Developers and concerned residents tussle in Orange County, California, as a property meant to host an art museum moves toward redevelopment as high-rise luxury condos instead.

"It never was the intent of Irvine Company to see its gifts to public culture turn into a private development. We hope the City of Newport Beach will continue to use the entire property as intended, for cultural purposes." So reads a statement from the Irvine Company about a Newport Beach property it donated to the Orange County Museum of Art in 1977.
As it moves to Costa Mesa, "the museum has entered into an agreement to sell its Newport Center site to Related California Urban Housing, LLC." On the site, Related has proposed Museum House, a 25-story, 100-unit residential project. Units will sell for $2-4 million each.
On Oct. 20, the Newport Beach Planning Commission approved the project. And now, the Newport Beach City Council has also approved the controversial plan. Local residents are joining the Irvine Company's objections with protests of their own, citing concerns about density and traffic around the Newport Center commercial district.
FULL STORY: Irvine Co. Voices Objection to Museum House

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

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

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico
An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.

Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes
Proposed state legislation would close a ‘legal gap’ that lets drivers who kill get away with few repercussions.

Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels
Transit ridership around the country was up by 85 percent in all modes in 2024.
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