This year's edition of the conference of the California Chapter of the American Planning Association arrives in a subdued version of Los Angeles. In the past 20 months, it has faced devastating wildfires, contraction of the entertainment industry, immigration raids, a bruising (and ongoing) mayoral race, population stagnation, the closure of bars and restaurants, jitters about the 2028 Olympics, and, most recently, the threat of coastal erosion from El Nino. Through it all, development has slowed and planning remains... complicated. Los Angeles is not the supernova it once was--but it has yet to figure out how to make its comeback. The state's planners will convene against this backdrop, to discuss the future of Los Angeles and many of the state's other jurisdictions. Under the Hollywood-esque theme "Crafting Our Narrative: Planning as Storytelling," the conference runs from Saturday, Oct. 3 through Tuesday, Oct. 6 in downtown Los Angeles. CP&DR's Josh Stephens spoke with Los Angeles APA Section Director and conference co-chair Roderick Hall (also an analyst with the Los Angeles Housing Department) about what the estimated 2,100 attendees can expect. CP&DR is a media sponsor of the California APA Conference and will be present in the exhibit hall. We welcome readers to connect with us. The last time the APA conference was in the Los Angeles area was 2016 (in Pasadena). If you were around back then, do you feel like anything has changed in the ten years since planners last officially convened in L.A.? I got to LA in February 2020. So I can't necessarily speak to what has changed since the last conference, but I can talk about what has changed since I moved to Los Angeles. A lot of what was shared with me by people is that certainly the Los Angeles before COVID and the Los Angeles after COVID are not the same Los Angeles. In part, the city and the region are thinking about natural disasters, particularly fires. There's been a significant shift in how we think about housing in this region and across the state. There's now a huge need to rethink what the narrative is, not only of Los Angeles but of California, and how that takes into account a lot of the new changes coming into the region. I'm especially interested in getting planners to understand that not only is part of our role to think about and craft the narratives around people and places, but also a core part of our role is bringing the pages to life. That's why the logo has a city coming out of a book. Because as much as you can put on paper that you need (roughly) 450,000 units for the city, you need not only planners who can plan for it, but also planners who implement and make it happen. A lot of the sessions we've chosen are about helping people have the conversations and think about the tools and the resources and the approaches to actually developing, not just planning, the community. What are some sessions you're excited about? Which ones capture the moment? Roderick Hall I don't want people to think I have a favorite session, so to speak. We were very intentional about making sure we covered all kinds of themes, from housing to transportation to climate and disaster to economic development. We did so in a way that takes into account what the profession needs, but also takes into account and how Los Angeles thinks about some of these topics. There are a few sessions on cultural districts and on recognizing a variety of cultures in a community. That excites me because I think so core to California's narrative is the fact that we have so many different ethnicities here that all contribute to the community and the economy. Myself and my fellow section directors have our own session that we will be focusing collaboration across the state, about helping people understand resiliency and showing up for work and navigating that. The diversity plenary, which we are calling “The Summit,” brings together three different community-based organizations in Los Angeles, as well as someone from APA National, to talk about what it means to develop communities, specifically communities that are viewed as marginalized, in a time of funding cuts and various perspectives on community development across different levels of government. A lot of planners right now, especially in California, are wrestling with the question: how do we continue to live out California values when some of the funding we receive, or the stipulations around the funding, may not align with those values? The opening and closing plenaries both excite me because they're fireside chats with an individual person. One is Los Angeles Planning Director Vince Bertoni, one is Brian Ulaszewski, executive director of City Fabrik. I think both of those conversations are going to be fruitful because they approach this from different perspectives: public sector and private sector. We're doing an activation this year, and this activation has so many moving components. We're going to have video games on site, and we're going to have some podcast interviews, and the ability to do some tactile workshops to think about place. There's also going to be a working room where people can just go and work.I don't want people to just come and be talked to. I want people to have an experience with this conference where they leave feeling they were able to learn, work, and play, all in one setting, because when we come out of the conference, we want to feel replenished. How would you describe the mood in your section these days? As you've collaborated with counterparts around the state to put the conference together, what sort of mood have you perceived from them? I would say the overall mood, both in the section and across the state, is eagerness. Not happy or sad, just that there's this eagerness to figure it out, whatever “it” is. People really want to understand: we live in California, we espouse certain values, and we go about planning in a very Californian way, so to speak. I think people are wrestling with staff retention or hiring. People are wrestling with how to provide services to their community, either because funding is cut or because the people who are allowed to benefit from programs, those eligibility [requirements], have changed. Even though that has changed, it does not mean that the need has changed. So there's this eagerness to figure out workarounds and solutions to continue to provide services at an adequate level. A lot of what we've heard is people trying to navigate the impact of ICE raids, not just on the people but also on the economy. People are also trying to understand: "I work in this community, but when there is a fire or another natural disaster, I'm also impacted, and I'm also having to get up and go to work and address it." There's a huge need to help planners develop resiliency and the tools needed for self-care to still get up and do the work. It's easy, especially for a lot of people to maybe not feel as happy or excited about the work, or even to be burned out about the work. I'm sure there are individuals who fall into their respective camps, but I would say the overall theme is eagerness to problem-solve and innovate. You're a veteran of housing in California. What do you expect from the housing discussions at the conference? For the most part, there seems to be an appetite for people to plan for more housing. At this point, those arguments are kind of moot. We all have to plan for it. I actually think the conversations around housing at the conference are going to start to advance toward, “well, I've done the planning. Unless someone is planning to take the market rate and use zoning or inclusionary zoning, whatever you want to call that program, there's not going to be a way in which the market alone is going to provide.” A lot of people are asking me, How do you think about finding an affordable housing developer, how do you work with them, how do you help them get financing? What's the role of local government in helping a project pencil? Or how do you work with them to think about impact fees? What is a NOFA? What does it mean to talk about a capital stack? I've always wanted to be at a point where I saw more planners thinking about funding and financing and not just, "Oh, okay, well, we made this plan." That's great, but it can't get developed if there is no funding and financing to develop it. That's partially in housing, but I've, shockingly, seen this come up in a lot of other topical areas as well, including transportation and climate readiness planning. Financing and funding conversations across the board seem to be what I hear a lot of people talking about, and that's partially due to federal funding cuts. At the local level, different cities are facing their own deficits that may or may not be driven by funding cuts from the federal government or even from the state government. You mention the federal government. Certain members of the federal government like to dismiss or demean California these days. Is there an opportunity to be a pep rally or to assert California's vibrancy? What role can planners play in supporting the state as an entity on the national level? APA National has done a great job not only of taking California into account but of taking into account the broader states at the national level, and having their policy and advocacy team really work to enshrine the values not just of California but of the planning profession. Planning in general tends to be a much more inclusive profession, at least in today's time, where people are all trying to think about making communities work for all members. I say that to say, the whole point of this conference is exactly that. California has a narrative as a state, and jurisdictions within California have their own unique narratives. This conference is the opportunity for people to get together and ask: in this new era of work we find ourselves in, or this new era of the profession, how can we still do the work that's needed? Some of that, yeah, maybe that's federal, but I don't think all of it is. Some issues are specific to a local jurisdiction and are separate from what's happening at the federal level, even if they're happening concurrently.

This article is brought to you courtesy of the paying subscribers to California Planning & Development Report. You can subscribe to CP&DR by clicking here. You can sign up for CP&DR’s free weekly newsletter here. Canceled Light Rail Extension Draws Lawsuit from Montclair The Inland Empire suburb of Montclair is suing the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) after the agency withdrew funding for the planned A Line light-rail extension to Montclair. The city claims SBCTA broke its long-standing commitment to extend the rail line from Claremont to the Montclair Transit Center. In September 2025, SBCTA voted 15–11 to redirect its $37 million allocation, citing rising costs and concerns about limited input into project decisions. Montclair argues that abandoning the project could cost the city millions in planning expenses, property value increases, and future tax revenue. The lawsuit also alleges that SBCTA discriminated against Montclair, a lower-income community with a large Hispanic and immigrant population, by redirecting funds toward more affluent communities. Montclair is asking the court to enforce Measure I funding requirements, prevent unlawful discrimination, and award damages. Meanwhile, the A Line extension from Pomona to neighboring Claremont is moving forward, with construction expected to begin in late 2027 and finish in 2031. Data Center Update: Majority of Californians Opposed; L.A. County Moratorium A Politico poll found 51% of registered California voters oppose building new data centers in the state and opposition rises to 61% when a proposed data center would be in their own community. Most voters prefer local over state control, and there is a distinct split along party lines. The study found 45% of Republican-leaning voters support new centers, compared to about one eighth of Democrat voters. Recently, LA County's planning director ordered an immediate prohibition on large AI data centers in unincorporated areas, and El Monte, Baldwin Park, Oakley, Gilroy, and Richmond have passed bans or moratoriums. In San Francisco, Supervisor Shamann Walton proposed a 45-day moratorium, possibly extendable to two years, as a step toward a citywide ban, just as a little-known firm was reported to be eyeing a large waterfront site in the area. Meanwhile, the Dogpatch Power Station developer nearby plans to retract a data center amendment after community pushback. The Eureka City Council has moved forward in their effort to restrict data center construction, directing staff to create zoning regulations allowing data centers of 20,000 square feet or less to be built in industrial areas of the city, with a potential ban on large facilities. The decision comes two weeks after the city passed their 45-day moratorium on all data center planning until a decision could be reached. Navy Gives OK to Redevelopment of Concord Base The U.S. Navy approved a financial term sheet for redeveloping the Concord Naval Weapons Station, a 12,800 acre former munitions storage facility that fell out of use in 1999. The term sheet covers roughly 2,422 acres and is backed by master developer Brookfield Properties, which can now work with the city on a specific plan for construction and zoning. Planned features include 12,272 housing units, a 75-acre first responder training facility, a 4-acre veterans community center, a $5 million sports park, 5,038 acres for Thurgood Marshall Regional Park, 16 acres for permanently supportive housing and 10 acres for food bank expansion. Brookfield was chosen as master developer in 2023 after original developer Lennar withdrew in 2020 over a dispute with labor organizers. San Francisco Mayor & Supes Consider Raft of Housing Proposals San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced six proposals that protect tenants from eviction and provide other renter protections in an attempt to counter skyrocketing rents and increased housing insecurity amid the artificial intelligence boom. Median rent prices in San Francisco are up nearly 26% over last year, and eviction notices have increased 44%. The package includes increased payments tenants are owed if evicted by 25%, directing $3 million to free legal representation for tenants threatened with eviction, $27 million on rental subsidies to cover the loss of federal housing vouchers set to expire at the end of the year, a 10% cap on “banked” rent spikes, and $1 million toward a public awareness campaign for renters. Meanwhile, San Francisco Supervisor Myrna Melgar plans to introduce legislation creating a dedicated housing department to coordinate and streamline affordable and market-rate housing. The proposal comes as San Francisco falls behind its goal of building 82,000 homes by 2031, which Melgar blames on a current system fragmented across multiple agencies, slowing housing approvals and construction as rents and home prices rise. CP&DR Coverage: Coastal Commission Power Trumps Builders Remedy The Coastal Commission’s powers trump the state’s builders remedy law, an appellate court has ruled in yet another case from Redondo Beach. New Commune DTLA, developer Leo Pustilnikov’s company, attempted to use builders remedy to end-run Redondo Beach’s local coastal program (LCP) for a project that would include 30 condominiums (six affordable) and 141,000 square feet of commercial space. Pustilnikov has been aggressive in pursuing builders' remedy projects and associated litigation in both Redondo Beach and Beverly Hills, most recently winning a court battle over whether Redondo could use overlay zones to meet its housing element requirements. The coastal litigation involves potentially high stakes in affluent areas up and down the coast where cities must get Coastal Commission approval for their local plans and developers are seeking to end-run local processes with builders' remedy projects. Quick Hits & Updates Pacifica, a coastal city in San Mateo County, has resisted development at the site of a 90-acre former limestone quarry. Now Michigan-based developer Eenhoorn and Netherlands has filed an application with builder’s remedy for what may be the most likely plan yet, a 21-building development with 1,225 units that would cover about one third of the property. So far, the city has rejected the development, and the developer has appealed to the City Council. Roseville City Council has advanced plans for a $77 million civic campus. It will replace aging, overcrowded facilities, and add a license and passport center and a dance studio near Lexington Avenue and Woodhill Drive. The maintenance operations center is estimated to cost around $64.1 million, while the license, passport and dance studio portion is down to roughly $13 million from $14.5 million. The Costa Mesa City Council has approved a plan for 2,300 residences on the former Fairview Developmental Center, including 920 units set aside as affordable for low-income tenants. The vote advances a long effort to reuse the 80-acre property, which once housed more than 2,500 patients and closed in 2022 as the state moved care for people with developmental disabilities toward community-based settings. Though the city faces state pressure to add 11,760 homes by the end of the decade, council members scaled back a Planning Commission plan that would have allowed up to 4,000 units. California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the California Energy Commission filed a 54-page federal lawsuit Tuesday challenging what they call an unlawful buyout that removed a major floating wind project off Morro Bay from development. It is the state's second such suit against the Trump administration. The complaint targets a $765 million buyback of four wind leases held by Chicago-based Invenergy, announced in June. The deal included the $111 million Even Keel Wind project, whose lease covered more than 80,000 acres off the Central Coast. Incoming Angels owner Stan Kroenke has not finalized plans for a new ballpark, although a replacement for Angel Stadium remains a possibility under the $4 billion purchase agreement. The stadium sits on roughly 130 acres of land that could support a larger mixed-use development. The Angels’ current lease runs through 2032, with an extension possible to 2038, and the state’s new “Home Run for Anaheim Act” would allow the team to circumvent affordable housing requirements if the team reverts to their name as the Anaheim Angels.

The recent appellate court ruling concluding that the elimination of an historic resources inventory requires an analysis under the California Environmental Quality Act has been published meaning it can be used as precedent.

Mitigations and exemptions don’t mix – at least not in the California Environmental Quality Act.

Lot line adjustments are ministerial. Except when they’re not.

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This article is brought to you courtesy of the paying subscribers to California Planning & Development Report. You can subscribe to CP&DR by clicking here. You can sign up for CP&DR’s free weekly newsletter here. San Francisco Considers $17 Billion Proposal to Protect Waterfront from Rising Seas The Port of San Francisco and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have presented a $17 billion study including proposals to save its bayside shoreline from rising sea levels. The San Francisco Waterfront Coastal Flood Study analyzes risk along the 7.5 mile stretch including Fisherman’s Wharf in an effort to combat the projected 3.5 foot sea level rise and $23 billion in damages expected to occur by the end of the century. Proposals include raising the Ferry Building by 7 feet, and replacing the 1800s-era seawall with a taller and wider construction to hold back mud that downtown is built upon, this time out of environmentally-conscious materials. Experts worry that environmental protection rollbacks under the Trump administration could delay funding and construction for years. (See related CP&DR coverage.) Santa Cruz County Supervisors Reject Proposal to put Data Centers to a Vote The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors rejected a proposed ordinance that would have granted voters a say in the construction of AI data centers in unincorporated parts of the county. Supervisor Justin Cummings introduced the proposal, which would have required voter approval before zoning, permitting, construction or operation, due to concerns about high electricity and water consumption, noise, traffic, pollution, and land use. While supporters argued that residents should have a say in major developments,opposing supervisors Manu Koenig and Kim De Serpa as well as Board Chair Monica Martinez said more research was needed before making sweeping changes. No AI data centers are currently proposed in Santa Cruz County, and any future projects would undergo the existing application process as well as an environmental impact report. Following Settlement, State Claims Huntington Beach Housing Element Remains Out of Compliance California is seeking additional penalties against Huntington Beach, claiming that the city’s plan is still out of compliance. The city previously accumulated $170,000 in fines for failing to adopt a compliant housing plan, and the state is now asking the court to reinstate a $50,000 monthly fine until Huntington Beach meets its obligations. In June, the city approved a new housing element intended to accommodate more than 13,000 housing units by the end of the decade. However, the California Department of Housing and Community Development found that the city had not completed the required zoning changes to support the plan. State officials argue that an enforceable rezoning program is necessary to ensure the housing plan leads to actual development opportunities. (See related CP&DR coverage.) State Sues Feds over Attempt to Weaken Endangered Species Act California is suing the Trump administration over changes to the Endangered Species Act that reduce protections on critical habitats. The rollbacks altered the law by making it easier to avoid designating areas as critical habitat, removing automatic protections for threatened species, and opening up habitats where endangered species exist to mining, logging and development. The Trump administration argues that the revisions reduce federal overreach, regulatory burdens, and unnecessary costs. California’s endangered species law does not protect all species covered by federal law. Nearly 140 species that are protected at the federal level remain unprotected by state law, and it does not include habitats of endangered species in its purview. Environmental groups and California officials agree that the federal protections could be difficult to replace, increasing habitat loss and threatening species such as condors and sea otters. CP&DR Legal Coverage: HCD Certification Required For Housing Element Approval A Los Angeles judge called out the City of Pasadena for not processing a builders remedy application even though the California Department of Housing and Community Development had not certified the city’s housing element at the time. Judge Curtis Kin of the Los Angeles Superior Court ruled against the city even though the application was filed before the state adopted AB 1886 in 2024, which clarified that either HCD certification or a judge’s approval is necessary for a housing element to be valid. The developer filed a builder's remedy application, which the city did not process, and then sued, saying the city was required to process the project as a builder’s remedy because HCD had not certified the housing element at the time of the application. The city argued that its own approval of the housing element was sufficient, but Judge Kin disagreed. The case turned on the question of how a housing element qualifies as being compliant with state law. Quick Hits & Updates The California Department of Housing and Community Development warned Los Altos that it needs to amend its housing plan if Measure D passes in November. The measure restricts changes to 10 city-owned downtown parking plazas, potentially impacting housing development plans and putting the city’s housing element in noncompliance. The state warned that failure to update the general plan may result in financial penalties at a minimum of $10,000 per month, loss of local land-use authority, and other consequences, including triggering Builders Remedy. Half Moon Bay City Council approved zoning changes to address an ongoing lawsuit filed by California Attorney General Rob Bonta asking the city to comply with state housing laws. Changes include increased housing density on 10 properties, establishing a Workforce Housing Overlay on four sites, and making 14 properties eligible for staff approval of housing projects without public hearings or planning commission review. The U.S. Department of Transportation has extended LA Metro an $802.5 million low-interest loan to fund an expansion of Interstate 105 ahead of the 2028 Olympics. The budget will be used to convert an existing carpool lane into an ExpressLane in each direction and add a second ExpressLane between the 405 and 605 freeways. The expansion will be crucial in creating Los Angeles’ Games Route Network, or the designated roads and freeways for Olympics-related travel, which the city is contractually obligated to complete as a host. Brightline West, the proposed high-speed rail between Las Vegas and Southern California, has until Nov. 2 to make a $400 million equity investment in the project after accepting $3.5 billion of tax-exempt private activity bonds from the U.S. Department of Transportation and a $3 billion grant from the Biden administration. The project’s cost estimate has risen greatly from $12 billion at the time of groundbreaking in 2024 to $21 billion today, and financial difficulties and threats of bankruptcy affecting its sister company, Brightline Florida, have raised concerns. (See related CP&DR coverage.) Tribal leaders joined California state and Lake County officials to sign an agreement giving seven tribal governments shared responsibility for restoring and managing the Clear Lake watershed. The partnership aims to improve water quality, create safeguards for native species, and actively include and recognize the Pomo tribes’ longstanding connection to the region. Clear Lake faces environmental challenges, including harmful algal blooms, wetland loss, drought, and wildfire. Remediation efforts include an oxygenation system, algae harvesting, and phosphorus treatments designed to reduce harmful algae blooms. Gilroy City Council instituted a temporary 45-day moratorium on new data centers. The moratorium prevents the city from accepting or approving new data center applications but does not affect the Amazon Web Services facility already under construction on Camino Arroyo. Officials will study potential impacts involving water use, electricity demand, noise, emissions, aesthetics, and cooling technology while seeking community input. Federal regulators are seeking public comment on PG&E’s proposal to remove two dams on California’s Eel River, citing ecological benefits and recreation potential. PG&E attempted to sell the dams, which have not generated electricity in nearly five years, to no interest. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is still studying the project, which will require technical reviews, environmental analysis, and additional public input before it can move forward. Elk Grove may impose a new moratorium on self-storage facilities amidst concerns about the growing number of facilities in the area and whether the 19 facilities in Elk Grove (and two under construction) are an appropriate use of space. Officials say the land could be used for housing, retail or other development, and the Planning Commission has recommended an indefinite moratorium while the city reviews its rules. Alameda County Board of Supervisors is withdrawing Measure D, which would give the board authority over land use changes, from the November ballot. Measure D, approved in 2000 and amended in 2022, protects agricultural and open-space land in the Livermore Valley while limiting the board’s ability to make major changes without voter approval. A recent survey of 800 likely voters found that 57% opposed the proposed amendment after hearing arguments for and against it. A federal judge has decided that Texas oil company Sable Offshore Corporation will be allowed to continue pumping oil along the Santa Barbara County coast per the Defense Production Act, which the U.S. Department of Energy says protects the company from intervention. The pipeline has been dormant since a pipeline burst near Refugio State Beach in 2015, which caused one of the state’s worst oil spills.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a report in February confirming, based on data collected in 2017, that the ocean is likely to rise 9 inches along the California coast by 2050 and up to 6 feet by 2100. As if on cue, a piece of Antarctica’s Conger widely described as “larger than New York City” broke away last month and is now drifting in the Davis Sea. If and when it melts and lends its full mass to the world’s oceans, California will lose just that much more coastline.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed SB 954, which was designed to rein in last year’s California Environmental Quality Act exemption for advanced manufacturing. The bill passed the Legislature after intense negotiation on amendments.

This article is brought to you courtesy of the paying subscribers to California Planning & Development Report. You can subscribe to CP&DR by clicking here. You can sign up for CP&DR’s free weekly newsletter here. Rural Jurisdictions Take Steps to Limit Development of Data Centers Tulare County, Hanford, Visalia, San Joaquin County and Coachella are among the California communities taking steps to restrict or ban data center development amid growing concerns about conservation and public health. Hanford has publicly opposed data centers, while Visalia is considering a moratorium. In San Joaquin County, Supervisor Robert Rickman is seeking a temporary moratorium that would give officials time to develop regulations or consider prohibiting large-scale AI and other high-intensity data centers in unincorporated areas. Coachella has gone further, becoming the second city in California after Monterey Park to ban data centers completely. The debate has intensified in Tulare County around a proposed partnership with Global Stack LLC and the Tulare and Kings county fairgrounds to install small, shipping-container-sized edge computing systems. Residents have raised particular concerns about groundwater use as the Central Valley faces ongoing water challenges and agricultural pumping restrictions. Officials across the region say existing land-use rules often do not account for the significant water, power, wastewater, noise and emergency-service demands associated with modern data centers. (See related CP&DR coverage.) California Forever Shipyard Must Wait; Company Embarks on Revitalization of Downtown Suisun City Solano County supervisors voted to oppose, 3-2, a proposed state law to streamline approvals for a shipyard on the Sacramento River at Collinsville to be developed by California Forever, the company proposing a new city and industrial zone in Solano County. The shipyard promised to be the first major element of California Forever’s master plan to be implemented. The supervisors’ vote essentially doomed the project for this legislative year. It would have exempted California Forever from having to draft a new environmental impact report and instead would have allowed the company to use an EIR from 2008. Meanwhile, California Forever has acquired property in downtown Suisun City for $1 million, with the intent of redeveloping and revitalizing the property and leasing its parking lots back to the city for $1 per year. The project will conform with the city’s Downtown Specific Plan, which envisions a mix of commercial and residential uses. California Forever’s partnership with cities in Solano County are part of its strategy to rally support for the proposed new city. (See related CP&DR coverage.) This brief has been updated since its original publication to reflect California Forever's purchase price of the Suisun City property. Gutting of Roadless Rule Could Reduce Protections on 4.4 Million Acres in California The Trump administration is proposing to rescind the federal “Roadless Area Conservation Rule,” a 2001 regulation that bans the development of roads and attempts to keep pristine roughly 44 million acres of federal land nationwide -- ten percent of which is in California. Backers of the plan intend to give discretion to local agencies, arguing in part that it will give states more flexibility to fight and prevent wildfires. The proposal comes at the same time the federal government is attempting to increase logging on federal lands. A statement from the Department of Agriculture calls the rule, “a one-size-fits-all restriction that has frustrated land managers and served as a barrier to wildfire risk reduction work across large swaths of America’s national forests.” Roadless areas in California span 21 national forests. “These are some of the last truly wild forests left in the country, places that shelter endangered wildlife and protect our drinking water,” said Randi Spivak, public lands policy director at the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity, in the Los Angeles Times. “Once you start bulldozing roads for commercial logging and industrial development, there’s no getting them back.” The proposal is in the midst of a 30-day public comment period. Report Credits ADU's for Bulk of New Housing In L.A. County USC's Lusk Center for Real Estate published its second annual State of Los Angeles County Housing and Neighborhoods report. ADU construction hit a record high in 2025, the share of new rental units affordable to low-income households nearly doubled, and homelessness appears to be leveling off after more than a decade of steady growth. While housing production dipped from 2024 to 2025, ADU production reached its peak; despite this growth, the county is far behind state-mandated housing construction goals. Meanwhile, 19% of new rental units affordable to low-income households nearly doubled over the last seven years, rising from 10% to 19% of new stock. More than half of renters in Los Angeles are now considered rent-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on rent. Among middle income households who make between $50,000 and $100,000 per year, severe rent burden has nearly doubled, meaning this demographic is increasingly spending over 50% of their income on rent. The report also introduces a new method for identifying naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH), defined as older, unsubsidized units that remain relatively affordable, and emphasizes the importance of maintaining this stock. Even in the most affordable NOAH buildings the typical renter spends 35% of their income on rent. CP&DR Coverage: Sonoma Co. Development Hopes to Break California’s New Urbanist Drought Since the adoption of the Charter of the New Urbanism, California has been a hotbed of New Urbanist thought, yet development has been scarce. This trend might be shifting, namely in Sonoma County, where the community of Esmeralda is working its way through the planning process in Cloverdale. It is envisioned as a holistic community full of walkable streets, dense mixed-use structures, roughly 600 housing units, and community amenities. Esmeralda is the brainchild of Devon Zuegel, an entrepreneur who is attempting to establish California’s first large-scale New Urbanist Development built on the principle of human-scale streets and an emphasis on public space. So far, there has been no friction with city planning departments; however, Esmeralda faces challenges in financing the project and in meeting community demands for a full environmental impact report. Quick Hits & Updates The Newport Beach city council voted 5-0 to approve a decrease in low-income housing requirements for for-sale homes near John Wayne Airport, dropping the requirement from 15% to 6% of units in a development to be designated as low-income. An additional 8% will now be designated for moderate-income households, a change city officials argued was necessary because Newport Beach's home values run nearly three times the Orange County median. On a 6-1 vote, the Fresno Planning Commission has endorsed the Southeast Development Area, a 9,000-acre annexation that would permit development in what is now largely farmland. The plan had been considered by the city council last year butas sent back to the Planning Department for modifications. Opponents, including the school district, are concerned about the financial plan for providing infrastructure in the annexed area. Developer Wellpointe has unveiled plans for Viva, a $2-billion senior housing high-rise complex in Warner Center that would become the largest affordable housing development in Los Angeles. The 2.2-million-square-foot project would comprise four towers ranging from 34 to 42 stories, creating 3,192 income-restricted senior units. The proposal leverages the Warner Center 2035 specific plan, joining the LA Rams’ separate $10-billion headquarters and practice facility as one of two major high-rises now proposed for the area. (See related CP&DR coverage.) New York-based Yellowstone Real Estate Investments has taken over four parcels at San Francisco's Parkmerced complex through foreclosure. The previous developer Maximus Real Estate defaulted on a construction loan that had grown to over $199 million, surrendering the 152-acre property containing more than 3,200 homes next to San Francisco State University. Oakland's City Council has advanced a November ballot measure that would extend the city's real estate transfer tax to foreclosure-related transactions, which are currently exempt. The measure could generate $4 million to $13 million annually as downtown office vacancy sits at 30% and landlords default on loans. A study from UC Berkeley and UCLA found that building more homes can eliminate up to 1 percent of miles driven statewide, a small step toward the state's goal of a 25% reduction by 2030. The study recommends the state prioritize housing goals to help local governments better align new construction with locations that naturally reduce car dependency, as while regional housing agencies are effectively directing growth toward car-light areas with good transit access, individual cities aren't strategically placing new housing to maximize driving reductions. Research suggests that closing this gap could push per-capita vehicle miles traveled down by as much as 6%.

This article is brought to you courtesy of the paying subscribers to California Planning & Development Report. You can subscribe to CP&DR by clicking here. You can sign up for CP&DR’s free weekly newsletter here. San Jose Advances General Plan Update with Increased Housing Density The San Jose City Council approved, on a 8-3 vote, zoning changes that could allow for apartment buildings, triplexes and fourplexes in low-density single-family neighborhoods which make up about 85% of the city's total residential area. The move is part of the city’s general plan update. Proposed changes could increase residential density from about 8 to as many as 32 housing units per acre, a proposed solution to state mandates requiring room for more than 62,000 new housing units by 2031 and rising housing costs across the state. In San Jose, the median home sale price reached $1.42 million as of June, while average rent for a two-bedroom home hovers around $3,325. If the framework advances, city staff would draft ordinances and conduct environmental reviews with final zoning changes expected in late 2027. San Francisco Marina Safeway Project Wins Key Determination The San Francisco Planning Department has determined that the controversial proposed 848-unit Safeway redevelopment in San Francisco’s Marina District qualifies for AB 2011, allowing the project to proceed through a streamlined process. The proposal would replace the nearly 70-year-old Safeway with a new grocery store and residential development rising as high as 22 stories, including 86 affordable apartments. The project has drawn strong opposition from neighborhood groups and some city officials, including Mayor Daniel Lurie and Marina Supervisor Stephen Sherrill, who have raised concerns about the development’s scale, neighborhood impacts and environmental conditions. AB 2011 would not excuse the project from acquiring building permits covering earthquake, liquefaction and potential contamination safeguards. Environmental investigations have identified petroleum hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other contaminants in soil, groundwater and soil vapor, although state regulators say there is no immediate exposure risk. San Diego Considers Major Community Plan Update; Sports Arena Can Use Existing EIR San Diego is seeking public input on an update to the Mid-City Communities Plan that could create capacity for about 30,000 additional homes over the next 30 years. The plan covers City Heights, Eastern Area, Kensington-Talmadge, and Normal Heights and was developed with input from more than 3,000 residents. City and state officials are also working to advance Midway Rising, a proposed redevelopment of the 49-acre Sports Arena site featuring a 16,000-seat arena, roughly 4,250 homes (including up to 2,000 affordable units) and nearly 15 acres of public parks. Despite the recent repeal of Measure C, which would have exempted the Sports Arena site from the city's longstanding 30-foot coastal height limit, the project can proceed and rely on its existing environmental review, potentially shielding the project from future CEQA lawsuits. Report: New Housing Failing to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions According to new research from UC Berkeley's Terner Center and UCLA's Lewis Center, California's housing development patterns are falling far short of the state's climate goals, projecting just a 0.9% reduction in per-capita vehicle miles traveled by 2030 instead of the 25% cut state regulators say is needed. The study, based on Housing Element data from 366 cities and counties, found that regional agencies did steer more housing toward lower-VMT areas, which alone would cut per-capita driving by about 6% for new residents. But local governments often stalled progress by choosing specific development sites within their own borders, which showed no tendency to favor lower-VMT neighborhoods over higher-VMT ones. Researchers found no clear connection between a city's VMT performance and its size, density, or income level. Had jurisdictions concentrated new housing in their lowest-VMT neighborhoods, the analysis found, they could have achieved a 35% reduction for new residents and roughly 5% statewide. Shafter Approves Development in High Speed Rail Right-of-Way The city of Shafter, north of Bakersfield, has approved a tentative tract map for 1,200 homes by construction giant Lennar, directly in the path of proposed high-speed rail. The project was approved by the city in agreement with Lennar in 2005, years before the 2008 high-speed rail project was approved by voters. According to Shafter Mayor Chad Givens, the developer tried to work directly with the rail authority to address concerns before the city approved the tract map. Shafter has asked the authority to honor a 2018 settlement or negotiate a new agreement. The rail authority says it is working with Shafter and Lennar to align local development plans with the state’s transportation goals, but that the approved development conflicts with the already environmentally cleared high-speed rail alignment. CP&DR Coverage: Cities Reshape Civic Centers As Mixed-Use Districts The civic centers of the mid-20th century, at least in Southern California, were decidedly single-use institutions. Even in unassuming suburbs, new or rapidly expanding cities built stark plazas, city halls, and generally soulless administrative buildings in which to attend to city business. They oversaw bedroom communities but housed no residents of their own. But now, as some civic centers have reached the end of their useful life spans, and the state’s housing crisis has compelled all cities to add residences, local governments are redesigning their civic centers as mixed-use communal hubs. Several cities, including Carson, Norwalk, Eastvale, Ontario, and San Diego, will soon see government-owned spaces transformed into restaurants, shopping centers, and housing units. Quick Hits & Updates The Department of Housing and Community Development issued a letter warning the city of Los Altos in Santa Clara County that if Measure D passes in November, the city will be required to amend its state-certified housing element and relinquish its Prohousing Designation.. The measure could potentially restrict housing development on 10 city-owned downtown parking plazas, threatening 63 moderate-income units and 61 above-moderate-income units. The Escondido City Council is implementing a 45-day moratorium with the option of 10 month or 12 month extensions. The moratorium follows a trend of California cities banning or temporarily halting construction of data centers in order to give city staff time to develop regulations for land use, zoning, and public safety. The Del Mar Fairgrounds board terminated its agreement with the city of Del Mar to build affordable housing on fairgrounds property. Board members cited uncertainty over whether San Diego would agree to annex the proposed site before the November state deadline. With the Fairgrounds agreement now terminated, Del Mar could be forced to pursue a state-mandated alternative on the North Bluff site already associated with the controversial Seaside Ridge development. San Francisco is seeking new contracts for their homelessness services and create a model that relies on outcomes and analyzing success metrics. The city spends hundreds of millions on homeless efforts each year, but critics argue the system is plagued with issues including long shelter waitlists, troubled supportive housing projects and insufficient support. Lake County has suspended work on its general plan following the Board of Supervisors’ decision to terminate Community Development Director Mireya Turner. County Administrative Officer Susan Parker has been appointed interim director while the department focuses on stabilization and hiring a permanent replacement. The suspension impacts local area plans and advisory committee work, with no timeline set for when the process will resume. The Cypress City Council is considering a major redevelopment plan for the nearly 150-acre Los Alamitos Race Course, which would eventually be demolished and transformed into parks, housing and mixed-use development. Voters previously approved zoning for the site through Measure A in 2018 and Measure S in 2024, allowing for up to 1,791 residential units under the environmental review and as much as 880,000 square feet of commercial space. Debate at public hearings has centered on an 8-acre park, with council members pushing for guarantees that displaced park space would be replaced elsewhere and residents raising concerns about traffic and a lack of promised community amenities. Accessory dwelling units make up the largest share of new housing in some of the Bay Area's wealthiest towns, according to state data. In Hillsborough, 97% of homes permitted last year were ADUs, while Atherton saw 45 of its 60 approved units come from backyard cottages rather than traditional construction. State streamlining laws have made ADUs an easy path for homeowners to add units, and cities benefit because the units count toward state-mandated housing goals. In Mountain View and Santa Clara, every unit reported as affordable to low-income residents last year was an ADU. Across the Bay Area ADUs have grown from 8% of approved homes in 2019 to 18% in 2025, and statewide they account for an even larger 26%. The San Diego City Council voted 6-2 to approve the Southwest Village Specific Plan, clearing the way for up to 5,130 homes on 490 acres near the U.S.-Mexico border between Otay Mesa and San Ysidro. Irvine-based Tri Pointe Homes has led the project since 2016, with a plan that includes 175,000 square feet of commercial space, a new school, 200 acres of open space, and up to 2,100 homes built by Tri Pointe with 92 units set aside for low-income renters. Some longtime landowners argued the rezoning devalued their property by shifting from single-family to denser development, while environmental advocates including the Sierra Club warned the site's distance from public transit and no concrete transit expansion plan attached will leave residents car-dependent.

The civic centers of the mid-20th century, at least in Southern California, were decidedly single-use institutions. Even in unassuming suburbs, new or rapidly expanding cities built stark plazas, city halls and generally soulless administrative buildings in which to attend to city business. They oversaw bedroom communities but housed no residents of their own.