Lawsuits

Colorful "atx" sign in front of Whole Foods store in Austin, Texas

Austin’s ‘Affordability Unlocked’ Initiative Faces Lawsuit

A group of 18 plaintiffs is suing to overturn the city of Austin’s “Affordability Unlocked” planning initiative.

August 30, 2023 - Austin Monitor

Diagram of a roundabout and site photos laid out on a desk

Transportation Agencies: Improve Your Models or Hire More Lawyers

Transportation models are biased in ways that result in inefficient, unfair and environmentally harmful planning decisions. Improve your analysis or prepare to be sued.

April 26, 2023 - Todd Litman

Seattle Transit

Fare Enforcement Upheld by Washington Supreme Court

But using armed police to enforce fare payment is less than ideal in the eyes of the top court in the state of Washington.

March 21, 2023 - Crosscut

Pacific Coast

Huntington Beach Mounts Legal Change to State-Mandated Density

The Orange County beachfront community has had enough of the California State Legislature’s preemption of local zoning laws.

February 27, 2023 - LAist

A view of the Manhattan Bridge with the Empire State Building in the distance.

Constitutional Protections for Environmental Rights Latest Roadblock for NYC Megaproject

The latest in a series of lawsuits against a megaproject proposed for Manhattan is the first to sue on the grounds provided by a constitutional amendment approved by the state of New York a year ago.

November 27, 2022 - StreetsBlog NYC

Highway Widening

Lawsuit Challenges Maryland's Big Highway Widening Plans

A lawsuit has challenged Maryland Governor Larry Hogan's plans, first proposed in 2017 and granted federal approval earlier this year, to widen Interstate 270 and part of the Capital Beltway.

October 27, 2022 - The Washington Post

Street in San Francisco's Tenderloin District with tents on sidewalk

Sacramento Voters to Decide on Using Lawsuits to Reclaim Sidewalks

Measure O may be one of the first ballot measures of its kind to empower residents to take legal action against a city for illegal encampments on city property. The Sacramento City Council voted 7-2 on August 9 to place the ordinance before voters.

September 29, 2022 - San Francisco Chronicle

The Interstate 10 freeway cuts through residential neighborhoods in the city of Alhambra. Downtown Los Angeles is visible in the background,

Report: CEQA Lawsuits Challenge Almost Half of All Housing Development in California

A new report details the reach of California’s controversial environmental regulation, and warns of more consequences to come.

August 25, 2022 - Center for Jobs & the Economy

Tents fpor people experiencing homelessness are surrounded by signs that impart messages of resistance to change.

People’s Park—Symbol of Berkeley’s Storied Past—Temporarily Cleared and Fenced Off for Development

A few days after a judge’s ruling cleared three pending lawsuits blocking the development of People’s Park, the unhoused people living in the park were cleared and fence surrounds the site. Protestors took back the park within a day.

August 4, 2022 - Berkeleyside

Brooklyn, New York City

Gowanus Rezoning Clears Post-Approval Legal Hurdle

The saga of the Gowanus Neighborhood Planning Study, approved by New York City at the end of 2021, continues into the summer of 2022. Opponents claimed the Gowanus rezoning ran afoul of the state’s environment law. A county judge dismissed the case.

August 3, 2022 - Brooklyn Paper

Zoning Code Rendering

Minneapolis 2040 Implementation Allowed to Proceed … For Now

The same judge that blocked implementation of the landmark Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan in June 2022 has allowed a temporary reprieve for planning work in the city to proceed.

July 28, 2022 - Star Tribune

Minneapolis

Judge Blocks Minneapolis 2040 Implementation, Citing Lack of Environmental Review

Environmentalists have used the power of the legal system to protect the car-centric status quo of single-family zoning once again, overturning a landmark planning innovation in Minneapolis.

June 21, 2022 - MPR News

A picture of two street signs with the Hollywood Burbank and hills int he background.

Airport's Lawsuit Could Stop California High Speed Rail in its Tracks

The Hollywood Burbank Airport has done what no one in the Los Angeles area had dared to do: sue the California High Speed Rail project.

March 9, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

Central Los Angeles

Lawsuit Uses Environmental Law to Challenge the Housing Element of L.A.'s General Plan

The city of Los Angeles in November wrapped up an update to a new Housing Element, as required by state law. A lawsuit will use a different state law to challenge the validity of the city's housing goals.

January 3, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

Boston Aerial

Acting Mayor Pulls Boston's Downtown Harbor Plan

Intrigue continues for waterfront development plans in Boston and nearby cities.

September 5, 2021 - The Boston Globe

Palmer Apartments

Developer Accuses L.A.'s Eviction Moratorium of Illegal Taking, Files Lawsuit

Geoff Palmer is suing the Los Angeles, seeking $100 million to make up for income lost because of the city's eviction moratorium during the pandemic.

August 11, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

An image of the Sample Gates at the entrance of the college campus of Indiana University Bloomington, with a street and the city in the background.

Coronavirus Litigation: Students Sue University's Mandatory Vaccination Policy

Eight college students have filed a lawsuit on June 21 against Indiana University's requirement that students, staff and faculty be vaccinated against COVID-19. The state attorney general supports the students.

June 28, 2021 - CNN

Mass Vaccination

Coronavirus Litigation: Can Employers Require Employee Vaccinations?

The plaintiffs in one of the nation's first court cases over employer-required COVID vaccinations are among the heroes of the pandemic—nurses fighting to remain unvaccinated. Houston Methodist Hospital suspended unvaccinated employees on June 6.

June 10, 2021 - JD Supra

Yield Sign

Strong Towns Takes Licensing Challenges to Court

For a second time, Charles Marohn is facing a challenge from the engineering profession over his work as the founder of the popular advocacy organization Strong Towns. This time, Marohn and Strong Towns are pushing back.

May 25, 2021 - Strong Towns

Brooklyn, New York City

Planning via Zoom: Legal Scrutiny for Pandemic Realities in New York City

The question of whether a public review process conducted by Zoom is sufficient to approve a sweeping rezoning plan is a matter of no small legal concern in New York City.

February 24, 2021 - Commercial Observer

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