Court Rulings
A Win for Single-Family Zoning in California
Five Southern California charter cities need not worry about lot splitting in their single-family zoned neighborhoods thanks to a Los Angeles County superior court ruling on April 22. Depending on a forthcoming ruling, 120 cities may join them.
Will Supreme Court Case Lead to Lower Impact Fees — or Just More Studies?
Everybody seems to think that the recent case from California could lead to dramatically lower fees — and lower housing costs. But that's not what the court decided.
State Supreme Court Clears Way for Defunct Airport Redevelopment in Maryland
The legal controversies over a zoning amendment approved in 2019 went all the way to the top court in the state of Maryland, but by the time the court ruled, the Bowie City Council had already repealed the amendment in question.
Landmark Climate Decision Rules in Favor of Montana Youth
The ruling in Held v. Montana is the first of its kind in the United States, according to reports.
Berkeley’s First-in-Nation Natural Gas Ban Overthrown by Court Ruling
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Berkeley does not have the power to mandate electric hookups in new development because a federal rule preempts the local regulation.
Fare Enforcement Upheld by Washington Supreme Court
But using armed police to enforce fare payment is less than ideal in the eyes of the top court in the state of Washington.
Senate Vote Illustrates America's Polarized Response to Pandemic
A Senate joint resolution to roll back the Biden administration's only vaccine mandate to be upheld by the Supreme Court passed on a party-line vote on March 2. In Europe, the legislative branch often needs to approve these measures to become law.
Without New Environmental Impact Report, UC Berkeley Will Enroll Thousands Fewer Students
A high-profile example of the power of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) might cause thousands of students to miss out on a chance to attend the University of California, Berkeley.
Supreme Court: OSHA Exceeded its Public Health Authority
The Supreme Court ruled that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration had overreached its authority to protect the health of workers in large private companies. In a separate decision, it upheld a vaccine mandate for most healthcare workers.
Court: Federal COVID-19 'Vaccine or Test-and-Mask' Mandate 'Fatally Flawed'
The Biden Administration's most sweeping and possibly controversial action to increase COVID vaccinations has been stayed twice by a federal appeals court and is likely headed to the Supreme Court
Pandemic Debate: Civil Liberties vs. Individual Liberties
The American Civil Liberties Union stepped into the nation's masking debate in K-12 schools on the side of parents of students with disabilities. They won the first round in the U.S. Southern District Court of Iowa. Mask mandates are permitted again.
Judge Tosses Trump Administration's Rollback of 'Waters of the United States' Protections
The Trump administration's Navigable Waters Protection Rule was sloppy, and it would have done "serious environmental harm," according to a recent court ruling.
Judge Caps Enrollment at UC Berkeley Pending Environmental Impact Report
An Alameda County judge dealt a stunning rebuke of a plan to expand the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, with housing and new space for the Goodman School of Public Policy.
Supreme Court of Texas Upholds Governor's Ban on Local Mask Mandates
As the coronavirus surges in hard-hit Texas, threatening to overwhelm hospitals, the state supreme court affirmed the right of the governor to preempt local governments from enacting proven health measures to keep residents safe from infection.
Coronavirus Litigation: CDC Loses Ability to Regulate Cruise Industry in Win for Florida Governor
In a stunning reversal, a federal appeals court panel on July 23 reversed its ruling issued six days earlier in favor of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after Gov. Ron DeSantis appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court.
Federal Judge Tosses CDC's Eviction Moratorium
"The CDC order must be set aside," said U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich in a ruling announced Wednesday, May 5.
Judge Presses Pause on Controversial Skid Row Housing Order
A 60-day grace period and some additional contingencies have been added to a court order for the city and county of Los Angeles to provide shelter or housing to the thousands of people experiencing homelessness on Skid Row in Downtown Los Angeles.
Judge's Ruling Will Force L.A. to Reckon With Skid Row
A federal judge has ruled that the city and county of Los Angeles, home to the nation's largest population of people experiencing homelessness, must overcome the development delays that have prevented the creation of new supportive housing.
California Judge Berates L.A. County Public Health Department in Outdoor Dining Ruling
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge was critical of county public health officials for banning outdoor dining to slow the spread of the coronavirus without providing scientific evidence that the order would reduce infections.
SCOTUS: Freedom of Religion Trumps Public Health in a Pandemic
In a late-night 5-4 ruling on the eve of Thanksgiving, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a governor's executive order to stem the spread of a contagious virus can not impede the right of people to gather in a church.
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.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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