California

High-Speed Rail

California High-Speed Rail Recommits to Bakersfield-to-Merced Segment

The California High-Speed Rail Authority also certified the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement for the San Francisco to San Jose section of the route in August.

August 31, 2022 - California Globe

Protected Bike Lane Los Angeles

Los Angeles to Put Mobility Plan to Voters

The city has made almost no progress on the mobility plan it adopted in 2015. Now, voters will decide whether, and how, L.A. will have to follow through.

August 30, 2022 - LAist

Car Graveyard

The Beginning of the End of the Internal Combustion Engine Vehicle?

The California Air Resources Board voted unanimously on August 25 to begin a phased ban on the sale of passenger vehicles powered by gasoline or diesel beginning in 2026 when over a third of new vehicles sold in California must be zero-emissions.

August 29, 2022 - The New York Times

Victorian homes in Oakland, California

Closing the Homeownership Knowledge Gap

An Oakland program geared at Black homeowners wants to empower households to understand the opportunities in building and renting accessory dwelling units.

August 29, 2022 - Next City

Orange Line Bus

Funding for Two Transit Projects Approved for the Valley in Los Angeles

Local funding for a new light rail line and upgrades to the G Line (née Orange Line) bus rapid transit route have been approved for the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles.

August 28, 2022 - Los Angeles Daily News

Pacific Ocean

Redondo Beach’s Housing Element Failed. Now a Developer Is Planning 2,300 Residential Units.

Anti-housing development planning now has consequences in California.

August 26, 2022 - Easy Reader News

A large reservoir and its dam are shown in golden foothills.

Bay Area Development Encounters the Limits of the Water Supply

A development battle pitting Contra Costa County against the East Bay Municipal Utility District illustrates the challenges of developing new housing supply in a time of drought.

August 25, 2022 - The Mercury News

A map showing Bell Gardens, California in focus, with all surrounding cities and roads blurred.

Two L.A. County Cities Approved Rent Control in August

Bell Gardens and Pomona booth voted to approve rent caps of 4 percent this month in Southern California.

August 25, 2022 - LAist

The Interstate 10 freeway cuts through residential neighborhoods in the city of Alhambra. Downtown Los Angeles is visible in the background,

Report: CEQA Lawsuits Challenge Almost Half of All Housing Development in California

A new report details the reach of California’s controversial environmental regulation, and warns of more consequences to come.

August 25, 2022 - Center for Jobs & the Economy

Children playing in a Los Angeles schoolyard

Los Angeles Parents Demand Greener Schoolyards

With asphalt temperatures reaching as much as 150 degrees, parents and advocates are asking the city’s school district to provide more shade, trees, and other heat mitigation features on its schoolyards and playgrounds.

August 24, 2022 - CBS Los Angeles

Children playing in a splash pad

World’s First Municipal ‘Heat Officers’ Combat Extreme Heat

As extreme heat threatens infrastructure and public health, municipal ‘heat officers’ work to develop cooling strategies to keep urban residents safe from increasingly hot temperatures.

August 23, 2022 - Next City

Town sign for Mojave, California

Inland Port Planned for Mojave Desert

California’s Kern County approved plans to build a 410-acre logistics hub to expand capacity for cargo coming from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

August 22, 2022 - Globe St.

California Shelter-in-Place

Analysis of Downtown Recoveries Reveals Post-Pandemic Winners and Losers

The recovery of U.S. downtowns is happening at widely different paces depending on which city you consider.

August 21, 2022 - Institute of Governmental Studies

110 Freeway

Opinion: Los Angeles Transportation Plan Will Increase Driving

L.A. Metro’s plan to add hundreds of miles of new traffic lanes is projected to increase carbon emissions by 10 million metric tons.

August 18, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

Three blue Amazon delivery trucks at bays at a distribution center

Key Warehouse Centers Challenge Distribution Center Expansion

Communities near major e-commerce distribution centers are increasingly resisting new construction, citing air pollution and other public health impacts.

August 16, 2022 - Bloomberg CityLab

Yellow house on residential street in Atherton, California

Another Silicon Valley Enclave Resists Multifamily Housing

Ultrawealthy residents have blocked a proposal to build townhouse developments in one of California’s most affluent communities.

August 16, 2022 - The New York Times

Amtrak train on track by the beach in Souhern California

Opinion: California Needs an Overnight SoCal-to-Bay Area Train

A red-eye between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area could make train travel a viable options for millions of Californians.

August 16, 2022 - SF Gate

Walkable, mixed-use neighborhood in Barcelona, Spain

Could Los Angeles Emulate Barcelona’s ‘Superblocks’?

A proposal in the city council could bring the ‘superblock’ model to Los Angeles, opening up neighborhood streets to more biking, walking, and public amenities.

August 15, 2022 - The Real Deal

Close-up of two people pointing at a printed city map with pencils with a laptop in the background

Digital Tool ‘Gamifies’ Planning Decisions

Interactive platforms help stakeholders visualize and understand the challenges faced by planners in distributing new housing construction, building infrastructure, and other projects.

August 14, 2022 - Bloomberg

Aerial view of California aqueduct snaking through arid hills outside Los Angeles

California Governor Outlines Plan for a ‘Hotter, Drier Future’

With California’s water supply expected to drop by 10 percent in the next two decades, Governor Newsom’s strategy calls for conservation and increased investment in water collection, storage, and desalination infrastructure.

August 12, 2022 - 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.