San Diego

Water Pipeline

San Diego Wants a New Pipeline for Colorado River Water

The San Diego County Water Authority hired a contractor to study three potential routes for a water pipeline fromt he Imperial Valley.

August 24, 2019 - WaterNewNetwork

Church

'Yes In God's Backyard' Offers a New Way Forward for Housing Advocates

San Diego housing advocates have coined a new term: "YIGBY," or "Yes in God's Backyard," to advance prospects for affordable housing development on property underutilized by houses of worship. The city's planning department is receptive.

August 7, 2019 - Next City

San Diego Construction

Inclusionary Zoning Changes Near Final Approval in San Diego

The San Diego City Council is poised to give final approval to significant changes to the city's inclusionary zoning requirements,

August 5, 2019 - Times of San Diego

San Diego Rail

A New Model for Growth in San Diego

When first announced in 2014, the Morena Corridor Specific Plan provoked protests. The plan has changed, but it now finally has initial approval from the San Diego City Council.

August 4, 2019 - Voice of San Diego

California Development

Zoning Change for Mixed-Use Developments, Density Near Transit Moves Forward

Until now, mixed-use projects have required a lengthy discretionary approval process in San Diego. That could change with a zoning change given preliminary approval by the City Council this week.

July 30, 2019 - Times of San Diego

Another 'Poor Door' in San Diego

The developers of a large residential development in the Seat Village neighborhood of San Diego is including a large number of apartments affordable to low-income residents, but in a separate building.

July 26, 2019 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Hilton Hotel Harbor Island San Diego

Airbnb Limitations Fall Short in California Legislature

A state bill that would have limited the number of short-term rentals in the coastal areas of San Diego County has been delayed until next year's legislative session.

July 16, 2019 - San Diego Union-Tribune

Lost Our Home

The Four Kinds of Housing that Help the Homeless

Projects to add housing resources to help give homeless people a roof over the head have run into all sorts of public opposition—often times fueled by ignorance of how different kinds of homeless housing options work.

July 11, 2019 - Voice of San Diego

San Francisco Street

Curb Data Platform Expanding Reach, With Plans for More

More cities are leveraging technology to better manage one of the most confusing and congested spaces in the public realm: the curb.

July 3, 2019 - Smart Cities Dive

Gaslamp Quarter

Climate Crisis, Housing Crisis on a Collision Course

Sprawl might relieve the housing crisis, but it would also exacerbate the climate crisis. Tough choices will be necessary in regions like San Diego, where the question of where to accommodate growth is very much in question.

July 2, 2019 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

San Diego Trolley

Mayor Wants to Eliminate Height Limits Near Transit in San Diego

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer has proposed his latest in a series of pro-development policy proposals.

June 16, 2019 - San Diego Union-Tribune

Homeless Cars

Ban on Living and Sleeping in Vehicles Approved in San Diego

A recently reinstated ordinance prohibits people from living out of their cars. The city says it wants to people to use "safe parking lots" where other services are available.

May 20, 2019 - CBS News 8 (San Diego)

Butte County, California

An Unexpected Turn for California's New State Population Report

Population data released May 1 by the Department of Finance reveals the Golden State's lowest population growth rate on record, at 0.47 percent.

May 6, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

San Diego Trolley

The Regional Planning Agency Wanted to Evolve on Transportation. The County Said No.

A kerfuffle in San Diego, as San Diego County and the San Diego Association of Governments find themselves at odds over the future of transportation in the region.

May 3, 2019 - NBC San Diego

Uptown San Diego

Middle-Income Density Bonus Working Toward Approval in San Diego

The San Diego City Council's Land Use and Housing Commission approved a density bonus program to provide incentives for developers to build middle- and low-income housing.

April 21, 2019 - The San Diego Union Tribune

Lime Scooter

A Company of Scooter Vigilantes Sparks a Lawsuit

A lawsuit by Bird and Lime against the company Scooter Removal highlights the difficult challenges required to reconcile the private interests of new mobility companies with the access to the public realm on which they depend.

April 20, 2019 - Jalopnik

San Diego Trolley

San Diego Unbundles Parking, Eliminates Parking Minimums and Sets Maximums

In addition to replacing parking minimums with parking maximums of one space per unit in transit corridors, the city council went a step further by requiring unbundling, that is, requiring separate payment for parking from the housing.

March 22, 2019 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

San Diego Metropolitan Transit System

Transit Ridership Up in San Diego

Most of the U.S. saw public transit ridership continue its downward trend last year, but San Diego’s ridership, particularly on light rail, was up.

March 20, 2019 - KPBS

Homeless Cars

Homeless People No Longer Prohibited From Living in Cars in San Diego

Until last week, it was illegal to live in a car in San Diego.

February 11, 2019 - San Diego

San Diego Harbor

Major Parking Reform Effort Moving Forward in San Diego

Civic San Diego and San Diego planning commissioners approved new parking standards that would eliminate minimums and set maximums of one space per multifamily unit. Those reforms and more must still be approved by the City Council.

February 4, 2019 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

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.