Paul Shigley's blog

The notion of using redevelopment to help solve the state’s budget deficit continues to percolate in Sacramento. Meanwhile, analyses of the governor’s proposed 18-month budget that was released on New Year’s Eve are trickling out.
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In the world of land use planning and real estate development, 2008 will go down as a memorable year, but not necessarily for positive reasons. If the housing market bubble burst in 2007, it crashed to the ground Hindenburg-style in 2008. The fallout from the housing market disaster continues to affect nearly every aspect of planning and development in California.
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“Isolated transit-oriented developments in a sea of automobiles.”

That’s how Robert Cervero, one the country’s foremost authorities on transportation and transit-oriented developments, described this country’s approach when I spoke to him recently while working on a story about SB 375, AB 32 and other climate change policies for the February edition of Planning magazine. The chair of the University of California, Berkeley, Department of City and Regional Planning, Cervero says we’re getting it wrong.
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An AB 32 Scoping Plan that places a great deal of emphasis on the SB 375 process was approved on December 11 by the California Air Resources Board.

The plan tentatively calls for land use actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5 million metric tons (MMT) of carbon dioxide equivalent annually. Environmentalists and some smart growth advocates argued for a higher land use target, while building industry representatives and some local government officials said 5 MMT should be the maximum.
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The California Air Resources Board is scheduled to decide this week on a broad plan for implementing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction law. The board’s decision could have profound implications for both growth patterns and individual development projects.  
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The California Redevelopment Association has filed its threatened lawsuit over a state budget provision shifting $350 million from redevelopment agencies to schools. The CRA argues that directing tax increment revenue away from the redevelopment agencies violates the state and federal constitution and even amounts to an uncompensated taking of property.

But I have to wonder: Is anyone listening?
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Copia – the $80 million wine, food and arts center that was supposed to help anchor downtown Napa’s revitalization – has closed and filed for bankruptcy.
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The vagrants were getting aggressive while they panhandled in the parking lot between Starbucks and CVS.

“Bitch!” an angry-looking man in his 40s shouted at one woman who denied his plea for spare change.

A different fellow whom I turned down remained menacingly close while I opened my car door and quickly climbed inside. “Let’s get the hell out of here,” my friend said while jumping into the passenger seat.
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Gauging elections after they are over is seldom easy, especially when an election involves a citizen initiative. What does the initiative really do? Why did people vote for it? Did growth opponents win?
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