On the Palisades Fire, as observed from the edge of the evacuation zone
Good Riddance to Chevron
In Chevron’s absence, California can pursue sustainability goals–locally and globally–even more enthusiastically. It can speed the adoption of electric vehicles and renewable energy (which, on a good day, sometimes accounts for more than 100% of the state’s energy).
Not Enough Shells For California’s Hermit Crabs
Populations change even if they don’t grow. That’s why California needs more housing even though the population is stagnant
Las Vegas’ Opportunity to Learn from California
Nevada officials want Las Vegas to expand even further, by opening federal land to development. As too many places in California illustrate, that’s a recipe for sprawl, but not for a better city
Costco Gets Creative with Mixed-Use Big Box
Using a clever combination of local and state housing incentives, Costco is getting into the housing business in South Los Angeles
Will Waymo Help Urbanism — Or Hurt It?
For nearly as long as I’ve followed planning and transportation, the running joke, recited in conference sessions and at happy hours, has been that self-driving cars are at least five years away — and always will be.
California: Where Prosperity Means Decline
Unfortunately for everyone involved, six California cities are on a recently published list of the “18 Fastest-Declining Cities in the U.S.”
Year-in-Review 2023
A roundup of highlights from California Planning & Development Report, InTransition, CommonEdge, and more in 2023.
The Las Vegas Sphere: A Placeless Object in a Placeless City
The Sphere is technologically astonishing, but it’s not great for placemaking
Maybe Orange County Should Be As Dense As San Francisco
Orange County has an aversion to density. That’s an opportunity for some intrepid city.
Does Density Lead To Affordability?
Whether you’re Cambridge or Canada or anyplace in between, urban economics will always involve combinations of alchemy, soothsaying, and dead reckoning.
Is California Forever Visionary or Just Public Relations?
A “new city” near the Bay Area has caught the popular imagination, for better or worse. What of “regular” planning?
APA Preview: The Central Valley Faces Growth Issues
A roundtable with planners from California’s Central Valley, in advance of the Cal APA conference in Fresno
The Perverse Economics of Los Angeles’s “Mansion Tax”
A well intentioned ballot measure to raise affordable housing funds from big-dollar real estate transfers could kill the housing Los Angeles needs most.
Yet Again, Culprits for Gentrification Escape Blame
A restaurant critic wonders if they deserve blame for furthering gentrification in San Francisco. It’s an interesting, and utterly counterproductive, question.
New Los Angeles Mayor Picks Unnecessary Fights over “Luxury” Housing
Los Angeles needs every type of housing. Mayor Karen Bass doesn’t know that yet.
The Top Stories of 2022
2022 was an unusually action-packed year in California planning