How deeply does the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA—one of the oldest statewide environmental laws—impact urban planning in California? Does it effectively balance the interests of the state's citizens, the building industry, and environmentalists? How do planners use the law, and what kind of growth does it promote in the state? In this exclusive Planetizen Roundtable Discussion, CEQA experts discuss the powerful law's wide-ranging impact on planning issues, and evaluate opportunities for reform.
Participants
- Sean Hecht, Executive Director of the UCLA School of Law Environmental Law Center
- Dr. Dan Silver, Executive Director of the Endangered Habitats League
- Andy Henderson, Vice President and General Counsel of the Building Industry Association of Southern California
- Chris Joseph, President and Principal of environmental consulting firm Christopher A. Joseph & Associates
- David Gest, Planetizen Managing Editor, discussion moderator
Track Listings [1.3 hours total running time]
- Track 1 - Introduction to Planetizen Roundtable
- Track 2 - Introduction to CEQA and CEQA terminology - 1
- Track 3 - Introduction to CEQA and CEQA terminology - 2
- Track 4 - Introductions to Roundtable participants
- Track 5 - Does CEQA really work?
- Track 6 - How political is CEQA? (Delays, lawsuits)
- Track 7 - Problems with project-level review
- Track 8 - Affordable housing and infill development
- Track 9 - Is CEQA a smart growth law?
- Track 10 - Time for a statewide planning law? - 1
- Track 11 - Time for a statewide planning law? - 2
- Track 12 - What would life be like without CEQA?
File Contents, Type, and Size Downloadable WinZip file [20 MB] containing:
Audio - 12 MP3 audio tracks
Text - Transcript of discussion highlights and other notes [PDF]
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity
Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.
Study reveals best places in the U.S. for cycling, walking
New research from Streetlight Data examines bicycle and pedestrian miles per capita in the 100 largest U.S. cities by population.
Why does it take an emergency for the U.S. to expedite infrastructure projects?
In June 2023, Philadelphia repaired a melted interstate in 12 days thanks to an emergency order.
Federal government nominates new FTA administrator
Mark Aesch is currently the founder and CEO of a transportation management consulting firm.
Developers reveal $10 billion stadium plan as ‘Hail Mary’ to keep Bears in Chicago
The plan would also boast a public park, high- and mid-rise buildings and a youth sports complex.
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 Charlotte
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
