Insight

A lifetime urban dweller, Donald Trump was an anti-city president. Biden is a lifelong Amtrak rider -- and California urban planning is likely to change with him at the helm.

The law has proven stubbornly resistant to reform. But cities and other lead agencies are learning how to end-run the whole process.

Embarcadero Institute says RHNA numbers are too high and the state should focus on affordable housing. The truth is we need both: more housing and more affordable housing.

The population is going down for the first time ever. But California planning -- and its entire local government structure -- is based on the assumption of growth.

Housing experts say small projects will cost less and be easier to build than large multifamily projects weighted down by affordable housing and union labor requirements.

New HCD data shows California knows how to build for the top of the market -- and nobody else.

State-federal transportation and infrastructure projects likely won't be analyzed under federal law. But new rule could be reversed if Biden wins.

In the last few years, exemptions have vastly outnumbered EIRs and mitigated negative declarations. Who needs CEQA reform?

Can the Golden State balance public health objectives with its existing housing and climate goals?

History suggests that construction coming out of the COVID recession will be slow. On the plus side, prices should stabilize.

It's been a non-starter for years. But all the Democratic candidates are calling for it -- and Trump might not be far behind.

How can you reduce emissions, reduce risks from wildfire, sea-level rise, and other effects of climate change -- and still build enough housing so Californians will want to stay?

Inland areas are still growing. But what does the trend mean for the state's long-term prosperity?

2s, 3s, and 4s are popular topics of discussion these days. But can California build them at scale?