2025 saw a number of Growth Management Act (GMA) and housing related bills in Washington, which are particularly relevant as planning counties and cities are in the middle of preparing their comprehensive plan updates and as...more
CHICAGO — Data Shows City’s Labor Market Stabilizing - Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Austan Goolsbee said the latest jobs report suggests the labor market is stabilizing at full employment and is not a sign of an...more
After an 18-month study process, the Boston Planning Department has released an Action Plan proposing strategies to modernize Boston’s development review process. The Planning Department is accepting comments on the plan...more
City of Los Angeles - Increase to Planning Applications and Affordable Housing Linkage Fees - On July 1, 2024, the fee for planning and land use applications increased by 3.5% based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban...more
Fauquier County and Fairfax County are tightening zoning regulations for data center developments. In March, the Fauquier County Board of Supervisors approved zoning changes for the Vint Hill area's Planned Commercial...more
In an effort to “fundamentally change [the State’s] approach to housing development, particularly for the moderate and affordable development we need most,” the Rhode Island General Assembly recently passed a slew of...more
Bill extends exemption from CEQA and discretionary entitlements for housing projects while adding the Coastal Zone to the mix - If you are having trouble keeping track of all the housing bills in California this year,...more
Recent Legislation Amending the Surplus Lands Act Provides Clarity and Additional Flexibility to Public Agencies - Recently, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 747 and Assembly Bill 480 into law to make common-sense...more
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law Senate Bill 102 on March 28, 2023, with an effective date of July 1, 2023. Commonly referred to as the Live Local Act (the Act), it has significant land use, zoning and tax benefits...more
Kramer Levin recently hosted a seminar titled “Emerging Issues in Land Use: The Year in Review and What’s Ahead,” where experts discussed New York City planning initiatives and land use trends. Among the speakers were Jessica...more
Picture this scenario: You have a residential development project that had conceptual approval from the local Planning Board two years ago. Under the local laws that existed when you applied for your approval, you were...more
Noisy college students, the new CEQA impact? Would you be surprised to learn that college students can throw noisy parties? Uh, no, but it may be a surprise that they constitute a potentially significant environmental impact...more
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’ wide-ranging land use bill targeting housing affordability was introduced on March 22, 2023, as SB 23-213, sponsored by Sen. Dominick Moreno (D-Adams) and Reps. Iman Jodeh (D-Arapahoe) and Steven...more
Following New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ announcement of his “City of Yes” plan in June, the Building and Land Use Approval Streamlining Task Force (BLAST) released the “Get Stuff Built” report last week detailing 111...more
In a post pandemic world which has seen a seismic shift in living and working habits, it is no secret that the government wants to update the planning system. Whilst we wait for Gove's "transformative" Levelling Up and...more
In my last post, “Real Estate Alphabet Soup: Y Is for Yard”, I continued my primer on the “alphabet soup” of real estate. This post continues to stir the “alphabet soup” and completes the recipe with the final ingredient, the...more
This past week, in a 4 to 3 decision, New York’s highest court – the Court of Appeals – decided an important New York City land use question regarding how “open space” is accessed by residents on a zoning lot with multiple...more
L.A. aims to increase affordable housing with proposed zoning changes - Daily Breeze – August 6 - The Los Angeles Department of City Planning last Thursday released plans for an incentive-based zoning system for...more
In response to the COVID-19 emergency, Governor Northam and various state and local officials have issued multiple orders and guidance concerning the continuance of critical state and local government functions during the...more
For the first time in over 50 years, the City of Portland is rewriting its Land Use Code, which is found in Chapter 14 of the City’s Code of Ordinances. The effort involves several substantive policy changes aimed at making...more
Part 2: New California Housing Laws - Agencies will have expanded roles under the Surplus Land Act, and will have to satisfy new housing element requirements under Assembly Bill 1486, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on...more
Montgomery County, Maryland - Montgomery County has launched Thrive Montgomery 2050, an initiative to update the County’s General Plan for the first time since the 1960s. The County Planning Board seeks public input to...more
In February, the San Francisco Planning Department issued the first quarterly performance report for implementation of its Process Improvements Plan, a program intended to overhaul the project review process. ...more
Declaring there to be a statewide housing emergency, California state Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) introduced Senate Bill 330, on February 19, 2019, to suspend certain regulatory restrictions on the development of new...more
The Orange County Planning Division has released its 2019 First Small Scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment Schedule. Of notable importance, applicants must schedule a pre-application meeting by October 19th, 2018....more