A review of the provocative new book by Davarian L. Baldwin, In the Shadow of the Ivory Tower
The Miseducation of Cities
The Future of Cities, Urban Life, and Social Cohesion with Josh Stephens
The COVID-19 pandemic, along with the rise of remote work, has brought significant speculation about the future of cities. In order to understand these shifts and trends, we spoke with urban planning expert Josh Stephens.
Proposed Legislation Would Give Cities Fewer Excuses for Blocking Housing
The California Legislature has come roaring back in 2021 with a whole new set of bills affecting planning and development
Podcast: L.A. Planner-Councilmember Nithya Raman
In November, Nithya Raman became only the second trained urban planner to be elected to the Los Angeles city council. CP&DR spoke with Raman about how planning influences her political agenda
How Berkeley Will Move Away From Single-Family Zoning
The council vote was unanimous, but now comes the hard part: Implementing an upzoning in a city with strong homeowner advocacy and fire-prone hillside neighborhoods.
SCAG Shoots Down RHNA Appeals
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.