California State Sen. Ben Allen has authored SB 961 to finance optional neighborhood infill TOD districts, with support from fellow legislators. Redondo Beach Mayor Bill Brand is considering an initiative to protect local zoning.
In reaction to legislation threatening to usurp local control of housing and land-use policy by the state, California elected officials have been scurrying to reframe the conversation. Some legislators, like State Senator Ben Allen, have introduced permissive legislation where jurisdictions can opt in to participate in new infill finance district. In an interview with The Planning Report, Sen. Allen and MoveLA Director Denny Zane laid out the goal of allowing cities to capture tax increment monies and apply such funds towards affordable housing and transportation infrastructure.
SB 961 has passed unanimously out of two committees, and aims to create funds that also solve first/last-mile transit issues and complete urban greening projects that make neighborhoods more walkable and supportive of public transportation. Zane, who's MoveLA is sponsoring SB 961, explained that the bill would build on efforts in California to create Enhanced Infrastructure Finance Districts and Community Revitalization and Infrastructure Authorities to capture tax increment. SB 961 builds on the Neighborhood Infill Finance and Transit Improvement (NIFTI), which is called NIFTI-2.
When asked about the potential of SB 961 being signed by the Governor, Zane optimistically explained that "everything that might be considered politically challenging about this bill has already been accepted by the governor in another bill."
Sen. Allen's permissive SB 961 aligns with the feelings of mayors and local officials who were dismayed and angered by SB 827's attempt to move the locus of planning from local governments to the state. Redondo Beach Mayor Bill Brand spoke to The Planning Report about his effort to mobilize other mayors to enshrine their local decision-making jurisdiction in the California Constitution. With a housing density greater that San Francisco, Redondo Beach residents were frustrated by SB 827's proposal to upzone large swaths of land without supporting increased investment in transportation infrastructure and new job creation. Mayor Brand stated that state legislation relying on upzoning R1 neighborhoods is a patently "absurd” approach to generating more affordable housing supply.
Read more in The Planning Report.
FULL STORY: Mayor Brand to CA Legislature: Instead of Simplistic Supply Side SB827, Give Cities Resources
California Gives 15 Cities ‘Final Warning’ to Submit Mandatory Housing Plans
Communities are required to produce housing elements that accommodate sufficient housing for all income levels.
LA Delays State TOD Law to 2030 With its Own, Lower-density Plan
SB 79 allows cities to delay its implementation if they come up with alternate plans to boost density while retaining local control near transit.
Delaware Governor Could Force Cities to Upzone
Gov. Meyer says the state will work with cities to encourage land use reforms that make room for more affordable housing types, but could take stricter measures if jurisdictions don’t comply.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
Mamdani overhauls NYC's Vision Zero plan with 100 new policy goals
The overhaul aims to reduce traffic deaths and make streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers through lower speed limits, new safety infrastructure and more.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
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.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association