A U.S. Court of Appeals has upheld a 2008 District Court ruling allowing a regional air quality district to manage land use for the improvement of air quality. CA's Central Valley Air Dist. now has a lawful Indirect Source Review or sprawl fee rule.
The 2005 air quality rule addresses new development, charging proportionately for the amount of new vehicle trips that can be expected. Smart growth projects have lower fees than sprawl-oriented ones, hence the term 'sprawl fee'. The California State Supreme Court refused to hear the homebuilder's petition in January.
"This a long-awaited, welcome decision by the court, and I'm hoping that this will be the end of it," said Seyed Sadredin, executive director of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. "We are eager to continue working with valley developers to clean up our air."
It is not known if the National Association of Home Builders will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Thanks to E&E Publishing - Greenwire
FULL STORY: Court upholds Calif. air regulator's pollution fee
San Joaquin Valley Struggles to Lower Emissions
The San Joaquin Valley has some of the worst air pollution and particulate matter emissions in the nation, but agricultural sources are loosely regulated.
Housing Construction More and More Frequently the Product of Two Companies
The history of U.S. housing construction has traditionally been the story of many companies building a few homes a year. Now two companies alone are out-building the rest of the top ten homebuilders combined.
California Hospitals Now Operating Under Contingency Care Guidelines
The three levels of care provided by hospitals: conventional, contingency, and crisis, were outlined in a letter sent to all hospitals. They must notify the state by Wednesday that they have adopted some version of crisis standards to ration care.
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing
A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.
Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire
Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.
LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.
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.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions