Smart Land Use and Planning | California Sustainability Alliance

Join Our Mailing List Drivers and Approaches Local Government Needs Key Policy Drivers Approaches Sample Measures Introduction Strategic Emissions Reduction Smart Land Use and Planning Responsible Resource Use Integrated Transportation Innovative Waste Management	Smart Land Use and Planning State Policy Priorities SB97 CEQA Guidelines requiring mitigation of GHG SB 375 Redesigning Communities to Reduce Greenhouse Gases Governor’s Strategic Growth Plan & Council (Prop 84 Funds for Sustainable Communities) California Department of Housing & Community Development providing incentives for infill projects Primary Goals Preserve natural ecosystems Objectives: Maximize open space Protect open space Minimize sprawl Strategy: Require all new developments to set aside open space Mitigate climate change by reducing GHG Objectives: Reduce VMTs and daily vehicle hours of delay Reduce energy consumption and increase renewable resources Strategy: Maximize open space and reduce VMTs and associated GHGs Minimize development impacts on natural ecosystems Objectives: Reduce time and environmental impacts on-site Restrict or modify development in areas that contain essential habitat or sensitive natural communities Strategy: Minimize environmental impacts and preserve natural ecosystems Minimize lost opportunities Objectives: Integrate existing development with new and planned development Encourage development of infill and brownfield properties Preserve environmentally superior options (e.g., solar access) Strategy: Integrate sustainable design early in planning and development to minimize loss of sustainable opportunities (e.g., design and layout of utilities and transportation infrastructure, location and design of runoff catch basins, design and layout of subdivisions and roofs orientation, trees for shading) Minimize urban heat islands Preserve/increase natural carbon sequestration Implementation Options Adopt and enforce sustainable land use planning policies that reduce sprawl and increase higher density mixed use and walkable, bikeable and disables-accessible neighborhoods Integrate smart land use, growth, design and development principles into all City owned or sponsored projects Integrate existing developments, schools and transit pathways with new and planned development Require housing development in conjunction with commercial projects Establish a smart growth planning strategy: Integrate transportation and land use planning and encourage development of in-fill and brownfield properties Establish public transit as a key component of community development Leverage high density development to improve transit infrastructure Develop a preferred sustainable land use and transportation scenario through software tools (e.g., PLACES) Classify "Transit Preferred Streets" to make transit more attractive and viable Create a walkable and bikeable network that provides access to schools, shopping areas, parks and recreation Plan and complete a pedestrian network Make physical improvements in areas of high pedestrian use (traffic calming, signal and crossing improvements) Implement a safe bikeway network that increases bicyclist safety and convenience by making roadway improvements and removing physical hazards (e.g., storm gates) Increase connectivity of transportation options: Allow bicycles on regional transit facilities and key regional transportation links Where bicycles are permitted on roadway segments, provide parallel routes accessible to bicycles or shuttle services that transport bicycles Provide bicycle parking at all transit terminals
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