In his veto letter, Newsom wrote that protecting communities and strengthening manufacturing “were not mutually exclusive.”
In defense of looser regulations intended to quicken development, California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill on Sept. 18 that would have required “more polluting facilities built near homes and schools to undergo environmental review,” Alejandra Reyes-Velarde writes for Cal Matters.
“[The bill] would have narrowed an exemption of the California Environmental Quality Act that covers a broad swath of advanced manufacturing sites. Only facilities handling the final stages of production would have kept the exemption,” Reyes-Velarde writes.
In his veto letter, Newsom said the proposed bill would have practically nullified the manufacturing exception, writing, “Protecting communities and strengthening California’s advanced manufacturing economy are not mutually exclusive goals.”
Read the full story: Newsom sides with industry, vetoes bill on factories near homes and schools
Misuse of Environmental Laws Betrays Their Intent
How laws written to protect natural resources and biodiversity are being reinterpreted by NIMBY groups to block development.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
California’s ‘unrecognizable’ water plan may go down the drain
After four years of regulatory processes, water agencies say the plan to overhaul how cities and farms take water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta has changed dramatically.
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.
Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity
Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.
Move over, LA: St. Louis gears up for Olympics, invests millions in downtown redevelopment
The Missouri city will host the 2028 Olympic soccer group stage and knockout matches.
San Diego’s Midway Rising project gets greenlight from city council
The project looks to become the largest affordable housing development in California's history.
Bill to overhaul energy permitting clears Senate
The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 still needs to pass the House of Representatives.
MTA sends Dem leaders a wish list to mend Trump’s damages
Requests include exempting new train and bus components from tariffs and increasing transit security funding.
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
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello