California

Regional Transit

Plan to Save Caltrain Emerges

Elected officials in San Francisco and Santa Clara counties have produced a counter proposal after killing a proposed sales tax last week.

July 23, 2020 - The Mercury News

Dublin

Growing Anti-Development Sentiment Kills Mixed-Use Proposal in East Bay City

The city of Dublin, located adjacent to the I-580/I-680 intersection in the East Bay Area, pulled the plug on a proposed mixed-use development that would have added apartments, senior houses, restaurants, and a theater to the quickly growing city.

July 22, 2020 - The Mercury News

Granny Flat

ADU Business Booming in California

The number of Californians adding Accessory Dwelling Units to residential properties has quickly grown during the pandemic, according to industry sources.

July 21, 2020 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Orange County Great Park Rendering

How GIS Helps Plan Parks

With constrained budgets, a geographic information system (GIS) may seem like a luxury for parks agencies. But to perform data-driven planning and advance park equity, GIS is an indispensable tool.

July 21, 2020 - Apolitical

Oakland

Black Californians Leaving the City and Reshaping the State

Hundreds of thousands of Black Californians are moving away from urban areas, opting for the promise of abundance and opportunity offered by suburban communities, a trend referred to as "California's Black exodus."

July 21, 2020 - Cal Matters

Commuter Rail

Caltrain on the Rocks as Sales Tax Measure Fails

Advocates are concerned about the possibility of Caltrain entirely shutting down—less than a year after the commuter rail line seemed positioned for a massive expansion of service.

July 16, 2020 - The Daily Journal

San Diego Waterfront

San Diego Planners Want to Reform Park Funding System

The San Diego Planning Department wants to change the system that currently funds improvements to public amenities, facing considerations about the implementation and legality of the proposed alternative.

July 16, 2020 - Voice of San Diego

Coronavirus and Urbanism

Learning from Down Under

The governors of Arizona, California, Florida, Texas, and other states where COVID-19 infections are threatening to overwhelm hospitals should consider what their counterpart in Victoria, Australia, did on July 7 to contain the coronavirus.

July 15, 2020 - The Guardian

Police Enfocement

Berkeley City Council Considers Relieving Police From Traffic Stop Duties

Unarmed public works officials could replace Berkeley Police officers in monitoring minor traffic violations pending approval of a proposal to be considered by the Berkeley City Council.

July 14, 2020 - The New York Times

Coronavirus Protest

California Rolls Back

The nation's most significant rollback to date of a state reopening plan occurred Monday when California Gov. Gavin Newsom closed seven categories of indoor businesses statewide and an additional six categories of indoor operations in 31 counties.

July 14, 2020 - San Francisco Chronicle

Berkeley Hills Bay Area

Groundbreaking Affordable Housing and Homeless Shelter Project Underway in Berkeley

A new Berkeley development, the largest affordable housing development in city history, is slated to house 200 low-income and homeless residents by May 2022.

July 13, 2020 - The Mercury News

High Speed Rail California

New Environmental Analysis for High-Speed Rail from San Francisco to San Jose

Issues of track blending and electrification factor heavily in the latest environmental impact report and environmental impact statement released last week for the California High-Speed Rail project.

July 13, 2020 - California High-Speed Rail Authority

Skid Row Los Angeles

Lack of Federal and State Subsidies Slow Homeless Housing Development in L.A.

Developments funded by Los Angeles' Proposition HHH homeless housing bond has been delayed for three key reasons.

July 10, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

Hospital Signs

From Ventilators to Ventilation: The Shifting Focus of the Pandemic

Ventilator availability is a major indicator for states in the South and West that are seeing record hospitalizations, but in New York, where Gov. Cuomo announced that New York City had moved to Phase III of reopening, the topic was ventilation.

July 9, 2020 - Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

Century City

Plant-Wrapped Towers Coming to Beverly Hills

A wealthy enclave in the middle of the Los Angeles basin could soon have a new look on its skyline.

July 9, 2020 - The Architect's Newspaper

Coronavirus Protest

California's Coronavirus Infections and Hospitalizations Surge

Hasty reopenings by counties and bad behavior are blamed for soaring infection growth in California. Hospital and ICU beds in Los Angeles County, which has more coronavirus cases than any county in the U.S., could reach capacity by mid-July.

July 3, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

The Mission Mural Gentrification

Right-to-Purchase Policy Empowers Tenants In San Francisco, Fights Gentrification

A new policy in San Francisco gives tenants the opportunity to purchase their listed buildings with the help of non-profit corporations, a cause for celebration among anti-gentrification advocates in the Bay Area.

July 2, 2020 - High Country News

California Big Sur

New Rule on Environmental Impacts of Driving, Long Awaited, Goes Into Effect Today

At long last, California law will consider the amount of driving, rather than vehicle delay, when evaluating the environmental impacts of new developments. This is a more common-sense approximation of their environmental impacts.

July 1, 2020 - Streetsblog California

110 Freeway

When Discussing Racist Monuments, Don't Forget Urban Freeways

The racist history of planning in Los Angeles is particularly evident in the way Interstate freeways were planned in the region.

June 30, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

Downtown San Jose

Proposed High-Rise in San Jose Claims Coronavirus Friendliness

The public relations and marketing messaging of the new normal.

June 30, 2020 - The Mercury News

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.