Blogs

Of the dozens of Grateful Dead songs that have been autoplaying in my head since the news of Bob Weir’s passing broke this Saturday, “Shakedown Street” has been in particularly heavy rotation. The  bassline helps, but so does its commentary about American urbanism.  The Dead’s landscapes rarely involved cities. Dead songs are vivid: fairy tales set in the real world, though its landscapes are more pastoral than urban. In “Truckin’,” we pass through the likes of Dallas, Houst

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Angelenos of a certain age may remember Allan Malamud, whose column in the Herald-Examiner , and later the Los Angeles Times , was called “Notes on a Scorecard.” He jotted down scattered thoughts and observations—some amusing, some profound—over the course of nine innings and shared them with readers. I recently attended the annual journalists forum at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy , which entailed two days of discussion on all things land use aroun

A few blocks south on Grand Avenue from Bunker Hill a titanium dagger protrudes over the sidewalk. The blade captures the sunlight and hints at something terribly interesting, beckoning you to walk closer and find out about the carcass into which it is plunged.

In CP&DR's milestone year, urbanist principles are arguably stronger and more enlightened than ever. Sadly for cities, the same cannot be said for the field of journalism.

<p>But the concept is a warning sign for cities to clean up their act, since urban dysfunction helped elect MAGA.</p>

<p><span style="color: rgb(33, 37, 41);">For the past century or so, two industries have both fueled Los Angeles’s local economy and defined its civic image: Hollywood and real estate. Now that both are faltering, it's worth thinking about their communalities -- and their woeful

This piece is brought to you free of charge courtesy of the paying subscribers to California Planning & Development Report. To become a paying subscriber with access to all of our content, just click  here . These observations are based on over three decades of experience—both research and practice—after large disasters in the U.S. and numerous other countries. Olshansky and Johnson’s book After Great Disasters , is available for free download from the Lincoln Institute of La

Josh Stephens reflects on what the L.A. wildfires mean for California, as he watches the blaze from his apartment on the edge of the evacuation zone.

Populations change even if they don't grow. That's why California needs more housing even though the population is stagnant.

<p>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. </p>

Using a clever combination of local and state housing incentives, Costco is getting into the housing business in South Los Angeles.

We shouldn't be afraid of autonomous taxis as a safety issue -- they're safer than we crazy drivers are. But can they make our cities better?