From Permits to Penalties: A Deep Dive Into Coastal Development Law
On-Demand Webinar | Living on the Edge: Managing Sea Level Rise in California
[WEBINAR] Planning in the Coastal Zone
Allen Matkins/UCLA Anderson Forecast Summer/Fall 2014: Coastal Boom Leads California’s Real Estate Recovery
The Trump administration on Monday sued the cities of Morgan Hill and Petaluma, asking a judge to block local laws that ban natural gas infrastructure in new buildings....more
Twice in the past five years, San Diego voters have approved ballot initiatives seeking to raise the 30-foot height limit for buildings in the city’s Midway-Pacific Highway Community Planning Area (often referred to as the...more
In a published opinion filed October 17, 2025, the Fourth District Court of Appeal (Div. 1) reversed the trial court’s judgment and directed it to grant a writ of mandate invalidating the City of San Diego’s (“City”)...more
What You Need to Know - • The NJDEP has issued “substantial changes” to New Jersey’s Resilient Environments and Landscapes (REAL) proposed rules, seeking to modernize the state’s coastal flood safety and land resource rules...more
Recent legislation enacted by the Rhode Island General Assembly brings reforms to the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) in March 2026. Other new laws and CRMC priorities, and changes to permitting...more
Assembly Bill (AB) 130 and Senate Bill (SB) 131, which became effective on June 30, 2025, are designed to bring sweeping change to California housing and infrastructure development across the state. Key provisions in the...more
The California Coastal Act (The Act) is a critical piece of legislation impacting countless developers and homeowners within the coastal zones of California. Understanding the intricacies of The Act is pivotal for anyone...more
Much has been written in recent weeks about how the renewable energy industry in Texas dodged a bullet — several bullets actually — when three high-profile bills targeting the industry failed to pass in the recent legislative...more
Earth Day provides an opportunity to reflect on environmental and sustainability topics, including recently proposed legislation in the Rhode Island General Assembly including efforts to enshrine a right to a clean and...more
If you are buying or financing beachfront property in Florida, you should be aware of the state’s Beach and Shore Preservation Act in Chapter 161, Florida Statutes. This Act was adopted by the legislature to regulate certain...more
Los Angeles County - Executive Order Streamlines Path to Rebuild Homes, Businesses, and Communities Destroyed by Los Angeles Firestorms - In response to the multiple firestorms in Los Angeles County that started on January 7,...more
On January 27, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-14-25 (the “EO”) pursuant to his statutory powers to suspend regulatory statutes during a state of emergency that would impede mitigation of the effects of...more
Following the devastating fires in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-4-25 to expedite recovery and rebuilding efforts. Released on January 12, 2025, the Order suspends...more
In the wake of the tragic disaster still unfolding in multiple communities of Southern California, Governor Newsom has issued an executive order (Executive Order N-4-25) intended to “expedite recovery” from the disaster by...more
KEY FACTS OF REAL ESTATE ACQUISITIONS UNDER COSTA RICAN LAW - General - Real estate law in Costa Rica is governed by the principles established in the Costa Rican Civil Code for acquiring, selling, and disposing of...more
As in previous years, California saw a significant volume of new housing legislation emerge from Sacramento in 2024. (See Holland & Knight's previous annual recaps of California Housing Laws in the final section below.) This...more
The California Legislature has continued to refine the Density Bonus Law over the years, making important updates to housing laws that impact developers across the state. Recent legislative changes include key updates on...more
Investors and developers scour the Southern California real estate market searching for opportunities to buy dated houses that they can demolish and replace with large, modern homes to sell for much more. A few individuals...more
Recent raging winter storms have caved in streets, wrecked piers, collapsed homes and apartment buildings, and submerged property up and down California’s coastline. As sea levels continue to rise from climate change,...more
Hinckley Allen claimed an important win for private property rights in Rhode Island last week. In Roth v. Rhode Island, Hinckley Allen challenged the constitutionality of newly enacted state legislation that significantly...more
As coastal erosion continues to shrink beaches, the sand that remains has become ever more valuable; and in Maine, a battle over the beach has reached the state’s highest court. In most coastal states, the intertidal land —...more
In June 2023, the Rhode Island General Assembly enacted legislation granting the public expanded “privileges of the shore,” including but not limited to the right to fish from the shore, to swim in the sea and to pass along...more
Both the North and South Carolina legislatures have recently adopted statutes affecting environmental issues in their respective states. This update highlights the most significant developments in North and South Carolina....more
Over the weekend The Boston Globe reported on the uniquely unfortunate situation in which the City of Boston finds itself as our oceans rise and coastal storms become more intense. You can always count on me to pass along...more
Chapter 91 of the Massachusetts General Laws, otherwise known as the Public Waterfront Act, is the primary law protecting the public’s rights to use and access the coastal tidelands of the Commonwealth. First adopted in 1866,...more