Los Angeles

LA Planning Department's First Public Participation Webinar

The City of Los Angeles Department of Planning and Department of Transportation held a first-ever public online participation webinar Thursday, July 20, 2010. The city used the opportunity to experiment with web conferencing technology, and will survey participants after the event to evaluate the success of the experiment. A webinar is a web conference, where participants can access a virtual meeting using a computer, and Internet connection. Participants access a website to see the presenter's computer screen, and also listen to the presenter through the computer's speakers, or using a telephone.

July 20, 2010 - Chris Steins

Reintegrating the Los Angeles River

The Los Angeles River has long been forgotten by many of the city's residents and officials. GOOD's Alissa Walker takes a look at some plans to reintegrate the river into the city.

July 19, 2010 - Good

Can A New L.A. Park Please Everyone?

Christopher Hawthorne says that new Civic Park in downtown Los Angeles, which breaks ground this morning, "shows the strain" of trying to reconcile differing visions, but it also has "a coherent aesthetic identity."

July 15, 2010 - The Los Angeles Times

The "Blunt Savvy" of Eli Broad

"For all of Eli Broad's consistent prominence on the public stage in recent years, the buildings he has helped develop make up a disparate, even contradictory group," writes Christopher Hawthorne as he describes the patron's philanthropic endeavors.

July 11, 2010 - Los Angeles Times

TOD Boom in L.A.

Light rail is expanding to Los Angeles' Westside, and with it is coming a wave of transit-oriented developments.

July 11, 2010 - The New York Times

A Watershed Decision for the LA River

In a move to cement its importance as an urban waterway, the EPA declared the Los Angeles River a 'traditionally navigable waterway.'

July 9, 2010 - The Los Angeles Times

Villaraigosa Must Back His New Planner With Comprehensive Reorganization

Mayor Villaraigosa must appoint a planning director who will overcome the sprawling bureaucracy that has hindered much of the LA's endeavors, says the Los Angeles Times.

July 7, 2010 - Los Angeles Times

California Should Alter Its HSR Plans to Save Money

Thomas Elias argues that California's HSR plans should be altered to reduce costs and avoid some urban municipalities against the plans. This would reduce the $25 billion funding gap and allow construction to move ahead.

July 2, 2010 - San Jose Mercury News

L.A.'s High Line West

A new linear park project near L.A.'s port seeks to ride the success of New York City's High Line park.

July 2, 2010 - The Architect's Newspaper

L.A. Planning Director Resigns

Los Angeles Planning Director Gail Goldberg has announced her resignation.

July 1, 2010 - The Architect's Newspaper

CalTrans Shells Out $17 Million to Rename Pasadena Freeway

The first freeway in California is being renamed back to its original designation, the 'Arroyo Seco Parkway.' Known more recently as simply 'the 110,' it was considered a "marvel of engineering," when construction began in 1938.

June 27, 2010 - Los Angeles Times

Reshuffle at L.A. Planning Department

With fewer staff members to cover the workload, L.A. is redefining planners' roles, including a change that will make planners more community-focused and less centralized.

June 27, 2010 - The Planning Report

The Most Agressive Mayoral Transit Advocacy in America

Jarret Walker writes on Mayor Villaraigosa's 30/10 plan and why Los Angeles is a "smart long term bet" as a sustainable city.

June 17, 2010 - Human Transit

Los Angeles Finds a Communal Way to Enjoy The World Cup

Jeremy Rosenberg of Next American City examines how the people of Los Angeles get together to watch the world cup, in the absence of any primary public meeting space.

June 16, 2010 - Next American City

L.A.'s Bold Transit Moves

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's plan to cram 30 years of transit projects into one decade is gathering steam in Washington -- and other cities are watching closely.

June 15, 2010 - Next American City

L.A.'s '30/10' Plan Moves Ahead

At first considered a long-shot, the idea being pushed by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to fast-track 30 years worth of transit projects into 10 is gaining support at the highest levels.

June 10, 2010 - Los Angeles Times

Talking Design with Rios, Clementi, Hale

A varied involvement in architecture, landscaping, planning and product design has allowed the practice of Rios, Clementi, Hale to weather the recession. The designers describe to Marissa Gluck how they have navigated a path through divergent fields.

June 9, 2010 - The Architects Newspaper

Crunching the Numbers on L.A. Traffic

At the Automated Traffic Surveillance and Control center (ATSAC) near City Hall in Los Angeles, a team of engineers watches traffic flow all over the city, sucking in tons of data to improve transit and automotive circulation.

June 2, 2010 - GOOD Magazine

Modernism, Architecture and Segregation

Essayist and photographer Aisha Sloan revisits the Los Angeles neighborhood of her childhood to examine Modernist architecture and its correlation to segregation.

June 1, 2010 - Terrain.org: A Journal of the Built & Natural Environments

The Uncomfortable Relationship Between Race and Public Transit in L.A.

As part of his series about walking across Los Angeles, writer Ryan Bradley delves into the complicated and controversial relationship between race and transit in the city.

May 31, 2010 - Good

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.