Can A Blueprint Build A Home? Part 1: Planning Environment

1. Can A Blueprint Build A Home?Part 1: Planning Environment Nathaniel Roth Information Center for the Environment UC Davis www.ice.ucdavis.edu neroth@ucdavis.edu

2. The Outline • The Coming Road • The Chaos • The Challenge • Planning • Authority • Tools • Enter The Blueprint • SACOG Model • Current California Blueprint Projects • Blueprint “Success” Indicators

3. The Challenge • Population increase • 2008 = 37.6 million • 2050 = 59.5 million • Housing needs • Average size of household = 2.9 persons • Dwelling units needed 2050 = 7.5 million • Statewide estimate of land consumption • Rate of per household land consumption = 1/4 – 1/2 acre gross-gross • 2,900 square miles – 5,900 square miles • Yolo County = 1,013 square miles

4. The Chaos • Cities • 586 California Cities • Counties • 58 California Counties • LAFCOs • 58 Local Agency Formation Commissions • COGs • 37 Councils of Government • MPOs • 15 Metropolitan Planning Organizations representing “urbanized areas” • RTPA • 26 Regional Transportation Planning Agencies

5. Planner’s “To Do” List • 2,900 square miles – 5,900 square miles • Minimize Total Consumption • Optimize Location • To reduce resource impacts • To minimize transportation need • Optimize Design • To reduce transportation impacts • To make efficient use of land • To support healthy economy

6. Sprawl

7. Minimize Consumption

8. Optimize Location

9. Optimize Location

10. Optimize Design

11. Planning Authority • §65,000 Government Code • Police Powers • Reserved Powers • Tenth Amendment, US Constitution • “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” • Redeligated to counties and cities • Planning in the interests of public health, safety and welfare • Responsibility • LAFCO • City Limits • Spheres of Influence • Annexation • Land inside the city limits is the city’s responsibility • Land in a county outside of the city limits is the county’s responsibility

12. Planning Tools • General Plan • Zoning • Subdivision Map Act • CEQA • Mitigation • Impact Fees • Exactions: Dollars • Dedications: Acres • Development Agreements • Premitigation to achieve a Neg Dec.

13. §65,300 Government Code The “Constitution” of Land Use General Plan Guidelines Office of Planning and Research Amendments 4 per year Complete Camp v. Board of Supervisors Consistent Internal External Elements 7 Required Elements Land Use Circulation Housing Conservation Open-space Noise Safety Optional Elements Parks and Recreation Economic Historic Preservation General Plan

14. Zoning • §65,850 Government Code • Implements the General Plan • Comprehensive and Fair • Euclid v. Ambler • Specific criteria • Use • Bulk • Impact/Performance • Exceptions • Zone Changes • Variances • Conditional Use Permits • Nonconforming Uses

15. Subdivision Map Act • §6,410 Government Code • The Map • Must be approved by the appropriate local government • Tentative map • CEQA • 4x4 Division • Chained 4x4 divisions • Exactions and Dedications • Development Agreements

16. Exactions and Dedications • Exactions: monetary • Nexus (Dolan vs Tigard) • Must draw a logical connection between the need for the exaction and the action. • Schools: Fixed exaction • Dedications: land • Parks

17. Development Agreements • Increasingly common • Voluntary • Streamlined approval • More • Exaction • Dedication • Achieved Neg. Dec. • Negotiated between developer and planning authority

18. Blueprint Planning • Collaborative • Creating a common vision • Voluntary • Retaining traditional authority • Visual • Graphic depiction of future and alternatives • Participatory • Citizens representing all segments do design • Data Driven • Information available and transparent • Network Reliant • Strength is in human social networks

19. Sacramento Region3,962,560 Acres6,192 Square Miles remainder1,353,08634%

20. The Process • Workshops in 22 cities and 6 counties • 8,000 Participants • Manipulated Maps and Design Elements To Create Neighborhood Level Plans • Got Feedback On Land Consumed and Traffic Generated • Free to Change Decisions • Decisions Recorded In GIS

21. Next Step • Input Combined Into County Scenarios • Used “Preferred” Approaches From Workshops • Results Reviewed By City and County Planners • For the 6 Counties • For the 22 Cities

22. Then • Another Round Of Workshops In All Jurisdictions • This Time With County Level Plans • Participants Again Manipulated Planning Elements • Decisions Again Recorded In GIS • Planners Integrated Input Into Region Level Plan

23. Then • Another Series of Workshops • This Time On The Region Level Plan • Feedback Came On Performance Measures From Transportation, The Economy, Air Quality And Others • The Choice Planners And The Public Made Were Distilled Into “Principles”

24. One Last Giant Meeting • Over 1,000 People • Single Gathering • Instant Voting Technology • Voted On Priorities • Voted On Alternatives

25. Political Crunch Time • Ratification Of Principles By 28 Member Jurisdictions • January 2005 • 6 Years In The Making • $6 Million In Costs • 5 Years Of Groundwork Before That • Was It Worth It?

26. Monitoring Success • Level 1 • How Did The Participants View It • Public – Low Recognition, High Evaluation, Perception of “Consensus” Increased • Politicians – High Recognition, High Evaluation, Perception of “Consensus” Increased

27. Monitoring Success • Level 2 • Did Cooperation Across Players And Games Increase • Not Much Feedback Yet • Anecdotal Evidence • Cities of Roseville, Citrus Heights and Sacramento basing new general plans on “Principles” • Regional Transportation Plan more cooperatively developed than past • Roseville and others advancing regional environmental open space objectives • Substantial sums of money channeled through SACOG to cities to reward cities with consistent planning

28. Monitoring Success • Level 3 • Actual Improvements In Environmental Conditions

29. Blueprints • San Joaquin Valley: 8 Counties • San Diego (SanDAG) • SCAG • San Luis Obispo (SLOCOG) • Bay Area (ABAG) • Monterey Bay (AMBAG) • Rural • TriCounties(Amador, Alpine, Calaveras and Tuolumne) • Shasta • New Additions

30. Continuing Support • All Projects Funded Through June 2010 • SACOG, ABAG, SanDAG Provides Monthly Examples Of Jurisdictions Supporting Blueprint • California Business Transportation And Housing Agency Monitoring Progress • Multiple Legislative Bills To Institutionalize Process • SB 375 and others

31. The Stick • AB32: Greenhouse Gas • Strict Limits • Planning • CEQA • Jerry Brown, State Attorney General • San Bernardino Consent Decree • GHG effects are an impact under CEQA

32. Civic Ritual or New Politics • Structuralist • No Government System Can Be Long Sustained Without An Ongoing Source Of Money and Power • Functionalist • Government Is Gridlocked. It Cannot Solve Problems Let Alone Reform Itself • Citizen Action Must Work

33. As For Me • Assume It Works • Why Not • At Least A Lot Of People Are Thinking About The Right Things • It Just Might Work

34. And The Alternative Is Unthinkable