When a student housing firm faced competition in the form of a proposed new building at USC, it filed a lawsuit against them using CEQA (the California Environmental Quality Act). Then they sued the developer's other projects too.
Is CEQA a savior of California's environment, or regulation gone wild? Nicholas Riccardi of The Los Angeles Times reports:
"...as state politicians scramble to assure voters they are trying to create jobs, they have turned on the 40-year-old law and the cottage industry of litigation it has spawned."
Gov. Jerry Brown has said that there are "too many damn regulations" when it comes to new development, and has signed a number of bills to bypass CEQA, including one "that would ease the requirements for some urban projects that otherwise meet planning standards."
Riccardi explains the history of CEQA, and points to a number of other cases where it was used more as a weapon than for its intended use:
"In Glendale, the owners of the Glendale Galleria mall filed a CEQA lawsuit against a proposed new mall, losing the litigation but delaying the project by several months."
Read the full story: Firms turning to environmental law to combat rivals
California lawmakers approve bill that would shield housing, sports arena project from environmental lawsuits
The bill passed the Assembly with 72 votes out of a possible 80 and later cleared the Senate on a unanimous vote.
California Adopts CEQA Reforms for Infrastructure, Leaves Out Residential
The state of California adopted reforms to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pertaining to climate-friendly infrastructure projects, but residential development interests hoping for relief from CEQA will have to wait.
California Governor's Proposal Would Streamline Infrastructure Projects
Governor Newsom hopes his proposed changes to state laws would help speed up infrastructure projects before federal funding is put in jeopardy.
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.
Los Angeles just elected an urban planner as its mayor
Transportation analysts are optimistic that Raman will be more aggressive in addressing transit issues than Bass.
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.
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