California
Did L.A.’s Supportive Housing Bond Fail?
Six years after Prop HHH was passed, the fund appears to be delivering on its housing construction goals in the 10-year timeline. But the measure is being routinely criticized on all sides.
Los Angeles Tightens Restrictions on Encampments
During a city council meeting that had to pause while police cleared the room of activists opposing the measure, the council voted to ban public sleeping within 500 feet of schools, making one-fifth of city sidewalks off-limits to unhoused people.
Los Angeles County Launches New Power of Play Initiative
The L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation and the L.A. County Parks Foundation are partnering on an initiative to build awareness, support and a safety net to provide vulnerable youth and families access to high-quality programming.
The Importance of Trails
Trails play a vital role in encouraging and facilitating outdoor recreation that contributes to the health and well-being of residents and visitors alike.
Judge Bars Sacramento Encampment Sweeps
Advocates for unhoused people are calling on the city and county to provide more resources for supportive housing, open more cooling centers, and build more shelter beds.
People’s Park—Symbol of Berkeley’s Storied Past—Temporarily Cleared and Fenced Off for Development
A few days after a judge’s ruling cleared three pending lawsuits blocking the development of People’s Park, the unhoused people living in the park were cleared and fence surrounds the site. Protestors took back the park within a day.
San Francisco Housing Construction Far Slower Than Other Tech Hubs
Experts blame high land and construction costs and restrictive regulations for San Francisco’s dismal rate of housing construction, which lags behind other fast-growing cities like Austin and Seattle.
Reckless Driving and Illegal Activity Shut Down L.A.’s Newest Bridge
Could the chaos that has plagued the 6th Street Viaduct’s first few weeks signal an opportunity to reimagine its intended uses?
This Street Treatment Fights Extreme Heat
Applied to streets, parking lots, and other asphalt surfaces, a reflective epoxy coating can lower temperatures by as much as 10 degrees and cool neighborhoods vulnerable to extreme heat.
Advancing Parks and Recreation Through Storytelling
July is Park and Recreation Month and this year’s theme is “We Rise Up for Parks and Recreation.” One way for park and recreation professionals to rise up is for them tell their stories.
Massive, Vacant L.A. Hospital To Become Affordable Housing
The historic building will be redeveloped with over 500 housing units and supportive services on site.
Electric School Buses Put Power Back Into Grid
A “vehicle to grid” pilot program in a Southern California school district has school buses doing double-duty as electricity storage.
Updated: The Perils of Central Planning for Parking
The California State Legislature is once again considering statewide parking reforms. Planetizen dusted off a Donald Shoup op-ed published last year to once again explain the stakes. While the name of the bill has changed, the terms still apply.
Report Sounds the Alarm for Western Reservoirs
Without more immediate, long-term reductions in water demand, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the West’s most important reservoirs, face imminent collapse.
Whose History Is Being Preserved, Exactly?
As the housing crisis continues, advocates are increasingly wary of historic preservation efforts that serve to perpetuate historic inequities and keep housing costs high.
How To Protect an Entire Town From Wildfire
In the wake of the destructive Camp Fire, a proposal to encircle the town of Paradise with a green belt could help keep future fires at bay and better protect vulnerable residents.
A ‘Public Realm Action Plan’ Charts San Francisco’s Post-Covid Comeback
A nonprofit business group released a plan to trigger the post-pandemic revitalization of Downtown San Francisco by reclaiming public space for human scale activity. But is an improved public realm sufficient to meet the challenge?
Could L.A. Be a 15-Minute City?
Advocates argue that even famously car-centric Los Angeles can become a place where residents can easily access their daily needs without getting behind the wheel.
L.A.’s 6th Street Bridge Bike Lane Disappoints
Bike and pedestrian infrastructure on the much-anticipated new bridge leaves much to be desired, according to advocates.
San Francisco Launches Adaptive Cycling Program
The program offers a variety of adaptive bikes at no charge to people with disabilities.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
