For once, we at CP&DR kind of know how CNN feels.
We have our slow news weeks at CP&DR. But, ever since Donald Trump got back into office, we have rarely lacked for material to put into our weekly news briefs.
Sonoma Development Hopes to Break California’s New Urbanist Drought
In the 30-plus years since the adoption of the Charter of the New Urbanism, California has been a hotbed of New Urbanist thought. New Urbanist development, on the other hand, has been scarce. Despite the growing popularity of form-based code and other New Urbanist-ish regulations, California has no Seaside (Florida) or Culdesac (Arizona).
That may be changing, at least in Sonoma County.
How Much Housing Does The Surplus Land Act Actually Create?
In one of the more famous sketches from the television show “Portlandia,” the excessively twee solution to all design questions is to “put a bird on it.” Lunchboxes, lamps, tea pots, and tote bags all end up with appliqué birds.
California’s Surplus Land Act takes roughly the same approach.
California Transit Agencies Take World Cup in Stride
In both the Bay Area and Los Angeles area, the regions’ notoriously heavy vehicular traffic and robust public transit networks are expected to render the World Cup a non-event, at least from a logistical standpoint.
June 2, 2026 Ballot Measure Results: Voters Reject Data Center, Housing
Across the country, stakeholders are protesting and decrying the development of data centers, which are being built at a torrid pace. But, those protests rarely prevail. Not so in Monterey Park. There, voters resoundingly approved a measure–86% to 14%–to ban the development of data centers, including at least one that was nearly shovel-ready. It may be the first official battle in the resistance against data centers, and it surely will not be the last.
One Year In, Sarah Dennis Phillips Tries to Harness “Evolving” Attitudes in San Francisco
Shortly after the election of San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, he nominated Sarah Dennis Phillips to succeed Rich Hillis as planning director. Dennis Phillips was both a conventional choice and an offbeat. Offbeat, because she was coming from over a decade in the private sector, working for mega-developer Tishman Speyer. Conventional because she had previously spent a similar amount of time in San Francisco city government, in planning and community development.
The Spencer Pratt Aesthetic
For a guy who lives in a trailer, Spencer Pratt has unusually good taste in high-rise architecture.
In a recent interview with the All-In Podcast, Pratt declared, “ we’re going to have L.A. so beautiful. No more of these high-density, SB-79, prison-like structures.” The video of Pratt’s interview was accompanied by an AI-generated video envisioning soaring, gleaming towers that represent a new era of order, tranquility, and beauty.
Cities Begin Shutting Down Data Center Development
In no way does the City of Monterey Park — a Los Angeles suburb known as a hub of the Chinese-American community — resemble the State of Maine. And yet, both have adopted an au …
If KB Homes Is Leaving L.A., What Does That Say About California?
Since 1956, KB Home built over 600,000 homes in California, from San Diego the Bay Area and many places in between. That’s more homes than are in many states.
Want Some Bad Food and Poor Design to Go With Your Tesla Charge?
Among his many talents, Elon Musk has a singular knack for taking things that are cool—fast cars, rockets, (arguably) marijuana—and making them nauseatingly uncool. Equally impressively, he is adept at taking things that are decidedly not cool and …
Cities Contemplate Massive Upzoning Wrought by SB 79
The largest upzoning in the history of California will drop on select cities July 1. Collectively, SB 79 will increase the state’s zoned capacity by several million units.
2025 Year-in-Review
I’m pleased to share some highlights of what I got up to journalistically in 2025.
Cities Consider Warehouse Restrictions Amid Concerns About Tariffs
The promise of jobs and economic development has pushed jurisdictions to embrace warehouses by the millions of square feet — totaling over 1.17 billion square feet of warehouse space in southern California alone. Meanwhile, local opponents remain vigilant.
New Laws Lead to Flurry of High-Rise Proposals
Due to a recent confluence of new laws and economic conditions, high-rises are being proposed, approved, and built in some unusual places.
The Death and Life of Shakedown Street
Of the dozens of Grateful Dead songs that have been autoplaying in my head since the news of Bob Weir’s passing broke this Saturday, “Shakedown Street” has been in particularly heavy rotation. The bassline helps, but so does its commentary about American urbanism.
Fresno City Council Defers Vote on Major Expansion
An annexation and zoning plan that would constitute the most dramatic expansion of a California city in recent memory will, most likely, be more incremental than monumental.
California, As Ever, Leads National Trends
Journalists recently gathered in Cambridge, Mass., to learn about and discuss the nation’s land use trends. California featured prominently, for better or worse.
Wildfire Education Program for Planners & Firefighters Wins National APA Award
Planners are not necessarily trained to address wildfires, and firefighters are not necessarily trained to understand urban planning. Yet, a new initiative bridges the gap. The program’s directors offer insight into its national importance, the organization’s future, and winning an APA award.