California

SANDAG Plan Retreats on Road Usage Charge, Proposes Other New Taxes
In response to conservative opposition to a proposed road user charge, San Diego's regional planning agency is proposing other revenue sources including a tax on ride-hailing and three sales tax increases.

California Could Drastically Cut Solar Incentives
Rooftop solar customers in California could face higher costs and reduced incentives if a proposed overhaul of the state's solar program is approved by the Public Utilities Commission.

Editorial Calls for Tesla to Follow Same 'Self-Driving' Testing Rules as Everyone Else
While dozens of companies are following state-mandated regulations for autonomous vehicle testing, Tesla has managed to avoid the same rules. It's time for regulators to step in, according to the Los Angeles Times Editorial Board.

Reimagining Homelessness and Mental Health: 'Radical Hospitality' in Trieste, Italy
Kerry Morrison, founder of Heart Forward LA, shares her journey researching the “failures” of the U.S. mental health system, and what L.A. could learn about radical hospitality from a city with a robust community-based approach—Trieste, Italy.

Opinion: Los Angeles Must Prioritize Bikes and Buses
L.A. has a plan for improving mobility. Why are city leaders ignoring it?

California Bill Could Ban Freeway Expansions in Underserved Neighborhoods
A proposed bill in the California State Legislature would bar the state from funding road construction in communities at risk for displacement and health impacts.

Bay Area Developments at Risk From Sea Level Rise
A controversial proposed housing development in Newark exemplifies the struggle between increasing housing supply and protecting vulnerable shoreline communities from flooding.

Port Logjam Contributing to Dismal L.A. Air Quality
Emissions from container ships idling outside Southern California's ports are adding to pollution that has blanketed the region in a noxious layer of smog.

Bringing the Kern River Back to Bakersfield
Bring Back the Kern is working to restore recreational flows to the Kern River in Bakersfield (cue Merle Haggard).

Prefab Custom Homes: Urban Multi-Family Game Changer
Steve Glenn, CEO of Plant Prefab, shares how his company is infiltrating single and multifamily housing markets with custom designed prefabricated homes to deliver healthy and sustainable buildings by design and at scale.

How Affordable Housers Perpetuate Past Harms, and How They Can Do Better
Some elements of affordable housing—from the development process to the way buildings are managed—are rooted in racist assumptions that dehumanize residents. Here are some simple ways you can be a better housing provider.

'Beg Buttons' Quietly Appearing at East Bay Crosswalks
Critics of pedestrian crosswalk buttons say the devices, meant to help improve bus speeds, give pedestrians the 'absolute lowest priority' on city streets.

California, Nevada Agree on Makeshift I-15 Widening Near Las Vegas
A $12 million repaving and restriping project is intended to alleviate congestion at the state line between California and Nevada, just outside of Las Vegas.

On Housing, Cities' Traditional Political Labels No Longer Apply
Historically liberal cities belie their supposed concern for human welfare by rejecting new development. Meanwhile, more conservative cities have seized the moment to become more progressive, innovative, and inclusive.

San Diego Trolley Extension Launch a 'Rousing Success'
San Diego's new trolley extension, which serves UC San Diego and communities near the U.S.-Mexico border, saw strong ridership numbers on its opening day.

L.A.'s New Housing Element Calls for 456,000 New Homes
The newly updated Housing Element of the city of Los Angeles General Plan makes an ambitious commitment to housing construction—after decades of slow construction and a population out of scale with the city's housing stock.

Santa Monica Mountains Acquires More Land For Conservation
The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority has acquired the final 150 acres of the 325-acre Triangle Ranch open space in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Study: At Least 1,500 Unhoused Died on the Streets of L.A. During the Pandemic
New research represents the first detailed picture of death among people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic.

Land Use Regulations on a Collision Course in California
The future of planning in California depends on how lawyers reconcile the Housing Accountability Act with the California Environmental Quality Act.

Cities Finding Ways to Resist State-Mandated Upzoning
The resistance to state-mandated zoning reforms, already well underway in Oregon, is now starting to whiplash through California as well.
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