CP&DR - Blogs

San Bernardino County Corruption Is An Old Story

May 14, 2009

Seven years ago, Bill Fulton and I wrote a lengthy story for Governing magazine about San Bernardino County. We didn't write the headline, but it was appropriate: "Addicted to Corruption."

Apparently, the county still has not entered rehab.

SCAG Plan Gets Part-Way To Needed Emissions Reductions

May 11, 2009

SCAG

The Southern California Association of Governments has unveiled a new "conceptual land use plan" that concentrates development on a half-million acres of land near rail, bus rapid transit, and local bus lines in the six-county SCAG region. Initial numbers suggest that this plan would only get SCAG 60% of the way toward the region's likely SB 375 emissions reduction target.

Delta's 'Age Of Reason' May Be Nearing

May 8, 2009

Public policy regarding the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is in an age of "absolutely" and "absolutely nots," according to Jeffrey Mount. But policy could enter an age of reason within a decade, he said.

San Diego Plans For Better Times

May 4, 2009

In a way, San Diego might be the anti-Petaluma. Instead of laying off all the planners like Petaluma is doing, San Diego is investing heavily in long-term planning as an economic development strategy.

I should say right up front that it's a bit unfair to compare a suburb of 57,000 people with a major city of 1.3 million. Still, the contrasting responses to difficult economic times is instructive.

A Long And Winding Road For Sacramento's K Street

Apr 28, 2009

It was a sunny summer Saturday the first time I stepped onto the K Street mall in downtown Sacramento. The place was deserted. That was 25 years ago, and Sacramento is still trying to figure out the K Street mall.

Making Earth Day Work Is Harder Than You Think

Apr 27, 2009

As Earth Day approached, I was concerned that I was kicking up a huge carbon footprint while I traveled all over the place helping people figure out how to reduce their carbon footprint.

Planner In Chief

Apr 19, 2009

Last Thursday, the often-nerdy Barack Obama erased all remaining doubt that he is positioning himself as America's "Planner In Chief".

Petaluma Eliminates Its Planning Department

Apr 14, 2009

The Petaluma City Council voted April 13 night to eliminate the city's planning staff because of a lack of development activity and a $4.5 million budget deficit.

Elimination of a planning department would be a remarkable turn of events anywhere in California, but the fact that this is occurring in Petaluma is downright shocking.

----------UPDATE----------

Read more about the Petaluma situation in this month's Local Watch story.

Oakland Considers Downtown Zoning Overhaul

Apr 14, 2009

Oakland civic leaders hope that a proposed new zoning code might help downtown turn the corner. Let's hope they are right.

Southern California: Money, Power And Guilty Pleasures

Apr 14, 2009

Last week, driving north from San Diego through Orange County, I engaged in a secret and somewhat twisted pleasure – I ponied up my four-bucks-and-change to get off I-5 and I-405 and traverse the 15 miles from San Juan Capistrano to Costa Mesa on California State Route 73, otherwise known as the San Joaquin Hills Toll Road.

California's Deserts: Hot, Windy And Delicate

Apr 10, 2009

Where the burgeoning renewable energy industry sees empty spaces and piles of sand, environmentalists see scenic vistas and fragile habitat for rare flora and fauna. These different views of California's vast deserts are leading to a clash over how to use lands owned by the federal government.

Check Your Calendar

Apr 1, 2009

Our friends over at Planetizen are having too much fun today, which happens to be April 1.

Planners Face Questions About The Future Of Retailing

Mar 31, 2009

How the heck do you plan a city when no one knows what the world of retail sales will look like in 10 years?

UCLA Ext: Planning Commissioners Training, Thursday, April16, 2009, Caltrans District 7 HQ, Los Angeles

Mar 31, 2009

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