On the fringes of the built environment in Southern California, comes a turn of events much more common in the urban core: the California Environmental Quality Act has been invoked to put the brakes on a general plan update.
Ian James reports: "Three environmental groups have sued to challenge Riverside County’s approach to development, saying the latest update of the county’s general plan would lead to more suburban sprawl."
"The Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity and San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society argue that an amendment to the general plan and a “climate action plan” approved by the Board of Supervisors in December would promote a proliferation of subdivisions and threaten open space and wildlife. They also say the county’s plan would reinforce the area’s emphasis on transportation by car and contribute to air pollution and emissions of climate-warming CO2," adds James.
The article includes more context on the General Plan update approved in December by the County Board of Supervisors, as well as arguments from each side on the issue.
FULL STORY: Seeking to block sprawl, activists sue Riverside County
Opinion: How California’s Environmental Law Empowers NIMBYs
Critics of a new provision calling “social noise” an environmental impact say the law can too easily be co-opted by anti-housing groups to block new development.
Report: CEQA Lawsuits Challenge Almost Half of All Housing Development in California
A new report details the reach of California’s controversial environmental regulation, and warns of more consequences to come.
People’s Park—Symbol of Berkeley’s Storied Past—Temporarily Cleared and Fenced Off for Development
A few days after a judge’s ruling cleared three pending lawsuits blocking the development of People’s Park, the unhoused people living in the park were cleared and fence surrounds the site. Protestors took back the park within a day.
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.
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.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service