In the wake of the pandemic, some California downtowns are stronger than ever. Others resemble the walking dead. Both scenarios have inspired planners to get creative.

As in other cities, Redondo claims it "self-certified" its housing element, thus protecting it from a builder's remedy claim. The developer of the city's former beachfront power plant claims HCD approval was required.

The California Department of Housing and Community Development released its 2023-2024 Notice of Funding Availability calendar -- for $2.8 billion

When a court told the City of San Diego to engage in more CEQA review, the city abandoned the project. Then the plaintiff tried to get the city to conduct the review anyway -- but an appellate court overruled her.

Montecito homeowners said Santa Barbara County couldn't enforce its encroachment law because the county had to go through a CEQA process. An appellate court said the homeowners who blocked parking spaces on their road were the lawbreakers, not the county

In an unpublished ruling, appellate court uses "noisy Berkeley students" precedent to rule that human noise could be a significant impact under CEQA, thus killing infill exemption for project near USC.

A report from UC Berkeley's Terner Center for Housing Innovation studies the impact of Senate Bill 35 five years after its statewide approval

Four new court cases shed light onto the California Environmental Quality Act as well as land-use designations in general plans.

The affluent San Gabriel Valley city has asserted that late passage of its housing element might protect the city from the builder's remedy, even without HCD approval (which could come soon). But a pending project may be permitted to move forward.

New projections from the California Department of Finance suggest the state's long-term population growth is slowing

California Supreme Court concludes that localities may regulate the location of oil drilling, but the allowable methods must be determined by the Department of Conservation.

A coalition of housing advocates collected enough signatures to place an initiative to repeal a major restriction on rent control on the November 2024 statewide ballot