Santa Cruz County is not allowed to regulate the height of mobile homes because state law has pre-empted the possibility of a local ordinance, the Sixth District Court of Appeal has ruled. >>read more

Two water transfers from irrigation districts to the City of Tracy did not require a combined environmental impact report, the Third District Court of Appeal has ruled. The court found that the separate negative declarations adopted by the irrigation districts provided adequate review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). >>read more

The California Supreme Court has accepted two more land use cases, one of which is a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) case that has generated quite a bit of discussion. The second one is an inverse condemnation case involving street landscaping that blocks a view of billboards. >>read more

A lawsuit challenging the City of Stockton's decision to privatize its water, wastewater and storm drain systems is headed back to trial court, where a judge will reconsider whether the city's contract with a private company is exempt from environmental review. >>read more

Local governments in California have no authority over Indian casinos and collect no taxes from the casinos. But some cities and counties still see value in having a casino nearby and manage to reap economic benefits of a casino and its accompanying facilities. >>read more

Raise the topic of suburban sprawl in California, and you most likely launch a conversation about the San Fernando Valley, coastal Orange County, or the bedroom communities inland of San Francisco Bay. Only belatedly, if at all, will the conversation wander to the high desert, historically home only to scattered, windblown settlements scraped out of sand and creosote bush. >>read more

I recently had an unsettling experience in a parking lot in Lompoc. I was standing in the middle of an enormous asphalt parking lot, surrounded by large buildings emblazoned with the logos of national retail chains, and, for a split second, I didn't know where I was. >>read more

Water problems both physical and legal are threatening to slow development in the foothills and mountains of eastern Fresno County. >>read more

A recent ruling by the Department of Industrial Relations regarding labor rates for subsidized housing projects might be an advantage for affordable housing development, especially in rural areas. However, the situation regarding "prevailing wage" requirements might best be described as fluid. >>read more

This month's selection of In Brief items includes: Legislative Analyst's Office suggests the state consider wildfire threats when planning developments near wilderness; Santa Ana voters support plans for Orange County's would-be tallest building; Private investors back away from plans for hotel and convention center; Battle over Bolsa Chica is perhaps over; and much more. >>read more

Six months after his re-election, President George W. Bush is seeking to place his distinct imprint on federal urban policy. >>read more

Kern County should have prepared an environmental impact report before adopting an ordinance regulating the disposal of sewage sludge on agricultural land, the Fifth District Court of Appeal has ruled. >>read more

A lawsuit challenging a building permit granted by San Francisco was not filed and served before the statute of limitations deadline, the First District Court of Appeal has ruled. The court also held that the city's notice of decision and order did not deceive the project opponent regarding the deadline. >>read more

A City of San Francisco decision to deny an application for a cell phone antenna has been upheld in part by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. >>read more