Unfamiliar Terrain

A roundup of news and multimedia from the Unfamiliar Terrain team: San Francisco S.F. supervisors back tenant, small-business protections in Lurie’s ‘Family Zoning’ plan (SF Chronicle): Mayor Lurie’s family zoning plan would raise height limits and add density on the north and west sides of the city, but some elected officials, residents, neighborhood groups, and […]

Update: Governor Newsom signed SB 79 into law on October 10, 2025 California Legislature Passes New Bill to Encourage More Homes Near Transit Capping off a session that achieved major CEQA reforms for housing development, the California Legislature has sent new transit-oriented housing legislation to the Governor’s desk, which is expected to be signed by […]

A roundup of news and multimedia from the Unfamiliar Terrain team: San Francisco San Francisco Family Zoning Plan Updates (SF Planning): As of late July, the Planning Department has updated the draft zoning height maps as part of its proposed Family Zoning Plan, which aims to expand housing affordability and availability by allowing for increased […]

This is our third update on the important changes in the two budget trailer bills, AB 130 and SB 131, after previous posts addressing the new CEQA exemption for infill housing and the “near miss” CEQA streamlining process. While the first two posts covered the most significant changes, the legislation also introduced changes to the […]

By Miles Imwalle, Megan Jennings, and Alyssa Netto Following up on our earlier coverage of the new California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemption passed as part of budget trailer bill AB 130, another significant CEQA pathway was created through its companion legislation, SB 131. Among other things, SB 131 includes a new CEQA process that limits […]

By Miles Imwalle and Megan Jennings Governor Gavin Newsom signed two budget trailer bills on June 30, 2025, enacting the most substantial reforms to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in over five decades—most significantly by introducing a new statutory exemption for infill residential projects, although there are other changes to CEQA that apply to […]

A roundup of news and multimedia from the Unfamiliar Terrain team: San Francisco Mayor Lurie names new S.F. planning director (SF Chronicle): Sarah Dennis Phillips has been named the City’s planning director, replacing Rich Hillis. Mayor Lurie’s Family Zoning Plan Is a Leap Forward for San Francisco Housing Policy (SPUR): According to SPUR, a proposal […]

California’s 2025 legislative cycle includes another ambitious package of housing bills as the state continues to look for ways to ease the housing crisis amidst continued political and economic uncertainty. Reforming the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) is a perennial focus among developers and housing advocates, although the state has enacted only narrowly targeted measures […]

A roundup of news and multimedia from the Unfamiliar Terrain team: San Francisco Mayor Lurie launches initiative to speed up S.F.’s slow permitting process (SF Chronicle): The Mayor announced a new effort to streamline the City’s permitting process as he seeks to bolster its economic recovery. Lurie under YIMBY pressure to embrace aggressive rezoning plan […]

A roundup of news and multimedia from the Unfamiliar Terrain team: San Francisco Why Mission Bay is recovering faster than anywhere else in San Francisco (SF Standard): The redeveloped neighborhood is booming ahead of its showcase at next month’s NBA All-Star Game. Lurie asks of Candlestick Point: ‘How can we go faster?’ (SF Business Times): […]

As discussed in our last update on the November 2022 Proposition M, Empty Homes Tax Ordinance (the “Empty Homes Tax”), the San Francisco Apartment Association, the Small Property Owners of San Francisco Institute, the San Francisco Association of Realtors, and four individual landlords (“Challengers”) filed a lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court challenging the constitutionality […]

With support from nearly 70% of voters in the November 2024 election, Proposition M will substantially modify the San Francisco Business and Tax Regulations Code (the “SF Tax Code”), which imposes a number of taxes on entities engaging in business in the City. The following is a summary of key existing provisions in the SF […]