After failing to meet state targets for housing production, the city must create a shorter permitting process under a 2023 state law.
San Francisco will become the first California city to trigger SB 423, a law that requires cities that don’t meet their state-mandated housing goals to create an expedited permit approval process.
According to an article by KQED staff, “On Friday, the California Department of Housing and Community Development ruled that San Francisco was falling short of its goal to plan for building 82,000 new units of housing by 2031. Last year, the city authorized just over 3,000 units, according to the San Francisco Planning Department.”
The streamlined process could cut down permit application processing times from upwards of a year to weeks or months. Anti-development advocates say the law puts too much control in the hands of the state, tasking cities with ‘unattainable’ housing production targets.
FULL STORY: After Missing Housing Goals, SF Has Permit Process Slashed Under New State Law
California Bills Would Clarify, Restrict ‘Builder’s Remedy’
The controversial law lets developers skirt local zoning rules in cities without state-approved housing plans.
Lawsuits Follow Housing Plan Failures in the San Francisco Bay Area
The Regional Housing Needs Assessment drama continues in California.
Judge Rules in Favor of Massachusetts TOD Law
The court rejected an argument that the MBTA Communities law, which requires zoning for multifamily housing, is an “unfunded mandate.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie