2022 was an unusually action-packed year in California planning
Economic Headwinds Push Back on State Housing Goals
California desperately needs housing, but inflation and interest rates may hinder production.
The Top Urban Planning Books of 2022
An annual list of the must-read books related to urban planning and its intersecting fields.
Rating California’s New Transit Lines and Extensions
New public transit lines, extensions, and major upgrades have been opening up all over California lately. CP&DR reviews the impacts of these transformative, and not-so-transformative, projects.
Microtransit Changing the Landscape
App-based Rides Get Into the Public Transit Game
Housing (Mostly) Wins on Local Ballots
But measures calling for increased housing development potential met decidedly mixed results.
The Lawyer Behind The “Builder’s Remedy”
The attorney who is helping developers bring over 4,000 units to Santa Monica nearly overnight shares the nuances of the newly powerful Builder’s Remedy.
APA Conference: When Planners Wish Upon a Star
This week’s APA conference is located across the street from the “happiest place on earth” — with “place” in very ironic quotes. Here’s what Disneyland, and Disney’s latest “imagineering” efforts mean for planning today.
The Internal-Combustion Car Did Us A Favor
As California brings the gas-powered car era to a close, let’s remember: It was just awful enough, at just the right moment, to inspire a revolution in land use regulation.
In L.A., a Shopping Center Is Reborn as a Workplace
The May Company department store and Westside Pavilion have been transformed into the Westside’s newest workplace hub.
Emeryville Emerges As Bay Area Pro-Housing Leader
Emeryville has embraced housing on a scale that no other Bay Area city has even considered. In particular, the city hopes to not only meet its Regional Housing Needs Allocation goals, but to exceed it — by as much as 50%.
Cities, Counties Get Ready To Deal With Sea Level Rise
Sea level rise is becoming increasingly unavoidable for planners in coastal California.
Prop 13 Imprisons Californians in Their Homes
Los Angeles is actually ruled by stasis.
Why California Should Not, Cannot Solve Its Housing Crisis By Building New Cities
A recent essay advocates for the development of a new city in California to alleviate the state’s housing crisis. The argument needs a few tweaks.
Reaching for the Heavens
Review of Super Tall, by Stefan Al, about engineering and urbanism in contemporary skyscrapers.