The presence of ammonium perchlorate - an ingredient used in rocket fuel, military munitions and other applications - in underground aquifers is contaminating drinking water supplies in several high-growth areas around the state. >> read more

I tend to be skeptical about land use policy and development trends in California. Every time I leave the state, I see creative developments and practices that we Californians should be implementing. >>read more

As business at the state's shipping ports continues to grow rapidly, the movement of freight across urban areas has become a priority for the Schwarzenegger administration and local transportation planners. >>read more

"Thank God for hospitals," I said to myself a few weeks ago while speeding to the local emergency room, doubled over in the back of an ambulance. Only after the painkillers had deadened a hitherto-undetected kidney stone could I begin to think about hospitals from an urban-design standpoint. >>read more

After sluggish construction for a number of years, condominiums are back. Although it is difficult to pin down exact numbers, 27% of housing starts during the first three months of the year have come in the form of multi-family units, many of which are for-sale condominiums. >>read more

Now little more than a stopping point for truck drivers and weary travelers, Santa Nella may be on the verge of becoming the next bedroom community for Bay Area commuters. >>read more

A report on the state's Enterprise Zone Program receives rebuttle while another report indicates California's hazardous waste facilities lack appropriate financial assurances to protect the environment. Also, Mission Viejo is being sued by affordable housing advocates while Carpenteria adopts new, record setting in-lieu affordable housing fees. >>read more

Back in January, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger - still stinging from a unanimous round of losses in the 2005 special election - decided to focus on infrastructure as a way to change the subject and exhibit political leadership as he prepared to run for re-election. >>read more

A use permit condition limiting groundwater extraction to 12,000 acre-feet of water per year did not constitute a taking of property, the Fourth District Court of Appeal has ruled. >>read more

A divided appellate court panel has upheld a 2004 regulation that gives the director of the state Department of Conservation the final say over whether reclamation of a surface mine has fulfilled the mine's reclamation plan. >>read more

A billboard company has won the latest round in a drawn-out conflict with the City of Riverside. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Valley Outdoor Inc. may challenge the city's handling of a permit application but may not contest the city's sign ordinance. >>read more

A city is not required to provide credit against park and recreation fees when it requires a developer to dedicate private open space, the Sixth District Court of Appeal has ruled. >>read more

A San Luis Obispo County businessman who did not attend a California Coastal Commission hearing regarding his proposed project has lost a lawsuit contending that he was not provided adequate notice of the hearing. >>read more