CP&DR

Developers Go Antique Subdivision Shopping to Locate Hidden Treasures

Sep 1, 2001

Insight, Vol. 16 No. 09 Sep 2001, William Fulton

Everybody knows there are lots of lots in California. And there's always been lots of controversy about what you can do with your lots. But now there's lots of controversy about the more basic question of what is a lot and what is not. Jurisdictions all over the state are dealing with the question of how to handle old parcels that don't meet current standards. Increasingly, however, localities are facing big property owners who are asserting something a little different – the idea that big c

New York Sprawls More than Los Angeles, Study Finds

Aug 1, 2001

Los Angeles, Vol. 16 No. 08 Aug 2001, William Fulton

California is the land of wide-open spaces. And everybody moves here from the East Coast to get away from those big, crowded cities. Right? Not anymore. In some ways, California is just as crowded as ï¿½ or maybe even more crowded than ï¿½ the East Coast. And it's only going to become more so during the decades ahead.

Planners, Developers Play Takings Poker, But Judges Still Hold the Cards

Aug 1, 2001

Insight, Vol. 16 No. 08 Aug 2001, William Fulton

So, who's on top — the planners or the developers? You would think the U.S. Supreme Court would know. This court, after all, was able to decide who the president should be. But after almost a quarter century of hearing land-use "takings" cases, the Supreme Court has provided no clear answer as to who rules at the planning counter.

The Battle Over Blight Threatens to Become California's Hundred Years' War

Jul 1, 2001

Insight, Redevelopment, Vol. 16 No. 07 Jul 2001, William Fulton

Sometimes it seems like California has been reforming redevelopment law longer than it took the original urban blight to be created.

Not All Urban Services Get Treated Equally in Planning Process

Jun 1, 2001

Insight, Vol. 16 No. 06 Jun 2001, William Fulton

A few years ago, a field representative for Pacific Gas & Electric told me a startling story about how the now-bankrupt electric utility was treated by one of the county governments in his district.

Census Figures Indicate State Is Changing More Than we Knew

May 1, 2001

Insight, Vol. 16 No. 05 May 2001, William Fulton

The new U.S. Census figures tell us that California is growing, which we knew. But the Census also reveals that California is changing in ways we may not have recognized – and that may mean that we no longer have the luxury of planning our communities the way we used to.

Shortage of Available Land Threatens How the Golden State Will Gtow

Apr 1, 2001

Insight, Vol. 16 No. 04 Apr 2001, William Fulton

Is California running out of land? At first glance, this may seem to be a preposterous question. After all, California has something like 150,000 square miles of land – and the vast majority of it is not urbanized. The federal government owns half of it for parks, national forests, and the like, and most of the rest of it is used to grow food. Even with the rapid urban growth we've experienced during the past half-century, how can we be running out of land?

Housing Caps: A Growth Control Mechanism that Won't Go Away

Mar 1, 2001

Insight, Vol. 16 No. 03 Mar 2001, William Fulton

When voters in Tracy approved an annual "cap" on new housing construction last November, it was the first time since the late 1980s that a California municipality enacted this venerable — yet controversial — method of restricting growth. After grinding through 1,000 to 1,500 residential building permits annually for the last several years, the San Joaquin County commuter town will now have to restrict itself to 750 permits in any one year — and an annual average of 600.

Bush Team Could Have Significant Impact on Resources in the Golden State

Feb 1, 2001

Insight, Vol. 16 No. 02 Feb 2001, William Fulton

xz Despite a thin mandate and a deadlocked Congress, incoming President George W. Bush is likely to make significant changes in shaping the federal government's role over California's land resources. In particular, his provocative selection of former Colorado Attorney General Gail Norton as Interior secretary is likely to create a major shift in the way the federal government approaches management of federal lands in California – and may also signal a shift in the way the Endangered Species Act is...

Land-Use Regulations Aim to Solve Big Boxes' Social Issues

Jan 1, 2001

Insight, Vol. 16 No. 01 Jan 2001, William Fulton

The standard saying among retail analysts in the past month is that "this is a tough Christmas." Even though incomes are going up, retailing is off. Kmart has closed dozens of stores nationwide. HomeBase has gone out of the home improvement business (focusing on home furnishings instead) in order to duck direct competition with Lowe's and Home Depot. Two of the biggest movie theater chains have gone under, and most of the others are teetering on the verge of bankruptcy. Home Depot's third-quart...

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