it without paving the way for displacement.

September 18, 2020 - Shelterforce Magazine

City Hall

Has The Moment Arrived To End Political Interference in L.A. City's Land Use Decisions?

Writing under the nom de plume of the ghost of Ed Logue, an L.A.-based land use professional offers this modest proposal for eliminating political interference and campaign cash from L.A. city planning.

September 14, 2020 - The Planning Report

Venice Skate Park

Creativity Needed to Meet Recreational Needs During a Pandemic

With COVID-19, the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation modified its popular Parks After Dark program so that it could still meet community needs, while complying with public health orders.

September 13, 2020 - National Recreation and Park Association Open Space Blog

La Maison Rose

A 'Dining Revolution' Comes Home

A California bill approved in 2018 legalized restaurants to locate in homes, setting the foundation for a new restaurant economy just when communities needed it most.

September 9, 2020 - Eater Los Angeles

Los Angeles City Hall

Keeping Bees Away from Honey? Corruption Cases Expose Flaws in L.A. City’s Land Entitlement Process

Three former Los Angeles public officials share their collective perspective on how best to reform the city of Los Angeles' corrupted land use approval process.

September 8, 2020 - The Planning Report

Car Traffic

How the Pandemic Has Magnified the Pre-Existing Housing Crisis

Declining rents won't be a silver lining in the post-pandemic housing crisis.

September 8, 2020 - Citymetric

Los Angeles Sunset

A New Study Measures Extreme Heat's Human Impact, Flags At-Risk States

Heatwaves are the leading cause of deaths related to weather. A new study seeks to understand the impact of heatwaves and extreme heat exposure on humans and the cities in which they live.

September 6, 2020 - Cities Today

Silicon Valley

Linkage Fee for Affordable Housing Funding Approved in San Jose

The city of San Jose will charge developers a fee to help fund affordable housing projects in the city. But critics say the fees are insignificant compared to the scale of the need.

September 3, 2020 - The Mrecury News

Los Angeles, California

Gehry's Latest Downtown L.A. Project Rises While Workers Stay Home

A high-profile project in the heart of the cultural and civic center of Downtown Los Angeles is rising quickly, and practically in secret, as the area's daytime population stays home during the pandemic.

September 2, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

Southern California

How Regional Planning Can Be Antiracist

Under new board president Rex Richardson, the Southern California Association of Governments—the country's largest MPO—has pledged to combat racism through regional planning, including equitable housing development.

September 2, 2020 - California Planning & Development Report

Hollywood Sign

Another Defeat for Statewide Zoning Reform in California

Another year, another defeat for sweeping changes to the status quo of single-family zoning in the state of California. SB 1120 would have allowed duplexes in areas previously zoned for detached single family zoning.

September 1, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

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.

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.