The City's top budget official has warned that dismantling the Redevelopment Agency could cost the city more than $109 million in new expenses.
David Zahniser and Jessica Garrison report on the fallout from last month's Supreme Court decision dismantling the state's redevelopment agencies on the City of Los Angeles. Already facing ongoing budget deficits, should the City Council choose to retain all of the current redevelopment agency employees and complete its backlog of projects, the city would incur more than $109 million in new expenses, high-level analysts warned.
As a result, "A committee of the mayor and four council members instructed Santana to begin the process of laying off 192 redevelopment employees....Dozens of projects are now in jeopardy, officials said."
"Everything is in chaos right now," said Councilwoman Jan Perry, who is running for mayor. "We're getting calls from developers every day, saying what's going to happen to my project? We need to answer them and quickly."
FULL STORY: L.A. assesses costs of shuttering redevelopment agency
The ‘Necessity of Oil and Gas Drilling’
The California Supreme Court on Aug. 3 unanimously overturned a successful 2016 Monterey County ballot measure that banned new oil and gas drilling. According to plaintiff Chevron USA, the justices recognized the ‘necessity of oil and gas drilling.’
Los Angeles County Invests in Wildfire Recovery for Parks, Trails, and Open Space
The $4.25 million RESTORE Program supports the recovery of parks, trails, and open spaces damaged by the January 2025 wildfires through targeted grants that promote community healing, wildfire resilience, and equitable access to nature.
Private Donations Propel Early Restoration of Palisades Playground
Los Angeles has secured over $1.3 million in private funding to restore the Pacific Palisades playground months ahead of schedule, creating a modern, accessible space that supports community healing after recent wildfires.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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