The Dangerous Developer

The Los Angeles Times profiles the controversial and litigious real estate developer Alan Casden.

1 minute read

August 9, 2004, 5:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"A public records search by The Times found that Casden or his main development firm has been a plaintiff in almost 30 lawsuits against partners, contractors and law firms since 1985... But the building of his empire has come with a price: Even associates who say they get along with Casden often describe him in less-than-flattering terms — brazen, condescending, boorish. In seeking to remain anonymous, several said they feared legal reprisal, citing Casden's reputation as 'the most litigious guy in the city,' in the words of one attorney."

Thanks to Laura Kranz

Sunday, August 8, 2004 in The Los Angeles Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 18, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Two people walking away from camera through pedestrian plaza in street in Richmond, Virginia with purple and white city bus moving in background.

Vehicle-related Deaths Drop 29% in Richmond, VA

The seventh year of the city's Vision Zero strategy also cut the number of people killed in alcohol-related crashes by half.

June 17, 2025 - WRIC

Two small wooden one-story homes in Florida with floodwaters at their doors.

As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?

With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.

June 16, 2025 - Governing

People at beach on sunny day doing clean-up of plastic bottles and other trash.

Plastic Bag Bans Actually Worked

U.S. coastal areas with plastic bag bans or fees saw significant reductions in plastic bag pollution — but plastic waste as a whole is growing.

35 minutes ago - Fast Company

Close-up on PG&E "SmartMeter" electricity meter on side of building.

Improving Indoor Air Quality, One Block at a Time

A movement to switch to electric appliances at the neighborhood scale is taking off in California.

3 hours ago - Inside Climate News

Colorful bright blue small houses with decorative cacti in courtyard in San Diego, California.

Opinion: How to Rebuild the ‘Starter Home’ Market

Large minimum lot sizes and restrictions on multi-unit housing put an artificial floor under home costs. Is it time to eliminate them?

4 hours ago - Greater Greater Washington