Many housing advocates considered the assignment of 1.3 million new housing units to Southern California via 2019’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation process to be a serious win. It was followed up by an intra-regional allocation process that weighted units toward high-cost, high-demand coastal cities, for another win. Last month, they scored a few more wins — 50 to be exact.
2020 Year-in-Review
Highlights of my writing from 2020 in CP&DR, Planetizen, Common Edge, and more…
The Rise of Zoomtowns
While many in the state do not have the means to pick and choose exactly where they want to live, the combination of remote work and pandemic ennui has prompted untold numbers of well-off urban Californians to retreat to suburbs and to exurban “Zoomtowns.”
What Is Opposition To Duplexes Really About?
The only difference, then, between a duplex and a blissfuly detached single-unit home is the age-old anxiety about new residents who might not be quite as wealthy as the incumbent residents.
New Book, ‘Land,’ Searches for Solid Ground
Simon Winchester’s new book, Land, brings global scope to the concepts of land use.
Podcast: Top Planning Stories of 2020
In our final podcast of 2020, Bill and Josh discuss CP&DR’s most popular stories of the year, including the impact of the COVID pandemic on cities and planning’s responses to the year’s social justice movements.
2020: A Year Like No Other
2020 unexpectedly generated more writing about urban planning in the mainstream media than any other year in recent memory. And not for pleasant reasons. The COVID-19 pandemic brought urban life to a halt, inspiring news articles and photo essays about newly desolate streets, strained finances, and imperiled businesses.
SCAG Sees Revolt Against RHNA Allocations
60% of Orange County cities challenge their targets, which are much higher than last time around
The Top Urban Planning Books of 2020
The public health crisis of the coronavirus pandemic upended all the normal day-today routines this year. At least there are plenty of great urban planning books to read.
Wildfire Danger, Housing Needs Collide on Urban Fringe
Already an epic-scale tragedy, California’s wildfires–consuming a record 4 million acres this year–are effectively shrinking the amount of land available for housing and prompting planners to make tough choices between growth and safety
No Matter How You Calculate It, We Need A Lot Of Housing
Does the Embarcadero Institute’s push to lower the state’s housing need from 2 million to 1 million really change anything?
New RTP/SCS Documents Must Grapple With More Housing
Southern California and Bay Area MPOs must get more aggressive to meet RHNA goals and SB 375 goals.
Los Angeles’ Least Cool Councilmember Kills Its Coolest Street
Los Angeles’s signature street, Melrose Ave., was primed for an upgrade. Then no-fun councilmember Paul Koretz killed the buzz.
Laurel Canyon: The Classic California Urban Ecosystem
Laurel Canyon makes clear that the music that defined American culture was itself defined by a specific place in a specific city—a city that previously had been famous for its supposed lack of culture.
Cities Confront Environmental Justice In General Plans
OPR issues guidelines for implementing SB 1000, which requires local governments to address EJ directly in planning for the first time
Sexism and the City
Leslie Kern’s new book Feminist City will likely ring familiar with women planners — and provide male planners crucial insights for making cities more welcoming and equitable for everyone
Podcast: What’s It Like To Be A Black Planner In California?
CP&DR welcomes a panel of Black planners to share their personal perspectives on the current historical moment and on the future of planning in the era of Black Lives Matter.