A roundup -- and explanation -- of all the relevant planning and legislation that will beome law this year.

The battle over redevelopment of the Sunset Magazine headquarters in Menlo Pack has reached fever pitch, with the city refusing to back down in its resistance to the project and the developer filing a lawsuit asking that the city be hit with at least $6.6 million in fines.

Prohousing lawyers file lawsuits against SANDAG and the cities of San Diego, San Francisco, and Montebello

In 1997, the suburban dream was strong in the Sacramento areas. The capital city drew various measures of pity and indifference from coastal urbanities while places such as Elk Grove, Folsom, and Roseville grew as quickly as tract-home developers could build them. That's the year that Tom Pace joined the City of Sacramento's Planning Division. In the years since then, Sacramento and Pace -- who took over long-range planning in 2006 and became planning director in 2017 (after

Newsom now has 30 days to sign or veto the bills.

Although the federal government doesn't directly control land use, the new law contains many provisions that California planners need to know about -- including a CDBG penalty if housing isn't produced. Here's the rundown.

San Francisco and San Jose have gotten their alternative plans approved. Los Angeles and San Diego took the deferral route.

The city finally approved its 2021-2029 housing element. But compliance depends on whether a judge and HCD will accept a vastly increased overlay system.

Affordable housing developers say it helps them. But economic development folks say it hurts their efforts and may actually decrease the amount of housing built.

In a case from Los Angeles, a judge ruled that just because the transportation commission oversees parking on a city lot, that doesn't mean it can deny approval of an affordable housing project on that lot already approved by the city council.

The location wasn't on the city's Housing Element sites inventory. But the denial may be based on subjective standards. All in all, it's a good example of how small cities are struggling to adapt to new housing laws.

Many housing and land use bills made it out of the house of origin last week and are moving forward.