The ‘Room to Roam Act’ would require cities and counties to consider local habitats and the impact of development on wildlife corridors and connectivity.
A proposed California bill dubbed the “Room to Roam Act” would require general plans to consider “fish, wildlife, and habitat connectivity,” signaling a shift toward more conservation-minded development.
According to a blog post on the Nossaman LLP website, Assembly Bill 1889 would require cities and counties to make the necessary updates to their general plans by January 1, 2026. “Section 1 of the Room to Roam Act would require local jurisdictions to ‘consider and implement measures to avoid, minimize, and mitigate impacts to fish, wildlife, and habitat connectivity from existing and planned land uses within their jurisdictions.’”
The post adds, “The updated conservation element must: identify and analyze connectivity, permeability, and natural landscape areas within the jurisdiction; identify and analyze wildlife passage features; consider impacts of wildlife barriers caused by development and avoid, minimize and mitigate these impacts; and analyze and consider options to remediate barriers to wildlife connectivity and restore degraded habitat and open landscape.”
The bill could help cities balance conservation, housing, and climate resilience, but may also lengthen the development approval process.
FULL STORY: California’s “Room to Roam Act:” Factoring Wildlife Connectivity Into Land Use Planning
California Room to Roam Act Prioritizes Wildlife Connectivity
A new state law requires new development and infrastructure to minimize disruption to local wildlife habitats and migration patterns.
Purple Martins Call Nashville Home. Some Wish They Wouldn't
Each year, the city plays host to hundreds of thousands of birds on their way to and from South America.
Study Reveals Los Angeles a Hotspot for Insect Diversity
A study reveals that L.A. is a surprising hotspot for insect and spider biodiversity, with diversity driven more by proximity to mountains and stable temperatures than by land value.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research