If we’re going to condemn one form of legal commerce on ethical grounds, we might as well take a look at all the others while we’re at it.
OPR Finally Finishes SB 743 Guidelines
The Office of Planning and Research has released long-awaited CEQA guidelines that, by many accounts, promise to revolutionize the way developers and lead agencies measure the transportation impacts of projects under the California Environmental Quality Act.
Creating Complete Streets
There is no such thing as “a” complete street. No single street is “complete.” Complete streets encompasses more of an idea—and an attitude—than a typology.
A Sermon for the Homeless
A recent conference hosted by the American Institute of Architects in Los Angeles shined a light on efforts to reduce homelessness in Los Angeles—and demonstrated just how much work must be done nationwide to solve this humanitarian crisis.
Planetizen’s Top Ten Books of 2017
Planetizen is pleased to release its list of the best books published in 2017 on the subjects of planning, design, and development.
Churches, City Making, and the Sacking of Tbilisi by Global Architecture
I find myself speculating not just on the purpose of Tbilisi’s churches but indeed about the purpose of religion itself. Particularly the triumphalist version of religion that seeks not merely to venerate a deity and instill virtues but that also sees fit to impose itself on God’s creation.
Houston Planning Director Dispels Myths About the Effects of Harvey
An interview with Houston Planning Director Patrick Walsh, conducted after Hurricane Harvey ravaged the city and reduced its planning and infrastructure to a talking point for pundits.
Conquering Fears of Public Space on Halloween
The scariest thing about Halloween is that it illustrates just how un-neighborly many communities are and how averse to pedestrianism they are on the other 364 days of the year.
Searching for Los Angeles in Blade Runner 2049
For all the theorizing about Blade Runner, it’s worth asking not what Scott was saying about the future of Los Angeles (or of cities in general) but rather why he chose Los Angeles in the first place.
Battle Brews over ‘Bodega’ and Bodegas
Residents of California can be forgiven for wondering what a bodega is.
Planning Director Susan Anderson Separates Fact from Fiction in Portland(ia)
Planetizen’s “Planners Across America” series continues in the city that put many contemporary best planning practices on the map: Portland, Oregon.
Google Goes Urban: Campus for 20,000 to Rise in San Jose
Tech giant plans huge campus near Diridon Station in Downtown San Jose.
A Missed Lesson in the Heart of California
Kerman, Calif., teeters on the edge of Red and Blue, making it, paradoxically, an electoral microcosm of the country. And yet, with polarization and geographic sorting, it is near unique among American places.
The Work of Architecture in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
The totality of architecture encompasses structures, setting, relationships, uses, and even ideas that, in combination, create a landscape.
Freeway Caps May Reshape California Urban Areas
Now, as California’s urban resurgence continue apace, several cities are considering reconstructive surgery.
Los Angeles Learns to Play Ball: Review of City of Dreams
The all-time championship of uncertainty, politicking, and contentiousness surrounding a Los Angeles sports team goes to none other than the Dodgers.
Pursuing Inclusion, Equity in the Nation’s Capital
Senators, secretaries, and presidents scarcely concern Eric Shaw. Director of the D.C. Office of Planning since 2015, Shaw is dedicated to an aggressively progressive agenda.
Radical Left Burns Bridges amid Quest To Build Housing
Honesty and compromise remain admirable values and effective political tools — especially on the local level where policymakers, community members, and activists are literally rubbing elbows with each other.