Twenty miles south of San Francisco, the City of San Mateo has approved a specific plan calling for a major, mixed-use development next to the busiest Caltrain station in San Mateo County.

Civic leaders in the Orange County town of Stanton hope that the reuse of a failed commercial strip for medium-density housing and small shops will start a local trend. Developers of the Renaissance Plaza propose 175 townhouses, 25 live-work units and about 18,000 square feet of commercial space on approximately 12 acres. >>read more

When the Army closed the doors at Fort Ord in 1994, Monterey County was presented with an unparalleled opportunity to create a new town out of prime real estate overlooking the Pacific Ocean. >>read more

Voters in Loma Linda could soon make decisions that greatly affect how the San Bernardino County city of 21,000 people grows. Referendums of two specific plans that call for a total of 2,400 housing units are likely to appear on the June 2006 ballot. And petitions for a general plan initiative are currently circulating.

The City of Bakersfield has proposed a 112-square-mile expansion of its sphere of influence, the first step toward a major expansion of the southern San Joaquin Valley city of nearly 300,000 people. >>read more

For four decades, North Natomas - a low-lying area just north of Interstate 80 - has represented what could be in Sacramento. Today, North Natomas is the state capital's primary growth area. Whether North Natomas is cutting edge or a lost opportunity, however, depends on one's viewpoint. >>read more

Development activity in San Bernardino County's high desert is as hot as a mid-summer afternoon. With miles of wide-open spaces, the Victor Valley has become an affordable housing relief valve for Southern California. The area's four incorporated cities and half a dozen unincorporated communities will see about 7,500 new housing units this year alone. >>read more

For nearly seven years, the controversy over school impact fees has appeared to be an issue of the past. However, skirmishes have broken out in Merced County that could presage an end to the statewide peace regarding school fees. >>read more

West Sacramento appears to be a city whose time has come.

For many years before and after its incorporation in 1987, West Sacramento has been a manufacturing and logistic industry hub. While the Sacramento region has grown in recent decades, that growth has gone mostly east and south of Sacramento to suburbs such as Roseville, Folsom and Elk Grove. Meanwhile, West Sacramento - right across the Sacramento River from the capital city - bided its time. Now, developers have “discovered” the Yolo County city of 40,000 people. >>read more