A school district in the fastest growing city in Santa Barbara County, CA may 'end up paying more than it bargained for,' as it desperately searches for sites to build much-needed schools.
A jury in Santa Maria, CA, awarded a woman almost twice the amount the school district was offering her, after seizing part of her farmland by eminent domain. "The district's position was that a fair price for her land should be based on the fair market value of farmland in the area." However, the property owner "believed that a more appropriate price would be one based on land rezoned for housing. Her attorney claims that "the Irvine Co. just happened to be eyeing her entire property for development." Regardless of the legal struggles, both sides are acknowledging the importance of building the much-needed campus on the site.
Thanks to Connie Chung
Read the full story: Woman Gets $4.8 Million in Lawsuit Over School Site
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax survives legal challenge
A panel of judges found that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate injury as a result of New York City's implementation of the tax.
Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity
Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.
Seattle passes record-breaking transit services expansion
Proposition 1 will double the city’s transit tax to add 95,000 more bus trips and preserve 180,000 bus trips annually.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority