SAN FRANCISCO—People’s Park in Berkeley, which since the Vietnam War has been a site for protests and counterculture movements, can be converted into student housing for the University of California, the state Supreme Court ruled June 6, capping a yearslong legal fight over the landmark.
The court ruled that a new law enacted in 2023 invalidates the claims by two local organizations that sued the school, saying more students living in downtown Berkeley would add noise pollution to an already dense area.
Because of the new law, which “all parties have effectively acknowledged, this lawsuit poses no obstacle to the development of the People’s Park housing project,” Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero wrote in the unanimous decision.
Californians are pushing for more housing of all types, including for students at public universities and colleges. Some students sleep in their cars, crash on friends’ couches, or commute hours to…
