The U.S. Supreme Court turned down a request by the National Association of Home Builders to hear their lawsuit against the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District's use of the 'indirect source rule', better known as a 'smog fee'.
The ruling by the court has tremendous implications for air districts as they view land uses as sources of air pollution. Sprawling, auto-dependent developments may be forced to pay "indirect source fees" to the regulators because of trips generated.
The Home Builders had already lost at the U.S. District and Appeals court levels.
"The news... hands a victory to air pollution regulators and environmental groups. It also means that Bay Area air regulators, who had been watching the case with interest, are likely to adopt a similar rule in the next few years.
"Developers have been able to largely avoid the same regulations that apply to a smokestack," said Paul Cort, an (Earthjustice) attorney who represented the Sierra Club and Environmental Defense Fund in the case. "But these projects do create pollution by adding to the vehicle miles traveled."
"The decisions (developers) make on where to build and how to build do make a difference," said Cort. "Smarter development means reduced air pollution. This creates an incentive to promote infill development, to build next to existing mass transit, and to build more pedestrian friendly projects."
Thanks to Gita Dev
FULL STORY: Environmental groups, state regulators win major smog case over home developers

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

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars
Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.

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.

With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)