Land Use Planning for Non Planners July 14, 2011

What is the difference between a zoning ordinance and a general plan? Why does every city have different zoning requirements but the same building code? Can a project be approved when the environmental impact report says it will harm the environment? What can community members do when they don't like the city council's planning decisions? What are the limitations on a city's ability to impose conditions on new development? What is a variance, a negative declaration, a tentative subdivision map, a specific plan, an urban growth boundary, a taking, and the fiscalization of land use? In this course, the instructors draw on their experience in planning and planning law to provide answers to these and other planning puzzles. The course covers how California communities establish planning policies and the tools for implementing those policies. It addresses the role of CEQA in the planning process and also looks at the legal guarantees afforded property owners.