Green General Plan Toolkit

Green General Plan Toolkit

Local governments in California are increasingly expected to adopt sustainability best practices, yet often lack the resources to navigate the maze of regulatory demands and local priorities.  In response, the California Sustainability Alliance has developed the Green General Plan Toolkit to aid local governments in planning for a sustainable future that reflects their communities’ unique mix of local resources, assets, and challenges.

California law requires local governments to have a general plan consisting of least seven plan elements: land use, circulation (transportation), housing, conservation, open space, noise, and safety. The general plan sets goals and standards, but does not regulate municipal activities.  While numerous guidelines and resources are available for the development of general plans, there is a great deal of flexibility as to what may be included in a general plan beyond the seven required plan elements.

The Green General Plan Toolkit provides guidelines and sample measures to local government staff interested in developing a sustainable general plan for their communities.  It addresses the policy drivers motivating local governments to integrate sustainability into the planning process, and discusses approaches a municipality can take to develop effective and holistic policies.  Beyond providing high-level guidance, this toolkit recommends a decision-making framework and illustrative measures that planners can adapt to their own general plans, and includes references to existing green general plans in California.

Explore the Green General Plan Toolkit.