California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
Lawsuit Puts Downtown L.A. Flower Market Development on Hold
A planned development would preserve Los Angeles's historic wholesale flower market within a 12-story mixed-use high-rise.
California's Kern County Weighs Proposal to Approve Thousands of New Oil Wells
The oil-rich county hopes to boost its economy with a revised plan for new drilling after a state court struck down a 2015 ordinance.
Evaluating CEQA: The Controversial Law Turns 50
The California Environmental Quality Act, commonly referred to as CEQA for short, has been influencing planning and development in California for 50 years, creating a constant source of controversy and criticisms from both sides of the debate.
The Causes of California's Development Malaise
A spate of recent articles has taken a critical look at the regulatory obstacles to a progrssive planning vision in the state of California.
New Rule on Environmental Impacts of Driving, Long Awaited, Goes Into Effect Today
At long last, California law will consider the amount of driving, rather than vehicle delay, when evaluating the environmental impacts of new developments. This is a more common-sense approximation of their environmental impacts.
CEQA Exemptions Could Finally Be Granted to Sustainable Transportation Projects
California has traditionally granted environmental exemptions to large projects like football stadiums, a practice criticized by environmentalists and urbanists alike. SB 288 would change that, with exemptions for sustainable transportation projects.
Bill Would Allow Homeless Shelters to Skip Environmental Review in California
Environmental review required by the California Environmental Quality Act would no longer apply to the construction of homeless shelters under a law proposed in the California State Legislature.
Level of Service Canceled in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles City Council voted to officially end the use of Level of Service in measuring environmental impact in favor of a more people-friendly measure: vehicle miles traveled.
Lawsuits: Not Just for Development Opponents Anymore
Details of the "Sue the Suburbs" movement wielding a new legal tool to counteract the traditionally obstructionist methods of land use regulation in California.
S.F. Residents Sue to Block Homeless 'Navigation Center' on Environmental Grounds
A group called Safe Embarcadero for All is suing to block the construction of a homeless shelter on city-leased land across from piers 30-32 on the San Francisco waterfront.
Lawsuit Aims to Block San Diego Parking Requirement Reform
A lawsuit against San Diego alleges that the City Council approved an ordinance ending parking requirements on transit corridors without performing necessary environmental review.
A New Day for the California Environmental Quality Act
The California Natural Resources Agency posted the final version of amendments to the California Environmental Quality Act, enabled by 2013's SB 743, at the end of 2018.
Musk's Boring Co. Drops Westside L.A. Tunnel Plans
A lawsuit by a pair of Westside L.A. neighborhood groups has killed the Boring Company's plans to drill a tunnel below Sepulveda Boulevard.
CEQA and the California Dream: No Marriage, Except for Attorneys
A Habitat for Humanity Project in Silicon Valley is stymied by an effective, CEQA-wielding attorney who doesn't want his home office views obstructed and more traffic in his neighborhood.
Is CEQA the Main Impediment to Housing Construction in California?
According to a new study by UC Berkeley and Columbia University, local land use processes, specifically the approval process, rather than the California Environmental Quality Act, is the main impediment to housing production in California.
State Legislation Would Clear CEQA Obstructions for Road and Transit Projects
One legislator believes CEQA "is a key barrier to California meeting its ambitious climate change goals.”
The Final Days of 'Level of Service' in California's Environmental Review Process
A long-awaited draft update of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) has finally been released, and Level of Service will finally be a thing of the past in the next two to four years.
Op-Ed: Washington's State Environmental Policy Act 'Off the Rails' in Cities
Drawing on a slew of examples, Dan Bertolet argues that Washington's State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) has been co-opted in ways that run against its original purpose: protecting the environment.
A Timeline of CEQA-Circumventing Court Rulings
The California Environmental Quality Act is generally considered a major obstacle for development. In a few cases, however, the law's definitions have been used to clear the way for development in environmentally sensitive areas.
13 Years Later—Environmental Review for San Francisco Bus Rapid Transit Project Complete
The California Environmental Quality Act-mandated review process for a proposed bus rapid transit project in San Francisco took 13 years to complete.
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.
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
