The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District in December, 2005 approved the Indirect Source Rule, making it the first Air District in the US to regulate land uses, much to the ire of the building industry. Will they take the Air District to court?
"It's unclear what sort of legal argument the group, which includes a mix of developers, business groups, and some cities and elected officials, will make. A spokesman said a decision would be made within the next two months.
"Air-quality officials regulate stationary sources of pollution such as plants and factories but can't directly control tailpipe emissions, the largest source of dirty air. The new rule places fees on all projects that increase vehicular traffic, such as homes, shopping malls and schools."
"The fees will increase each year for three years, beginning in 2006. They will add $1,772 to the cost of a typical home by 2008 and between $872,000 and $1.3 million to the cost of a typical shopping mall.
The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District spent two years drafting the rule and is confident it will hold up in court, said Phillip Jay, an attorney for the district."
"Jay said he doubts the fees will hurt developers' profits at the rate housing prices are growing. The price of a new home in the Valley has increased 20 percent to 30 percent per year."
Thanks to Mary Michal Rawling
FULL STORY: Group may sue over air fee

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

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

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
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.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie