Guide to California Planning

by William Fulton, Paul Shigley

Since it was first published in 1991, Guide to California Planning has served as the authoritative textbook on city and county planning practice throughout the state. The first book ever written that covers all aspects of planning in a single state, Guide to California Planning is used as a textbook in virtually every college- and graduate-level planning program in California. In this revised and expanded fifth edition, William Fulton and Paul Shigley lay out planning laws and processes in detail and describe how planning really works in California―how cities and counties and developers and citizen groups all interact with each other on a daily basis to shape California communities and the California landscape, for better and for worse. Significant new topics addressed in this edition include the state’s increasing focus on infill and transit-oriented development and climate action plans, including ways of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Easy to read and understand, Guide to California Planning is far more than a textbook. It’s an ideal tool for planning professionals, members of allied professions in the planning and development fields, and citizen activists.

Genres: Urbanism, Urban Planning, Nonfiction, Read For School

434 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Nils Jepson · Rating 5 out of 5]

overall a lot more political than i was expecting and i think it contextualizes pretty complicated/niche planning concepts within broader land use frameworks. will keep referencing for a long time!

[Alex Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty comprehensive examination of the nexus that is California land use, zoning, politics and economics. Fulton and Shigley both give plenty of examples from history of how different players try to sort through the changes in California planning as we approach the contemporary era.

All in all, players seek to create a balance of concerns. In a democracy we have to allow people their voice, but we also need to present the idea of "fair" in terms of industry practice for real estate development. Sometimes people try and cheat but often the situations encountered have different weights involved; sometimes places are more rural or there is extreme wealth involved. California provides a confusingly large expanse of diverse situations which this book seems able to parse into a nexus of requirements as each situation is locally determined with its own history and its own challenges.

This is a great primer for the industry of land use and planning, even if in the final picture, local constraints will be very diverse with perhaps very different considerations going into how things can change.

[Bess Brandow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed learning so much about CA planning law and practice, and genuinely want to recommend this to everyone, even though I’m sure it’s best for planning nerds :)

[Judi · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you must read a text on California urban planning law, this is a good one to read. There is not a lot of legalese that can make a book like this really difficult.

[Lily Keefauver · Rating 4 out of 5]

6th edition, clear and interesting. Read a lot for a class and helped me better understand land use planning w/in CA

[Audrey Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

COUNTING IT FOR MY 2023 GOAL IDC IDC!! took 2 months of my summer reading time and literally read front to back for my summer session course so i’m making this baby work for me