Mayor Villaraigosa must appoint a planning director who will overcome the sprawling bureaucracy that has hindered much of the LA's endeavors, says the Los Angeles Times.
Departing Planning Director Gail Goldberg found her "success was limited by a sprawling bureaucracy that works outside and often around her department; by a political establishment that gives City Council members extraordinary control over projects and makes development an exercise in political negotiation rather than carefully considered land-use policy; and ultimately by City Hall's poor budget and staffing decisions that left her without the resources to do her work."
The Mayor must streamline and unify the planning process if he "is serious about the "real planning" and "smart growth" approach to land use that he embraced when running for mayor."
FULL STORY: Shaping the City of LA

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Wind Energy on the Rise Despite Federal Policy Reversal
The Trump administration is revoking federal support for renewable energy, but demand for new projects continues unabated.

Passengers Flock to Caltrain After Electrification
The new electric trains are running faster and more reliably, leading to strong ridership growth on the Bay Area rail system.

Texas Churches Rally Behind ‘Yes in God’s Back Yard’ Legislation
Religious leaders want the state to reduce zoning regulations to streamline leasing church-owned land to housing developers.
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