PAGE 20 Show Image
#-¼ ½
4 &-/%`
½ ½
Howwillwe ¼
everffori?
Can I ne my ike to chool? ¼
{ Whe
re will I pu~ my
collection of N~~ion~l How ~ i~ my room? ¾
Geographic ma~azine~?
) Will I have ~o ~nve l~ there ~hoppi~~
~owork? ne~r~y? ~
\ ½
½
¼
"# 4½'
~
`½~
Thinking in practical terms, Bay Area dream hausing wauld £e camfarta~le, aftarcla£le, and lacated in a
safe, compact neigh~arhaad with everyday needs clase at hand. Nurses, mechanics, li£ranans, and their
families wauld ~e a£le ta live clase ta wark and have time ta enjay a high quality af life.
The Bay Area Home
21
PAGE 21 Show Image
A Bngkt $pQt in A*fordable Housin9
~ifl(: ~Q I ()~({ (((}fjjr t) liv \1()vri (f ( IkI\'¾ mi (~f [rh'~ nd
I~i(fl1 I)\)pmflt thc h t)QCY\ 2: pr U dr in (V ~~(()~C h(ttflA
ok ntinid vhii thc flml)v f ){)1 l)QI)' ti p}\'Et\; i~ ~ iu('$~'(i 1\
)~7 dv1()mfl )t
½ 4() PC ~t Ih t~ i\rc h fl(t hfl inmu~c ( thi rcnd h\ I (
j ~Iifmiy h{in hd difl(i fl( j))tic ()IU (;()fl)~ had vitt1~ ji
~(flr()t ()~tfl~t\ {()ifl `{r)()fi(fl h\e C~)~( iflt(' ti h1~1 ttt(fl
` P
`;½y: : 1hc~ 4cv~()pc Iv~ not ()1v r~hI)i1itd ~\itiflA hoin ~ ~1~() t)~~i1t flew
developing infill housing on ahI~ h)~~i~A in m~~\; ~ ~)f ~1~c ~ i I~vi~~ ~`~i'~4 ~~n4 t'r()~fl p~~1)tic ~fld ~
under-utilized innercity ~ ~ ~ ~n4 ~ ~ h~iI~ ~im()~t t~\(~-thir4\: ~)t
land; building second-unit ~hc ~~uIzi-f~mil\' ho ~ ~
apartments and backyard ~ th~v dVC pr()4u~~4 i~ for ~ ~ i()~v- *~fl(~ Y~r\'-i()v\ i~-
coftages; increasing ~ ~ 1C~ p~r c~n~ ~ ~hc r~~i(~n'~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 1~()~fl mar-
housing density on k~t-r~t~ ~ ~ pr(4~Qt~ ~d4 ~ to ~ ~ ~ f~~rtI~~r pri-
transportation corridors v~~c ~~ct~)r ~nv~~rm~nt In f~cr ~an ~ l~I~I I)(; V I i(~~~~iflg ( ~
and near rail stations; and (>flC (~ft1~~ t()~ 4~vc~()p(:r~ In th~ c()~~n~r\, rcp(~rt~ ~ ~ ~ ~~f3~()()() h()m~ ~ ~vi~hin
developing mixed-use ~ of ~ix ~ rh~ir pr~}j~~t~ ~~~(~\vcd ~~() ifl~~)~~t on pr(~~)~rt\ ~ ~ in
residential projects in ()n~ ~ ~ ~ ~ n'~~c.
downtowns and
neighborhoods? Because
such development is
affordable, convenient, and
livable. As a representative ,
of AARP (American
Association of Retired
People) points out, compact
urban development is
preferable because car- ~ ~
dependent, low-density
suburban development
patterns often isolate older
persons from friends and
neighbors as their desire or
ability to drive diminishes,
and hampers their ability to
accomplish basic tasks such
as grocery shopping or , ~
visiting the doctor. ~
½~'
½ -
Built in Oakland, Hismen Hin-nu Terrace is a mixed-use, medium-density project that mends a
deteriorating neighborhood by placing commercial shops on the ground floor of the neighborhood's
main boulevard. This 92-unit building is for families and seniors of very low and low incomes.
Chapter Two
22
PAGE 22 Show Image
Moving Toward Affordabihty
By promoting variety in forms, locations, and ½ Improve the re~u1atory eh*mate.
policies, the Bay Area could enjoy housing that Implementing infill development will re-
is not only affordahle, hut desirahle to live in. quite complementary planning policies such
The region's diversity of people and architec- as reduced on-site parking requirements and
ture could he retained, and residents could live zoning for higher densities. Bay Area cities
closer to where they work, shop, and recreate. - in part stimulated hy state requirements -
- Build infili housing. are making zoning chances to accommodate
Infill housing makes sense for a numher of mixed-use projects that will increase tax rev-
reasons: it uses existing infrastructure, lo- enues. Local government should find ways
cares people near transit and employment, to encourage infill housing without induc-
and is the long-term affordahle solution to in~ untenahle environmental impacts. For
the needs ofa growing Bay Area. Local gov- example, infill housing is one of the major
emment should identify potential residen- strategies the City of~an Jose has articulated
tial infill sites within the existing urhan core in its General Plan to support compact de-
and focus future puhlic investment and velopment, affordahle housing, puhlic trans-
policy on attracting affordahle housing de- portation, and a sustainahle city.
velopment to these areas. 2L Lower the risk.
Redefine and redesign affordable housing. Infill developers face hiA~er risks than de-
Affordahle housing, whether single-family or velopers who huild in the greenhelt. Land
multi-family, can he a henefit to the neigh- prices are higher, conventional financing is
horhood if it has a human scale and is crc- often not availahle, and the permit process
atively designed, and is constructed in a do- is often expensive, drawn out, and conten-
rahle, economical manner. Unfortunately, tious. Local government, financial institu-
past experience with poor quality affordahle tions, and residents can all play a role in
housing has provided many neighhorhoods changing the hottom line enough so that
with reasons to oppose it. However, the Bay infill development hecomes viahle. Mort-
Area has many examples of new housing gage lenders favor single-family, detached
that are so well integrated into the neigh- housing at lower densities. Yet creative lend-
horhood that the impact on property values mg programs have helped Bay Area residents
has heen positive. Local government can en- to realize homeownership. These programs
sure hetter, more acceptahie projects hy de- include first-time home-huyer programs,
veloping strong affordahle housing design tenancy-in-common, limited equity loans,
guidelines and review processes. location-efficient mortgages, and sweat-eq-
Learn to appreciate appropriate density. uity or owner-hour programs such as
Affordahle housing needs to he huilt at Hahitat for Humanity.
higher densities to hecome economically ½ Eneoura~e owner and tenant involvement.
feasihle hut political support for infill hous- For the most part, homeowners are inter-
mg will only come from educating Bay Area ested in maintaining neighhorhood health
residents ahout the henefits ofliving in more and vitality. But those who cannot afford or
compact communities. The henefits are do not want to own a home value the same
many: shops and services exist within walk- sense of stahility and community involve-
mg distance; traditional huilding patterns of ment. Financial incentives that encourage
older Bay Area cities are respected; puhlic renter responsihility hy involving them more
transit can hecome financially sound, acces- actively in management decisions of the
sihle, and convenient for riders; and people huildings and communities where they live
live in closer proximity, supporting neighhor- would contrihute to neighhorhood well-
liness without invading each others privacy. heing.
The Bay Area Home
23
PAGE 23 Show Image
Matching Homes and People
Most new housing is designed with the typical American family in mind. Bnt many of ns
are not typical. Onr honsin~ shonld be as diverse as we are and able to adapt to onr
ehan~n~ needs.
One Size Doesn't I?it All While household size is shrinking, houses
Where does the 25 per cent The lack of affordahle housing in the Bay are ~ettin~ larger. Forty yeats ado, houses with
of the populotion that lives Area is well known. We ate less aware that the two hedrooms and one hath had ahout 900 to
alone actually live? typical American family is changing dramati- 1,200 square feet; the family size was 3.5 l)eople.
According to UC Berkeley cally. In contrast to the post-World War II fami- In 1995, 74 per cent ofthe new housing huilt in
professor Paul Groth a lies oftwo parents and two-plus children, thirty the Bay Area was single family-detached homes.
* per cent of all U.S. households now consist of These homes for an average family of 2.61
surprising number live in
residential hotels. In San single parents with kids. Moreover, this is the people were on average 2,023 square feet, fea-
Francisco, this form of fastest-growing household type. The percent- tured three hedrooms, 3.5 haths, a kitchen, din-
housing represents 1 0 per age of households with two working parents is mg room, and at least two other rooms, and cost
cent of the city's stock. One also going up, and more and more multi-gen- $1~8,1O7 to huild.
half of all of the city's erational families are living under the same roof. Does it make sense that the most common
51 ,OOO hotel rooms are A quarter of the U.s. population lives alone, a forms ofnew housing preclude desirahle options
occupied by permanent figure that will increase as our population ages. for significant portions of the population?
residents.
- ~ ~ ~uiIding Community I
~ Convenience
,½'~
\cw living .irr.'tngeu~cnt~ whicl~
mize `>n ~~),icc 10(1 Q~Iltiv~~c a scnsc `) )u -
, ,
~
m ~in it\ ~rc tik ii~g l~(~ld i n rhe ~ rc
I i ~c-w~~rk ~iu its ~re I l)~rtic il.~ rl\' c()n\~c
n ien t ~ n~l cc~~n~>~ ic~ I ~ )l)ti(~n f'>r thc scl f
cml)l(~ycd l)cc~~ise (}fs~~~ings ~ ~ te
~
tit~cs ~n(l l)iisincss c\~)cnscs. In the ~
tw(~ ~ i II i(}O peoplc w()rkc~l ~t h {~n~c i ~
I ~ l~hi~ figtirc h~s O()' (l()~iI)t incr~ `~~c~l
in the lia\ :\rc~ thc n~~i~l)c~ `l()~il~lc(l
l)ctwccI~ l~)~(~ and ~
~
~
~ l)ri\ with I
A~ ~ -~` in' ~ in
` ,
- pr()JcQt t\pi~~ll>
Live-work projects are often built in rehabilitated sh~rc~l ~\~(`rksl~()1~ s~),~cc l'~i~n~iry t('()~~
,nclustnal areas and bnng new life and commercial c''mmiinity ~lining l~~ll (`~ltl~('~~"h ~~~(li-
activity into the innercity, such as this project in vi'l~i~l t~nirs ~is~i~~llv ~ ~ kite ~
West Berkeley. In lcs~ th~~n ~ `lcc~4c (l()zcos of ~
i i~g pr()jccts ~ l)cc I) 1)0 i I t ~ r~ in
ProAtess in the tCA'i()O.
Chapter Two
24
PAGE 24 Show Image
New Forms New Arranments
The task of matching the range of housing f)esi~n housing to support a shared ense
choices to the divetsity ofhousehold sizes, ares, of community.
lifestyles, ethnieities, incomes, and ahilities can Condominiums encoota~e sociahility as do
he accomplished hy taking the time to wotk tenants-in-common pattnetships, which in- ~
togethet coopetatively. volve co-ownetship of small apattment
½ Allow second units on since family lots. hoildin~s ot ~toup hooses. All types ofhoos-
Becaose state legislation has heen enacted mg can he designed to suppott nei~hhotli-
to allow municipalities to adopt zoning fot ness, and put mote eyes-on-the-stteets to
second units this ptactice is ptohahly the make them safet fot evetyone. A ftont stoop, ~ `~
least costly, most expedient way to inctease ftont potch toom ot ~atden, ot a kitchen sink ~Ay ~
the availahility ofafTotdahle and modest-size window facing the stteet - all these encout-
hoosin~. In fact the second unit otdinances a~e people to intetact in a nei~hhothood.
in Palo Alto and Pacifica have heen so sue- Even ptivately-owned homes can shate In some neighborhoods
cessful in ptovidin~ needed housing that yards, ~atdens, and play areas among neigh- residents are taking down
these cities ate considetin~ lihetalizin~ the hots hy softening the houndaties hetween the fences between their
restrictions to ~enetate even mote units. properties. yards to create a larger
This approach also henefits owners hecause Provide institutional, financial, and politi- space that all could enloy.
it allows flexihle use of property over the cal support to generate new sustainable Neighbors use this so-
lifespan of ownership. Older persons, for foes of housing. called "urban cooperative
example, whose families are crown and The greatest ohstacle to developing these block" as shared space for
none, can augment a fixed income with an new forms ofhousin~ is financial. Develop- community gardens, as a
additional rental unit and possihly even ers and huilders find it extremely difficolt greenhouse, or a children's
share the responsihilities of home upkeep. to ~et financing for such projects hecause play area.
½ Consider live-work arrangements. everything favors the single-family detached
Innovative ideas ahout creating places where house, which i~ perceived hy government
living and working can occur in the same and lenders as the safest, most predictahle,
place may complement plans for adapting and most profitahle form ofhousin~. \ei~h-
existing huildings to new uses. \ew or re- hors often fear potential impacts on traffic
modeled huildin~s designed with flexihle and parking from the added density. Fears ` ~
layouts can accommodate hoth types ofoses like these make approval difficult. For cx-
particularly if they permit easy wiring for ample, in Fairfax, a 19-unit, affordahlc co _________-
computers, modems, faxes, and other dcc- h()usin~ project took ten years to ~et huilt.
tronic devices that are increasingly part of 1~) offer these options to more people and
the home office. hetter meet the diverse needs of today's
Consider collaborative h.vin~. chan~in~ population, new forms of h()usin~
Fven though the coals of residents may ul- must find acceptance.
timately he the same, the idea of sharing
resources challenges our notions of privacy:
how close we should live to our nei~hhors,
what is the proper type of household, who
needs to prepare our food, and how an-
chored we are to private ownership. While
co-housing or urhan cooperative hlocks may
not he for everyone, they are worth our con-
sideration and support.
The Bay Area Home
25
PAGE 25 Show Image
Sustainable Design
A knowledge of the history, climate, and natural resources of a place makes it possible
to design housing with lash~n~ value and distinction. The Bay Area has a variety of
micro-climates, terrains, and patterns of development, which, if expressed in its
buildings, would strengthen residents' appreciation of the richness of the region.
f
A Promising Foundation
Around the turn-of-the-century an architec- non to nature. But we should recognize that
Energy savings is not the rural tradition fostered by a small number of the redwoodsy Bay Area house - that icon of
exclusive domain of home architects who had migrated from the eastern naturalness - is no longer appropriate to build
remodelers. Thanks to
part of the country took root in some parts of today. Preserving the houses representative of
cutting-edge changes in the Bay Area. This tradition gained great popu- this tradition is important, however, since not
the 1 970s to the state's larity in the post-World War II decades and has only are they a revered part of the region's at-
uniform building code continued in one form or another. Romanticized chitectural heritage but also represent a signifi-
governing new
as a return to the simple life lived informally in cant investment in materials that are now rare
construction of homes and harmony with nature, these houses of redwood and expensive. Energy-efficient they were not,
other buildings California and douglas fir with large expanses of glass but they can be made so and with careful main-
energy consumers saved
approximately $4.9 billion opening onto gardens were based on the per- tenance they will last indefinitely.
between 1985 and 1992. ception that forests and undeveloped land were Architectural style is, of course, a matter of
The California Energy inexhaustible. We now know better. Had ear- aesthetics as well as environmental appropriate-
her residents and builders of Bay Area houses ness. If desired, the traditional look can be
Commission estimates that foreseen the results of their exploitation of the adapted to new materials and building technolo-
an additional $8.9 billion region's natural riches, we might now be fur- gies. But we should also consider that new ma-
will be saved by the year ther along the path toward sustainability. terials and technologies that help to conserve
1 999. Building houses with a connection to na- energy and do not exploit scarce natural re-
ture in mind is still a valid idea. In densely sources can give today's houses an appearance
populated areas it is more important than ever that will be as important to future generations
to give residents a visual and physical connec- as that ofyesterday's houses are to us.
In an eff6rt to make their 80-year-old house more
sustainable, the owners replaced their garage
and driveway with non-turf landscaping, insulated
~ their attic, and bolted the house to the
, for earthquake salety.
Chapter Two
26
PAGE 26 Show Image
Using the Right ~tuff. in the Right Way
Environmentally sustainable building de- ¼ Build homes that "fit in" the Bay Area.
sign responds to the natural conditions ofplaee. Whether renovating or building anew,
~inee the turning of the 19th century Bay Area buildings should fit into the neighborhood.
architects who were sensitive to these conditions Building for the local micro-climate (re- I
have designed homes that are timeless in terms membering that there are many in the Bay There is a growing list of
of their livability. Today's technology provides Area), taking advantage ofnatural wind ven- sustainable building
us opportunities to improve design by using less tilation and passive solar opportunities saves materials: fly ash concrete,
energy and alternative resources. Although some money and reduces resource consumption. salvaged lumber, chip
of the products and methods of this new tech- But fitting in goes beyond aesthetics and board, straw bale encased
nology are now generally costlier than those of appropriate technology. It means also know- in cement, stucco, rice
the old building technology, they will generate mg where and when not to build or buy, for straw, recycled concrete,
long-term savings. example not building in the flood plain or gypsum, metals, cotton
2 Build modest but well-crafted homes. on prime agricultural land. and cellulose for
Homes that are modest in size can provide a Use better materials for better bui1din~s. insulation, clay tiles,
sense of privacy and a feeling of spacious- We must insulate our homes and replace linoleum, and natural and
ness. You can have a smaller house if you worn-out, leaking windows and inefficient recycled paints and
have ready access to outdoor living spaces, appliances to use energy more efficiently finishes. North Bay builder
whether it be a yard or neighborhood park. than early Bay Area homes did. In renova- David Easton has been
Amenities, attractive details, durable crafts- non and new construction, we must take ad- constructing homes out of
manship, and multi-purpose spaces as well vantage of the growing availability of sus- rammed earth. This
as small gestures such as a bay window or a tamable materials that come from renew- method involves mixing
nook can add space, privacy, and bathe our able resources and whose use do not have a soil, a little water; and
homes in natural light. long-term, adverse effect on our or some cement, then pouring or
ther region's ecosystem. And, to be safe, spraying it into wood
0
we can use healthy, non-toxic building ma- forms. Thick walls rivaling
terials rather than those that create toxic concrete in strength result.
~ pollution or greenhouse gases during manu- This type of construction
facture, use, or disposal. uses up to 50 per cent less
Be an informed customer. timbei; eliminates the use
~ #~? Older homes often have good value. They of toxic materials, and
may be made ofmaterials that are now scarce dramatically reduces
and expensive and have features that cost energy costs.
more to build today. Their very existence is
a saving. Buying or renting an existing home
0
r apartment in an existing neighborhood
> that is close to work, shopping, school, and
~ transit is one way that a great number of
Bay Area residents can make a personal con-
I I I ~ ~ ~ tribution to the long-term sustainability of
the region.
Put the ear in its proper place.
Garages and driveways can take up to one
third of your property - an area that could
This modest, new San Francisco bungalow was be used as an outdoor living space. Reuse
built out of sustainable materials for a retired your garage for a work space or an apart-
school teacher. Located in an existing ment. Plant your driveway with vegetables.
neighhorhood, amenities such as John McLaren
Park are within walking distance.
The Bay Area Home
27
PAGE 27 Show Image
Thank to ()t1~ iillI~'1te ~`ind fcrtile oil Bay Are'i reident hive the opportunity to ~~()W
food, flower and other thin~ green year-rotind. ilut vhere to tart?
he Goo News A out
l~'d~ Arci ~trdcncrs d'rc CQOyifl~ frsh food
c)or ~d'fdCfl `dfc ~rccn Iivin~ rooms whcrc by (Yf()\\Jjfl~ pld'fl~ for thcir prodoctivc a well
In most parts of the U.S., ~ can be creative and work to achieve some a~ ornamental value. One result of nor rich di-
theaveragecarrottravels measore of sostainable living for ontselves. versity is the wide ran'~e ()f~r()win~ traditions
an astonishing 2,000 miles some Bay Area residents have s()n~ht to create and plants that different coltoral ~ronps have
before it reaches the dinner ecosystems in their garden or yard. For example, introduced to the Bay Area, for example the
plate. But the Bay Area thev have planted shade trees that lower cool- shared garden in an apartment house which
climate allows us year- in~ hills in the summer and save on heating hills serves as a community-builder for recent
round access to fresh the winter hv providing protection from the {Imon~ immigrants or the doorvard ~ardeo of
carrots and other foods wind. Bay Area gardens are also used as out- African-Americans who migrated from the
grown locally. According to door t()O~5 or vear-round settings for entertain- south to work in the shipyards during World
Uc Berkeley researcher ins, eating, and recreation. War 11.
Laura Lawson the average
American eats 322 pounds -` -~`--~~."- --- ~ ~
of vegetables and soft fruits
each year. Using bia- `,~ . ,( , ,,, ,, ~ ~ , -1~~ - <½ ~
intensivefarmingmethods, , ~ <, ,,
~or~
a person can grow that
amount in a 1 OO to 200- ~u&.h ~ ,,,
square-foot garden, during ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
month ____________ ~,, ~
~ ?~pper~ Cu~um~r~
a ~IA ~ ~
season, working 1 5 minutes C~rr~~ ~ ___ ,
a day, for a total of 45 , ~
hours. With a $20 ~, `,,,,,
investmentinseedsand ~ ~ A ,
organic fertilizers in a 300 ~ ~,
square-foot plot a family of `
three could save $600 to ~ ~ ~
,~, ~
$ a year and eat home- ~ ~qua~h ~
grown food. ~ ~
Wn~r ~~ua~h
.,,, ~
~,, ,,,,,
~,,
~
Jeru~~i~~ ~
f, --~-~
Elsewhere in the U.S., "Winter is a time to shovel snow and read seed catalogs rant
while dreaming of next summer's bounty. But here, winter days are likely to find us
out in our gardens, mayhe even in shirtsleeves, picking tender greens, cutting stately ~` ~r~win~
½.,
artichoke buds, and making sure our pea vines are finding the trellis." A' Harvce~
- Pam Peirce ~orman~
(t') ~renn~a
Chapter Two
PAGE 28 Show Image
(;r()Yvifl ()rcncr
WhaQvcr ~()UF bcn~ you c'Jn hvc cco- UJe utainible niethod.
f'dtivC garden or an urban farm ~hit fccinirc~ 1c~~ ~1~in~ ()r~~anic n~ctho4~ to fced plants and
work, 1CSS water, fewer ~)X~C snb~tances, and i~ control pc~~ prevcn~s pcsticici~~ and ferdi-
healthy for you and the ~nvif()nmcnL izcr from rnnnin~ off thc ~oii and cvcntu-
~et aside ~paee for greenery. j1~ into ()U~ crcck~ and the ba~ Yon and ~()~f
Wsin~your irna~inatinn ~()~ can create bean- food are healthier, ~)o. Apartrnent-dwe1ier~ Village Homes is a model of
tiful and prodnctivc nntd()()r space, whether and hou~e-dwc1Icr~ aTike can compost yard ecological site planning and
it bc in thc bach, front or ~idc ~atd; in pots wa~tc and ~itchcn ~ctaps and tctisc thern to architecture that combines
and containers on a patio, tcttace, tOO{ Or cntich thc soit in the ve{~etahIe ~atden. This sustainable practices such
window~i11; or in a commonity ~atdcn. Yoo reduces hoosehold ~atLa~e h~ op to 50 pct as natural infrastructure and
can also cnjoy and Sopport thc ~ardcnin{~ ccnt (compostahie lard ~astc i~ ~ccond onto food production with
cff~)rts of others h> ~hoppin~ at local fate- to papcr in its contrihotion to not 1andfi11~). energy savings. Located in
yet thrifty Iand~eape. Davis, California, Village
ets markets or sohsctihin~ to home dcliv- Gro~v a hardy
er~ services ptovidcd hy local ~towct~ (icc \\~hy not lihctatc yoorselffrorn hcin~ a torf Homes is a 60-acre, 240-
parc 7~ for addition information). slave? ~hifti"{' from hi~h-rnaintenance, or- unit subdivision in which
Landscape appropriateh; narnental plants that tcc}oite a lot of watct each group of eight houses
The topo~taphy, soil (toalit~ and mictocli- and chemicals to low-maintenance varieties owns a contiguous common
mate of~oot ~atden or yard shoold he taken i~ an important first step t()ward~ a ~()tC area. These areas are used
into consideration when ptannin~ and ~ostainah1e yard. Aceordin,," to Kast Bay for toddler play yards,
ptantin~. The permaeniture approach, for ~1tinicipai \Vater District, it i~ not hard to vegetable gardens, and
example, c()mhines site ptannin~ with the decrease water ose in the yard hy 50 per cent pieces of the neighbor-
use of perennial plants and trees for cool- hy chan~in~ to droo~ht-tt)lerant and peren- hood's open storm water
in~ and froit prodoction, and ~ive~ high nial plants, hy reducin{' the size of yonr lawn, drainage system. The entire
- ds nsin~ a low amount ofener~~ Water and hy heinz mindfnl ofthe time ofday and subdivision owns a
yiel
runoff and erosion shoold he minimized, method in which ~t)U ~ ater. It is even legal greenbelt that includes a
and hill dwellers in particular should use now to set up a ~ra~ water, or recyded ~ a- community garden,
fire-retardant plant materials. ter system, for use in your yard. orchards, and vineyards.
Designed to use less energy,
these homes have been
reported by a UC Davis
researcher to use 47 per
cent less electricity, 31 per
cent less natural gas, and
36 per cent less vehicular
energy. Village Homes
houses are now worth
$20,000 more on average
, than homes anywhere else
Whether in hot inner valleys or cool coastal climes, Bay Area homes can incorporate green spaces and
plants that are £oth £eauhful and functional, such as these vegetahle beds and drought-tolerant perennials.
The Bay Area Home
PAGE 29 Show Image
`
`-- --7~
A
~
,-
4
Y
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+1
~ 4 1
~ ~ III
~ 4~
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~ ~ ~
1
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A ~ ~ ~ ~ $4
~ ~< ~
¼ A;~ ~ ½~
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Bay Area neighborhoods are rich with identity a diversify of people, housing types and activities. On any
given day in Oakland 5 Lake Merritt neighborhood joggers, strollers, and wildlite can ~e lound mingling
and enjoying urban living.
Chapter Three
30
PAGE 30 Show Image
hat makes a good
neighborhood?...
Having good neighbors!
The most livable neighborhoods place
us within walking distance of people we
know and can rely on. Fortunately, the
development patterns that foster
neighborliness and sociability are also
more sustainable.
With many of the traditional safety nets
disappearing, the value of living in a
mutually supportive community is
increasingly clear. This chapter
introduces the qualities that good
neighborhoods share and strive for, and
shows how to recognize and revitalize
neighborhoods in decline. It includes a
closer look at three neighborhood types
commonly found in the Bay Area and
gives some local examples of
neighborhoods that provide good role
models.
Neighborhoods
31
PAGE 31 Show Image
Common Threads Tie Vs Together
Many Bay Area nei~hborhood',c are real places with a divercity of people, huildin~s
nature, and aetivitie. Wilat are the key ingredients?
Knowing the Chaflenge
What will i~ take to ~ivc all Bay Area neigh- in~ a center that is recognized as a community
borhoods the qualities that make us look forward focal point, horders with connections to other
to going home at the end of the day.~ How can places, distingoishin~ landmarks, rood schools
neighhorhoods function well for shopping, tee- and parks, and other everyday places imhued
reation, and transit access.~ How can they work with nei~hhorhood significance.
together to achieve local and regional * Diversity el()se at hand.
sostainahility.~ Many Bay Area nei~hhorhoods have a diver-
. A feehn~ of belon~n~, safety, and sity of people with a variety of incomes, ethnic
support. hack~roonds, lifestyles, and ages indeed di-
Good nei~hhors know each other at least hy versity is a defining and valued characteristic of
sight and watch out for one another. Neighhors the region that residents desire at the neigh-
help each other, whether it's for everyday things horhood level. The different perspectives pro-
such as horrowing a cup of sugar, or keeping an vide a larger pool of solutions to help rc~olvc
eye on the kids, or reducing the likelihood of neighhorhood prohlems. A diversity of things
crime, alienation, or loneliness. Neighhorhood to do and places to go in a neighhorhood en-
life is enriched with shared experiences and courages accomplishing daily tasks on foot, pro-
intergenerational support; residents respect each viding convenience as well as some employ-
other's privacy. ment. Ideally neighhorhoods include a grocery
. Al' identity. or convenience store, lihrary, post office,
A strong neighhorhood has its own name and taurant, pharmacy, hardware store, community
identity, like ~ruitvale, Bernal Heights, or Wil- garden, park, and other meeting places. Liv-
low Glen. People are proud to live there hut it ahle neighhorhoods have a choice ofgood puh-
is not exclusive, segregated, or isolated. Neigh- lie and private schools accessihle hy walking,
horhood identity comes in large part from hav- hiking, or transit.
While modest, it has been `~
said that Santa Rosa's ~
Banavita Heights ~
nei9hborhood is "the kind of
place yao woold want to live `
even after yoo won the
lottery." Residents work
together to pot on an ann oal
garage sale (15 years
ronning), harbecoes, and a
book ebb.
~
~ `
~
Chapter Three
32
PAGE 32 Show Image
* Streets primarily for people. * Conneetions to centers.
Narrow, interconnected, calm streets in resi- Ba\; Area neighborhoods benefit from eon-
dential areas enable neigbborboods to be rieb neetions to larger urban centers for needs tbat
witb uses important to pedestrians. It bas been cannot be satisfied witbin tbe neigbborbood.
estimated tbat streets providing pedestrian ac- Strong pedestrian, bicycle, and local transit Many of the Bay Area's
cess to commercial or recreational activities connections are particularly important. greatest neighborhoods are
witbin a quarter-mile will reduce auto-depen- * ~e1f-rehanee. dense without seeming
dency. Tbese pbysical ebaracteristics make A bealtby neigbborbood bas a vigorous crowded. Telegraph Hill
streets safe places to play, walk, and ride , economy wbicb encourages local entrepreneur- and Nob Hill have 80 to
tbey brine people togetber ratber tban keep sbip and initiative, provides opportunities for 1 AO housing units per
tbem apart. neigbborbood employment and is able to re- acre. Much of Berkeley has
. A range of pubhe spaces. rain and attract more residents and businesses. 1 2 to 20 dwelling units per
\eigbborboods bave places in wbicb to be Neigbborboods are stronger wben neigbbors acre. And parts of Palo
neigbborly: to interact formally and intention- work togetber to prepare for emergencies, to Alto are as dense as 1 5 to
ally, as well as casually and spontaneously. At create a community garden - or even to ~ener- 30 units per acre.
tbeir best, tbesc ~barcd ~pace~ sueb as parks, ate energy or collect and manage storm water. Compare this with the
recreation and community centers, coffee sbops, * Active se1f-~overnance. average density of suburbs
and laundromats are well-used, safe, appealing, Neigbbors wbo know and care about caeb being built today, which is
buman-scaled, well-landscaped, and well-lit. other are able to make decisions that benefit 5.8 units per acre.
. Access to nature. the neighborhood, the community, and the re- Although good
A characteristic ofmany Bay Area neighbor- gion. Pro-active, democratic decision-making neighborhoods have a
hoods is that you can walk a block in one direc- yields neighborhood control while accommo- range of densities and
non to local shopping, or, in another direction, dating change - new people, new traditions, scales, it is generally
you can reach a park, a piece of bayfront, creek new development. Long-term neighborhood vi- agreed that a minimum of
bank, or hilltop view. The natural landscape ability requires involvement ofall parties: resi- 1 0 to 1 5 units per acre is
gives form to a neighborhood and can be a dents, community-based organizations, sebools, needed to support public
source of beauty and wonder, a place to learn houses ofworship, and others. transit; 3,000 residents are
about nature and the cycle of life and death. needed to support 30,000
square feet of local
Hercules' Refugin shopping. Without higher
, Valley Park serves as densities we cannot create
an 1 8-acre village truly vital neighborhoods.
green for the
~ communityAnaddeel
feature is a 7.5-mile
trail in the old railroad
bed which connects
~ , , neighborhoods to the
Neighborhoods
33
PAGE 33 Show Image
Regaining Sure ooting The lOfl tcrm sustainability of Bay Arca
Healthy Bay Area nci~hborhoods must bc neighborhoods is one ofthe kcy components of
abic to chance with the timcs to hc sustainable making this te~ion a desitahic place to live,
in the lone ton. Nei~hhothoods also ehan~e in work, do husiness, and retire.
ways that result in decline. We usually think of . Understand that nei~borhoods require
innereity nei~hhorhoods as heinz most at risk on-~oin~ investment.
from deteriorating homes and puhlie facilities, All nei~hhorhoods chance. Indeed, a strong
poverty, crime, and drugs. But any neighhor- neighhorhood relies on some influx ofnew resi-
hood, anywhere even those in small towns and dents to thrive. Whether in ~uisun City, Mann
suhuths can weaken. City, or Daly City, stahilizing trouhled neigh-
Ttouhled neighhorhoods need extra atten- horhoods is a wise investment . It helps the area's
non and care to recapture stahility. Once a neigh- residents and merchants, henefits the surround-
horhood acquires a shadow of undesirahility, mg neighhorhoods and strengthens the urhan
fear, or neglect, residents and husinesses start core. Efforts to prevent neighhorhood decline
to ahandon it for the newest, seemingly safer require vigilance hoth to ensure long-term suc-
suhuths. Property values start to slip, commu- cess and to avoid the unanticipated side effects
nity pride crumhles, and residents can hecome of gentrification.
uneasy and demoralized. In the Bay Area as else- . Re-invest locally.
where, this situation has often heen the result Declining neighhorhoods often suffer from
ofunsuccessful urhan renewal projects in places economic stagnation, deferred maintenance, a
like West Oakland or ~an Francisco's Western less-than-fair share offacilities, and limited ac-
Addition. cess to financing. Local husinesses are fre-
I~ ~~(>Ll~ Nei~hh()rh()(~d In I)celinc?
I lie u)(irc tcn~s v(~ i ~ ii ~`hc('k (~O th is I i~t, tl~c i~(irc Ii kclv \ iio
ncighl~iitl~iii}~l is \iil-
i~cr.ii)lc ~ (Icciuc .i)(l ~l).~o~i(ionicnt l~v rcsi~lciit~, ~)ii~i{icssc~. ~ii~l ~~~\`ctno~cnt, ~cc tl~c
cas ~ t~i ~ iii~t \\ l~at ncigl~~)(Yrh(o)~i~ ~ the l~a\ ;\rca arc ~l~'i{g ~ `~\ ~.ts'- this ttcotl.
You sci~~l \ ~ I t ki(i~ ~ ) ~~li(.)i 1~ (I t~i~lc tl)c ncigh~'iir1~('0(l.
~(iii t l\ ~ l~ai~g ar~ii i~~l t ~ l~()~isc \vlici~ iii)~ O ~cli~i~il l)cc~i~isc ~ hcrc~~ O(> sa fc l~ icil ) lace
l~c~~l)lc ~. ii ~t ii~c, enji i>'. ot fcc ~~lc i I) l)irks ~ttcct~. an(i ( )tl~Ct OC igl~ l)i itlii ii i~l l)l~icc~.
I hete \) 0(1 {~a rl\ i i~ \`~J'i t iei~li l'i rl~((i(l
H
~(iii h~i~c to lc~~~c y~iur neighl)~irh(i~i(i `~n~l ~liivc to get l>~sic g()()(ls ii~tl ~Ct\'iCC5 rc.il
Ct\ stores I
)ank~, drugstores.
~ l))~ stol) is ~ F' r 0 ~ ilk t(' ~I ( Ci Jice i iOfre(liient ot irregul r.
I l~e si'(le\\ a l\'~ ai)~l ftiii~ t \, ards ate ii 0 ti~l\.
r ~ i l~i les ateii~~ gei t i og Ii xed.
I I ~(il i~'e ~. ke l~i \C O~i 0 ii tes i it O~()tC ~ ii tC~l)i)Ok1 ~() ciuc t~Ci)C\ C. I Is.
l~ri l)ert y \ .i I lies are (lee i II mg (I liC to (~rii~le (I ni ~ (}t a I).i(l tCl)ii ti ti()i~.
I , ,
I Noli l~ ill)\\ I~e\v I ii~ \,~i Ill t neigl)I)l)rs .10(1 r.itelv i i~tCt.iCl \\`il Ii I Item.
1 \~)li are Cii) I~a rta~~e(I 1(1 Id I jle~li,)Ie \\ here \`()li I
Chapter Three
34
PAGE 34 Show Image
qucntly \\ndfcA'pi~Iizcd and cannot comp~t~ better int~~ratcd into community 1~C by link-
with la'r~c volumc discount rcu'il. ~upportin~ in~ parcnt~, kids, and tcachcrs with nci~hbor-
community instituti()n~ cornmittcd to invcstin~ hood civic groups, houscs ofworship, and local
in their nci~hhothood~ i~ essential to rehahili- husinesses.
tatin~ existing and huildin~ new affordahie * i~rnphasize e()mmumty-based safety.
housing, tetainin~ local husinesses, and stimo- Detetioratin~ nei~hhorhoods are nearly syn-
latin~ economic opportunity. onymous with concern ahout crime and intimi- The Police Homeowner
* strive for a rich mix of land-uses. dating street activity. such concern erodes corn- Loan Program in Columbia,
Revitalization of a nei~hhorhood requires munity life and stifles nei~hhor interaction. South Carolina is an
provision ofa full range ofhoosin~ types, recre- Community policing, nei~hhorhood-hased innovative solution to a
ational opportunities, services, and facilities such crime prevention groups, and satellite police number of problems. Jo
as a grocery store and full-service hank. safe stations make law and order more personal and counter the decline of some
streets and puhlic spaces such as parks and corn- enforceahle. of their older residential
munity centers that provide for a mix ofpeople * Cultivate community pride. areas, the City had started
are key. Community pride prompts nei~hhorhood re- to target several innercit"'
* Improve public schools. vitalization rather than flight. Nei~hhorhood ac- neighborhoods for rehab
~tartin~ in the 1920's planners designed tivismisapowerfulwaytohringpeopleto~ether funds. The police
nci~hhothuuds to house 5,O()() residents. They to design their collective future and discover departmentwas finding
`~r~ued that this size was needed to support a their own power and skills. their community-based
puhlic elementary school for 600 students. Even * Take ()~C small step at a time. policing program most
though kids today cannot count on ~oin~ to In fragile nei~hhorhoods, a single project needed in these same
school in their neighhorhood, they organize their lives the whole nei~hhorhood something to rally neighborhoods. At the same
lives around their school. On~oin~ financial and around. small successes, such as cleaning up a time much of the police
personal investment in existing nei~hhorhood vacant lot or starting a community garden, can force was comprised of
schools will live parents the choice of staying hoth huild community confidence and cohesive- entry-level officers with
in the nei~hhorhood without jeopardizing their ness and attract the support necessary to take families in search of
children's education or safety. ~choolin~ can he the next step. affordable housing. What
emerged was a program
which gave no-down-
payment, 20-year, A-per
cent loans to officers willing
to purchase in the troubled
neighborhoods. What has
resulted is improved
housing stock and property
values, a more diverse
population in the innercity,
and more personal
involvement by all in
neighborhood safety.
The Yountville Kiwanis Club, whose motto is "Children: Priority One, " performs community services to
support local youth. The club recently paid for and installed play equipment at the elementary school.
Nei~hhorhoods
35
PAGE 35 Show Image
City Neighborhoods
The Bay Area is fortunate that most of its city neighborhoods are still intact. Vital,
diverse, urban neighborhoods will become more livable places for everyone inclndin~
families if they ~et the attention they deserve.
A Lively Historic Mix some of these city neighborhoods such as
Bay Area cities vary in size and character, as Russian Hill in ~an Francisco and downtown
do their neighhorhoods. The location and form Napa have remained relatively small in scale.
of our three major cities - ~an Francisco Others have increased their density to meet
Oakland, and ~an Jose - evolved out of their demands for housing that have grown over time;
roles as major ports and centers for trans- these include Oakland's Chinatown and ~an
portation, husiness, and administration. smaller Francisco's \oh Hill and Western Addition.
cities such as ~an Rafael and Martinez played
similar roles for their rural communities. Double Jeopardy
Historically, people who worked in these cities Many Bay Area city nei~hhorhoods have a
also lived in them hecause the infrastructure for tradition of activism. Yet, despite citizen vigi-
daily long-distance commutes did not exist. lance and the advantages of urhan living, city
These city neighhorhoods are generally our neighhorhoods continue to lose residents to the
oldest; they date from the mid-1~O()s and were suhurhs. High costs contrihute to the creation
designed with walking and streetcars in mind. of districts for the very rich and the very poor.
Now diverse in people and housing types these Freeways have sliced neighhorhoods such
neighhorhoods offer easy access to employment, as West Oakland in half and cut them off from
services, shopping, and cultural institutions. their downtowns. Declining infrastructure, 5cr-
such a compact layout means that even today, vices, schools, and parks have further encour-
residents may not need to own a car. aged migration out of the city.
City neighborhoods are
people who love to stroll,
people-watch, and enjoy
amenities such as San
Francisco's Washington ,
Square. Over 75 per cent of ,
the residents of this
neighborhood (North Beach)
also walk to work because of
its proximity to downtown.
~ ~ ` ~ ~
~,f .
# , ~
~` ,`~ w~-
Chapter Three
36
PAGE 36 Show Image
More Attention and Invetment
The Bay Area's urban neighborhoods rep- rers rhar eonrrihure ro local hisrory should
resenr significanr pasr invesrmenrs rhar wirh be considered for preservarion.
susrainabiliry as a goal can yield rich dividends Keep streets walkable.
in rhe furure. Ir is imporranr ro prorecr rhis re- Ciry neighhorhoods are ofren convenienr
source. hecause rhey were laid our ro connecr resi-
Reeo~rnze existing neighborhoods and denrs ro puhlic rransporrarion wirhin an easy 3
redevelop eareftilly. walk. To keep people walking, srreers should In San Francisco the
Ciry neighhorhoods need adequare housing he kepr lively and free from heavy rraffic. Neighborhood Emergency
and orher community services and facilities Although cars need to move through city Response Teams program
to thrive. In the past, however, development neighhorhoods, they should move slowly so (NERT) has over 60
of new facilities such as police stations, that streets are safe enough for kids to play neighborhoods trained to
firehouses, school additions, higher density and the elderly to cross. meet the next disaster. The
housing, commercial huildings, and even Invest in parks and nrban gardens. Chinatown and Yerba
roads have often not respected the architec- Residents of all ares and ahilities should Buena neighborhoods have
rural scale, site pattern, and streetscape of have access to nature in their neighhorhoods. taken things a step further.
existing city neighhorhoods. New develop- Green spaces are invaluahle oases that pro- With high concentrations of
ment should fit in with estahlished patterns vide relief from the intensity of urhan life unreinforced masonry
which may mean putting new huildings and remind us that nature exists. The scar- buildings and elderly
close to the street, allowing a mix of uses city of open space should prompt commu- citizens (many of whom
within a single huilding, and creating or pre- nity organizations, schools, and residents to are non-English-speaking),
serving density at a scale that makes pedes- look for hidden opportunities. A vacant lot, residents, community-
trians comfortahle. Distinctive and usahle alley, or covered creek could hecome a gar- service organizations, and
huildings in older urhan neighhorhood cen- den, haskethall court, or park. public officials prepared
area disaster plans. Once
¾ ¾ `~ ~ ~
¼ ~ ~,, ~ ~ ~ ~ a year participants execute
~ ~ A ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ½~ ___ ~ e plan, which includes
~ f ~ ~ ~ ~
> practicing evacuation,
A ~ ¼~~½;½~ ½ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~. ; search and rescue, putting
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¾ ~ < out fires, and establishing a
¼ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ > , ~ c ommand post. These team-
~ ~ based activities insure that
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ A~ ~ ~ ~ ;¼~ ~ ~ ~ vulnerable neighborhoods
~ ~ ,, , ~ , ~ ~ , <~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,, --- will be able to survive on
their own during a disaster
F until emergency services
~ ~ ~ 2 take over. San Leandro,
Oakland, and Berkeley
,~ , ~ ,~ y, have initiated similar
j ,~ programs.
Cleveland, Ohio's Fairfax neighborhood recently underwent a facelift. Historic homes were restored, new
housing was integrated using existing site patterns, and commercial and institutional uses were introduced.
Neighborhoods
37
PAGE 37 Show Image
Nurtunng the Vrban Heart and Soul
A
4'
chose to live in the citv.
promote new
development thot fits the
character of your
neighborhood.
work to improve
neighborhood schools to
entice more families to stay. ~
.`~ ``¼
,,~ ~
~ ~
stand up to NIMBY
demands if proposed
prolects meet adopted
housing goals and have a
relatively modest impact. ~, , ~ `," ~ ~ ~ ~-.
apportion funding for
parks and recreation where ~
it is needed most. San Francisco's Mission District: One Stitch at a Time
One ofthe most diverse neighborhoods ~ny hrou~ht to~ether residents, mereh~nts, govern-
where, ~an Francisco's Mission District has heen ment officials, and non-profit organizations to
finance and/or build formed hy a rich cultural history. ~Vith its his- focus on enhancing the pedestrian experience
innovative, affordable tone hoildings, rood transit service, 1ive1~ corn- a1on~ Mission ~trect, especially around the
housing prolects. mercij district, and nei~hhorhood gardens and BART stations and hus stops.
open space, the ~1ission District is perhaps the The need for affordahie housing is also he-
search for creative ways region's finest emhodiment of how people of in~ addressed at the nei~hhorho()d level. Over
to blend new construction different ethnic hack~rounds, arcs, sexual on- 57,000 people live in the NIssion with fewer
with existing neighborhood entations, and income levels can huild a corn- than 22,000 residential units to ~o around. In
patterns. munity to~ethcr. 25 years, ~Iission Housing I)cvclopmcnt Cot-
still, the Mission has prohlems for which poration, for example, has hLIilt and rehahhcd
its community-hased ()r~anizati()ns are seeking ()~Ct I,50() units for low- and moderate-income
solutions. For example, street safctv is heinz seniors and families and is now w()rkin~ to turn
addressed collahoratively throu{,'h community 5()~C of the district's .56 single-r()()m-()ccupancy
planning that he~an with a Livahle Communi- hotels (~I~Os) into 5ti~~()tt h()usin~ with im-
ties Initiative grant. Community workshops proved mana~cment and social services.
Chapter Three
PAGE 38 Show Image
Berkeley Reinvests in Schools
In 1992 Bcrk~I~y rcsidcnts passcd ~
miTlion capital improvement hond for thcir
schools. Intc~ra1 to th~ rctrofit and asbcstos-
rcmoval plan arc programs that permit schools
to be shared with their nei~hhors by extending
the nomber of hours of operation. At Colum-
bus Elementary ~ebool, nei~hborbood-based
organizations and a clinic will provide child care,
preschool, and youtb services. At Berkeley
High ~cbool, located in the downtown, the
bistoric "G" Building was renovated and now
features the Berkeley Community Media
Center where students from all schools can
take courses in video production. The facility ~
also serves as the home to Channel 25
Berkeley's public access station.
Napa Preserves Its History While Restoring
Nature
The nei~bborboods surrounding Napa's his-
toric downtown provide families with a range
of housing choices many homes are still occo-
pied by the first owners. Downtown residents
are able to take advantage of shopping and 5cr-
vices within walking distance as well as benefit
from the precedent-setting restoration of Napa
Creek which provides urban access to nature. \>
Carried out in the late 197()s as part ofa lar~cr
redevelopment project, some buildings and a
parking lot were removed and replaced with
pocket p~'rks, viewing bridles, and native vc~
etation. Recent Napa General Plan efforts will ~
further strengthen the downtown-neighb()rho()d ~
relationship by putting limits on growth at the
city's periphery and permitting residential infill
in the core.
Neighhorhoods
39
PAGE 39 Show Image
Inner Suhurhan Neighhorhoods
Bay Area suburbs built before World War II are usually compact uei~hborhoods close to
the city core. With reiuvestmeut they cau coutiuue to provide resideutial optious the
re~ou requires to be sustaiuable.
So Near, and Yet So Far tend to be at the edge of the neighhothood,
The Bay Atea's innet suhuths wete built in along a commetcial boulevatd with a ttansit line
the late 180()s and eatly 1900s atound mass ttans- (ot fotmet ttansit system), which often setves
pottation systems which made it possible fot as a botdet to adjacent neighbothoods.
wotkets and theit families to live conveniently
close to the utban cote but in neighbothoods A Good Foundation, But
that wete seen as peaceful and quiet altetna- Starting to Weaken
tives to city living. Most of these oldet subut- Itonically, some of these eatly subutb~ suf-
ban ateas which we often don't think of as fet ptoblems similat to cote city neighbotboods.
subutbs today - housed commutets who took In some cases, houses on lat~et lots wete de-
ttolleys, ttains, and fetties to wotkplaces in the molished fot spot apattment development dut-
cities. They wete usually developed alone a mg Wotld Wat II and the post wat decades in a
ttansit hub ot cottidot, fot example the South- way that ignoted the context and alteted the
etn Pacific Railtoad line on the Peninsula, small-scale chatactet tbat made the neighbot-
atound the Key ttansit toutes in the notthetn hoods so appealing. such pootly consideted ad-
East Bay, and the fetty tetminals in Alameda. ditions also gave a bad name to infill housing,
These communities have moved well be- ptoducing tesistance to any change, even that
yond the so-called stteetcat ot ttolley era. Their needed to keep neighborhoods vital.
neighborhoods often continue to have more Instead of re-investing tax money in these
breathing room than downtown neighborhoods, established neighborhoods, more dollars for
but are more compact than those in the region's public transportation, other infrastructure, set-
newer suburbs. Housing is primarily of the vices, and schools have been going to new sub-
single-family-detached variety, with modest urban development farther away from the Bay
yards, and within walking or biking distance of Area's historic core. With declining neighbor-
neighbors and basic daily needs, including hood services and schools, residents and shop-
schools and libraries. Local shops and services keepers have migrated to the newer suburbs.
The Bay Area has many fine
suburbs near cify centers.
Once reacha£le ~y
streetcar or train, they
resemble small towns and
are quiet, peaceful, clean,
and safe for raising a
,r
~
Chapter Three
40
PAGE 40 Show Image
An Easy Sav
The challenge faced by neighborhoods in Local government, in partnership with fi-
the Bay Area's inner suburbs is to change with nancial institutions and federal programs,
the times while preserving their sustaining should find ways to make low-interest loans
qualities. These older neighborhoods deserve available to renovate usable existing resi-
attention they are still pleasant, efficient, and dential and neighborhood commercial ½
need only a small amount ofinvestment oftime buildings.
and money to be even more livable. Improve transit. Qver a decade ago the Son
Accommodate ehan~e. Older Bay Area suburbs were not developed Francisco League of Urban
To keep older neighborhoods alive and dy- in the automobile era. The local public Gardeners (SLUG) began
namic, incremen tat change must be allowed transportation systems that serve them need planting gardens,
to occur. Too often, residents ofthese neigh- to be protected and improved to continue transforming neglected sites
borhoods oppose new development. It is to connect the neighborhoods with adjacent throughout the city. Today
essential to show residents how new devel- neighborhoods, the city core, and the region. more than one hundred Bay
opment of an appropriate kind will keep Get even greener. Area schools and
these neighborhoods vital and healthy. If Green open spaces are part ofwhat attracted community groups have
some of the projected growth in the Bay residents to these suburbs in the first place. realized that a low-cost way
Area occurs in these traditional communi- Ongoing investment in common open to reconnect to each other
ties it will help to strengthen the urban core. spaces is much needed. Designers and de- and the natural world is
Maintain what's there. velopers can create infill development that through a community
Insuring the long term viability ofthe Bay takes advantage ofecological site planning garden. For example
Area's older neighborhoods is critical. The and preserves existing natural systems. Na- teenagers from Berkeley
existing infrastructure, such as roads and ture can be restored by uncovering the many Youth Alternatives (BYA)
sewers, may be aging and may require care- hidden creeks that run through our subur- acquire garden and
ful monitoring for signs ofwear and neglect. ban neighborhoods. entrepreneurship skills
under the direction of an
~ rganic farmer, selling their
produce at the farmer's
market and to restaurants
;x~ such as Chez Panisse. Built
in an abandoned railroad
ght-of-way, the garden
also serves as a community
~ commons where neighbors
can have their own plot,
~ ~ help build raised beds, or
&;¼, participateintheannual
~ HarvestFaire.
The Bosfon Soufhwesf Corridor project emerged when a community-based coalition stopped construction OF
an urban expressway. The old railroad oght-of-woy was transformed into a four-mile pedestrian and transit
corridor connecting streetcar neighborhoods to Boston's downtown.
Neighborhoods
41
PAGE 41 Show Image
Making a Good Thing Better
"There is no role for our
young people in todoy's
workforce. East Palo
Alto has the opportunity
to develop a local
economy based on
urban agriculture. This
provides youth with a
way to connect with the
land and make a living.
This is crucial as federal
support to at-risk
communities is
disappearing."
Trevor Burrowes,
Executive Director,
East Palo Alto ~
Historical and A Tree Grows in East Palo Alto: The Weeks Neighborhood Plan
Agricultural
Preservation Ima~inc a nci~hburhood ofbackyard farn~s, cspecially thosc cu1tivatin~ organic produce -
Society cotta~cs, wa~r towcrs, ~reenhouscs, and ~OU1~ a'r~ an integral part of th~ city's cconomic de-
~y houses on one-acre lots in the midst of the velopment plan to create local jobs. The Plan
silicon Valley. Uhe \~eeks \ei~hhorhood, in the encoora~cs private and community ~artlens.
heart of Fast Palo Alto, has a tluict small town The narrow local streets will maintain their
character hut suffers neglect that reflects the rural character. Certain areas some withinwalk-
ciQ's economic crisis, high unemployment, lack mg distance of a proposed local shopping cen-
of affordable housing, and susceptibility to ret, are designated for new medium-density
crime. Rcsistin~ thc enormous pressure to be affordable housing. Historic buildings arc pre-
rcconn.~urcd as a residential subdivision with served and adapted for re-use.
cul-de-sacs, the 300-acre nci~hborhood aims to I~he plan is the result ofa four-year collabo-
preserve its historic aericultural layout and scale ration am()n~ a local advocacy group (the Fast
and use it as a tool for economic development. Palo Alto Historical and Agricultural ~ocicty),
I~hc communi~y-bascd Weeks \ci~hb()r- the National Park service, and ~Jrban i£c()lo~y.
hood l~lan would transform this area blcsscd ~hcn it is adopted by the ()~~y (~()uncil, resi-
with rich deep soil, abundant fresh water, and dents will have the legal basis to recluire the City
sunny climate into a viable agricultural village. to revise planning ordinances to be consistent
~Iuch ofthe existing one-acre land-use pattern with the PIjo's ~()als.
would be maintained. Agricultural businesses -
Chapter Three
42
PAGE 42 Show Image
Rediscovering Livability: Oakland's
Rockridge
With a winning combination ot acccssihil-
ity, wcll-prcscrvcd housing stock, and a strong
commcrcial street, Rockrid~c was rcdiscovcred
after construcuon of Highway 24 and compic-
tion of the BART station. 1~he infusion of new
bosinesses a1on~ Co11e~e Avenue transformed ~ 4
this midd1e-e1as~, pedestrian-orien~d commo-
supportyour
nity into something mote vibtant, upscale, an4
ighborhood stores.
te~ion-servin~, yet still diverse and nei~hhot-
walk or ride a bicycle to
hood-serf in~ (over 70 pet cent of shoppers liv-
~ do an errand as often as
in~ within one-half mile walk to ~et there). possible.
~pecia1 zoning designed to maintain the area's enroll your children in
character was adopted in the 197()s to temper
the on-~oin~ nei~hhorhood dehate ahout the local public schools.
proper intensity of development and to help
this stroller's haven maintain its village-like add creek restoration
character. and community gardens to
~ ~ - ,,,- yourrecreationandparks
5-year plan.
add a slow street element
San Rafael's Win-Win Collaboration your circulation plan.
~7ith its narrow, tree-lined streets, mix of identify potential infill
A housing and commercial
housing types, average density of 12 units per
development sites city-wide
acre, pedestrian-accessihle shopping and johs
and views to Mount Tamalpais, the histo and develop a
Montecito nei~hhorhood in ~an Rafael exem- ~ neighborhood-sensitive
plifies sustainahility. Its residents reco~ni7ed ~ strategy.
these qualities as resources and set out to p
tect and enhance them during the 1995 pl locate close to a
nine process. But controversy developed. neighborhood-serving
\ei~hhors wanted a surplus school district lot transit stop to capture
to hecome a park, hut the Redevelopment pedestrian customers and
Agency was proposing hotisin{,~. Instead of reach- encourage employee use of
mg a stalemate, a consensus was found and a public transportation.
creative solution emerged. Lorry senior hot's-
in~ units will he huilt, with meeting t()()~5 and
an outdoor recreation area to he sharcd with the
nei~hhorh()()d. Montecito residents arc now
working on area landscape projects. They pro-
mote this collahorative experience to other ~an
R;facl nei~hhorhoods.
Neighborhoods
43
PAGE 43 Show Image
Neighborhoods in the Greenbelt
New bedroom communities have been built in the Bay Area to provide the safety and
affordability of uburban living. Can they become less car-dependent, more efficient. and
support a stronger sense of community?
Driven to the Edge
After World War II, the Bay Area pattern of farther from the region's urban core stretches
Architect Dan Solomon suburban communities changed. In search of the physical fabric too thin to be economically,
discovered something that inexpensive land, developers built suburbs farther socially, and environmentally sustainable.
says a lot about our and farther away from the cities. Inexpensive rural To the detriment of community and family
priorities. Zoning in a Bay land, government policies such as the building life many Bay Area residents now commute long
Area community in which of the interstate highway system, and easy distances to work and spend less time at home.
he was working called for mortgages for veterans made building homes L~amilies in these neighborhoods often own two
parking for 2.2 cars per far from the urban core more profitable and buy- or more cars of necessity.
residential unit. The mg them easier. Beginning in the 192()s and When commuters do have time to spend in
General Plan called for 1930s the private car became the dominant form the community, much of it is spent in the car
libraries to have 2.8 books oftransportation, giving BayArea residents pre- because development patterns of these new
per 1 ,OOO residents. Based viously unimagined freedom of movement. neighborhoods inhibit pedestrian or bicycle use.
on these figures, he Their cul-de-sac pattern of streets, which usu-
computed that his 4,000- More Than We Bargained for ally keeps out through traffic, makes it difficult
unitneighborhood ...and Less for residents to get anywhere directly. The
development, with 2.7 New single-family subdivisions are using up houses are typically located far enough away
people per unit, would large quantities of prime agricultural land and from commercial development and community
generate needs for 30 hillside open space in eastern Contra Costa and facilities to necessitate auto access. It is often
books and 8,800 parking southern Alameda Counties and elsewhere. unsafe or too far for kids to ride bikes to school
spaces. Suburban development that moves farther and or the store.
~ ~ ~
~ ~-
,~
4½'.
¼¼½'~~
While the semng is beauhful, whaf are the ulhmate hoancial and environmental costs of this new
su£division to its residents and the region? Who will benefit besides the developer in the long run?
Chapter Three
44
PAGE 44 Show Image
Trning It Around
To avoid further encroachment into the Bay he changed to allow this type of denser and
Area's greenhelt it is important that some ofthe mixed-use development in many suhurhan
region's projected growth he accommodated hy Bay Area communities. Increasing housing
these newer suhuths. How can we keep what's densities will allow communities to look for
good ahout these neighhorhoods while making opportunities to return some land to its
them more sustainahle? natural state and possihly reintroduce some
Add infill development. agriculture over time.
A first step towards creating sustainahle den- Convert streets to serve pedestrians.
sines in these neighhorhoods could he the streets can he redesigned to provide an al-
addition of second units to under-utilized ternative to the car. Internal foot and hike
garages, hasements, and large hack lots. State paths can he created to connect the cul-de-
legislation exists to enahle municipalities to sacs and allow residents to get around the
enact such ordinances and some cities, such neighhorhood safely.
as Concord, have. Multi-family units can he Many residents are concerned ahout traffic
huilt that are designed to fit the existing and speeding in their neighhorhoods. Lo-
neighhorhood context. cal government can work with residents to
Ifnew suhurhs were developed with a high widen sidewalks, narrow traffic lanes, add
enough density to support transit and hasic stop signs, and make other car-slowing im-
shops and services within walking distance provements that make walking safe and
of people's homes many of the prohlems pleasant. In San Jose's Poco Way neighhor-
discussed in this chapter could he avoided. hood the City went so far as to close a street
Infill housing could raise the density plagued with speeding cut-through traffic,
enough to support neighhorhood markets, creating a tot lot at the end of the cul-de-
cafes, and video stores. Zoning will need to sac and greatly pleasing neighhors.
Mizner Park replaced an
obsolete shopping center
with a mixed-use
development organized
around a new public park.
Located in a sprawling
suburhan neighborhood of
Boca Raton, Florida, this
project rises six stories high
~ with apartments, office, and
retail space.
Neighborhoods
45
PAGE 45 Show Image
Filling the Gaps at the Ldge
get acquainted with your
neighbors.
work with neighbors to
identify opportunities to
make your neighborhood
more sustainable, such as
developing a neighborhood
disaster plan.
take urban students on
trips to look at sprawl, take
suburban students on trips ~
to city neighborhoods and ¾~
urban centers.
build so the entrance to
your business is at street . ~½j½
level and contributes to the ~
~ ~ ~
neighborhood streetscape.
A Delicate Balance: San Jose Adds Housing and Employment to Its Neighborhoods
establish an urban growth ~ Jose, th~ rc~ion\ most ~O~U1OUS city, ~ cornmcrci~1 and industrial dcvclopmcnt to
boundary to encourage infill cstablishcd an Urban ~crvicc Boundary hoc in cr~atc a balance bctwecn jobs and housing while
development. ~97() that capped sprawl by 1imitin~ the area that providing day-to-day services within walking
received citv services. With extensive commo- distance.
figure out how you can ~ involvement, the city recently completed One tat~eted area, Communications Hill,
reconfigure streets and the ~an Jose ~()2() (;enctal Plan. {~his plan set will have a variety of housing, including apart-
sidewalks to make ~()als for improved cner~y and watcr cfficicnc~ ment huildin~s, al()n~ with small nei~hhorhood
neighborhoods more reduced car dependency, preserved natural hahi- commercial centers, and a mixed-usc villa~c
walkable.
tars, and improved air and water quality. center. Other projects include the plan to revi-
zone to allow second 1}) rnect those coals, ~an Jose nci~hh()rh()()ds talize jacks()n-~1liyl()r, an cxistin~ light industry
units and mixed uses. near rail lines arc tar~cted for intensive infill de- area one mile from the downtown, by add in~
begin to recruit fairly vcl()pment, with densities many times those of h()usin~, offlec, and retail development; and
d ense housing and surr()undin~ nci,ehb()rho()d5. Both market-rate I~yland ~1ews, a four-story infill h()usin~ corn-
commercial development and affordable ()~ subsidized h()usin~ will be plex located on the light rail corridor.
around transit stops. added. At the same time, the (city will encoor-
Chapter Three
46
PAGE 46 Show Image
Concord Revitalizes Neighborhoods and
Neighbors
Concord\ ncw Nci~hborhood Prccrvdtion
Program focuses on s~eam1inin~ city scrviccs
in partnership with the community. ~1eadow ¾
Homes, a modest, ethnicallydivrse nei~hhor- "I've had the opportunity
hood of 300 homc~ and d~tefioratin~ housing ` to meet and work with
stock was the first to participate. Previously fantastic people I never
dispirited by increasing crime and p1ummetin~ ~ knew before. This is such
property vjues, nei~hhors turned things around. a good feeling - a warm
In little time they formed a nei~hhorhood watch a';~ ~ feeling."
and rehabilitated seven homes. Kids deliver
donated holiday meals to families in need and Meadow Homes
do yard work for elderly nei~hhors. suture neighhor
Meadow Homes' endeavors include developing
a plan for emergencies the nei~hhorhood is "Housing doesn't exist in
close to the Concord Fault and design of a a vacuum. People need
slow street. The City hopes Meadow Homes commercial and public
will become an example of how creating a en-
, services - dry cleaners,
hesive or~anization is the critical first step in bakeries, daycare
tackling thornier neighborhood issues together. community centers."
Laurel Prevetti
Senior Planner for
City of San Jose
A More Acceptable Edge?
South Livermore Valley
In an attempt to add development while
preserving land the City ofLivermore has taken
an unusual approach. The proposed plan would
develop 700 acres of agricultural land in order
to preserve more land elsewhere, and allows a
maximum of 1 600 residences immediAtely ad-
jacent to the existing city. In an innovative ar-
ran~ement, for every acre and every unit devel-
oped, developers will finance ()OC acre ()fvinc-
yard or other intensive a~rieulture on land fur-
ther out but within the planning area, ereatin~
an inviolable edge. l~he design guidelines seek
to preserve natural features and create a smooth
transition between urban and rural land. 1~hc
plan is controversial and opposed by some en-
vironmentalists and homeowners who point out
that the areas of development arc not C()Oti~O-
ous and oflow density (two units per acre over-
all). Others believe that the possibility of sen-
eratin~ ~,()O() acres ofpermanent new vineyards
and orchards in the valley is a worthy trade-off.
Neighborhoods
47
PAGE 47 Show Image
~M ½>
,---#---
;:;jj , ½ , 6¼/;;-----,
,--- ½ ~ <
----- 7~ ½"~7
<<# ~77 # ¼~ ½ ~
½ 4)½¼¼>,;>¾;½t
½
%
;~,
~
~
Since the 1980s fhe city ofSan Jose has poured hundreds ofmillions ofdollors into downtown housing,
culturol amenities, and parks such as Plaza de Cesar Chavez. The result has been the creation of a vi£rant,
24-hour ur£an center.
Chapter Four
PAGE 48 Show Image
rhan centers organized
around industry,
commerce, and culture
function well for the people who work,
shop, and live in or near them.
Sustainable centers capitalize on past and
present assets and promote change that is
appropriate to their time and place.
This chapter begins by looking at ways to
keep Bay Area urban centers diverse and
vital, noting problems that cause decline.
The discussion then focuses on the
strengths and weaknesses of the down-
towns of big and small cities. Next,
industrial districts are discussed with
respect to their value to the city as a
whole, the difficulties of maintaining them
in their traditional location, and the lack
of amenities for the people who work in
them. The chapter concludes with an
exploration of pseudo centers, those
shifting islands of single-use development
created for office or retail purposes.
Centcr~
49
PAGE 49 Show Image
Where People and Activity Mingle
Urban enter are exeihn for their diversity ~ the activity that ee~rs ~vithiyy
them. Centers offer the Bay Area the opportunity for a rich ptil)'ie life.
~ leaving Together Diverse d's a sports arcna, bascball stadium,
~ ~, Elements skating rink, or community sports
½1 Ccntcrs arc thc placcs that providc employ- ter can expand the range otchoice and the hours
~ ment and services to people who do not neces- during which people will use a downtown.
sarily live in the immediate area. They have taurants, theaters, and night cluhs also attract
;½½~ ~ ~ ~ what the nei~hhorhoods surrounding them lack: round-the-clock users.
i `( a treat variety ofj()hs, shops, services, and in- * Easy eirenkth()n by transit and on foot.
dustry, as well as theaters, museum 5 lihraries, Cities are stronger and more lively when
and other institutions devoted to education and their centers are easily accessihle hy regional
civic culture. An understanding ofthe complex- transit as well as vehicles. Urhan centers are
ity of urhan centers will help us to make them even more sustainahle when movement within
more successful in adapting to future economic them can he accomplished hy rood, puhlic trans-
and social chance. The following characteris- portation, hy hike, or on foot. Pleasant pedes-
tics are important to the continuing vitality of trian environments with stores and cafes at street
~.iy Area urhan centers: level make commercial areas more inviting.
* A concentrated mixtnre of nses. Narrower streets and wider sidewalks make
Each urhan center has its own mix ofptihlic pedestrians more comfortahle.
and private functions alone with the physical . Seenrity for worldng and living.
structures that support them. Ifthese activities To improve night safety, round-the-clock
and uses are to support the needs ofcomi~)erce, activities that attract "legitimate" users are cru-
industry, and residents, they must he diverse. cial, as are a mix of incomes in residents and
I?or example, some Ba\ Area centers lack hous- visitors. To create safer streets, traffic in urhan
in~ or recreational facilities to keep their cen- centers should he orderly so that pedestrians
ters active at night and on weekends. Depend- and hicyclists can co-exist with transit, trucks,
in~ on the size of the city, puhlic facilities such and cars.
old Oakland comes alive
~
an Fridays thanks to the
farmers market. Downtown
residents and office workers
huy fresh produce, flowers,
pastries, even fish, and
have lunch at one of the
area's terrific restaurants. ,~ ,,
½,,,
,,`, "`¼ "<"
,`,,
`,"~
,,` `½
Chapter Four
50
PAGE 50 Show Image
. mooth, flifletioflil connection.
Althouh ty arc thc urb~'n ccntcr's lifc- Grening Our Center
blood, dlvcfsc dCflVltlS S()rnCtlrnCS crc}t fric- ( ;Q k ~i}i ~ d ~
tion whcn ~cy nct. lunctioflal phyic'dl Con- )I/ fl ~)i ¼r(~ ~ Yi' tr()~ th it)t\
flCtl()flS nccl ~) b cratc( bctwn working t (i ~ ht ()~t h liz QY'(~t)
d'nd 1~V~fl~ workcrs d'nd rsidcnts, buildins j'nd ri> u ~. (~ ir\ flc iQ ~A ~ ~Q i
othcr infrastructurc. to d'void thc so[CtiilC XE \ A k ~ ~ t {Q''V t ( V' )(
jarring discontinui~ics of bui1din~s and indus- ~ `~ni (ci~i ~ti~cr~~rs 1½ t) )` ic
~fy, the connections between cides, and their ~ ce~tcts ~()tC livile t'r r~iie~~ ~~~)tC
suttoundin~ neiuhhothoods, and the te~ion `A~)iC f(t \\ (rkct `~n(i ~~(tC t~tUCti~ c Y(t ~)~rit. ~i~aie
needs to he addressed. ~ree c~i~ t~tiC~~i\' i(\Yet the ~nyYu~t)t~hi\' 1~ii~ ~
. Bi~ piettire thin1in~. u~et ~e~i)et~ttes ~ ~ ~` ~i)e 1~i\ \te ~ reice
Urhan centers are rnore than collections of Aree~h()~se ¼~e ~ci~ ~ ri)()u ~ii\i(ic +~ ~(i ari)()n ~
huiIdin~s; they are social, CC()OOIT~iC, and physi- ~~\i~ic ~ ~ ~ c'~cr~: ~{c~~n(i~
cal c()~~unities. ~hrou~h their architecture and ~ he ~ ~ i~~i~' n(l ir ~1~~ii~\; i~~i)r()~ c(i 1~ r
urhan design Bay Area centers convey a sense n ~ ( ;Cr~~~n\ ti)e ~cn~cr ~ ~ in(i~s~ri'~i C~()O
of the city's history and represent a consider- ~ t\\ ( ~ ~)c~)i~ie ~ 0 (~l ~ j~~tks \~
ahie investment ofresources that should not he (le\'cl(~l~c(l th~~ ~ ~ t~~l ~ir })(~l~~~i()o ~~)(l
ahandoned. Therefore new development should ~`re~ ~ ~ tc~~ ~ ~ ~rc i ~ ~ ~ n\
take place in proximity to the old rather than in l~o~vi(li~~A at~~rc io ti~~ ~ ~t\ ~ 1~()~ C~\ l~cc~~e \~cao~
out1yin~ areas. ~ew development should he ~ i~ cxl~en~i~c ~ r~rc ~ ~ ip~l entities arc u(~t
designed and planned as an integrated concept, ~l~e ~ ~ ~)t5 ( )~` ~ ri\'~. ( ~ ~ ~ ~ I ~ I C\'i
rather than a collection of unrelated projects. ~ ~ ~ ~ (~t ~ ()~ l~()r~~~e i~recs\ con
* ;\ commitment to ptll)lie life. ~~ic~e&l in ~ ~ (~~~l\' ~ ti~c I ~ i ~ ( (~u~l)~n\;
An urhan center can he a place where people ~ i~ic ~ ~ i~i ~ ~ lY(~n of its C~)t
come for governance and to take an active part l)~~ratc ~ ~ ~ ~Ct()\'5 ~ terv ~trcct
in democracy. ~ustainah1e urhan centers provide ~ ~l~c ~ ~l~erc is a ~ ~)~~rk ~ scr\'cs
puhuc ~atherin~ places and huildin~s for day- ~ 5 \\ cii .~s tire \` ~)rl\ers i~) this i~i~ ~ in(l~~strial
to-day pedestrian min~lin~ as well as civic cer- ~rc~ (~~` ti~c Ci~\.
ernonies, rallies, and puhuc events.
Sonomo, one of the Bay
Area's oldest tawns, was
laid au~ according fa a
Spanish design requiring
a central plaza
surrounded hy major
public huildings. The
1906 City Hall is located
on the plaza, which
continues to function as
i',,"' `,`~ ` theheartofthe
community.
Centers
$1
PAGE 51 Show Image
Big City Downtowns
The downtown distn~ets of three major cities - ~an Francisco, Oakland, and ~an J()~e -
have shaped the re~on since its inception. In ~eneraI Bay Area downtowns are relatively
strong, bnt they need continnons investment to maintain their well-being.
The Best of the Urhan
Experience
Oakland, San i$rancisco, and ~an Jose arc thc Other factors that contrihute to the depopo-
region's historic hearts offinance, employment, ration ofthe downtown districts ofhi~ and small
shopping, coltoral activities, and entertainment. cities are seismic hazards, ohsolete huildin~s,
Until the post-World War II era, most residents and toxic contamination (see Indostrial Districts
went to these downtowns to work, shop, and for a discussion of hrownfields, pare 60). ~an
he entertained. Today, even after the postwar Francisco's ~otith-of-Market area, downtown
waves ofsuhurhanization, these centers are not Oakland, and the downtowns of smaller cities
the ghost towns found in many other parts of have stands ofunreinforced masonry huildin~s
the country. Yet in spite oftheir relative health, (URMs). state law requires these huildin~s to
size, and power these major downtowns face he retrofitted for earthquake safety, a very cx-
stiffcompetition hecause activities traditionally pensive process carried out at the owner 5 cx-
located in them are still moving to their suhur- pense. As a result some property owners are
han equivalents in office parks and regional demolishing historic huildin~s or ahandonin~
shopping centers. Moreover, if downtown fi- the properties altogether. Ahandonment in
nancial and office districts are deserted hy their downtowns also occurs with huildin~s, not nec-
working populations after five p.m. they will essarily URMs, that have heen deemed ohso-
lose much of their appeal and their ahility to lete hecause, for example, their floor areas are
compete with suhurhan centers. too small for contemporary office needs.
Prior to World War II and the ~
advent of the automobile, city
downtowns, like the Market - ½~
Street area of San Francisco,
were legihmate and viable
centers where people lived
and worked. They were also ~
the places ofspecial -
destinations -department
stores, museums, and civic
~ , ~ ~-,
-#~,
Chapter Four
52
PAGE 52 Show Image
A Healthier Heart of the City
Because oftheir scje, thc downtowns of~an C1OSC to each other. Projects like a new
Frnneiseo, ~an Jose, and Oakland have a head Transhay Terminal linked to CalTrain and
start on sustainahility. Their popolation is denser I~ART in San I~raneiseo, and a new transit
hecause of a strong and diverse employment center linking CalTrain and light rail in ~an
hase. Nonetheless the prohiems inst noted most Jose woold assist this ~oa{.
he addressed if Bay Area downtowns are to re- Take advantage of the benefits of history.
rain their desirahility as places to live and work. The state Historic Building Code allows
Ifpot into practice, the following recommenda- huildings which have heen listed on the
tions would help to insure continuing vitality for National Resister of Historic Places to he
these Bay Area downtowns: retrofitted using alternative and sometimes
~tren~hen their role as major business less costly technology Local governments
centers. should make information ahout historic
Bi~ city downtowns have transit systems, huildin~ codes availahle. state legislation is
major museums, lihraries, theaters, and a needed to provide financial incentives to
hroader and more sophisticated range of property owners for seismic retrofitting of
shopping. In contrast to small cities, they unreinforced masonry huildings. Commo-
may have corporate headquarters and finan- nity Development Block Grant funds could
cial centers. Facilities such as a sports arena, he used to incorporate low-income housing
hasehall stadium, or skating rink will extend into rehahilitated masonry huildings along
the range of activities and the hours during with commercial and other uses.
which people will use the downtown. Improve surrounding nei~hborhoois.
Develop transit hubs. Most central husiness districts horder on in-
City centers need to function as major trans- net city neighhorhoods suffering from lack
portation huhs, allowing transit riders to ofinvestment. These neighhorhoods need
switch easily from one line to another, and strengthening hy, for example, encouraging
with transit stops close to the downtown and mixed-income housing or live-work spaces.
The city of Portland
¾ {~~½ ~ ~ I \ reinvested in its downtown
~ >¼~ ~ ½ #:~< <~ by guying and razing a
parking garage in order to
<, build Pioneer Plaza. The
~~<½ plaza is a transfer point for
L)oth local bus and regional
light rail lines.
~ , , ,,*~ ~ ~
Centers
53
PAGE 53 Show Image
Re-Energizing the Core
½¾I
shop, eat, do business,
work, recreate, and live
downtown.
¼ use transit instead of
your car to get to
downtown.
½ never let up on the goal
of a strong downtown
center.
put money into
earthquake retrofitting to
protect valuable, historic
buildings, and existing
affordable housing.
¼ increase transit ridership;
stop building new parking
lots or requiring developers
to build them.
-, -½
½ locate new facilities in
downtowns instead of
suburban office parks.
form a coalition of Layering Old and New in Downtown Oakland
neighbors, merchants, and {)owntown ()akl'ind is scrv~d by local and hist()ry. Thc CiQ Ccntcr, a pcdc~trian-()ricn~-~d
religious institutions to rc~i()nal transit and is rich in divcrsc busincsscs dcvcloprncnr linkcd to thc ncw Fcdcral Build-
oversee your downtown and pcoplc. Yct cmpty huildin~s, strctchcs of ins, complcrncn~; thc cffort. jack I~ondon
neighborhood's health. availablc land, lirnitcd watcrfr()nt acccss, and ~quarc, on thc watcrfront at thc foot of Broad-
~ minimal linka~cs hctwccn pocl~cts ofactiviQ way, and thc ncw icc-skating rink, two blocks
¼ stop relocating to the in thc downtown prolong its stru~~lc for cco- from (airy Hall, arc thc cnrcrrainrncnr compo-
suburbs or out of the nornic srabiliry~ ncnrs brin~in~ night activity to downtown.
region. Oakland's approach to thc~c pr()hlcrns has oakland's C~hinatown, locatcd ~()othwcst of
hccn to cncoora~c prc~crvati()n of historic thc civic ccntcr, has dcvclopcd into onc of thc
hoildin~s alone with invcstrncnt in ncw officc Bay Arca\ most dynamic downtown rcsidcntial
spacc dt)wntown. 1~hc hi~h-tcch seismic rctro- commonitics. A campaign to hrin~ hoosin~ to
fit of City Hall and thc rchahilitation of thc Old Oakland, loch as in thc historic swan's
Broadway Building for city administration cx- ~1arkct, could providc additional roondtthc
cmplify Oakland\ comrnitmcnt to prcscrvin~ clock prcscncc downtown.
Chapter Four
54
PAGE 54 Show Image
Healing a Downtown Sore Spot in
San Francisco
B()rdcred hy union ~(iuarc and thc thcatcr
district thc area ofthe Tenderloin around Lower
Eddy ~rreer is one of ~an Franeiseo¾ mosr de-
pressed. Fifty-six of Lower Lddy's 224 srore- "We want a
fronrs are vaeanr even rhoo~h wirhin wa1kin~ neighborhood where
disranee of~ome ofrhe coonrry>~ m~)sr soecess- people con enloy a ploy,
ful rerail areas. To implemenr rhe new 1~nder- some ozz, and dinner
loin 2000 survey and Plan rhe \orrh of Marker withoutfear."
Planning Coalirion creared a projeer for this
North of
seven-block area. The NMPC, a coalition of Morket
single-room-occopancy hotel owners and man- Plonning
ayers, merchants, houses of worship, and resi- Coolition
dents, proposes financing their vision of revi-
talization in cooperation with the ~an Francisco
Redevelopment Agency. Ifthis effort succeeds,
it will benefit both the people who live in the
neighborhood and the whole downtown area.
San Jose Arena: A Big Move to the Heart
of the City When ~t c~~es t~
In the late 19~0s ~an Jose voters passed a
$100 million bond issue to build a new 20,000-
seat sports arena. Located on a 19-acre parcel
just west of downtown, the complex opened in
september 1993. Since then the new center has
benefited the city by attracting a variety ofother
activities to nearby sites and increasing ridership
on the new light rail system. Over five per cent ~ #
of the fans for arena events take the light rail
and another two-and-a-half per cent use
CalTrain.
Centers
PAGE 55 Show Image
Small City Downtowns
mall city downtowns sahfy needs bi~~er than onr nei~borho()d shopping distn~ets,
and smaller than the Bay Area> three major centers. They provide the opportnnity to
enjoy the benefits of small town living with bi~ city amenities.
The ~ssentia1 Ingredients An Identity At Risk
Within five years of a The Bay Arca has dozens ofsmall towns and ~omc of the Bay Area's small city down-
superstore's opening, small cities with their own downtowns. These cen- towns have declined hecaosc of competition
towns within 20 miles ters complement the "hread-and-hutter" local from shopping malls and commercial strips.
suffer a net loss in sales of shops in sottoundin~ neighhorhoods hut ate not They often stto~~le to maintain a small volume
nearly 20 per cent. typically regional employment centers. small of husiness that cannot provide the discounts
downtowns ate convenient, walkahle huhs of riven hy hi~ stores. A shortage of patkin~ may
commercial, civic, cultural, and social activity also cause ptohlems. some customers ate ac-
that emphasize customer service. They accom- customed to the ample patkin~ lots in shop-
modate locally-owned shops such as a ~tocety pine malls; merchants think that a lack ofpatk-
store, hardware store, drugstore, variety store, in~ hurts husiness and pressure the city to huild
harher shop/hair salon, coffee shop or hat, as well more parking. Both situations erode the town's
as offices of the town's lawyers, doctors, and ac- appeal for pedestrians. some small downto~ ns
countants. The city hall, post office, hank, high in the Bay Area are also at risk of losing their
school, and lihrary are typically located in sue- status as a community focal point if a puhlic
cessful small city downtowns. These centers of- function such as the city hall, lihrary, or post
ten appeal to tourists and other visitors from office relocates to the mall or strip.
outside of the community.
~ ~ /`~½ ~
~ ~
-~~- ~
"7 -~-
Menlo Park's downtown currently has a small town environment with familiar places and intimate
dimensions. However, like many other small city downtowns, the center can he enhanced with locally-
owned commerce, public street activity, and civic and community life.
Chapter Four
56
PAGE 56 Show Image
Surviving the Mu
the first stcp tOwd'fd prcscrvin ~c dy businsss and proprty owncrs. etti~n
Arcj''s small downtowns 1 ~ undcrs~'in4 thcir rcuId'r husincss hours, plannin events, and
subtic diffc-rcnccs and spccial his~ry. ihe corn- maintaining a ci~an and attractivc pcdcs-
munity has to takc pridc in ~c downtown. trian zooc havc madc Bay Area downtowns
local ~ovcrnmcnt, busincsscs community in thc pro~rarn more compctitivc.
lcadcrs, and rc~idcnt~ must commit to rcinvcst- Brine baek do~vnto~vn hvin~.
ment. Cities can chan~c zoning codes to permit Thanks to the efforts of the
Cultivate a' Bay Area identity. residential units OVCt downtown shops, pro- California Main Street
~lany small downtowns have found that they vidin~ a customer hase and support for husi- Program, small city
can survive the competition from large shop- nesses that provide essential, local goods and downtowns have been
pine malls hy offering a distinctive shopping services. Mixed-use zoning allows property reluvenated and in the
experience. Ii~or example downtowns such owners to huild multi-unit huildin~s or con- process gained over 1 ,600
as hhuron, Benicia, Petaluma, \apa, and vert existing space to residential units. businesses and 6,000 lobs
Mill Valley henefit from natural attractions Plan for transit and parlan~. between 1 986 and 1 996.
such as a waterfront, river, or creek. small- Many Bay Area downtowns are mad- The program has worked
scale specialty shops often attract a hroader equately served hy transit. Peninsula cities in over 38 California
customer hase ifshops and services needed alone the CalTrain line have a tremendous communities, seven of
hy local residents are retained. opportunity to create transit huhs around which are in the Bay Area:
Invest in downtown~. train stations that were historically active Berkeley, Alameda,
small dowotowos are the hearts of the Bay locations in the downtown. some cities, such Fairfield, Fremont,
Area's cities. Administrators and lawmakers as Mountain View and Palo Alto, are plan- Livermore, Oakland, and
shotild facilitate investment ofpuhlic funds nine these huhs. l~ocal transit lines can he Benicia. This program is an
in streerseape improvements, housing, tran- re-routed through downtowns to he acces- offshoot of the National
sit huhs, cultural activities, farmer's markets, sihle to a hroader customer hase. Cities can Main Street Program,
and other infrastructure. also take the initiative on parking hy huild- created by the National
NIana~e downtown eolleetivelv. in,y lots in central locations with commercial Trust for Historic
One of the key contrihutions of the Niam development at the around level that do not Preservation, which has
street Program (sec sidehar) has heen sue- disrupt the pedestrian environment and worked in 1 ,1 QO
cessfully-pr()motcd cooperation hetween hlend with the downtown surrounds. mmunities nationwide
nd generated over $5
b Ilion of public and
private investment in small
city downtowns. The secret
~ `,:~ ½'x ~ f their success is a
program that uses strategic
planning, good
anagement, and historic
,, ,~`, ,,,` - preservation to stimulate
downtown recovery.
The new Downtown Centre Mall in San Luis Ohispo filled a long-standing hole in the downtown district This
project provides the downtown with a regional shopping destination and popular puhlic outdoor areas
Centers
57
PAGE 57 Show Image
Bnnging the Past Into the Present
"The people in this
program are so jazzed,
so motivated to know
that when they complete ½
this program they can ¼ ½~
findworkpaying
between and %#, ~
an hour. It makes us feel ½~
good to make an impact
notonlyonthese
people's lives in making
them self-sufficient and
independent but also on
the local economy; which
really needs the skills
they're learning."
Christina
Witkowski,
Canada CoIIe9e
Downtown
Troinin~ Center
Redwood City: Addressing Bi9 Needs in Downtown
The number of vacant storefronts in Red- cility in the downtown with $150,000 in puhue
wood City's downtown has increased with the funds to hring husiness assistance to those who
huilding of large, auto-oriented re~iona1 malls. need it most. The college's Downtown Train-
Niost of Broadway has hecome a 5ttO~~I~OH~ dis- mg Center offers a joh development program
trier and many of the downtown's nearhy resi- that teaches computer and office skills to quali-
dents lack the skills and capital to find decent fying low- and moderate-income people. The
johs or start husmesses oftheir own. Center's small husiness development program,
However, creative approaches have emerged which is free to Redwood City residents, tar-
to some of these challenges. Assisted hy rede- gets potential first-time entrepreneurs. By con-
velopment funds a non-profit program is con- verting existing huildings into places of learn-
verting an ahandoned downtown site into a res- mg, Redwood City gives people a reason to use
taurant that will train at-risk youth in the culi- downtown while providing them with the husi-
nary arts. Canada College recently opened a fa- ness skills to contrihute to its rejuvenation.
Chapter Four
PAGE 58 Show Image
Fairfield's Main Street Revamps for
Pedestrians
As `~ f~SU1~ of j' 1on~-~tandin{~ `~~recmcnt
with CJ'ltrd'ns, thc City of Lairfi~1d rc-routed
Hi~hw~y 1~ sway front thc downtown, a ~()VC ~
which htou~ht ncw life to downtown Texas
~tteet. Aftet pompin~ $6 million into infrasttoe- ~ shop, eat, and do
tote and streetseape imptovements and $3 mu- business downtown.
lion into a petfotmin~ atts center, this state-des-
i~nated Main ~tteet community is hein{,' tevi- ¾ /3,
talized. The Downtown Improvement District ~ ~ prepare a specific plan
is a~~ressively working to retain existing hosi- ~ foryourdowntownand
commit to implementation
nesses , 1 tnf)tOvC storefronts, and recruit new op-
scale retail stores and restaurants to the down- , funding.
town area. zone to allow more
residential development
downtown.
provide for alternative
transit modes: bicycles,
7 pedestrians, transit.
discontinue approving
shopping center and
factory outlet mall prolects
that compete with the
Mill Valley: Where Commerce and Nature downtown.
Meet
At the foot of Mount Tamalpais and the continue to fund the Main
confluence of two creeks lies downtown Mill Street Program.
Valley, home to many locally-owned husinesses ~
that have proven their resilience. While SoruC provide start-up capital
stores lost husiness when a regional shopping
to small businesses who
center opened in Corte Madera, they have
hounced hack with hetter-than-ever sales. want to locate in the
Many attrihute downtown Mill Y~illey's success ~ downtown.
to its surroundings. 1~he city's (;eneral Plan loin with the city to create
policies mel tide desi{'n guidelines which em- a low-interest loan pool for
restoration of historic
phasize the natural setting over htiildin~s.
Many employees and local shoppers commtite buildings and facades
to the downtown ()O foot using a historic net- downtown.
work ofhillside steps and lanes C()OOCCtiO~ the
nei~hhorh()ods, the downtown, Mount {;~im, locate in the downtown
and other recreation areas. and stay there.
form a business
association to look out for
the health of the downtown.
employ local residents.
Centers
59
PAGE 59 Show Image
Industrial Districts
Revivin old indtistrial distrits and ereatin~ new one: within eM~sh~n~ cities can help
deteri()ratin~ nei~hb()rhoods and bolster a `,ca~~n~ local economy.
Past and Future Prospects
Industrial districts have lone existed in the When manuheturin~ companies leave the
Bay Area such as in Oakland, Richmond, South city for greener pastures (the outer suhuths, ru-
~an Francisco, and Vallejo. Historically, indus- ral areas, other states, or overseas), they leave a
try was zoned to he separated from living, shop- vast infrastructure which represents a costly in-
pine, and recreation hecause its processes were vestment. In some cases they leave hehind ar-
dirty and noisy. Although physically separated eas known as hrownfields that are ahandoned
from downtown, industrial districts were tied to or underutilized hecause ofperceived or actual
husiness, commercial, and residential areas toxic contamination in their soil or around wa-
through puhlic transit. Today's industrial zones ter. These areas are scattered all over the Bay
are devoted to warehousing and, increasingly, Area hut are (lsproportionately located in low-
to light industry. Their disjunctive character is income communities. Brownfields have high
reinforced hy street patterns tied to trucking, clean-up costs that add significantly to the cx-
the ahsence of sidewalks, and the lack of em- pense of new projects because current federal
ployce amenities such as pedestrian-accessible law holds new owners liable for contamination
restaurants. caused by previous owners and for any discov-
As residential and commercial development cries in the future. Investors and developers arc
disperses, industry also locates farther from the understandably concerned about lon~term li-
urban core. Industries leave for a variety ofrea- abilities that affect financial stability.
sons. Their operations cban~c and require more some industries are still unsound for the
space which is often not available close to their environment, employees, and residents. Com-
base of operations if in a dense urban area. munities for a Better Environment and others
Transportation systems have chan~cd, making have wa~cd a tireless monitoring and advocacy
rail service typical ofold industrial districts oh- campaign against the region's worst industrial
solete. Today's trucks need wide roads with bi~ offenders. But today's industry is not all soot-
turning radii and freeway access. Finally, the filled air. The face of industry has been chant
urban labor force tends to be more expensive ins, and our ideas about industrial areas also
and less skilled in new tcchnolo~y, which can need to chan~c. In most cases moving indus-
make it less costly to train new employees else- trial centers away from the existing urban core
where. is neither necessary nor sustainable.
Early agricultural industry
located its tacilities in the
hinterlands af the region.
This movement formed the -
Bay Area as we know it
today, yet these factories
are becoming obsolete in
an era of high technology.
Whatcanbedoneto
minimize the negative .
impacts of shifting , , ,
industrial needs on our
communities?
¼
Chapter Four
60
PAGE 60 Show Image
Livinbl with Industry
Bay Area rnanuhcturin~ is a traditional activity. 4~hc addition ofhousin~ livc-wotk
source of hi~h-payin~ jobs fot people of all in- units restaura
ots, shops, offices, and services
come levels, education, skills, and ttainin~. We to industrial districts needs to he carefully
can make it easier for thriving, environmentally- considered in order to avoid conflicts and
responsible industry to coexist witb surround- competing land value, sueb as was discov- As part of its East of 101
in~ residential areas, meeting industry-specific ered by tbe City of Berkeley during tbeir Area Plan, the City of
needs wbile protecting quality of life for cv- West Berkeley Planning process. Buffer South San Francisco
eryone. zones and narrow "liner" buildings can make reserved abandoned
Address brownfields head on.
tbe transition between industrial and non- railroad spur lines in its
Redeveloping brownfields in ways tbat are industrial activities. Weaving industrial dis- industrial district for a
appropriate to the community, economically triers back into tbe city center will future transit system rather
viable, and environmentally sustainable is stren~tben its fabric more effectively over than allowing them to be
one of tbe bi~~est cballen~es for Bay Area tbe lone term than creating suburban-type developed.
industrial districts. In the past, the philoso- industrial parks in the city.
phy has been to either clean them up com- Encourage labor-intensive industries.
pletely or do notbin~. Clear standards are Today many industrial areas in the Bay Area
needed that tell us what levels ofelean-up consist predominantly of warebouses and
are required for safe re-use ofbrownfields. distribution facilities tbat employ few
Leave a place for industrv. people per square foot of building or land.
Retaining the existing large infrastructure Low densities mean tbat industrial areas
and land parcels tbat many manufacturing cannot support transit and thus encourage
companies require will permit heavy indus- auto-dependency. Our industrial areas
try to stay in business and expand while should be designed to favor uses with high
making room for small, start-up businesses. enough employment densities to support
Industrial districts generally need a range transit and local retail development.
in scale and type ofindustries. A~gre~atin~ Develop for people as well as
similar types of industry creates a dynamic rnanufaetunn~.
situation that is better able to support a net- Industrial zones must function efficiently for
work ofsuppliers, contractors, and other ser- the companies located in them. Ifinfrastruc-
vices needed for business. street systems ture and building design become outmoded
need to serve trucks for industry, auto traf- and cannot cban~e, companies will likely
fic, and pedestrians. relocate to places tbat better satisfy their
Provi(le financial incentives to save tIRMs. needs. Yet lack of public spaces, pedestrian
Old industrial districts typically have amenities, and basic commercial enterprises
tinreinforced mas~~nry buildings tbat retluire also affects functionality because employ-
expensive seismic rctr()fittin~. Yet ()OCC this ces are not well served. (~()rnpanies would
expense is ()~C~C()~C such buildings are of- benefit frorn bavin~ tbeir plant designers
ten economical to adapt to new uses sueb as pay more attention to tbe urban design of
live-work space. industrial areas, as was the case witb the
Mix in ()t~cr tises careftillv. NIles Cutter building in Berkeley.
To address social and economic goals, in-
dustrial districts must be integrated back
into tbe city by combining tbcm with other
Centers
61
PAGE 61 Show Image
Integrating the Machine
¼ ~ ;<,>;J~½7 7( %½;½<½<'¼#
½"'&¼½½
recognize that we need
industry and that industrial <` y ~ ~ <
districtshavetheirown
~,, ~
ffi½ /½ <`#1'
benefits and appeal. ¼:½7 ~ #7¼ ~
visit industrial districts to ½~¼¼4~~ ½~' ~
better understand how they ~ ~
~
function.
place a priority on
brownfield clean-up and
redevelopment. ~~7' ~ 7
7
work with industries to
become more sustainable
~ - ,
~
by encouraging them to ~
devise their own plans and ½
solutions. 7
~` ~
~7 ~ ~ ~ ~ ,
~ - ,
locate and stay in existing Brownfields with a Twist in Richmond
industrial districts rather
than create new ones. In ~ j ~~()tian filmily p1~ntcd thcir ear- (APE\) startcd worLin~ with th~ Richmond
den next to an ei~ht-year-o14 ~uperfund site. Laotian Lovironmentat Justice Collahorative,
help fund affordable These Richmond newcomers had ~() idea they the severity of this impact had not hit home.
housing near your business. had heen 1ivin~ near an old hatteq domp he- Attoned to this irony and the need to mohilize,
create green oases in the cause the posted warning signs were in English AP12\ now works with the Laotian community
district, such as company/ (52 per cent of (contra Costa (county I~aotians to define its relationship to their new country,
community gardens and live in a household where ~() ()~C has functional its economic potential, and political complexi-
parks. Ln~lish). ties. The first step is ed~ication what are the
An old manufacturing city, Richmond dancers of pur~uin~ traditional ways of livin'~
design industrial houses 350 industrial facilities, including waste such as fishing in a polluted hay or ~ardenin~
b uildings so they are re- incinerators, pesticide and fertilizer companies, ()~ former industrial land.~ How does ()~C ~Ct
usable and adaptable to a and oil refineries. Acc()rdin,~ to a I ()~9 report hy ~()il tested and what can he done to clean it.~
variety of uses. (communities for a Better Lnvir()nment, at least ~Yhat can a diverse community of several etil-
~1o different hazardous chemicals are ~t()red ture~ and ()VC~ 6() dialects do to effect chan~c,
there and/or released into the environment. either politically ()~ hy finding safe economic
It is well documented that when the mix of opp~~rttinities on its own, such as fish farming
help industry become industry and h()u~in~ i~ unsafe, there is a dis- in constructed p()nds.~ APi£\ plane to under-
cleaner.
proportionate impact ()~ low-income residents take leadership training and coalition htiildin~
help devise innovative (it is estimated that welfare dependency for Lao- with other strong Richmond ()r~anization~, like
and cost-effectiveways to tians living in the county is 70 per cent). But the West County Foxics Coalition, as the next
clean brownfields. until the Asian Pacific Vnvironmental \etwork step
Chapter Four
62
PAGE 62 Show Image
Naval Air Station Alameda A
Sustainability Model
With the closure of 12 militaty hases the Bay
Ares has 22,000 acres to redevelop sustainahly. ~4
The NA~ Al~meda Community Reuse Plan
adopted in early 1996 does just that. ~eekin~ to ~
reestahush Alameda's historic transit-oriented
character, the plan details mixed-use nei~hhor-
hood centers that will have hoth residential and
husiness foci. {urther, 45 per cent ofthe 1,734 ~
acres of land is proposed for wetlands hahitat,
urhan parks, and recreation centers. The
Alameda plan also creates parcel-specific alter-
native standards for hazardous material cleanup
so development can proceed.
"South of Market shows
how cities can nurture
cosmopolitan
neighborhoods while
avoiding gentrification
and redevelopment."
- Cheryl Parker,
South of Market
Foundation
SOMA: A Post-Industrial Industrial Center
~an Francisco's south of Market area
(COMA) is a rich stew ofpuhlic and private en-
terprise: light industry, live-work and artist stu- ~ `:
dios, single-room occupant housing, cafes and
ni~htcluhs, as well as the Moscone Center, the
~an Francisco Museum ofModern Art, and the
Yerha Buena Center for the Arts. Recognized
as an important economic engine for ~an Fran-
cisco, ~ONlA's renaissance has heen achieved
hy nei~hhorhood-hased huilders, developers,
and service providers who have convinced the
city to assist them through innovative mixed-
use zoning and redevelopment ftinds.
Centers
63
PAGE 63 Show Image
Pseudo Ce ters
Over th p~'ist 30 yeirs omlilerejal entei loted otitide of downtown md indutijal
ditrict~ h~'ive emerged in the Bay Area and the rest of the otintry. P~ud() eenter laek
niany o~ the trait that define ~`i heithy tirban eenter I)tit they ean be iniproved.
I\ Bunch of Big Things 1~()c'l1 ~()vcrflmcflt ()fQn scils land to d rct'Iil
Just d'S sprd'w1in~ suburbd'n nci~hborhoods vc1()pcr at a low pricc thr()u~h thc rcdcvclop-
drain small ~)WflS and traditional suburbs of rncnt pr()c~ss. To swcctcn tc pot son~c Ba~
In the first half of 1 995, thcir rcsidcnts, So have disp~rs~d busincs~ ccn- Arca citic~ arc now pr()rnisin~ to pay thc rctailcr
construction of shopping tcrs rc-placcd our small dowotowos, and to somc a pcrccnta~c of sales tax r~vcnUc ~cncratcd by
centers in the U.S. was 22 extent otir lar~~ downtowns. ~1()rc and rnorc of thc ncw prQcct. Bidding wars b~twccn citics
per cent higher than for the thc Bay Area's landscapc is bcin~ convcrtcd ~) cropt which hort all citics since they bid each
first half of 1 994. The these large, isolated districts devoted to one ose other op at the expense of the poblic coffer.
average size of a new only. ~hoppin~ malls, chain stores and hi~-hox Cities often contrihote to the COSt of improve-
shopping center built in late discoont centers, low-rise office towers, confer- ments soch as roadway expansions, traffic sir-
1 995 was 425,000 square ence centers - all referred to in this section as nals, and drainage impr()vements.~1~his makes
f eet (53 acres), or 40 per "pseodo centers" loom not of nowhere, float- rood htisiness sense as lone as the hosinesses
cent larger than a center ~ in a sea of parking lots. 4~he new ones are stay lone enoo~h for city profits to exceed costs.
b uilt in late 1 994. on the edge of existing development, adjacent Pseodo centers offer atitomohile conve-
The National Trust for to freeways or roadways with ~()od aoto access. nience and ~()od prices, yet are almost always
Historic Preservation has ~Iany of the old ones lie vacant and fallow in inaccessible by transit, bicycle, or foot. Niore-
put the entire state of oor inner city core, replaced by their rtiral heirs. over, they arc sobject to qtiick obsolescence
Vermont on the once their market chances or falters. For cx-
"endangered list" because The Epitome of ample \Val-\lart, which emerged as a major re-
factory outlet malls and ~nsustainabihty railer only in the last decade, is already closi
other pseudo centers ~o why are these centers btiilt.~ Althoo~h the some stores, leavin'~ empty shells in the land-
threaten to undermine size and modernity of these centers may be im- scape. Once closed, these boildin~s are seldom
working farms, locally- pressive, their level of onsostainability is even flexible or adaptable to other oses. some people
owned small businesses, more impressive. Local ~)vernments allow them find their vast scale and sterile appearance in-
and the strong sense of to be brult becaose they perceive them to be homan. And, despite meticuloos landscaping,
community fostered by ~)od soorces ofreventie and jobs. Althoo~h they there is tisoally ~() priblic space to foster priblic
compact town centers. do create some jobs, they are not hi~h-payin~. interaction.
~ ~ ½4~. x..
, ~ , ~ 4 .½¼~
* ,, ~
~ _____ ~
Profit incentives and planning policies require four auto parking spaces per 1,000 feet of commercial
space, resulting in sprawling centers that do not relate to pedestrian shoppers or to the cities around them.
Chapter I~onr
64
PAGE 64 Show Image
The Seed of Sutainabihty?
Althouh pseudo centers may he trendy to- Design centers to support wa1kin~ and
day, many of their 30-year-old shopping center transit.
predecessors are now in decline. still they rep- streets and paths should he introduced he-
resent an investment of money and resources tween the huildings and through the park-
that invites reuse in a more sustainahie form. mg lots in these centers to re-estahlish de-
Turn pseudo centers into real centers. velopment patterns conducive to pedestrian
Since pseudo centers are large parcels ofland use. Direct linkages to regional transit and
under one ownership, they offer an oppor- local hus routes must he made.
tunity to create intensive developments with Create a human scale.
coordinated mixtures of use, including tran- smaller development ventures within these
sit nodes, high-density housing, offices, large centers may he introduced and inte-
shopping, and entertainment. grated with residential development. For
Locate and design them to fit their example, some ofthe vast parking lots could
neighborhood. he replaced with higher-density housing
When large new centers are huilt, they and mixed-use huildings; others could he
should he located within the urhan core near converted to puhlic open space.
transit, instead of the middle of nowhcre. Design them for adaptive reuse.
And they should he designed to fit into the Manufacturing process and retail practices
surrounding neighhorhood context. change over time. Pseudo centers need to
Include more public space. he huilt for conversion to new uses. For cx-
Pseudo centers devoted to discount shop- ample, huildings developed for high volume
ping would henefit from the addition of discount retail use, such as a K-mart, can
puhlic activity. Landscaping used for put- he reused for housing or offices, particularly
poses other than dressing up a parking lot if well designed and huilt with good qual-
could make puhlic spaces attractive. ity materials.
The City of Lawrence, Kansas
persuaded a developer to
~uiId a regional mall, the
Riverfront Plaza, in an aId
« ~½½ downtown factory, rather
than in a cornfield as was
~ ~ originally planned. The
planning policies of the city
~ .. ,. ¼ ~ ~ require that 70 per cent of all
retail be located in the
downtown.
Centers
65
PAGE 65 Show Image
Recovering From Placelessness
,, <
`½4
,, ,,`< "¾
PAGE 66 Show Image
Walnut Creek Retrofits for Walkability
Plans for W~nut Creek includc creann~
pedestrian-scale retail and several modes of
~ ~
transportation into the city center. The city's ~` ~ I
Growth Limitation Plan coupled with the re-
~~¾¼½ ~.
cent East Mount F)iahlo Boulevard specific ~ ##
Plan call for redevelopment ofinfill sites to pro-
mote a p4-hour shopping and entertainment ~ ~ ~ ~ ensure reliable access ta
center. The city's Creek Restoration and Trails ~ xisting centers for
Master Plan encourages urhan development ~ ~ employees, residents, and
which takes advantage of creekside locations , shoppers.
to provide amenities such as dining patios and look for opportunities to
puhlic walkways.The first creek restoration ef- ncover and utilize the
fort will he a section of Civic Park, which hroke atural landscape in
ground in 1996. The project aims to make xisting centers.
Walnut Creek, once considered an edge city, a
real city with a creek at its center. stop building freeway
~ access to sprawling centers.
¼~ ~ ~ redevelop aging pseudo
enters into sustainable,
~ ,#,~,, h igh-density centers.
East Baybridge Center Weaves High- ~ ~"v~'
Volume, Big-Box Retail into the Urban
Fabric
Recognizing that the henefits of locating a
shopping center on an urhan site outweigh the
costs, the cities of Emeryville and Oakland de-
veloped plans to rejuvenate a section of San
Pahlo Avenue that had heen underutilized for
years. The project wove a grocery store, transit ~<4 <4-
access, and extensive streerseape improvements
into an existing industrial fahric and cleaned up
a hrownfield in the process. Phase Two will in- ,
elude 400 units ofaffordahle housing. Uhe East ,
Bayhridge Center is not without controversy ~
given traffic impacts on the surrounding area ~
and low-paying johs. \onetheless, the project ~ <4
enhances its location hy providing new uses.
~,
~ ¾
½
Centers
67
PAGE 67 Show Image
Chapter Five
A okattlie , Pie re
½
½½#
`I'
½', `4'½½/","
~<4½,, ~ ` ` `
~"4'~' ` ` ~ `
From a ridgefop we begin to see the diversify and complexity of the Boy Areo. Recognizing the
interconnectedness ofthe region's noturol ond humon-mode systems will ollow us to moke them more sociolly,
Chapter Five economicolly, ond environmentolly sound.
PAGE 68 Show Image
here's no such thing as a
purely local community.
Although composed of towns and cities
that vary in size and character, the Bay
Area is more than the simple sum of its
neighborhoods and centers. Indeed
residents often give "The Bay Area" as
their home, knowing that the region itself
has more national and international name
recognition than, say, Mill Valley or
Mountain View. Given the Bay Area's
importance as a region, it follows that
decisions made solely for the good of its
constituent localities do not always serve
the needs of the whole.
Acknowledging that the region's ecology is
a product of the interdependence of the
natural systems and those made by
humans, this chapter discusses strategies
for planning and thinking regionally to
make the Bay Area a better place in
which to live.
The Region
69
PAGE 69 Show Image
Recognizing the Region
A resident of "th Bay Area" we liar many common interests across our since region.
Therefore our peronal and ~()vQrflrnLIlta1 deejious shotild work for the ~()od of the
entire Bay Area
- A Plaee of Many Pieces Thinking Regionally
;~ A1thou~h residcnts of one part of thc Bay AIthou~h ~ainin~ a rc~iona1 pcrspcctive will
tea may not realize that decisions made for not happen overnight, taking the following steps
other sections of the region affect their lives, can move Os closer to that coal:
these effects are inevitahle and inescapahle. . Understand the bio-re~on.
If inner cities continoc to deteriorate, more The rewards of onderstandin~ the connec-
and more people may move oot to the less de- tions hetween development decisions and the
veloped urhan fringe, prompting oew develop- overall health of the ~ay Area's air, water, and
ment to ~ohh1e op a~ricoltoral land and land will he that the life-sustaining ecolo~cal
endanger the total qualities of our outlying at- system of out cities and our te~ion will he more
eas. Companies that huild their corporate head- integrated and hetter halanced.
quartets in places where the cost of housing is * Make use of the re~on; potenhal.
prohihitive force employec~ to commute exces- A sustainahle te~ion is a mote reasonahle
sive distances. The opening ofa new superstore coal for the Bay Area than for many other parts
or shopping mall in one place chances shopping of the country. ~or example the te~ion's mild
patterns in communities that ate five to twenty climate requires less energy for heating and cool-
miles away. in~ than it would in other areas. Comhined with
such cause-and-effect scenarios are key to fertile soil, the heni~n climate
an undetstandin~ of the interconnectedness of allows year-round food pro-
the regional system. This system encompasses duction for local con-
the hay and its ~reenhelt, transportation, land sumption. rood
use, industry, materials, water, energy, decision ~town in home ~<
making, and finance. In exploring these and commo-
parts ofthe Bay Area regional systems nity gardens
and how they work, we he~in and on farms
to comprehend how they saves energy hy
may he made more reducing the need to
economically, transport and refrigerate
socially, and food over treat distances.
environmentally Our waterways offer fisheries
sotind. and ferry routes, as well as access
to Pacific markets. Lentil recently, our hay and
hills were natural houndaries that helped to
focus attention ()O huildin~ compact cities. If
retained, this focus cotild further reduce
resource consumption.
Chapter Five
70
PAGE 70 Show Image
. Balance beal and re~iona1 deeision- . Understand economic eonnection.
making. Thc Bay Arca\ strong economy could he
Although local government is a rood scale strcn~thened by attracting and retaining indus-
to deal with issues such as the provision of basic tties whose bottom line includes a healthy natu-
setvices, the region is the optimum scale for ad- ral and social environment.
dressing issues such as public transportation and * Consider resonree nse more earefnlly.
water quality ofthe bay. Among the advanta~cs A regional perspective would lead to con-
ofoperatin~ at a regional scale are the ability to sideration of more efficient yet ecologically-
plan carefully within both large- and small-scale sound generation and use of materials, water,
contexts. and energy as well as discovery of alternative
sources.
Putting the Pieces Together . spend and decide wisely.
The region and its residents could benefit Dispersement ofhousing, commercial, and
from understanding the interaction of the Bay office development is more expensive to the
Area's natural and human-made systems. Both public than development on available land in
will benefit if we: urban areas, e specially when
. Protect the bay and ~reenbelt. environmental and social costs are
Protecting these invaluable considered. Allocating
natural systems, now at risk, re- and sharing respon-
quires personal, corporate, and ~ sibility and costs
governmental stewardship. ~ would place the
. Connect transportation / ~ financial burden of
and land nses. extending utilities
Concentration of movement and roads to new
within the region would make life development on
much simpler and easier. This situa- the shoulders of
non would bring less dependency on those who enjoy the
the car, which, in turn, would be priced ac- benefits.
cording to its true costs, not just at the pump
but the social and environmental costs as well.
Creating places that invite walking and biking
and are convenient to public transit would lead
to reduced congestion, cleaner air, and less im-
pact on the Bay Area's
greenspaces and its
natural resources and
economy, not to men-
estuary.
The Region
71
PAGE 71 Show Image
Greenspaces, Bay, and Estuary
People come from all over the world to eujoy the Bay Area; incomparable natural
features. ilow can we protect them against today's adverse pressures?
The Land, the Water, and
Where They Meet
Thc ~an Francisco Bay and its surrounding two to three times the hiodiversity and natural
land are two interrelated natural systems that resources ofany single terrestrial or aquatic sys-
are a source oflife, immense heauty, instant on- rem. In Native American times, the region had
entation, an d sense of pride and place. Who such richness that sties were darkened with
could imagine the Bay Area without such land- waterfowl, and rivers were carpeted with salmon.
marks as Mount Tamalpais, Mount Diahlo, the We now know that Bay Area ~reenspaces and
wooded ridges of the peninsula, the jagged hodies ofwater are more than just aesthetic as-
coastline, the rihhons offlourishing agricultural sets. They ensure regional hiodiversity hy pro-
land, or the Golden Gate National Recreation viding hahitat for wildlife and drinking water
Area.~ for some areas. They filter the impacts of hu-
And what ofthe hay itselfand the hay's es- man activity and contrihute to the region's
tuaryP The place where fresh and salt water economy hy providing food and recreation. Pro-
meet is a dynamic zone of overlapping ecosys- tection of these resources is crucial to ensure
tems. Because of the estuary the Bay Area has the continued health of the Bay Area.
~ ~
~ *~ ~
~ ,~ `~`~ ~ ~
~ t' ~ ~
~ >~ r~
¼ #; ~ ~
The Bay Area's land and water systems farm a 1 848: The Way We Were
natural physical boundary far urban development. The Bay Area's greenspaces, bay, and estuary
Yet these limits are heing ignored, and these largely as nature made them. Green indicates the
irreplaceable natural systems are under pressure. extent of marshlands. The settlements around the
five California missions do not show at this scale.
Chapter Five
72
PAGE 72 Show Image
Will We Let Nature Slip mains. Lnvironmcntal laws have helped to end
Away? filling the hay and wetlands with development.
Many ofthe Ba\ Atea's natutal riches have Legislation has also made the hay cleaner and
heen impoverished hy uncontrolled, ill-con- protected endangered species such as salmon,
ceived development. How can more sustain- the stellar sea lion, and the hrown pelican. We
ahle patterns of growth occur in the region are moving away from such piecemeal efforts as
without having continued adverse impacts on species-hy-species protection and jurisdiction-
our natural systems? And how can we achieve hy-jurisdiction cleanup and toward regional ceo-
the goals of sustainahility in the face of: cut- system management. The ~an Francisco
hacks in government spending, chances in Estuary Project's 1993 Comprehensive Conser-
environmental laws, projected population vation and Management Plan for the Bay-Delta
growth, and conflicts hetween puhlic and provides hope that often-warring parties can
private rights.~ come to the tahle and forge an agenda serving
Although the challenges are daunting, there many interests.
is some rood news. Thanks to the successful Only continuing action can protect
conservation work hy institutions such as ~reenspaces from sprawling development and
Greenhelt Alliance, Save ~an Francisco Bay reduce the pollution ofthe hay and estuary. The
Association, California Coastal Conservancy, following pares outline some steps we can take
Fast Bay and Mid-Peninsula Open space Dis- to insure that our natural areas remain heauti-
triers and others a treat deal of our nature re- ful healthy, and productive far into the future.
~ ~ ~ ~
~< ~ ¼;;
w~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~~¾\ ~ ~ \ ½
~ ~ ~
1990: The Way We Are 2010: The Way We Mi9ht Become
Development has spread throughout the inner boy This is how our region will look if development is
and leapfrogged into the greenbelt. Parts of the not held in check.
bay have seen filled. Red represents dense urban
areas. Green and light blue indicate remaining
marshlands and salt ponds.
The Region
73
PAGE 73 Show Image
Greenspaces
The Bay Area's undeveloped landscape eon- contrihuting $2 billion per year ro rhe economy.
sisrs primarily ofwhar has come ro be called rhe The recrearional opporruniries rhar residenrs
"greenbelr. " This collecrion of very large land enjoy are also an arrracrion ro rourisrs, 50 mil-
areas (a toral of3.~ million acres) surrounds rhe lion ofwhom use our parks every year.
7$O,OOO acres of our urban developmenr. The A Resource Under Siege
greenbelr is made up ofborh public and privare Greenbelr Alliance calculares rhar close ro
properry, and rakes rhe form of working land- ca rhe size of 19 San
600,000 acres an ar
scapes such as farms, ranches, and vineyards; Franciscos, will succumb ro new developmenr
large regional parks; and lands providing wild- over rhe nexr 30 years. Ar presenr 30,000 acres
life habirar. In addirion ro rhe greenbelr sur- ofrich, ferrile farmland are lost to development
rounding our cities, the Bay Area boasts a
tremendous collection of urban parks and gar- every two years.
dens with a wide range of size and diversity. Although access to nature is of inestimable
value to the Bay Area's city-dwellers, urban
All of these urban and rural places consti- boundaries are expanding, requiring more travel
tute greenspaces which support the economic, to reach parks and open space and putting na-
social, and environmental well-being ofthe Bay ture beyond the reach of many people. Mean-
Area. Our agricultural lands are home to over while neighborhood parks decline because of
~,5oo farms and produce 100 different crops, lack offunding for maintenance.
Goin9, Going
11 devclo1~incnt ~ ~t ~l~c l)rc~cnt
A-~~
-~- rate the region's 11tb~oi/e(l ~ will inc~c'~sc
by 7~ per ceu~ b\ tl~c yc'~r 2()2(), Il~is l(~~ of
open space will l)c luost c~-~rc~uc ~
and Son(~ma Countics. which h~~\c thc
potenti~~l to expan(l their urbaujzc~l arc~~~ l)\
approxin~ately 2()() per cent.
Current % potenti~I
County urban incre~~
acreage in 30 years
Alameda 134,900 45%
ContraCasta 139,800
Mann 44,20Q 43%
Napa 19,200 107%-
San Francisca 23,800 1 %
San Matea 77,200 1 9 %
SantaCtara 178,400 64%
Salana 48,400 219%
Greenspaces such as this farm in San Matea Caunty Sanarna 64,800 1 95 %/
and the recent 5,638 acre acquisition of nearby Tata ~ay Area 730,700 78 %
Cloverdole Coastal Ranch protect the region's
greenbelt and hold the line on development. Source: GreenbeItAII~iance
Chapter Five
74
PAGE 74 Show Image
Savin (reenpace
Hcalthy rcenspaccs, whethcr they be lare ample, at Uvas Crc~k in Gilvoy rcstoration
and rural or small and urhan, ar~ csscnrial to thc ofthe chanoci at an old rock quarry site has
lone term sustainability of the region. The con- recreated stecihead hahitat and repaired 127
servation and enhancement of Bay Area acres ofsensitive land.
~reenspaces requires: support sustainable local a~rieultnre.
Halt development by estabhshin~ urban The coals ofsustainahle a~ricultute include
growth boundaries (UGBs). soil protection, crop diversity, fair employ- A local pear has more than
Through general plans and voter referen- ment practices, and reduction of around cosmetic appeal. Since it
dums cities can estahlish UGBs, which can water contamination. By recognizin~ the was grown locally and
insure protection of land for as many as 20 contrihution of working farms, vineyards, organically, it is better
years. In reducing development pressure on and ranches in slowing the rate of develop- tasting, fresher; and more
the greenhelt, they also create opportunities ment at the ~reenhelt's edges, we can sup- nutritious than pears from
to develop compact nei~hhorhoods and cen- port high-yield agriculture. Urhan farming outside the region. The
tets inside the houndaries. Their success in the form of community and market ear- energy that would have
depends on the willingness ofenvironmen- dens can revive ahandoned rail lines and been required to ship this
talists and nei~hhorhood associations to al- vacant lots in urhanized areas. pear here has been saved.
low infill development and hither densities Connect the ~reenbelt to the city. Orchard land has also
in existing areas. By connecting urhan parks to the larder re- been saved and the local
Protect natural ecosystems. ~ional system with trails, wildlife corridors, economy buffered.
By supporting puhlic agencies' plans to ac- and free-flowing creeks, it may he possihle According to CSA West, an
quite critical hahitat, corridors, parks, and to put most Bay Area residents within a 10 organization advocating
open spaces, citizens can assist the process minute walk of natural open space. For cx- community-supported
of careful planning to protect regional ample the 400-mile Bay Area Ridge Trail agriculture, at least 25 Bay
hiodiversity and to prevent the loss ofhahi- project is part ofa regional recreational and Area farms provide home
tat and wildlife. transportation system that when complete delivery service or drop-off
Help nature heal itself. will connect people living in cities with na- points for organic fruits,
Cleaning up degraded and contaminated ture as well as to residents from other parts vegetables, and nuts.
areas can hrin~ significant rewards. For cx- of the region. Subscribers pay by the box,
month, or year. Prices are
often lower than they are in
stores because the produce
comes direct from the
grower. This popular
~ ~ v~ ovementpersonalizesthe
~ , connection between
~ ~ , ~ ~ ¼ suppliers and consumers
~ and helps to stabilize, and
even to raise, farm income
so that farmers can stay in
business and preserve a
way of life.
Bay Area open spaces physically define our region, contribute to a high quality of life, provide a place
for the ecosystems to thrive, and allow us to explore nature.
The Region
75
PAGE 75 Show Image
The Bay and Estuary
As the largest body of water on the west Muddying the Waters
coast where land and water meet and mix, the The sheer size ofthe hay makes its troubles
~an Uraneisco Bay and estuary is composed of difficult to perceive. Ofthe major threats to its
34 distinct watersheds that wind through our health, non-point source pollution from storm
communities. Fresh water in these watersheds water run-offis the worst (see sidebar). In some
Ever wonder why those makes its way through numerous creeks and years upstream diversions ofwater from its natu-
creek critters hove been streams, and the sacramento and ~an Joaquin ral paths keep as much as half the fresh water
painted at storm drains in Rivers, then into the bay, through the Golden draining from the sierra range from reaching
your neighborhood? They Gate, and ultimately into the Pacific Ocean. the bay. Alterations to natural watercourses have
serve as a reminder that Nearing the shoreline, the water flows significantly reduced natural habitat. By remov-
even though regulation has through rich wetlan(ls. This saturated land mg the waterfront from public access through
reduced industrial pollution cleans and filters the water. It is home to small privatization and freeway building we have to a
and sewage to an all-time creatures at the base of the food chain: clams, large extent cut ourselves off from this marvel-
low, 5,000 to 40,000 tons worms, and fish that nourish birds and larger ous natural resource.
of pollutants still find their fish. As one of three major stops on the Pacific The policies and practices that brought
way into the estuary every migratory flyway, the bay and estuary provide about these conditions continue to afflict wild-
year. The causes of an habitat for millions of plants, 130 species of life, contaminate fish, and close what is left of
estimated 50 to 80 per cent fish, and one million shorebirds each year. the region's commercial fisheries. For example,
of this pollution are Because they provide fresh water, these culverts, dams, trash, and polluted water pre-
substances that combine waterways and watersheds support the food vent salmon from swimming upstream to the
with rainwater and flow supply. But the amount ofelean, fresh water is creeks where they spawn. Water policy is diffi-
into creeks, storm drains limited. Communities, farms, industry, and the cult to change because ofthe interests of cities
and finally into the bay. bay ecosystem must share it. and agriculture that compete for the water.
They include: leaked gas
and motor oil; contaminants
from car exhaust and tires;
pesticides from lawns,
gardens, golf courses, and
agricultural land; animal
wastes mixed with eroded
soil; and building
construction waste. ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~-
~ 4
Since 1985 the California Fnvironmenfal Protection Agency has issued 10 advisones against eating certain
tish caught in the bay and delta because they contain contaminants such as PCBs, dioxin, DDL and
mercury. A study by the Save San Francisco Bay Association has identitied Asian and African-Amencan
anglers as being most at risk because they eat large amounts of lish from the bay.
Chapter Five
76
PAGE 76 Show Image
A tronger Presnee
To restore the hay and estuary to health will he restored to wetlands and haylands that
require taking measures to: have heen diked and converted to hayfields
Manage the re~on by watershed and or salt ponds. Other restoration efforts in-
ecosystem. elude eleanin~ up toxic hot spots and pol-
Efforts to control pollution from a local luted areas such as shoreline military hases
source are not effective unless they are en- and industrial areas. The suhstantial needs
ordinated with similar efforts throughout the of fish, wildlife, and wetlands can he met The California Coastal
watershed. A hroad ecosystem management hy conserving our limited fresh water sup- Conservancy has been
that fosters cooperation hetween all puhlic ply and using reclaimed water for appropri- involved in watershed
and private stakeholders in a watershed ate urhan applications. prolects since 1 982
would serve the Bay Area hetter than the Keep waterways accessible. including sediment and
current practice ofmaking policy decisions Manywho live within a stone's throw ofthe erosion control, habitat and
hased on single issues or hy jurisdiction. hay cannot get to its waters. Recognizing fish enhancement, and
Protect what is left. that the hay and estuary are there to he en biodiversity planning. A
Protection hegins hy identifying alterations joyed, ABAG's Bay Trail project will encircle current project is taking
to significant wetlands and creek zones and the hay with 400 miles of multi-use recre- place on the Russian River.
then prohihiting their reoccurrence. To in- ational trails when complete. Firsthand cx- Known in the 1 920s for its
sure that the mitigation of impacts to such perience of walking hy the water can work "trophy-sized" steelhead,
areas is permanent, counties should protect to inform and motivate citizens to work with the river now supports only
those wetlands and creeks that are most local government to increase the amount of a small native steelhead
important to the whole ecosystem and then accessihle hayshore. run and is dominated by
create large mitigation hanks ofless signifi- Prevent pollntion. warm-water fish. Much of
cant areas to use for development. We can all do our part to save the hay hy the change has come
Restore the natnral ecosystem. limiting the use of harmful suhstances and about from dams which
Creeks can he rescued from culverts and disposing of them properly. Other helpful release water year-round
hrought hack to the surface, restoring creek practices would he treating our yards, parks, into the river. The
hank hahitat, and improving upstream hahi- and golf courses with fewer chemicals; en- Conservancy, working
tat for spawning salmon, trout, and other ~sh couraging husiness to practice pollution pre- together with agencies in
species. Where feasihle, tidal action could vention measures; and driving less. Mendocino and Sonoma
Counties and an advisory
committee of
conservationists and
property owners, has
developed plans to restore
balance to the system of
each of the river's three
reaches.
Half fhe birds on the Paci~c Flyway and hundreds of resident bird species feed, rest, and nest on estuary
shores and waters. The Region
77
PAGE 77 Show Image
Nature Under Pressure
Open space is not empty space awaiting Bay Threatened by
development. ~JndeveIoped land and water are Degradation
full of resources that make life possihle and j{ ~uisun Bay and Marsh:
pleasant for people and animals. Although the The largest remaining tidal wetland in Cali-
Bay Area is well endowed with natural riches, fornia (72,000 acres) lies adjacent to poison
human use threatens some ofthe places where Ba\, An increasing amount ofthe water that
resources are most ahundant. The maps on the drains from rivers in the hay is heinz diverted
opposite pare show the pressures on the hay to quench the ~rowin~ thirst of urhan Cali-
and greenhelt from development and degrada- fornia and large-scale agriculture. This di-
non. These areas offer opportunities to focus version threatens the delicate halance
our efforts where they will he most effective in het\veen fresh and salt water found in the
preserving and restoring a critical recreational area as well as the salmon that migrate
outlet and restoring clean water, open space, through these waters and the Delta smelt
and threatened hahitats of fish and wildlife. that spawn in the shallows.
Greenhelt Threatened by ½ The south Bay:
Development The south Bay is so polluted that it has heen
~ ~an JoseIMor~an HiWGilroy Corridor: federally designated as an "impaired"
The greatest risk to this area is that of loss ter hody. Pollutants contrihuted by run-off
from its densely populated areas and lone
ofopen space and agricultural land, specifi- time sewage and industrial discharges have
cally garlic farms and fruit orchards. Prime
settled in its sediments and shallows far from
farmlands east and west of Gilroy are van-
ishin~ while the hillsides east of ~an Jose the reach ofcleansin~ tides and river inflows.
are heinz covered with residential tracts. {~ such pollution is slowly making its way up
address these trends, the City of ~an Jose's the food chain from clams, shrimp, and fish
to the shorebirds, harbor seals, and seafood-
General Plan, recently updated, promotes
infill development to curb decentralized consuming public that eat them. Without
residential construction and an urban growth continued vigilance to reduce pollution, the
boundary. As of this writing ~1or~an Hill is future health of the south Bay's wetlands
and wildlife could lone remain at risk.
considering similar legislation. ii North Bay Wetlands:
~ BrentwooWAntioeh: Ube diked baylands that line the bay's north-
Urban expansion in Contra Costa County,
particularly the eastern part, is cbippin~ away em coast have been identified by scientists
and public agencies as some of the re~i()n\
at land that used to be devoted to a~ricul- best candidates for restoration ofa vast new
ture. i$or example, Antioch is expanding wetland complex. Vp to 40,000 acres of
south; Brentwood has plans to crow from a
former tidal wetlands could be restored in
population of 9,()()() to as much as
~ lleaklshur~~anta R()s£IIR(~nert lark this landscape ofhayfields and cow pastures,
almost doubling the region's stock of this
Corridor:
~onoma is the re~ion\ most rapidly devel- once-abundant habitat. However, current
()pin~ county. Agricultural land planted in laws fail to prevent farmers and private land-
drapes and frtiit orchards at the edges of owners weary of government intervention
these cities is particularly vulnerable to resi- from selling these areas to developers.
dential expansion. l~ortunately, as in santa
Clara County's urbanized corridor commo-
nines in ~onoma County are le~islatin~ or-
ban growth boundaries.
Chapter Five
PAGE 78 Show Image
j- # \4 \- -
. 2 million acres of
~ ~ "7,, ~ ~ farmlandandvineyards
. 8,500 farms
. 1 OO different crops
produced
~ ½~~; ~
,~ ~$ ~ *3.8millionacresof
~ ~ \ ~ ~ greenbelt, includin9
Greenbelt Map Legend
~ ~ ~ ~ 860,000 acres of parks
and 300,000 acres of
`~1 Urban
~xI5tlnq, urbanized areas
High Risk ~ ~ ~ forestthatsupport7OO
~ ~ *~ ~ species of birds and
Lands under imminent threat af deuelapmeut ~ ~ ~ ~ ,
~ Medium Risk s~ mammals
Lands at medium risk af deuelapmeut 1 million acres of bay
Low Risk ~ ~ ~ and estuary that support
Lands eat likely ta be threatened in the near future
380 species of fish and
Secure Greenbelt
otheranimals
~nd sat threatened by deuelapment ~~eJ4
Saurce: Greenbelt Alliance <~* #~ ~ ~ ~
~ ½i>~~ ~
s~ +\\~\ ~~`¼s
___________________________________________________________ ~ ~ ~ ~ 1,200 parks ranging
from small city parks to
national parks
- 6: . abundant resources for
fishing, hunting, boating,
~ ~ swimming, windsurfing,
~½
< hiking, biking, camping,
and bird- and whale-
watching
. a large watershed that
drains 40 percentofthe
Estuary Map Legend state
½~¼ :` ` Tidal Mudflat e drinking water for 20
fi Tidal Marsh million people-two-thirds
of the state
I Diked Baylands
I Tidal Waters
. 1 88 miles of coastline
\~ `, Saurce: San Francisca Institute wetlands Atlas
______________________________ e home to 6 species of
seals and sea lions, 26
- ~`
species of whales, A species
of endangered sea turtles
The Region
79
PAGE 79 Show Image
Inspinng Stewardship
¼< `7
buy locally-grown and
organic farm products.
volunteer on a restoration
or clean-up prolect.
continue to support
environmental legislation.
work with activists to
measure and monitor the
health of the region's natural
systems.
learn from natural
processes and assist them
instead of replacing them.
incorporate natural
systems and features as part In Sonoma Baylands, Harbor Mud Helps Restore Wetlands
ofyour prolect design. One ofthc region's most progressive experi- Although it is too soon to tell ifhumans can
protect natural areas ments is using unwanted hatbor mud dtcdged eteate a true wetland, this effort differs from
when building or from the bay for environmental benefit. At this previous ones in that it has been designed us-
expanding. writing the project had used 1.~ million cubic mg the most current scientific understanding
yards ofelean sediment dredged up from Oak- of natural processes and it will be monitored.
connect local parks with land shipping channels to speed the restoration The project's goal is to assist, not totally replace,
each other and with the of tidal wetlands on 320 acres of former natural processes. In its first winter, the marsh
regional systems. hayfields. Cut off from the bay by dikes in the attracted thousands of gulls, stilts, ducks, av-
consider the entire Bay early part ofthis century, the land gradually sank ocets and sandpipers.
below sea level. simply breaking through the Agriculture and development have de-
Area watershed when dikes to allow water to return to the site would stroyed 9~ per cent of Bay Area wetlands. The
making development create a lake, which would require decades to restoration of ~onoma's baylands has brought
decisions. form a functioning wetlands naturally. To speed the region closer to its goal of reclaiming the
the process, the dredged material was added to entire North Bay shoreline. In addition, the $7
supportand fund regional the baylands in 1995 after the site had been million project, cooperatively developed by a
efforts to clean up degraded reconfigured to facilitate wetland development. group ofpublic agencies, ports, the fishing pub-
areas. Opened to the tides in 1996, designers estimate lie and environmentalists, may provide a way
support and fund it will take another 1()-2() years for nature to to do the dredging necessary to sustain its $1 1
acquisition of land to protect deposit the top layer of sediment and restore a billion annual shipping business without harm-
it from development. completely vegetated salt marsh. mg fisheries or bay water quality.
Chapter Five
PAGE 80 Show Image
Mann's Straus Family Creamery Nurtures
the Land
Mann County is home to the first certified
organic milk producer west of the Mississippi.
The ~ttauses find that an organic operation helps
them he good stewards of the land, the water, ~ ~ "We're using public
and the people who drink their milk. Their 230 works money for
head of cattle are fed organically-grown food; environmental purposes.
weeds are controlled without herhicides; cows The public gets two -
are not given hormones. To minimize erosion dredged ports and
cows are moved ftom pasture to pasture and kept restored wetlands - for
out of streams flowing into Tomales Bay. The the price of one."
milk is sold in reusahle glass hurtles made of 50 Laurel Marcus,
per cent recycled glass. The family has also put State Coastal
their land under a conservation easement to the Conservancy
Mario Agricultural Land Trust to protect their
660-acre ranch from future development.
Contra Costa's Wildcat Creek Inspires
Restoration
Wildcat Creek, one of the Bay Area's last
free-flowing streams, is hecoming a healthier , ,
place for fish, hirds, and other creek critters and
a viahle natural corridor through the center of
Richmond and San Pahlo. In recent years, neigh-
hors, school kids, innercity youth, park manag-
cr5, and government agencies have cleaned up ,
trash, planted willows, removed harriers to fish
4
migration, restored natural meanders, monitored
water conditions, counted newts, and huilt
fences to keep cows out of the water.
e
,-
The Region
PAGE 81 Show Image
Transportation and Land Use
Gettin there is definitely not half the fnn. We zi~ within neighborhoods, cities, and
eonnties, and we za~ between them. How can we nntan~e this web and spend less time
in the car?
Our Tangled Web How Did We Get Here?
In spite of new roads, wider highways, and Unril World War II, Bay Area residenrs lived
an exrensive puhue transporrarion sysrem, ~an in relarively compact communities in the inner
Francisco, Oakland, and &an Jose are among the bay or in the {ar rural reaches ofthe region. Most
nation's ten most contested urhan areas. Our daily needs were within walking distance of our
time- and resource-consuming travel patterns homes, and kids went to nei~hhorhood schools.
are one of the higgest threats to our environ- People took advantage of extensive streetcar
ment and quality of life. Our current approach networks, and most work- and shoppin~related
to transportation is an ohstacle to regional commutes were from suhuth to central cities like
sustainahility hecause: ~an Francisco.
. In many parts of the region, the car is the since then, many factors have conversed to
only option for ~ettin~ around. chance land-use patterns and ways of ~ettin~
. Transportation planning is not well coordi- around. Transportation and housing policies and
nated with land use planning suhsidies encouraged scattered suhurhan devel-
. We pay for the entire transportation system opment. Car-dependent suhuths replaced
even if we each do not use all parts of it. urhs designed around streetcars; street networks
. What we pay for transportation does not chanted to suit car travel.
match its true costs. Where Are We Going?
Because of low density development pat-
terns in suhurhan areas walking, hicyclin~, and
` ` ~ ~ ~` `~`~ ~` ` ~ ` \ i~ ~ use ofpuhlic transportation has hecome imprac-
~ y ~ ~ ¼' ` ` tical. Continuous commuting from one suhurh
` ` ~ to another has led to perpetually contested
roads. Cars and trucks offer tremendous mdi-
~ \ ~ ` ` ~\ \ ~ ` ` ~ vidual mohility and fuel economic growth, but
due to our over-reliance on them, we are expe-
~ ` riencin~ rapidly diminishing returns the Bay
~ ~ \~ `\~~\½~ Area Feonomic Forum estimates that
~ t ~ ~ ~ ` j nies in the region are 1O5~O~ two billion dollars a
~ ~ ~ year while employees sit in traffic.
~irec~on. ~ ,~ ~ ~ ~ ` Y~' The air we are hreathin~, the traffic jams we
~ ~` I ~ ~ ~ ~ are enduring, and the dollars we are spending
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ` ~ are catching up with us. According to the Met-
ropolitan Transportation Commission (M~~),
~ ~ ~ the re~ion\: transportation planning agency, the
Bay Area will travel at lower speeds and expe-
Adding more lanes and roads will not solve rience treater delays by the year 2010 if trans-
problems. Studies show that on average, enough portation priorities do not chance. Rush hour
traffic exists to fill new lanes before construction is speeds in Napa County are expected to slow to
finished. As a Caltrans official admits, "We can't 1~ miles per hour. Our daily fuel consumption
build our way out ofcongeshon." is projected to increase over 2() per cent.
Chapter Five
PAGE 82 Show Image
Getting from Point A to Point B... and Point C, D, E, F, G...
Moving around the Bay Area is becoming rives live at points F and i~ we shop at point G
more and more of a chore. We live at point A, ~o to the dentist at point H, and the hall game
work at point B, our kids go to school and day at point I. Wouldn't you rather he doing some-
care at points C and D, our friends and rela- thing other than sitting in traffic? Today, the Bay Bridge
_____________________________________ ___________________________ ______ carries 250,000 people
~o `~l ` per day in cars and buses.
1946,itcarriedtwice
hat about 500,000 on
½ trainsandincars.Jrains
~ linkedtotheEastBay'sKey
system traveled into San
rancisco every 90 seconds
\\ {;\ dFuring rush hour. As cars
I becamemorepopular,
train ridership decreased.
~ Two rival rail companies
servicing bridge travelers
failed to consolidate and
½½~. ~ coordinate service, and
neither survived in the face
Finishing up that "little" project on the way home... Living close enough to walk to shops... of competition from
automobile companies
~ ,, , , seeking to puteveryone
<~½ ~½ behindthewheelforan
~ ,,,,~, ~ affordable price. The last
rain tracks were taken off
j~ ;\\ It
he bridge in 1 958 to make
room for more car lanes.
___ _______ ¾;;
Getting a workout on the way to work... Catching up with a fnend...
The Region
PAGE 83 Show Image
Land Use: Transportation's Invisible Twin
Covenng More Ground Than Today, 70 per cent ofall Bay Area residents
Ever live in non-transit supporting development pat-
Between 1975 and 1990 the area of devel- terns. This is the result of private market and
~ ~ ~ ~ oped land in the Bay Area increased by 43 per government decisions. Integrating growth as-
cent yet during that period the population in- sumptions with multi-modal transportation
~ H~YL~i~
creased by only 19 per cent. As development planning, air quality management require-
location, location, spreads people are more dependent on the car ments, land-use decision making, and good ur-
location, according to to reach their customary destinations. As a re- ban design is essential to reversing this trend.
several studies. A study by sult, the amount of driving increases faster than Careful consideration of where we build, what
John Holtzclaw for the the population. The number of vehicle miles we build, and how well a given development is
Natural Resources Defense driven within the region increased 156 per cent served by public transportation can yield less
Council found that between 1965 and 1990, much faster than the congestion, cleaner air, and protected open
neighborhoods offering the population's 44 per cent increase during that space. It could also mean it would take less
convenience of many period. time, money, and resources just to get around.
nearby destinations
encouraged people to walk.
Households in the densest
areas of San Francisco
Nob, Russian, and 7Q Ph~nix
Telegraph Hills and C~etr~t ~
Chinatown - own 1/4 as
`¼
many cars and drive 1/4 as 60
much as those in outer ½ ~$ Angers
suburbs like San Roman. A ½ ~n Francisco
study by the California State U ¼~
Air Resources Board ~ 50 ~ ~$~fl9~ ~
supports these results, while Q
another, which focused on ~ ~ NewYo~
shopping centers in *~ 40
northern and southern E C a n a d o
California,foundthatonly ~ ~
5 per cent of customers
traveled by transit or foot to A~str~lio
situated in a lowerdensity ;Q)- 20 ~
a suburban shopping center ~
suburban area with little ~
public transit and poor
pedestrian access. In
contrast, 60 per cent of
customers traveled by transit
or foot to a shopping mall
located in a downtown 20 40 60 80 100
surrounded by dense U rba n De n S I ty/ H ecta re
mixed-use neighborhoods,
served by high-quality The relationship of urban density to auto use is shown clearly in the graph above - as
transit and with good density decreases gasoline consumption increases. The Bay Area has a long way to go
pedestrian accessibility before it can become as car-independent as cities like New York, Paris, or London.
Chapter Five
PAGE 84 Show Image
Making Better Connections
We need to link the sites used fot living, Stop se~re~ahn~ uses.
wotkin~, shopping, and tecteating and make Although mote ridets make ttansit efficient
them accessible via ttansit, bike, and foot, as and ptactieal, incteasing density atound
well as the ear. transit stops alone is not the answer. As has
Locate activities and people closer to each been said in other chapters, mixing a van-
other. ety of uses in a neighborhood or commer-
Concentrating new growth in developed at- cial center is crucial to reducing car use. If
eas is the easiest way to group daily needs workplaces are separated from shopping and
as well as transit stops closer together. People eating places, and not served by transit,
could walk or bike for many errands, com- people will drive instead of walk.
bine many trips into one, use transit more
often, and drive a car only when necessary.
The Shortest Distance Between Two Poi~s
dcvcl()~~mcnts arc O(~t dcsi~ncd t(> pt(~vidc ti~c- and ~ og r(~~~tc~>:
get fr()m place to pl~cc walking (~t l)iking.
This typical suburban development with There are several solutions and alternatives
curving, unconnected cul-de-sacs forces to shorten the distance.
residents to use their cars to drive four miles For example, we could create pathways that
to get to a shopping center. That can be as connect the cul-de-sacs and at least allow
much as four times the distance as the crow pedestrians and bicyclists to take more
flies. direct routes.
:,
,~ ½ ~
Another layout has a central transit stop This possibility has a grid of intersecting
with shops around it. Residents live within streets surrounding a neighborhood center
comfortable walking and biking distance of so pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users
transit and local shops as well as each can take the most direct routes.
others' homes.
F
~ - -
~ ~ , ~
#< K ~
~ -
______ ~ __
The Region
PAGE 85 Show Image
Servicing the Region
Today the car and the roadways that sup- sive to construct hut cheaper to operate than
port it are the major components of our trans- diesel huses and electric trolleys. Yet all three
portation system. But if more roads are not the transit modes are less expensive to create and
answer to traffic congestion, puNic transit will maintain than roadways.
have to he made more practical and appealing.
In 1 995, accordin9 to the Puhije Transportation Cars, Trucks, and Roadways
BayArea Air Quality
Management District, the Like most other metropolitan areas, the Bay Until recently private cars and trucks of-
Bay Area had 28 days with Area once had a rood system of trains, trolleys, feted a ~exihility and convenience un-
unhealthful air, the highest and streetcars. Foday, not only are rail and hus matched hy other forms oftransportation. But
number since 1984 due in lines inadequate in most areas, hut the various since cars have hecome hoth a way oflife and
5
part to increased vehicle- ystems are not coordinated with each other for a major part of oor economy, people find it
miles traveled. The air easy transfer. Transit systems that are not well difficult to imagine a world not dependent on
pollution from cars and coordinated adversely effect those who depend them. Cars will not vanish from the roads,
trucks is harmful in many on them, a disproportionate numher of whom especially in rural areas. But does it make
sense that a single person requires the power
ways. It is the leading are low-income or elderly.
It is crucial that all communities he served of~75 horses and a couple tons ofsteel, glass,
cause of many respiratory h
diseases as well as that of y safe, convenient, comfortahle, affordahle, and and plastic just to mail a letter or rent a video?
half the cancers cost-effective puhlic transit. It is also important Is it worth the personal expense? Consider
attributable to air pollution. to consider the full cost of different forms of the henefits for Golden Gate Bridge commo-
A less publicized fact is car transit when planning for our transportation ters who switch from car to hus: they save
trips produce much more needs. {~~Ot example, light rail is more expen- over $3,~()() each year.
pollution than stationary
sources such as power Parking The Real Cost of "Free" Parkin9
plants, oil refineries, and j ~ is we c\'l)cc~ t( drive cvcrv\\~hcrc, \\`c l~hc c~~sz (`~~ ~ (hog cit ~)~rking l{'r cii-
manufacturing facilities. C\l)C~~ free ~)~trkii)g \~ hen \\C rc~icl~ `y~~r (le~ti- pl('\'cc~ .it ~~~iOf()r(l I nivcrs~r~. ~ t~~l~ic.~il
Because the act of starting i~~~ti()fl \`)r rl~~t parki~)g is rc~lly frcc,~ cm- ,lcvcl(~l)c(l ~rc~ ii~ the rcgi()i~. ~\ sh()~~kinA'l\;
a car creates pollution,
l)l( )\ C r-l~.ii(l l)~rk i i~g. c~isr~~iucr l)~~rk mg gi~c~t I) i"l ~ hen c'~i ~l)arc(. witl~ that f~~r l~i `)`i(l in
short car trips are more l~'~ rk i og. \ .i I i(l.'~tc(l l)~~rl~ mg. n mc tc~c(l l)ic\~'lc lv.~rkinA'.
polluting per mile than c~irl)si(lc pirking .}o4 rc(li~irc~l rcsidcoti~
long ones. Although cars l)~~rk i i)g c.~ r nil) l~i ~ `end incor ~n ~`l~l I ~ (`I) I
manufactured today pollute C\l)Ci~5C t(i tl~c l)r')~ `Icr ~o~l "irco to' ~.i\ ~).iy- Cost to build a single car space in a standard
ten times less than cars ~hc l~~~rkii)A' l()~5 ~i)~l ~l~c i~'~~l~i- surface parking lot: $2,5QQ
made 25 years ago, these ~ 1)~rkio'A s~rtictt~rc~ thc\; ~ re ,i~~i~llv Cost to mointoin/yeor: SI ,066
reductions are offset by cvc~()rcs ~() ~ ~~r:i~cgics ~`` c~irl~ ~ ~rc: Cost to build a single car space in a mulit-level
pollution caused by , l~cl)l'icc Ci~\ p~irkIng i~)iOifl~~ii~' rc(l~iirc- parking structure: $1 8,000
increased vehicle travel i~~en~s \Yitl~ ~~~~rking c:il)s.
and use of less fuel- , ( hirge in:~rkct-r~tc l)riccs f'>r ~~~irl)~i,lc Cost to mointain/yeor. $1 ,300-$4,600
efficient automobiles such 1)~irkiog. Cost to buy and install a single bicycle space
as minivans and sports- , I ()l)l)v l( ~i ~ cl~:i~~gc in ~ on a i-rack.. -~ 1 ~
utility vehicles. ~)l()ycrs to `,ffcr w(,rkcrs the c~i~l~ v:~l~ic ~,t
rl~cir free ~)~irkii)g sl)~iCC it ~`(~rk ~ ~o in- Cost to buy ond install o single bicycle locker:
centive ni i~~e ~ ~ or $500 -$1,200
c~ti~a'l. \pl)le ( .()mp~iter ~ ~hi~ ~ Cost to maintain either bicycle space:
I .~ per cent (it it~ empl()\~ees ~i~e ~ Negligible
I(~ti~~s (}f tr~nsl)(}rt~~ti()Yi to' ge~ ~() \v(rk
Chapter Five
PAGE 86 Show Image
Switching Gears
By implementing the fo1{owin~ measures Bridle. Cities can enforce laws protecting
the region could achieve a more halanced, sos- pedestrian rights, improve pedestrian and
tamable transportation system. hicycle access to destinations, and provide
Proteet and inerease transit service. bicycle facilities such as secured parking.
To entice more people to take public tran- Get the most out of existing roads. ~
sit, it must have better connections, well Good maintenance makes good sense.
planned routes, and a higher frequency of Around airports, the shipping ports, and in- The State of California is
service. All major centers should connect by dustrial centers, creation oflanes dedicated putting pressure on auto
rail; for example, Oakland to San Jose, santa to trucks would increase safety and reduce makers to sell an increased
Rosa to San Francisco and Berkeley. "Back- congestion and wear-and-tear on automobile number of zero emission
bone" transit systems should provide cities lanes. To reduce congestion, passenger re- vehicles (ZEVs) after the
with frequent service and feeder lines to quirements for high occupancy vehicle year 2000. While use of
neighborhoods, especially in suburban areas. (HOV) lanes could be increased to three or ZEVs will significantly
The Bay Area system should connect to four passengers per car. Car pooling, reducelocalairpollution,
other regions such as the sacramento and flextime, and telecommuting could be en- air quality will suffer in the
Monterey Bay areas. Denser development couraged. location where the
occurring around nodes along transit corn- Build fewer roads. electricity is generated,
dots will help support transit. New highways that encourage more dis- which is often in low-
Improve transit operation. persed development or excessive use of income communities. ZEVs
Coordination ofticketing and scheduling can single-occupancy vehicles should no longer will not reduce traffic
minimize or facilitate transfers for users. In- be built in the Bay Area. similarly, ap- congestion, nor will they
formation about routes and schedules should proaches to managing congestion should be effect the amount of money
be clear and readily available. Methods of more creative. The practice of simply wid- and resources used for
collecting fares can be made more efficient, ening roads is not effective. New lanes rap- roadway expansion and
convenient, and safer for passengers and idly fill up with cars and create more traffic maintenance. Half of the
drivers alike. Dedicated lanes would keep on unimproved roads that feed into them. developed land in the
buses, trolleys, and light rail moving more Price transportation fairly. typical urban area is
smoothly than cars. In addition to employers providing mon- devoted to roadways and
Make transit safe and enjoyable. etary incentives to induce use ofalternative parking. Whether filled
Transit systems that have comfortable and forms of transportation, there are various with ZEVs or today's cars, a
safe cars that are also visually attractive are ways to make driving private cars more seismically-sound elevated
more appealing to use. Trains, trolleys, and accurately reflect the true costs. These in- freeway still `;osts up to
buses should be enjoyable, safe, and com- elude pay-as-you-drive auto insurance, $386 million per mile to
fortable to ride; and transit stops and sta- higher fares during peak hours at bridges build and $1 7,000 to
tions should be designed to be pleasant, and toll roads (known as congestion pricing), $400,000 to maintain
safe, and comfortable for waiting passengers. and increased gasoline taxes. Cars have his- annually. In contrast, Santa
Re-think policies. torically received disproportionate subsidies Clara's light rail system cost
Trains and buses should allow passengers to like those to gasoline and road construction $39 million per mile to
transport bikes (CalTrain, ferries, and to COStS. Increased transit subsidies or de- build, and BART cost $70
some extent, BART already do this), and creased auto-related subsidies could level million per mile.
low-cost bike shuttles should be expanded the playing field.
beyond the existing service across the Bay
The Region
PAGE 87 Show Image
A Regional Transit Plan for the Bay Area
Thc comprehensive regional plan on these Ferries:
two pages includes a diversity oftypes oftrans- * Expand ferry service hetween Oakland,
portation that are well connected with each Mann County, Vallejo, and ~an Francisco.
other. Ifrealized, such a plan could untangle the BART:
\y ~ ,
~ ½~;~ transportation and land-use weh and provide a BART extensions to the ~an Francisco Air-
In 1 99A, the Metropolitan range of transportation options. To succeed, it port and to parts ofeastern Contra Costa and
Transportation Commission requires consolidation oftransportation agencies Alameda Counties could he huilt. The un-
(MIC) issued a regional for more coordinated planning, puhlic partici- sustainahle growth patterns they are likely
transportation plan to pation, and regional revenue sharing strategies. to produce and the competition for funding
handle prolecled growth in CalTrain: and ridership they are likely to create with
the region. The plan, if * Upgrade and electrify commuter rail service. other transit systems make them potentially
implemented, would not * Revive ~an Francisco's Transhay Terminal unwise choices.
improve the quality' of life and revitalize the area around it with mixed- Lon~-hau1 rail:
in the Bay Area; use development. . Make connections to larger transportation
congestion would increase * Extend and electrify CalTrain to the down- systems that lead to Sacramento, stockton,
by 23 per cent; lower town ~an Francisco Transhay Terminal. Monterey, and Los Angeles.
speeds and greater delays * Build CalTrain stop and pedestrian connec- Land use and development:
would prevail; air and non to the San Francisco Airport terminals. Estahlish an urhan growth houndary for the
water pollution would Other commuter rail (alone existing track): region, set at the current limit of urhaniza-
increase. We would lose * Extend the northwest rail corridor project non; restrict development in areas not well-
rural land and possibly to Sonoma County. served hy transit; and locate compact
wildlife habitat, and * Provide feeder huses to and from rail lines, mixed-use development incorporating
neighborhoods would be especially in ~onoma and Mann Counties. housing, employment, commercial, and
disrupted. When an activist * Increase the numher of trains along the puhlic uses as follows:
coalition, the Regional Capitol Line hetween ~an Jose and Sacra- * Concentrated in three major centers: ~an
Alliance for Transportation mento. Francisco, Oakland, and ~an Jose.
( RAFT), prepared an * Introduce commuter rail from Fremont to * Concentrated in the inner East Bay, Mario
alternative regional plan Livermore. County, silicon Valley, and the Peninsula.
similar to the one shown on Light rail: * Within walking distance of puhlic transit
page 89, they calculated * Install new or upgraded light rail/trolley set- lines: BART stations, other rail lines, and
that if followed, such a vice in central urhan areas. hus stops.
plan would: . Implement the Third street and Geary Local linkage:
. reduce congestion by street light rail corridors in ~an Francisco. * Make hicycle/pedestrian/shuttle hus con-
6.3 per cent. . Complete the ~an Jose rail network, and the nections to surrounding residential areas to
. reduce particulate Fremont connection to south Bay light rail. link up with local transit systems
pollution by 1 0 per cent. * Reinstate a trolley hus in the East Bay to (see page 90).
. increase transit use by run on a light rail schedule with its own * Estahlish a greenway transportation and
23 per cent. dedicated lane along ~an Pahlo and East recreation trail network that connects with
reduce infrastructure 14th street. roads and transit.
costs and household
taxes normally dedicated
to fund them.
. save 1 1 5 square miles of
open space, the size of
almost two and a half
San Franciscos.
Chapter Five
PAGE 88 Show Image
A , mc \-~ ~4* --
\`* ~
4\+' ~
` T ½
~ ?~ 4
it; ~ *
\ ~( ~
j <-i>; ; ~&\4 4 ~
\ ;
~ ~ ~ ~t
\<~~4 ~ ¾~ ~
~)~` *
~ < ~~`;
~ ~/ ½ ~, ~ ~
~ , ~ ~ ~ # ~
¼ ~ ½ ~+ ~ ` ~ ~ ~ ; P~~½
~ ~ +y ~ ~ j ½Q$:1
~s
¼ ¼; \ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~y ~
~ ~jQ
A ~
~
Central Cities
Secondary Cities ~ \~ j ~ ~ ~
Transportation Center Connections ~ ~ : j4 ~ A `~ ~" \ ~ ~ \
~ ~ to Other Metropolitan Areas ~ ~ y4~ ~ ~ ~ (~ ~
BART
New/Enhanced Commuter Rail ~ `~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~` ~ \~
New/Enhanced Light Rail # ~ ~ \~ ~ ~ ~j
New/Enhanced Ferry
New/Enhanced Commuter Bus ~ ~ M~ ~
; ~¼~½ i
Urban Land
Open Space/Farmland ~t ~ ~
~
22½ Open Space/Public/Park Land
The Region
PAGE 89 Show Image
Local Transportation
ince most of our daily trips arc short dis ________-
tances, how we ~et around locally can have a
treat impact regionally on air and water qual- Ar~wi~hin
ity. To live sustainahly, we have to he ahle to ½>' ~ ~
make smooth connections hetween our re- ~ ~
gional and local transportation systems. More-
over, those local systems should he effective
and attractive enough to reduce short trips that ~ ~ ~
~ ~
make up most of our car travel.
~½ 4$~ ~ ~
`j~~ ~
~ " ~ ~½
`~ ¾ ~
¼t½¼½; < \½\
;,
Peninsula/Dumbarton
---.- HeavyRaiSpine"
El Camino Bus/Light Rail "Spine"
-~~-- Local Feeder Shuftles
c)* Malor Transit Center
and Downtown
~ ~ ,; Malor Commercial Areas
~ \I~~tC~) ( :~>~~flr\; i~ l~ctfc~~~>' ~
~ ~
~ ~ c()I~occtc~l ~ ~\`~~CO). I n s~~ch
scc~~a~i'', i t) c~~ch ~ ~ nit\; ~ ~h ~ Ic
East Bay Regional Park District knows the dual l)osc\; ~`(~~~ld feed frc(luc~)~ ~aioli~)c sc~ icc
role a trail can play - a place for recreation and a ilon" kI (~aiiiiii(i l~c~l intl thc ( aI~l'rjin
corridor for transportation. Kids can now line. .\s i~ .ilrcid\ the case iii Mci~l~) ~
commute to school on bike along trails such as the shuttle l)i1~c~ \\(`11l(l mAke tifl~e(i tr~~~lcrs
Iron Horse Trail, which was developed in part as a \vitl) tr.}io~. `l~l)c tr.~ifl w(Yiild l'c ca~ilv ic
congestion management tool. cc~sihlc l~\ t(i(i~ 10(1 l)ikc, .~t.iti()os \~()i1l(l
l~c c(l~iil)l)c(l ~vi~l~ `,`cc~£rc ~h~)rt ii~d l'in,~
~cri)~ l)i(\clc ~~()~~i''c ~o(l .~i~cnitic~ ~iich ~
Chapter Five
90
PAGE 90 Show Image
A Litti Goes A Long Way
If sustainable dcvelopment concepts were These ehan~es rely on an interconnected
applied to local land-use decisions cars would street network with multiple routes to des-
not he needed for short local trips: tinations.
Make land use connections. Create bicycle and pedestrian Systems.
The integration of different land uses to It makes sense to develop a transportation According to some
hrin~ activities closer to people would make network that is auto-free hut connected to estimates, 85 per cent of
walking, hiking, and local transit practical. schools, shopping, work, and natural areas. our car trips are shorter
For example if companies and huilders in- In some cases this means providing hicy- than three miles; and 94
vested in affordahle housing located close clists and pedestrians with road overpasses. per cent are less than five
to employment centers, at least one hread- Supporting the completion ofthe Bay Trail miles. if conditions for
winner in a two-income family could avoid and Bay Area Ridge Trail will ensure that walking and biking were
a lone car commute. we have sustainahle transportation links to improved many people
Improve or create local transit Systems. local and regional open spaces. could travel these distances
Plan and design for community-hased local Think in new ways. on foot or bike.
transit such as small huses with fixed and Few of us consider the henefits of walking
flexihle routes, currently a missing link in and hiking. Using person-power instead of
our region. It is possihle to regulate horsepower provides exercise, health hen-
paratransit - vans, jitneys, shuttles, dial-a- efits, and a means of heinz with other
ride and taxis to keep costs down and in- people while having fun and spending less.
crease availahility. We spend hundreds of dollars and many
Make streets walkable and bikable. hours at health cluhs. Yet each national sur-
Walkahle streets have sidewalks, human- vey finds us setting less healthy. Urhan
scaled huildin~s with interesting facades, planners think 1/4 mile is the maximum
street trees, furniture, and huffers hetween distance people are willing to walk to ~et
pedestrians and traffic. The car can he somewhere. This trip takes the average
tamed in nei~hhorhoods hy converting person only five minutes could we walk
some streets into slow streets. Centers can even farther.~ Bike experts say hicycles are
create puhlic squares and, where appropri- most practical for trips ofthree to five miles
ate, car-free /ones to make walking pleas- - could that distance he expanded?
ant. Truck service can he limited to alleys
~ ~ - , ~ ,w Deli
-,~ , ~ vering inter-office mail for
the cities of Berkeley,
Emeryville, and Albany;
bread for a local bakery; and
the paper for the East Bay
Express yields annual
revenues of $60,000 far
Pedal Express, the Bay Area's
only non-motorized cargo
""~¼A ` ` `- ery company.
The Region
91
PAGE 91 Show Image
Getting There
PAGE 92 Show Image
Palo Alto: The Bikable City
Since the early 1970s, Palo Alto's extensive
network of diverse bikeways has heen an im-
portant part of the city's vision to make local
transportation less auto-dependent. Collahorat-
mg with hicycle advocacy groups, the city is "Qver the next ten years
planning for a new commuter hike path within the success of transit-
the CalTrain right-of-way. The path is designed based communities will
to facilitate access to the city's downtown high prove a crucial link in
school and train station. Other features include
, the viability of suburban
a hike hridge that will he huilt across San center development and
Francisquito Creek. Groups working to restore rail transit."
the historic creek support the path. -Michael
Bernick, NTrac
Pleasant Hill BART: Transit-Oriented
Development Produces Results
With the highest concentration of
multi-family housing within a quarter mile of
any suhurhan transit huh in northern California,
the Pleasant Hill BART station shows how
transit-oriented development can work. Sixty
per cent of those living in nearhy units said
BART was a major factor in moving there. Stud-
ies have consistently found that 40 per cent of
the area residents use BART to commute to
their work place. BART proximity is augmented
hy vanpools, childcare service, free lunch-time
shuttle, and a guaranteed ride home program
for workers in adjacent regional office space as
further tools to reduce vehicle trips.
The Region
93
PAGE 93 Show Image
Jobs and Industry
The measurement of suecess of Bay Area industry should ~o beyond the finanejal
statements and the nnmber ofjobs provided to incorporate a broad range of soejal and
environmental valnes.
Finding Our Leonomie Place . Affordability.
`,`. .. A1thou~h thc region is influenced by the A major reason for rhe deparrure of
1ar~er economies of the state, the nation, and nesses from the Bay Area is the high cost ofliv-
With twelve Bay Area the world, it is significantly less vulnerable to ins. Although ~an Francisco is the least afford-
military bases scheduled ta the boom and bust cycles of other parts of the able place to live and do business in the region,
clase in the near future the country, including the state of California as a other places are not far behind. With housing
costs accounting for a high percentage of house-
Bay Area has the hi9hest whole.
number af clasures in the Why is this so.~ A major factor in the resil- bold costs, alliances between local government,
nation. The closures will iency of the Bay Area economy is the diversity employers, citizens, environmentalists, and af-
mean a lass of almost ofindustry. For example, although military base fordable housing developers are an effective way
90,000 military and closures will have an impact (see sidebar), the to increase the supply ofaffordable housing near
civilian abs. Communities fact that a critical number of non-defense-re- existing employment centers.
of color will account for up lated, high-tech companies are headquartered * Attractive basiness climate and resonrees.
to half of the job losses. In here will soften the blow. Small innovative com- Difficult and time-consumlng local permit-
the flurry of activity panics, often referred to as "gazelles" because ring processes in California, in comparison with
surrounding facility reuse oftheir ability to move fast and adapt to chang- most other states, discourage business expan-
and economic mg conditions, also exist in high numbers in the sion. simplifying the process would enable good
development, it is easy to Bay Area. In a restructuring economy, small, businesses to locate and develop facilities in the
overlook the employment flexible businesses create jobs while large busi- region more easily while maintaining the rego-
and training needs of the nesses downsize. latory protection that prevents devastation of the
affected workers. Much- How can the basic principles ofdiversity and Bay Area's social and environmental {jbric.
needed employee services widespread innovation be used to cultivate an * Educated w()rl~orcc.
could be linked to even stronger economy that is more favorable A strong educational system is the most ef-
economic development to the ecosystem.? fective way to encourage entrepreneurship and
planning and lob creation Encouraging Business supply the skilled employees that successful
to yield potentially exciting As population grows, so does the need for businesses need.
and beneficial solutions.
more industry and good jobs. Businesses that * Acccssibih.ty.
For example, displaced have good environmental, employment, and ~lore efficient and affordable transportation
workers could learn new makes it easier for employees to get to work and
marketable skills by entrepreneurial track records are more likely to
participating in proposed profit in the long term and to benefit the area for goods to be transported. Decentralization of
base reuse projects such as environmentally and socially. industry to suburban locations leads to ineffi-
ship recycling and the several factors can help attract businesses ciencies in shipping and pulls jobs far away from
clean-up of contaminated to and retain them in the Bay Area: core city neighborhoods. Centrally located in-
. Quality of life. dustries employ a large number of people per
areas. I)reserving the Bay Area's way of life, its acre, provide a high value of product or service
economic opportunities, and its cultural and per acre, and have economic and social benefits.
educational tC5()~tCC5 will continue to attract the
most highly educated, creative, diverse, and
skilled workforce in the nation.
Chapter Five
94
PAGE 94 Show Image
Creatin Sustainable Indutry
Attractin industry to have enough johs to Be diverse and adaptable to withstand
~o around is one thing. But do we want johs at recession.
any cost? ~ustainah1e industries create jobs requiring
Economic prosperity is only one criterion a range of education, experience, and in-
for a healthy region. Prosperity also entails clean come. They manufacture products that will ~
industry and economic justice for the region's have a steady mari~et for the foreseeable The Gross Domestic
residents. In addition to being successful ceo- future, and provide opportunities for local Product (GDP), measures
nomically, a sustainable industry will: ownership to keep local dollars flowing in the country's prosperity by
Become clean and green for efficiency and the local economy. the total dollar volume of
environmental responsihih*ty. Foens on fair and eqnitable opportnnity goods and services bought
Minimizing the impact on the region's nato- for employees. and sold in the nation, but
rat systems; creating little or no pollution; Industry can provide and invest in a safe ignores the social and
and using renewable, reused, or recycled and nurturing work environment. It can pro- environmental costs of
materials are all qualities of sustainable in- vide jobs that pay a living wage, offer train- doing business. For
dustry. Industry should use resources from mg and educational opportunities to em- example, how much is the
inside the region when appropriate to reduce ployces, and use the skills of employees loss of an entire species
transport and other costs. In addition, instead who live nearby. worth? An ongoing effort
of inducing decentralized growth by locat- Commit to the Bay Area and its lone- by Redefining Progress, a
mg low-intensity facilities on undeveloped term health. San Francisco group, and
land, sustainable industries should commit Industries that reinforce the region's diver- others attempts to do just
to locating in or near the urban core. This sified economy while contributing to the that by using indicators that
location would allow employees to live in environmental and social health of the Bay consider many more
compact neighborhoods and take transit and Area will create long-term benefits. Indus- aspects of our economic
would create facilities that employ a high try can better connect to the community by lives ignored by the GDP
number of employees per acre. voluntarily forming partnerships with local These include crime, the
government and citizens. breakdown of the family,
resource depletion,
degradation of wildlife
18OO~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ) leisure time. Considering
~ ~ habitat, and changes in
~ ~ thesefactorshelpsexplain
1600Q ~ ~ ` why the doubling of the
GDP since the 1 950s no
14000 q~ ~¼;.'~"i{ } ~ I .~ longer into
12000 translates
~ t betterquality of life for
most of us. Redefining
*- 10000 --- ~ ~ ¾;;:
8000 ~ ;~;jj~jj 2¾;¼i~~~~ ~ j ½; ~ ~ ~ ~ ~; --- --~~} Progress' Genuine Progress
a
U
Indicator, for example,
-~- , ~-,-----~- ~ - {~ ; showsaA5percent
~ ~ --~---- ~ -~ decline since 1 970.
600Q - ½-'~'T
a
0
AOOQ
200Q ~ ~ ~ -
~ ~
~ I
C
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995
Source: Redefining Progress
The Region
9$
~
PAGE 95 Show Image
A Tale of Three Industries fr)undcrs of ~un Microsystems started, instead
Below is an evaluation of the long tetm vi- of taking the capital-intensive toute of manu-
ability of thtee Bay Atea industties. The indus- faetutin~ all of theit own patts, they putchased
tties wete selected because they define the Bay wotkstation components ftom othet ptoducets
Atea economy in a way that is exptessive ofthe and theit citcuit boatd and mictoptocessot pto-
te~ion, they ate centeted in diffetent patts of duction was given to subconttactots. This en-
the tegion, and got theit statt at thtee diffetent abled the fitm to focus on the design of state-
creates little or no points of industrial evolution. of-the-art wotkstations and let their vendots
pollution. High-Tech Industry provide them with advanced hardwate. As a te-
efficiently uses The high-tech industty in the Bay Area has sult ofthe fotmation ofmany alliances like those
renewable, reused, or formed by sun, this industty was a majot gen-
a mixed environmental record. For example,
recycled materials and there are ~9 Superfund "National Priority" sites erator of jobs in the region (150,000 new jobs
produces little waste. in the Silicon Valley, which has the greatest con- between 1975 and 1990) and produced 39 of the
creates jobs for a range centration of such sites in the country. Accord- nation's 100 fastest growing companies. The
of education, experience, mg to the San Jose Mereniy News there are industry also includes companies in a range of
and income. pools of toxic solvents up to a mile and a half sizes and is legendary for spawning successful
provides and invests in a long lying under some Sunnyvale neighbor- entrepreneurs. In the t9~()s alone companies
safe work environment. hoods adjacent to high-tech firms. that were started in the Silicon Valley accounted
fosters opportunities for Thanks to environmental regulation and for over $22 billion in sales.
different scales of pressure from groups such as Communities for Large high-tech firms report they have been
businesses. a Better Environment and Silicon Valley Toxics able to save money employing sustainable prac-
strives to minimize Coalition the industry has been improving its rices but not before substantial investment and
impact on the region's performance on several environmental fronts. restructuring. While known for innovation in
natural resources. Freon and other ozone-depleting materials have their field, many of the small companies in this
industry that face the financial challenges typi-
Is not sprawl-inducing in long been omitted from high-tech industrial pro- cal ofstart-ups have waited for large companies
location, proximity to cesses (see Hewlett-Packard case study on page
employees, or density of 99). Many computers and business machines to take the risks of retrofitting their manufac-
turing process before following suit.
employment. are now being designed for recycling; machines
provides opportunities can now be dismantled very easily so plastic
for local ownership. panels can be recycled and parts reused. Secondary Materials
keeps local dollars Many jobs exist in the high-tech industry Industry
flowing in the local for various levels of income, education, and cx- The Oakland/Berkeley Recycling Market
economy. perience. Yet, although seventeen of the com- Development Zone is an area constituted of
has a history of panics in the Fortune 500 are based in the Sili- businesses using recovered material to produce
corporate responsibility in con Valley, 31 per cent ofSilicon Valley employ- marketable, value-added products. One of4O in
the community. ces make less than $15,000 per year. California, the zone includes industrial areas in
recognizes and commits On the other hand, community involvement Berkeley's "Green Valley," West Oakland, the
to the value of its Bay Area and philanthropy are important to the indt~stry. l~rt of Oakland, and the Oakland central busi-
location. A number ofthe firms invest considcrably ily ~ ness district.
broad ranA~ of~'¼ial and environmental efforts t'he three main goals ofthe zone are to crc-
and donate equ~pmcnt t~~sehools and otheredo- arc good products, to turn waste into produc-
c~tional insrit~~t~ons non materials, and to create jobs. The RMDZ
Accordin'' to l~crkcley professor ~~gcd in a considerable nation-wide cam-
A~n~~Lcc Saxen~ 0 ~ilic~)o Valley higl4-tcch paigo t'~ at~ract businesses to the zone, offering
fit~~~s are m'~~ ~ tlia~ in other parts of v~r~o~~s f()rn~s of assistance which has spurred
tl'c country l)~c ~ there cx~st~ a "dense Oct- ~n4all business start up and existing business
work (~fs(~~ ~l ~ ~tion~ that results in a type of expansion. In two-and-a-halfycars l7Ojobs have
industrial sharing For example, when the been created, many of which arc high-paying
Chapter Five
96
PAGE 96 Show Image
and hi~h-ski11ed. Almost 400,000 tons of matc- Many ~rapc growers now practice ot~anic
tial have heen diverted from landfills, $95 mu- farming techniques yet it has heen said hy in-
lion in value-added investment has occurred, dustry representatives that it is hard for farmers
and $4 million in loans have heen awarded to to trust organic farming hecause ofthe suhstan-
participating husinesses. Companies range from tial financial investment required and the ac-
C&K salvage, which salvages wood, MBA Poly- knowledged loss of crop yield during the first ~-- `~
mets, which researches plastics recycling, and couple of years as they learn organic pest man- The Bay Area is fertile
Plastic Works, which huilds plastic display racks agement. While enjoying the increased effi- graund for small
from recycled plastic; to Cyclamen studio, a cc- ciency and improved quality of wine, wineries businesses. In the U.S.
ramics factory that uses non-toxic glazes and have not puhlicized their organic methods. Con- small businesses create twa
recycled pottery. vetting to organic farming is a slow, risky pro- out of every three new lobs
Other activities support the secondary ma- cess that demands considerahle capital invest- and are the fastest growing
terials industry. For example, ABAGs Green ment as well as a special hrand ofpatience. Many sector of the economy. In
Business Program has launched pilot projects vintners have heen leery ofmaking the change. 1 990, a whopping 97 per
in Alameda and Napa Counties that recognize In recent years Sonoma County's wine industry cent of businesses in the
selected green husinesses and promote them to has felt constant pressure from developers ca- Bay Area had fewer than
the puhlic to encourage patronage. The get to suhdivide a struggling vineyard. The p0- 1 OO employees. Were it not
Alameda County Recycling Board works with tential result ofloss ofvaluahle agricultural land for small business starts
the zone to provide grant funds to companies and open space has increased the challenge for during the 1 980s, San
for recycled product market development. many to hecome a pesticide-free farm. It is Francisco, for example,
While it is too early to conduct a complete feared that if the wine industry were to shift to would have experienced a
evaluation, the environmental industry, ofwhich organic methods and fail, developers would net loss when corporations
secondary materials is a part, is considered a rap- swoop in and huild tract homes on the crippled fled the central city for the
idly evolving field with great growth potential farmland. suburbs. Instead, 6,000
~ the Bay Area. At last count there were 1,200 The wine industry is making other positive new lobs were created in
c()tnpanics em~)loying 13,000 people. Industry strides. Many growers plant cover crops hetween the city over a four-year
.~~naI\ sts a~ricipate that converted decommis- rows of vines to prevent erosion. Large-scale period. Today, San
si~oe~I ~nilitary hascs will he key locations for composting is widely practiced. Wine hottles are Francisco consistently ranks
hosinesses that salvage, reuse, and recycle ma- increasingly heing designed for recycling and among the top U.S. cities
teri~ls hcca~~se ~hcy offer lan(l close ~ the ha\c ~ special lip to use foil instead oflead over for successful business start-
~()urce. their tops. ups: eight out of nine new
The wine intlustry works with the religious, business ventures in the city
edi~c~tion, and public sectors to meet the needs succeed. This figure is well
rphe OVine Industry o~ farm workers who pick grapes. The Napa above the national
`I~he wioc ind~~stty ~hates ~~ith ~ forms \`~llev I~armwork
Cr Program provides a range average.
of agriculture the prohlen~s c:~~~sed hy run~otf ~ ~er~ices to the ,~)() migrant workers includ-
polluted hy pesticides, fertilizers, and organic mg housing, emergency shelter, joh training,
waste. In addition, severe erosion from vineyards castial emplt')yn~CYlt, and health care. In 1995
has polluted streams and rivers; some critics call 441 v'orkets received skills-upgrade training,
the Napa River the greatest source of sediment 390 workers were placed in off-season johs, and
for the ~an Francisco Bay. But much progress 1 2~()1 6 mc:~ls were pros idcd to corkers during
has heen made, particularly with respect to ~ h~~tvcst.
ricultural run-off, through an industry-wi(le
move toward organic farming. Compared to
other crops, grape-growing has always heen rela-
tively clean - heneficial insects are used for pest
control, and all-natural folier sprays are made of
molasses and potash.
The Region
97
PAGE 97 Show Image
Leaders in Their {`ields
4½
#
look for items using ~
recycled, renewable
materials when purchasing
to create market demand
for sustainable products.
take risks to pursue
innovative sustainable
processes and products.
lead, don't wait for
government to dictate
regulation that achieves
sustainability.
facilitate policies to
encourage development Create-A-Saurus Recycles for the Kids
and use of secondary How about making children's playground and seeking inexpensive ways to improve strut
materials.
equipment out of used tractor and truck tires.~ ~lin~ parks. Create-A-$aurus is part ofthe Oak-
provide funding for start Oakland's Create-A-Saurus, conceived by land/Berkeley Recycling Market Development
up businesses and those Leanell Jones (a homehuilder and remodeler) Zone, the most successful incarnation of the
retooling to use sustainable and administered hy Rudolph Peters (an edu- state-sponsored economic assistance program.
materials and processes. cational outreach consultant with the Oakland The RMDZ has provided "avenues that can
Puhuc schools) and Annie Martin (administra- take three years to find sometimes," such as
tive manager of Bank of America), has heen start-up and funding ac(luisition assistance, and
huildin~ "Tyrasaurus units for the past three helped the company win a $60,000 grant from
years. Assemhled hy project staffthat has crown the Alameda (county Recycling Board. Create-
from three in 199.3 to almost 20 today, the whim- A-taurus also operates a hur,,~eonin~ resurfac-
sical and non-toxic dinosaurs are a hi~ hit with in~ husiness, creating safe floors for play-
the kids. says Peters, "We're willing to put our ~r()t1nds, patios, and poolsides and preventing
dinosaurs up against any [more expensivel a projected ~O(),()()() tons of tires per year from
structure on the market and the kids will al- heinz landfilled. The c~~mpany helieves "recy-
ways run to our dinosaurs." At a cost ofhetween clint is the hest way to ~() for the ecol()~y and
$5,200 and $7,500, the }~rasaurus units are also the economy" and has strengthened the mar-
a hoon to cities operating ()~ strapped hud~ets ket for products made from recycled material.
Chapter Five
PAGE 98 Show Image
Hewlett Packard: Still a Pioneer DESIGN MA~QFACTllRING
One of the 1ar~est electronics manufd'ctUr-
ers in the world, Hewlett Paek'drd has heen a
leader hoth in its field and in reeognizin~ that
eeolo~ieallysound husiness is rood husiness.
The company stopped using ozone-depleting "We believe in
suhstances hefore its competitors did and re- <~ preserving open space
duced toxic releases. 4~he company plans to and housing all people.
reduce hazardous waste, and has eliminated We don't believe people
heavy metals from its hatteries. It also supports should have to drive to
alternative forms ofcommutin~ for its employ- Solano County to go to
ecs. H-P acknowledges that it is still far from bed at night."
perfect, hut the company plans to clean up its
- Grania
contaminated manufacturing sites, reduce its Lundberg at
employee injury rate, and continue to set a p051- Napa Valley
tive example for industry.
Family Homes
REU~£+ ~EGYCL
Cooperation in the Wine Industry
L~or the wine industry, cooperation is inte-
oral to sustainahility. Napa winemakers convene
regularly to share techniques that hrin~ envi-
ronmental responsibility into the production
process. Thirty drape growers from ~onoma
County and elsewhere conceived of Cluh
Bonterra as a forum for exchan~in~ information
on the saving of soil and money through or-
panic ~rowin~ techniclues. A coalition lead by
some of the Wine Country's lar~cst growers and
vintners has contrihuted funds to hroad-hased
efforts to provide hi~h-(~uality permanent hous-
ins, healthy meals, and recreation facilities for
low-income farm lahorers.
The Region
99
PAGE 99 Show Image
The Use of Materials, Water, and Energy
The Bay Area, like the rest of the country, consumes resources inefficiently on both a
personal and re~onal level. How can we be more conscious of the ways we use water,
energy, and materials?
Reading Between the Lines this one requires a huge amount of resources
~ -~ Basic activities such as reading, eating, turn- and generates an equally impressive amount of
~ on the light, driving, and working are waste. Although paper is essential to our
In 1 995, the U.S. had the ally carried on without thinking ahout the re- cry, a lot of our paper is used unwisely do we
capacity to produce over sources that make them possihle. Like most really need junk mail.~ Most ofit is thrown away
31 million tons of bleached major metropolitan areas, the Bay Area uses and ends up in a landfill.
kraft pulp, which is used to nonrenewable, virgin resources mainly imported since little paper is mass-produced in the
produce the type of paper from outside the region. By using more resources Bay Area, it is a prime example of a resource
ty pically used in books such than necessary to get the job done, we create we import to make things that we can not imag-
as the one you are reading. pollution and waste and then dispose of it in- inc living without: books, magazines, newspa-
Resources used to produce stead ofredefining it as a potential resource for pets, and stationery. Although paper is trans-
the pulp: another needed product or process. ported miles before its use in the Bay Area, it
4.5 tons of trees per ton Not Listed in the Tahie of adds to our quality of life by supporting many
of pulp; 4,500 to 9,000 industries and local businesses, and generating
tons of trees per day, Contents local jobs. Paper, for example, keeps printers,
1 39.5 million tons of As an example, let's look at paper - a simple bookstores, newsstands, universities and class-
trees per year product we use everyday and what resources rooms, offices, and publishing houses in busi-
. 1 2.9 million Btu's of go into and come out of it. Producing the paper ness. It is a virtual building block of our region
that's typically used to print books and our world. But there is far more to paper
energy per air-dried ton such as than meets the eye.
of pulp.
Waste produced per year:
. 2.25 billion tons of IndHd~~ 1~Poct:
waste: 2.23 billion tons
of water containing 41 5 ;;
waste compounds, ; . The Over~9~ A~en~con con$u~~es
including3million tons of 1~fokes 0~e fr~ PoPer $)er Year
ee ~ Produc I
chlorine.
PoUfldSo~poper e ~20
. 1 3.5 million tons of solid * The aver~~e A~encon cons
waste, 70 per cent of o£Q~f Six ~ per /eor umes
which ends up in landfill ` . Less t~on ~O per cent o~ t~e Poper
(90 per cent of office We use is recycled.
waste is paper, for
example) . Ofl~ we each "Woste" 0£out
. 2.5 million tons of air- rees per
bornepollutants
including carbon
dioxide, sulfur
dioxide, nitrogen
oxide, dioxin, volatile
organic compounds, ond
particulate mafter.
including a hook such as the Blueprint.
Chapter I~ive
100
PAGE 100 Show Image
A Better Way
Obviously, we are not doing to stop making, 2 Reduce.
using, or disposing of products made of paper. We can do more with less, instead of less
Paper can be made from tree-free materials such with more, and still preserve our quality of life.
as kenaf. Reuse of the back of a piece of paper Indeed, this approach is the only way to sus-
has twenty times the environmental benefit in rain a high quality of life in the long term. We
terms of resource conservation and pollution can reduce the amount of resources we use in Ninety per cent of the old
prevention of simply recycling it. the first place, become more efficient at produc- growth redwood forests are
By the same token we can improve the plan- mg products and services, and reconsider our gone; of the 2 million acres
ning, building, and operation of our homes, need for unnecessary products antI services. standing in 1 848, only
neighborhoods, and even our cities. Nothing 2 Reuse. 80,000 acres are protected
exemplifies the wastefulncss ofour current prac- The reuse of products and resources that in parks and reserves. This
rices better than the abandonment of existing already exist avoids the constant need to replace is a prime example of
developed areas and the subsequent construc- them with new ones. Reuse will reduce personal "consuming our capital,"
non on new land farther away from the urban and industrial consumption of materials, water, which is a term used by the
core. Since development consumes enormous and energy. business world that means
amounts of energy and resources, preserving or 2 Recycle. depleting the underlying
conserving what is in place is a giant step to- Creating new products from recycled ones resources of our economy
wards preventingwaste. The same is true ofthe is an idea that greatly appeals to the American and way of life. Once
materials, water, and energy that we are bound public. Even recycling water and energy is a unrenewable resources
to consume. possibility. But recycling is not the answer to all such as metals, fossil fuels,
We can plan for long-term environmental, our environmental problems. It still requires and water are used up,
social, and economic health. Education can pro- energy and water, creates its own pollution, and, they're gone forever. We're
mote understanding ofthe true cost ofresource after a few cycles, reduces the capacity of the all living off the "principal"
use, processing, and manufacturing as well as material to become a new, high-quality product. or the finite amounts of
the extent of their impact on the region and Still, recycling makes sense in many ways and materials that exist, when
beyond. Whether it is paper, water, energy, or should be expanded to incorporate more mate- we should be living off "the
cities, it is important to consider the types and rials with greater efficiency at lower costs. interest" - the sustainable
amounts of resources we use, as well as how they 2 Rethiuk. income that flows from the
are produced, provided, and used. Mindfulness Rethinking the way we consume materials, principal. The sustainable
of the four R's that follow will help to meet the water, and energy is as important as the previ- practices in this section of
challenges of modern living and use precious ous three R's. "Borrowing" materials, water, and the Blueprint suggest ways
resources in the most productive way. energy from the earth instead of consuming to avoid, slow down, or get
them or making them unavailable for others to the most out of using our
use is an idea whose time has definitely come. nonrenewable resources.
Printer Profile
I )h~rma l~ntcrl)riscs is i~~iiidi~il (if ~bc cn\'ir'Yi~mci~al i~l)acts ~)f chemicil iiid m~tcri~l
iis~iy'c in tl~c l)ri ntii~g l)ti iccs~. I be r a l)pt(i.iQli ii)cl ~i(lcs:
Rc-ii~ii)A l~il~cr 110 ~iiltit~lc (11)5 linlil ii , ( +( )1lcctii)~ ii~~l rcs~~i~nsil)l~ ~lis1~(i5ii)g uf
c.iii o*i 1(lugci ~)c liscd (10 tl)c prc~sc\' ~ chci~ical ~~astcN foim tl~c ~)rcs5cs
\~liich piiio~ it "iic~ ii)tli the recycling l)io * ( ;(1o~ril~titiog all poilits tii l)enefit .ii)~l `1
, I sin,r siiv-b'ise `I i) ~ ~as (il)l)(i5C~i 5~il)l)(1i~t ~e(1ttl)y
l)~tti ileiii))-b.ise(l \ebeo 1)i'SSi l)le ilsilting the t)l~o ring (if 4(~,(}(}() tree~ ~
, l~.iiniog ill sta~ in l)aper ~vaste siittii~g * I)tiotiiig I~Iuc~)rifltj(~)r ti ~
11)11 recycliug J~(~v ~re~t
The Region
101
PAGE 101 Show Image
Materials
M'ny of our raw ma~'ria1s arc imported ants arc crcatc4. Wc thcn throw the product
from outside the rc~ion and cxportcd as pro- away once we have no more use for it, effee-
cessed materials and finished products. ~o tively destroying it. Communities in which cx-
why should we he concerned ahout use of traction and virgin single-use material process-
rnaterials:~ in~ occur also suffer consequences. For cx-
ample, oH refining, a Bay Area industry, de-
What a Dump! trades the land, uses polluting chemicals, and
Oil and Gas ~7aste is what is left over after a product is yields hazardous waste.
Waste
2,850 Industrial made or has heen used. Most solid waste ends Recycling has crown phenomenally in our
Nan.Hazardaus up in the 3~ landfills located in the Bay Area. homes, workplaces, and schools - in fact, Amen-
~ Today's landfills are much safer and cleaner than cans who recycle outnumher Americans who
Waste the dumps ofyesterday and space still exists to vote. This is not treat news for democracy, nor,
huild more. But concern ahout landfill capacity as it turns out, for the environment either. Even
Hazardaus and awareness that useful materials were piling if all items in American households were re-
up in landfills prompted the legislature to pass cycled, it would reduce our solid waste hy only
Municipal ~ 01t3h;r the California Integrated Waste Management one to two per cent.
SolidWaste Act (AB 939) in 19~9. The act requires that cv- Although recycling does allow the contin-
130
cry city and county in the state develop a man- ued reuse of valuahle materials it does not ~et
Ninety-four per cent of the a~ement plan to reduce landfill waste hy 25 per at the heart of the prohlem, which is the ineffi-
resources used in our cent hy 19~)5 and 50 per cent hy the year 2000. cient use ofnonrenewahle virgin resources and
economy are wosted (never Our national pattern of production and con- the employment of harmful production meth-
make it into the finished sumption encourages material waste and envi- ods. Recycling has not changed consumption
product). How can we flip ronmental degradation. We use new materials patterns. In fact, it has made it easier to con-
the ratio so we waste only only once to create a product. A lot of the raw some more hy assua~in~ society's guilt ahout
six per cent? material is wasted in the process and undesir- throwing things away. Better alternatives such
ahle hy-prodticts such as air and water pollut- as reuse could he more attractive.
In the Bay Area, we
generated over 10 million
tons of municipal solid waste
in 1990. Ofthat, 2.5 million
tons were diverted, that is
recycled or reused. We
disposed ofthe remaining 75
,, ~ ~ j ~, .. - , tons in landlills, missing a
great opportunity to profit
from recovered materials.
Paper 30%
Otherwoste 21%
Otherorganicwaste 21%
,, Yordwoste 11%
Metals 6%
Plastics 6%
Gloss 4%
Special wastes 1 %
Chapter Five
PAGE 102 Show Image
A Su~inabIe Matenal World
One way to put rna't~ria1s to their highest work with thcm and to thosc who usc prod-
and hest use wotild he to consider their sow: uets made with them are inereasin~1y avail-
Foster el()sed-1()op production. ahie. Renewahie materials, such as or~ani-
More efficient production processes can he caHy crown plant products for paper pulp
used so that 94 per cent of our resources and ahundant earthen products for home
aren't wasted. Manufacturers can also en- construction, are hetter puhlicized and more if manufacturing were one
~a~e in goods, materials, and waste exchange ahundant for use today. unified process, one
to squeeze every drop of use out of materi- Use benign processes. industry's waste would be
als. Local government can he instrumental Re~ulatin~ what is finally discharged into another's material. This
in this effort hy recruiting industries com- the environment is an expensive and often cycle has worked in nature
mitted to creating closed loops and hy zon- ineffective solution. We would do hetter to for millions of years.
in~ land to enahle them to do so. support the development and use of more
Favor tiltertiative materials. heni~n production methods such as to pre-
Nontoxic materials that reduce environmen- vent pollution and environmental de~rada-
tal pollution and are less risky to people who tion in the first place.
~ ---- - ~ ______________________
Cl ~ 3 ~ I
Wa~r I
\½~f' i
1' ~ ~ ~ Fish ~
F~~liz~r ~
\\Y ____________________________ ______________________
Source: Nova Nordisk, Whole Earth Review
In an industrial ecosystem in Kalund£org, Denmark, seven industrial and agricultural producers use each
others' byproducts For example, an electric power plant supplies excess steam to an oil refinery and
enough waste heat to keep 3,500 households comfortably warm. This plant also sends waste heat to its
awn greenhouses and to a fish farm that produces 200 tons offish each year. The refinery provides waste
water to the power plant, and in another transaction a pharmaceutical manufacturer supplies sludge to
local farms to use as fertilizer.
The Region
103
PAGE 103 Show Image
Water
Water SU~~1~ has been a ccntral issuc sinc could be cultivated where water is more plenti-
the early days of Bay Area settlement. During ful. In the past, suh-re~ions ofthe Bay Area have
the Gold Rush, ~an ~raneiseans hou~ht scarce solved expanding water prohlems hy huildin~
water hy the harrel. The Last Bay had a water new dams. But these are large, capital-intensive
crisis as early as 191w. projects. Most availahle dam sites have already
The 19~7-1993 drought should remind us heen used, and resistance is growing to the en-
that water supply is a continuing issue. Even vironmental havoc wreaked hy dam huilding
without another drought the Bay Area may not (see sidehar on page 106).
have an adequate water supply as early as the Most of the remaining 10 per cent goes to
year 2000. By then a greater population will in- urhan areas where residential use accounts for
crease demand heyond the projected supply. In 54 per cent, commercial use 22 per cent and
light of this prediction we should find ways to industrial use 24 per cent. Here too, water is
use and conserve the water we have, and to find wasted and misused. some water is wasted from
ways ofproviding enough water for future needs. leaking canals, as well as inefficient delivery
systems and plumhing fixtures. In addition,
Water Down the Drain where and how we huild influences water use.
In the Bay Area, most ofour drinking water For example, the newest Bay Area suhdivisions
comes in the form of surface water from streams tend to he in drier areas that have more extreme
that flow ahove ground. In some locations, such climates with greater overall needs for water.
as parts of santa Clara County, water is drawn Watering turf requires on average 42 per cent
from underground aquifers, sometimes faster more water per residence per day. However, the
than they can refill. Our thirst for drinking wa- use of pure drinking water for applications that
ret is at odds with the consumption ofahout 90 do not need the highest quality water, such as
per cent of the fresh water in the state hy agri- watering lawns and washing cars, is the most
culture, largely in the Central Valley. Much of wasteful allocation ofour limited water supply.
this water is allocated to grow thirsty crops that
W~~er U~e~ by U~ Fauce~~ ~howerhea~~ an~ Toile~~
In 7995 the Pacific Institute for ~. `~~`~` ~
Studies in Development; I ~
Environment, and Security ~
published a report of the ~ 7 ~``
results ofo year-long ~ ~ .~ ,~ ~
~ e ``
investigation into California's ~ - ~ ~ - ~y
current water use is ~ ~
unsustainable. However, as j~ ` , ~ ,`,`~``,` `y ~, ` ` ,~ `y~~' `< -
pre-7994 fixtures are replaced I ///`~½,/~ ~ ,7~ `` ` ,,, I ,-
bymore-efficientfixtures, per- ~ `, ` "i, "" "'"","`~",` I,
capita water use is expected ,
to drop substantially. ~ ~
~
_ __________________,~~----~--~ --~~- ~
~
~
~ ~ Ki~h~n L~va~ry
~
Source: Pacific Institute, California Water 2020
Chapter Five
104
PAGE 104 Show Image
Stayin Afloat
In times ofdrou~ht residential water use has Reuse and reeyele water.
been reduced by up to 35 per cent. However, Recycling used water saves if dual piping
our conservation ethic weakens after a drought systems are installed in buildings to sepa-
is over. The time has come to move beyond con- rate water from solid waste. The California
servation and look for innovative and practical Plumbing Code authorizes the use of tray
ways to reuse and recycle water. To begin with water for non-drinking purposes, such as
residential, industrial and commercial users can: fi~htin~ fires and watering lawns, and wa-
¼ Reduce water use. ret districts throughout the region are work-
According to the Pacific Institute for Stud- in~ to bring the technology to the consumer.
ies in Development, Environment, and Se- Use bern~n processes.
curity, "the greatest long-term, permanent Using natural drainage swales, wetlands,
indoor water savings will come from install- and other permeable surfaces for collection
in~ water-efficient fixtures in new construc- wherever possible can help storm water
non and replacing conventional fixtures in enter the ground as nature intended; rather
existing residences, business, and industry." than it running off impermeable surfaces
If this were to occur, at a conversion rate of like roads and ending up as polluted urban
5 per cent each per year, by the year 2020 run-off in the bay and ocean. This water
indoor per capita water consumption would can then be used to replace water taken
be reduced from 91 gallons to 51 gallons per from underground aquifers and to re-estab-
day. Besides monitoring pipelines for leaks lish water flows in our creeks and streams.
and repairing them promptly, municipal gov- Cities can require as a condition of con-
emment and utility districts can encourage struction project approval that a new de-
efficient irrigation and lawn replacement velopment provide water quality protection
with drought-tolerant plants. This approach and adhere to other storm water consider-
is called xeriscaping. Rewards for water con- ations. Waste water and sewage can be
servation are in order. For example. the East treated using natural biological processes.
Bay Municipal Utilities District (EBMUD)
has a tiered pricing system: the more water
you use, the more you pay per gallon.
Fresh-water wetland systems
are an economical and
~ ecalagical alternative to
treating urban storm-water
runoff. The 55 acre Dust
~ Marsh, located in Coyote
Hills Regional Park in
¼~%~~½<" ~ - ~,,,, -½ ½- Fremont~ can process runoff
from 4.6 square miles of
urhanized land in six days.
The Region
10$
PAGE 105 Show Image
Energy
I?uHy halfofouf energy is uscd for transpor- Dams (hydroelectric power), ~eorhcrma1
ration. As discussed earlier in the Blueprint, re- sources, nuclear plants, solar energy, and wind
ducin~ our dependence on private cars would provide additional energy sources. some of
he a major ener~ysavin~ step. Industrial, com- these sources have serious negative conse-
~ mercial, and residential users account for the quences as well. The treater our demand for
other ~O per cent. How can we reduce energy energy, the treater the consequences ofits sen-
Dams have enormous consumption as well as the negative effects of eration and use. The response to energy-related
environmental producing and using that ener~y.~ pollution prohlems has heen to ignore them in
consequences. the he~innin~ and then to spend money clean-
According to the chief The Real Energy Crisis in~ up after production. There are certainly
zoologist at the Nature The region's energy is generated from 5ev- more thoughtful and proven ways to generate
Conservancy, damns have eral sources. Ahout one quarter of our electric- energy to respond to these prohlems. Energy
"been the dominant factor ity, for example, is generated using fossil fuels. generation and usage in our homes, shops, of-
in the decline of aquatic Not only is supply limited, hut extracting and fices, and factories can still he made more effi-
fauna in this country" using these fuels causes health prohlems such cient at a reasonahle cost to society. What re-
despite the substantial as chronic respiratory prohlems. Pollution also mains to he seen is whether restructurin& the
design improvements that leads to ~lohal climate chance and acid rain. industry to permit competition among provid-
have been made. For
Because of their proximity to polluting facili- ers will make more sustainahle sources cost-cf-
example, the construction of ties, low-income communities such as Bayview! fective, safe, and efficient to provide.
large dams on molar rivers Hunters Point and Richmond are disproportion-
has reduced salmon and ately affected hy extraction and energy genera-
steelhead trout spawning non from power plants and refineries.
habitat by 95 per cent in
California's Central Valley. EIec~rici~y Generation ~uppIy Piver~i~y, California
The wild salmon population
used to be distributed
throughout the state, but
now 90 per cent of the
remaining salmon are
found only north of the Bay ~ ~ ~ ~ q ~ - ~ y, ~
Area. ``~$;$¼> , ~ j ;~ ~ ~
,~ ~¼> ~
; « ~ ~ ½
~ , ~ ) ~ ~ ~
~
~
`~A ~A ~ " ~ ~ ½\ ~~$½
~ ~ I
uy4ro
197Q 19&Q 1990 2~OO 2010
Source: The California Energy Commission, Energy and the Economy, 1 994
Chapter Five
106
PAGE 106 Show Image
A Power Shift
Rcstructurin th cncry industry may lead (Ise alternative energy ouree.
to citizens, neighborhoods, and local ~ov~rn- ~ct-asidcs (mandating that a certain pet
ment joining together to purchase enet~y di- cent of new electricity capacity be renew-
teeny from generators. 4~his action would en- able) and full-cost pricing are mechanisms -
able users to demand that their energy come that would help to influence the use of re-
from more sustainable sources. In addition, we newable energy sources such as solar, wind, In the late 1 980s, Pacific
can be more efficient in our energy use in the and geothermal. Municipalities can also Gas & Electric Company
Bay Area in the following ways: generate some oftheir own energy through initiated a program aimed
Reduce energy use. wastewater treatment plant co-generation at reducing the demand for
Energy use can be reduced by: insulating or by capturing methane from landfills. electricity by offering
homes and workplaces, adopting ordinances Consider how and where we build. rebates to all commercial,
requiring bui1din~ retrofitting to increase Where and how we build affects how much industrial, and agricultural
efficiency, rewarding energy conservation energy is needed to heat, cool, and light customers who would
through tiered-rate structures, adopting our homes and commercial buildings. retrofitwith energy-efficient
variable rates for use during different times fixtures. How does the
ofday, and full-cost pricing (billing users for program work? After
the real cost of providing energy). conducting an energy-
savings audit, PG&E will
pay up to $300,000 to
companies which replace
their lighting, air
conditioning, motors, and
~ refrigeration appliances
with more efficient
; ~ counterparts. PG&E also
provides 1 00 per cent
~ ,, equipmentfinancing if
needed. In 1 995 the Retrofit
~, ~ I Express program saved
-~`~ ¼X-'~ - <~ ~ ~ , -~ ~ ~- , , enough electricity to power
½ ~ ~ ~ ~ #~";`< more than 40,000 homes.
~ <½
,~ I
~ ~ ~,
~ , %«#½~ ~ <½'~~' ½
- , ««½½<~ ~ ½ -` ~
~ <½««<~~,;<,«w ,~ -
<¼~~~<,,« ½
~ <,~ `~~¼
y ~
Wind power could easily generate ten per cent of the electricity used in the United States. Enough suitable
sites exist in North Dakota alone to provide more than enough electricity for the entire country.
The Region
107
PAGE 107 Show Image
Consuming with a Conscience
Bay Viewillunters Point
S£reet A[ap
Potreto PG & E
Power Pant
/ ~ ~
Hazardous Waste Generators
reuse paper in your ~ Underground Storage TaW Sites
home and at work, then Osersigst Program Sues
Matenats Registered Siss
recycle it.
~ ~ p Hazardous Matenal Sites
j; ½ () Hazer
0 Odes
& I ¼ -~ 4 , ¼ wo
reduce, reuse, rec ycle
resources in city offices and
services. Water Poltotiso 05 e ~ ~
ControlPlant ~\ J d~ ~ ~ ~
buy products that have
been produced sustainably. ~< ½~N¼~¼~ ~ ","`
¼ make sustainable
materials and technology
criteria for approving new
development.
~.¼ ~ ~
½ stop heavy subsidization
and use of nonrenewable
virgin resources.
subsidize and use ne
alternative resources
instead.
Bayview/Hunters Point Raises Energy Siting Issues
invest in alternative Plans to locate a third power plant in ~an rials released, and three times as many active
resource businesses. I?tancisco's Bayview/Huntets Point present a undet~roond storage tanks; moreover the Hunt-
number of serious tradeoffs for the state and ers Point Naval Shipyard is one ofthe most toxic
City. In this neighhothood, which already Superfund sites. Co-generation, desirahlc he-
½ explore the cost savings appears to have twice as many incidents ofcet- cause it enhances the efficiency ofenet~y pro-
and marketing advantages vical and hteast cancer as elsewhere in the Bay duction, would he huilt into the proposed plant.
of incorporating sustainable Area, some residents are concerned that con- some residents support the project hecause of
materials and technology in structin~ another industrial use in their commu- potential economic henefits. Industry represen-
your prolects. nity will increase the numher of environmen- tatives predict that the city will earn $100 mu-
tally-induced health prohlems. Last year, with lion over the 30-year lease period, $60 million
½>
½ insist that new the help ofGolden Gate Law Clinic, memhers in property taxes, and 1O() local construction
development and of Southeast Alliance for Environmental johs over two years. Yet the opposition, with the
redevelopment be Justice (~AEJ) documented the disproportion- hacking ofthe ~an francisco Board of~upervi-
constructed using ate numher of hrownfield sites in the five sors, is concerned that the emission of P~I-1()
sustainable materials and square-mile area in Bayview/Hunters Point. particles into the air will exacerhate the numer-
technology. Findings were: six times as many registered ous, documented respiratory prohlems in the
hazardous materials facilities as in the city over- nei~hhorhood. Regardless of how this issue is
all, five times as many acutely hazardous mate- resolved, the question ofequitahle distrihution
ofne~ative impacts from such facilities remains.
Chapter Five
1o~
PAGE 108 Show Image
Alameda County Waste Management
Authority and Source Reduction and
Recycling Board Rewards Creativity
Fhe Wastc Mana~rnnt Authority, which
is funded hy s~'dte-mandatcd fees and a
voter-approved landfill fee that ~enctatcs $~
million annually, has a sustainahle approach to ~ ~ "In comparison to
~ traditional wastewater
waste reduction. The Authority operates an a~ treatment, the process
~ressive home compostin~ campaign and has ~ has been demonstrated
sold over 20,000 compostin~ hins at reduced COSt
to county residents. Through its grant program, ; ~ ~ tobea reliable,
the WMA has funded a refillahle hottle pro- ~ ~ ~ environmentally-friendly,
and promising
tram and a sustainahle huildin~ materials guide technology"
for new husiness ventures. Over $1.2 million
has heen awarded in the past two years to com- Geor9e
panics like Ideas in Motion, which is preparing Milanes, St. Helena
hilin~ual puhlic service announcements on re- Waste Water
Treatment Plant
cycling. A recent coup was hrin~in~ Alameda ~ ~
County jurisdictions together to develop a con- . `~; , , (r ,
solidated plan for source reduction and recy- ,,, , ,
clint that would save taxpayers ~1 million. ,~, ~ ~ <
Less is More: St. Helena Cleans Wastewater
~,
Naturally e'
An innovative sewage treatment facility has
saved millions of dollars for the city of ~t. Hel-
ena since its commission in 1966. This facility
uses a natural system technology known as "Ad- ~ , ,, ,., -
vanced Integrated \Vastewater Pond system" to , -
achieve federal and state clean water standards ~ `#~-`,¼ -.
for treating up to 500,000 gallons per day ofsew- .
a~e in this town ()f5,50() residents. The treat-
ment occurs as the wastewater flows through a ~` , . ½ . -~
.~ ~ ` ` . ,
~ .
series ()fscientiflcally-dcsi~ncd ponds, creating ~ `½~ ~ ~` ~
specific environments that ()ptimi7e natural hin- ,"" ~
logical ~t()CC55C5 which hreak down the polltit- ~,
ants in the waste stream. I~his economical pro- , , , , , ,
cess is reliahle, uses less energy and minimal
mechanical e(luipmcnt, and recltlires less per-
sound for staffing. I3ecausc the ~t()CC55 is car-
tied out in earthwork reactors, si~nihcantly ~
lower construction costs are realized hv as mtich
as ulo of conventional wastewater facilities. ~ `~A
Another remarkahle aspect ofthc facility is that
in its .3() years ofeontinuous operation there has
heen no need for any primary sludge handling
or removal, and it operates free of odors. After
treatment the reclaimed water is suitahle for
heneficial reuse.
The Region
109
PAGE 109 Show Image
Who Pays, Who Decides?
The eales in today; world of development are tipped towards expensive snbnrban
development. Yet many of the costs are hidden and distribnted nnfairly. The time has
come to ehan~e the rnles and make better decisions abont what and where to bnild.
Hidden Costs Our Faulty System
This book has discussed the wasteful Bay The many-tiered operations of~uvernment
Property tax revenues to Area trend of disinvesting in estahushed urhan and financial institutions result in decisions
Bay Area county cores, ahandonin~ old nei~hhorhoods, and huild- made at the wrong scale without consideration
governments have fallen by in~ anew at the region's edge. It has heen esti- of the rood of the whole region. The essential
43 per cent in real dollars mated hy the research firm M.Cuhed that it costs prohlems are:
since Proposition 1 3 was local government as much as 70 per cent more * Consen~tive lending and finanein~.
approved by voters in to huild and operate puhlic schools, transporta- Current puhlic policies and lending practices
1 978. This measure froze non, and water and storm drainage systems in for financing infrastructure construction favor
property tax rates at their low-density areas than in cities. The homes in development of single-family homes far from
1 975 levels and limited these areas cost up to 400 per cent more to 5cr- the urhan core. These policies do not encour-
annual rate increases to vice. In effect, we are throwing away our cities age a shift from conventional huildin~ types to
two per cent. Local and huyin~ inefficient new ones. This practice others such as multi-family, multi-use huildin~s.
governments became wastes previously invested money and resources Current law inhihits reinvestment in the urhan
strapped for cash, and adds to the hurden home hy the re~iona1 core hecause it makes owners responsihle for
stimulating land-use economy. Costs are not evident hecause: the toxic conditions found on site.
decisions driven by * sprawl is expensive. . Piecemeal planning.
financial considerations. A1thou~h new development at the edge NIMBYs, those who sav "not in my hack-
Proposition 1 3 also seems cheaper to the person or family purchas- yard" to development, whether had or rood, are
required a two-thirds voter in~ a home, the cumulative costs are much not considering the rood of the region. Local
malority to approve all new hither (see hox on opposite pare for details). governments often act in the same way hy not
special taxes instead of a For example, even though PG&F reports that reco~nixin~ the henefits of cooperation to
simple malority. Thus when transmission and distrihution costs for ~as and achieving regional coals, particularly since plan-
Santa Clara County passed electricity are four to five times hither in low nine across jurisdictions is complex.
Measure A in 1 992 to density counties like Mario and ~onoma than * Bnd~ehn~ by land nse.
provide $3.5 billion for in hither density ~an {~rancisco and Alameda, Commercial development, such as office
light rail expansion through the rates do not reflect the difference. complexes, industrial parks and shopping malls,
a half-cent special tax * There is a spending disparity. is a more attractive land use to cities hecause it
extension of its sales tax, Although developers and people who live produces hither tax revenues than does hous-
the measure was struck and work in the suhurhs reap the treater finan- ins, which demands more puhlic outlay for puh-
down by California cial henefits, they pay comparatively little ofthe lic services. Foday, cities vie for commercial
Supreme Court. Since two- added costs. City dwellers' tax dollars end up projects hased ()O anticipated tax revenue and
thirds malority is difficult to suhsidixin~ new roads and utility systems for joh creation, solutions not necessarily in sync
get, it is next to impossible new developments, instead of~oin~ towards the with halanced growth ohjectives.
to pass taxation measures transit systems and urhan services they need. * Ont-of-dite zoning stindards.
such as bonds to build 4~his trend is not unique to the Bay Area. (eon- Historically cities enacted zoning ordi-
public transit, or libraries sider the case from Minnesota's l~win (~itics re- nances to separate land uses hecause of noise
or schools. lion, where a regional plan caused residents of and pollution, which is often no lon~cr neces-
the central cities to ply up to $6 million per year sary. (urrent retluirements, such as those relat-
to construct and operate sewer facilities needed in~ to density, street width, and parking, yield
to huild affluent suhurhan areas at the fringe. dispersed development and automohile
dependency.
Chapter Five
110
PAGE 110 Show Image
Dollars and Sens
These are not insignificant barriers. Creative Share in the costs and revennes.
thinking and cooperation is required to achieve To counteract the adverse effects ofPropo-
a more sustainable and equitable solution. sition 13, cities can share revenue from com-
Plan with the re~on in mind. mercial development. One successful ex- According to the American
While some decisions can and should be ample of revenue-sharing comes from the Farmland Trust, the cost of
made locally. other planning is better done Twin Cities region of Minnesota. since the providing the current level
on a regional scale through collaborative 1970s, jurisdictions in the Metropolitan of public services to low
decision-making. (see the Tn-Valley case Council (a lon~ran~e planning body repre- density development
study on page 1 13 and the Portland case sentin~ 1()() cities and 2.3 million people) exceeds the revenues of all
study on pare 1 19 for precedents). I?or cx- have been pooling 45 per cent ofthe tax rev- Central Valley cities
ample, as a region, we can join together to enues raised through commercial and indus- combined by $1 billion
locate facilities of regional significance in trial development. The funds ~enetated are annually. These findings
places that make sense. Cities can adopt ur- then redistributed to cities, counties, town- echo, albeit in a more
ban ~owth boundaries in their general plans ships, and schools within the region. dramatic way, the findings
and use them to guide the location of infill Modifying regional requirements for voter of a 1 993 San Jose study,
development and the designation of open approval and financing procedures to favor which estimated that
space. Decisions that encourage investment urban infill and mixed-use development projected growth in a
in non-auto transportation, facilitate acqui- would also be more equitable. supporting dispersed pattern would
sition ofopen space at the fringe to contain the establishment oflocation-efricient mort- cost the city $4.5 million a
sprawl, and incorporate watershed, wetland, ~a~es (LEMs; see pare 1 13) would encour- year. if the growth occurred
and stream protection in development plans a~e compact neighborhoods. And promot- within the city's boundaries,
can be more effective when made at the re- in~ the redevelopment of brownfields the study estimated that San
gional level. through full-cost accounting and subsidies Jose would realize a net
would increase the value of the Bay Area's gain of $2 million in annual
central cities. tax revenues.
% ~ ~½;~n(1 ~ (~tl~er i~iitia1 (1~vel()pfl~~nt e~~~ts
~ ~ ~p~r i~I (mtlyi~~~ are~~, hut view suht~rbs ~
~ ,, ,,,, ~ ~ t(> Support If y~~n wer( ~ -`
b~tt~r 1)i~V~
, ,
7 ~ ~
~
! ½ ½
> ~
Cost per single family dwelling:
suburbs infill
streets/roods $3,000 $800
utility extensions $5,000 $950
gallons of wot~r/dGy 400 200
therms of natural gas 1 50 60
~ \\~ kilowott hrs./year I 0,000 6,000
½ ; postal delivery (300 times as much)
~ open/agricultural and {4Q barnes Os much)
The Region
111
PAGE 111 Show Image
Setting a Fairer Price
.`, ><~:s:
vote for bond measures
that support regional
systems, such as open space
acquisition.
collaborate with
neighboring Iurisdictions to
solve problems that extend
beyond your border. ~ ~ ~ ,
adopt an urban growth
boundary.
create an aggressive infill
plan. GREEN~ELT
learn from San Jose £Xi$TING
CITY £DGE COMPACT
about the high costs of DEVELOPMENT
sprawl and the benefits of
urban densification. Healdsburg's Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) Prevails
In 1995, Hea1dsbur~'s City Council voted yatd and winery owners, broo~ht the UGB to a
allow regional revenue unanimously to adopt a 20-year urban growth popular vote. This action can only he reversed
sharing. boundary. The UGB delineates a line beyond by another popular vote. Promoters of
which development cannot occur. This ordi- Healdsbur~'s UGB would like to fortify the
nance protects valuable agricultural lands and community's historic downtown, which cur-
develop a portfolio of directs future residential, industrial, and com- rently helps the town ~cnerate the 1ar~est per
location-efficient mortgages mercial growth to areas with existing urban in- capita sales tax revenue of any community in
and infill prolects. frastructure. As part of the General Plan, the the county. Thus Healdsbur~ has joined the
~YGB can be chanted up to four times a year rants of other nei~hborin~ towns (such 5
through the General Plan amendment process. ~ebastopol, santa Rosa, Cotati, and Rob nert
f~evelopers speculate on land outside the UGB, Park) endeavoring to ~uidc development.
and then apply political pressure to the City ~onoma County has more land at risk than
Council to expand the UGB to accommodate any other Bay Area county. The next few years
their project. To prevent this from happening will ~ivc most residents a chance to cast a vote
in Healdsbur~, local activists, joined by vine- in favor of these guidelines to growth.
Chapter I?ive
112
PAGE 112 Show Image
Cost-Effective and Location-Efficient
Mortgages (LEMs)
Peopic 1~V~ outsidc the c~ntfa1 city p'drtly
becausc suburban homes arc less expcnsiv~,
~~akin~ it easict to qualify for a mort~a~e. But
city dwellers drive less than suburbanites and ~ "LEMs are not a
therefore spend less on auto-related costs. A new
,~ ~ panacea,buttheywill
financial mechanism called "location-efficient allow people who want
rnort~a~es" recognizes these travel savings, mak-
*~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~j to make the right
in~ them available for mort~a~e payments. The ~ environmental choice to
average savings of $210 per month in auto-re- ~ do it without being
lated costs translates into approximately $~2,OO() thwarted by
in increased borrowing power. still being re- bureaucratic
searched by the \atural Resources Defense regulations."
Council (who first conceived it in 1990), the
-David Goldstein,
Center for Neighborhood Technology, and the NRDC
surface Transportation Policy Project, LEMs
would make city homes more affordable for "At first I was very
people who prefer in-town living and encour-
skeptical, but after
a~e investment in compact, transportation-effi- ~
cient communities. spending every Monday
morning with decision-
makers I am hopeful that
positive change will come
out of this."
-Deborah Raines,
Senior Planner;
City oF San Roman,
Tn-Valley
participant
Forging a Sub-regional Strategy
Reco~nizin~ that solutions to suburban
~ridl()ck, affordable housing, economic health, ` ~ `,"i,,,½¼~
and environmental protection retluired collabo- "> , ~ ~ ,,,¼; ~
ration, seven elected officials from the 7~' ;, `~
~ -
t~ivcrm()rc I~lc'Is'lnt()n-~an Ramon Yalley area
created a plan to manage growth. Thr()u~h six ~- ~,
months ofpublic meetings the l~i alley Plan- + - >
nine Committee developed guidelines for up-
dating their general plans that recommended
urban growth boundaries and transit-based land-
use strategies. Like the one undertaken in
~onoma County, this unusual attempt at
sub-regional decision-making offers hope that
the conflicting coals ofdevelopers, homeowners,
and environmentalists can be made compatible.
The Region
113
PAGE 113 Show Image
¾ ½
Chapter Si
SUSTAIN ILl
It is time to work together
~
I I I I * I I * I I I *I I I *~ III *~ I I
I. * I *~ * I I I I I II * II I I *
I
A
PAGE 114 Show Image
sustainable Bay Area
will require work and
commitment from everyone
who wants prosperity and a better quah'ty
of life for themselves, their families, their
neighbors, and future generations.
This chapter traces the basic steps that
individuals, government, business, and
groups of people can take. It also
summarizes the process of participatory
planning and gives examples of specific
tools and actions that can help us move
toward a more sustainable Bay Area.
Making ~ustainability Happen
115
PAGE 115 Show Image
Thinking and Acting Sustainably
We all stand to benefit from woridn6 toward a sustainable Bay Area. Therefore we all
need to take the time to become involved in the process.
Toward a Common Good
The success stories that have come from re- ~ Financial Institntions:
investment in our cities demonstrate that people Prioritize lending to serve urhan reinvest-
working together do make a difference. What ment, particularly in neglected communities.
follows is a sampling of some hasic steps Bay Develop hetter tools to analyze and finance
Area people and institutions can take. {~Ot more mixed-use projects.
detailed information, turn to the Resources sec- support location-efficient mort~a~es
non which provides a list ofor~anizations to con- (LEMs), energy-efficient mortgages, and other
innovative financing instruments.
~ tact.
Local Government and Planners: Finance community-hased, puhlic-private
Use the General Plan update process to set projects.
goals for community sustainahility and estah- Make funds availahle at favorahle rates to
lish tan~ihle me~isures of success. Involve resi- non-profit housing developers, community de-
dents in the process on an ongoing hasis. velopment corporations, and innovative hous-
Educate staff on sustainahle development in~ groups.
issues and approaches and make it a theme in Bnsinesses:
protecting puhlic health and safety, promoting Locate and expand in areas that are close to
local prosperity, and providing hasic puhlic ser- housing appropriate to your workforce and that
vices and facilities. are accessihle hy transit.
Clarify and streamline the permitting pro- Conserve materials, energy, and water. Look
cess for new development. for opportunities for closed-loop production.
Share the cost of infill with developers hy Work with utility companies to retrofit your fa-
discounting land cost, for example. cilities to he energy-efficient.
Estahlish urhan growth houndaries that are Allow workers the option of telecommuting
hased on community input and ecological de- and flextime.
sign parameters. Work with counties on support- Provide commute suhsidies and other sup-
mg policies for development within the estah- port for people who walk, hike, and use transit.
lished houndary. support environmental regulations and
Work with other local governments and rel- taxes.
evant agencies to deal with regional or suh-re- Develop "green" products and market your
gional issues, such as transportation and land use husiness as such.
planning. Involve employees in decision-making, in-
Work with other cities to develop a revenue cluding ways to conserve resources.
tax sharing strategy to reduce the financial tug- 2 Developers and Bnilders:
of-war hetween cities. Join with non-profits sharing similar goals to
¼~ state and Federal Government: huild infill projects.
Create fiscal and tax policies supporting sus- Build appropriately in or near our existing
tainahle goals and regional initiatives. For cx- neighhorhoods and centers.
ample, shift funding from auto to transit infra- Work with the community on the design and
structure; enact revenue-sharing legislation and location of development projects.
provide tax deductions for transit use.
Chapter ~ix
t16
PAGE 116 Show Image
Designers: Environmental Planners and ~eientists:
Informyourclientsaboutsustainablemate- Develop measurahie indicators of
rials, alternative processes, and site planning. sustainability and monitor their performance. :½~L2¾¼'~~:¼ ~ ½
Design for solar orientation, natural lighting, Provide background information for cities or people are willing to pay to
natural ventilation and cooling, and water-sav- advocacy groups. realize their environmental
in~ landscaping around the huilding. Conduct research on important Bay Area goals. On the Old Mission
Design for pedestrian orientation and neigh- topics in the area ofyour expertise. Peninsula residents voted to
horliness. Train local activists, nei~hhorhood groups, increase property taxes to
Use recycled products in construction from teachers, and students to set up monitoring and raise $2.6 billion to protect
roofing to carpeting. demonstration projects. thousands of acres of
Consider the local and regional context in ½ Neighborhood and Commnrnty Gronps: agricultural land. In
the design process. Take the long view. Recognize that it is in Traverse City, 1 45 families
Do the right thing instead of the expected your real interest to support development that and 20 businesses signed a
thing. is compatihle with your nei~hhorhood pattern "green rate contract" which
½ Advocacy and ~erviee Or~arnzahons: and that includes improvements in surround- means they will pay 20 per
Form new coalitions with husiness, hanks, mg support facilities such as schools, parks, and cent more for the electricity
and developers, and with groups working hoth transit. in exchange for a clean
at the neighhorhood and regional level. To ensure that new projects are assets to the source of energy. The
Use sustainahle development approaches in community, take an active role at every level of proposed source, a
fulfilling your mission to alleviate and prevent decision-making including needs assessment, windmill, is expected to
environmental, social, and economic prohlems. planning, implementation, enforcement, and generate 1 .2 million
support innovative projects: non-profit af- evaluation. kilowatt hours of electricity
fordahle housing, community development, Individnals: a year, supplying 200
economic development, cooperative and Join organizations which are already work- homes. Eighty customers
worker-involved industries. mg on sustainahility. are on the waiting list.
Work to ensure that city-wide and region- Form a suheommittee in your neighhorhood
wide needs are met while working on local group to work on sustainahility issues.
issues. Develop sustainahility indicators and see
½ ~ehools and Edneators: how your neighhorhood measures up.
Fducate yourselfahout sustainahility. Lead hy example in your personal life.
Increase students' awareness of the unsus-
tainahle character ofour current hehavior.
Help students to develop critical thinking
skills, to learn systems thinking, and to think
ecologically.
Help students to get hands-on experience
tackling prohlems in their own communities to
make sustainahility tangible and exciting.
Conduct research which looks at issues of
sustainahility.
Making Sustainabihty Happen
117
PAGE 117 Show Image
Institutions Taking the Lead
¼ 4¼ ¾>
7, 4½
½ find out what's already
happening in your ~
community, city, and region
and loin in.
~ `, ,
form coalitions with other
~<,,
groups to tackle complex ~ ~<
problems. ~; .,
look for creative ways to A<~ ~ ` ~
~ ``
meet environmental
standards. ~
partner with business to "~` , ~ ,~ ~ ` `,, ~, `~ ` ~,7' ~
finance prolects promoting ," ~ ~
~ ~
sustainable development.
set ambitious goals for Center for Neighborhood Technology: The Coolition Masters
sustainable development Twenty years ado, a group from Northwest- In the early 199O~, C\~i) launehe4 the Corn-
and involve citizens in em University sought a way to compensate for monity Green Line Initiative. This plan was de-
realizing those goals. the flight of high quality ~roeery stores from veloped hy community activists to save the Lane
Chicano's inner-city. What he~an as solar-fueled street El. The Chicano Transit Authority had
rooftop greenhouses for produce in four neigh- threatened to shut down this line, hut as a re-
horhoods has hecome the Center for \ci~hhor- sult ofthe initiative, the line has heen rehuilt at
a cost of$3()() million. i~his figure includes huild-
hood Fechnolo~y (C\T).
Centerfor\ei~hhorh()od~Fechnolo~ylcads in~ ot ren()vatin~ 2~ transit stations scrvin~
the country in huildin~ coalitions sec~in~ sos- 5(),O()() people, many of whom rely on transit
tainahle solutions to urhan prohiems. Its soc- from the rest ~idc to the Loop. Intermodal
cesses have C()~C from focusing on community surface Transportation Lfficiency Act (l~'1~LA)
cner~y, the reuse of materials and rccyclin~, funds were secured for demonstration projects,
transportation, air (~ua1ity, and sustainahlc mano- including "super station" Pulaski ~tati()n, a
fiicturin~. In the 19~()s, the (~cntcrworkcd with mixed-usc project intended to rcvitali/c a
the metal finishers trade association to for~c a nci~hh()rhood with 40 per cent land vac.'incy.
new industrial environmentalism. 1~his highly I)espite a recent influx of affordahle housin"
toxic industry accounted for 4~,O()O johs, mostly projects the I~u1aski nei~hhorhood has half the
in husinesses with fewer than 25 w()ri~ers. (~\~I per capita 1OC()~C of the larder community.
formed a coalition with the association provid- C\T's tireless efforts to improve (~hica~o's
in~ technical assistance to help the industry nei~hhorhoods provide inspiration to groups
comply with federal environmental standards. around the country striving toward the coals of
ecluity and a clean environment.
Chapter Six
1t~
PAGE 118 Show Image
From Soot to Sustainability: Chattanooga,
Tennessee's Vision 2000
{n 1969 thc U.%. Dcp'~r~cnt of Hedith,
Education, dnd Wclhrc ndm~d Chattd'n()()~d
Am~rica\: most pollutcd city. In rcsponsc a Cod-
lition ofhusincss, civic, dnd nci~hbothood 1~ad- I' Environmental
crs formed Vision 2000, a projcct ~flVO1V~fl~ enbancement is
1,7()() rcsidcnts. Ihe ~oa1 has been to renew economic development,
sustdlnably" by Jttfd'Cflfl~ cican industry, pm- pure and simple."
motin~ recyc1in~, energy efficiency, and mak- -Jim Bowen,
in~ thc city ~reenct with in~provcrncnts such River Valley
as the Rivetwalk. Derelict warehouses and piers Partners,
h1ockin~ access to the Tennessee River have Chattanooga
been removed, landmark buildings renovated,
and a fresh-water atluarium built. Much remains
to be done: two miles of Chattanooga Creek
running through two predominantly African-
American nei,,~hborhoods were designated a
~uperfund site; 4~ abandoned industrial sites
in the nei,,uhborhoods could be contaminated
(clean up on 12 has begun). Chattanooga's citi-
zens deserve praise for committing their city to
actions that will bolster it against impacts of fti-
ture shifts in manufacturing patterns.
Ever the Pioneer:
Portland's Metro 2040 Plan
Portland, Oregon's Nietro (council has de-
veloped a plan to protect the region's t~uality of
life for 50 years. `I'he agency's "Region 2040"
plan channels development into town centers `, 7,'
built around an expanding light rail network,
saving open space and farmland. (~()mputer
m()delin~ ofthc plan's strategies predicts auto-
1}~()bile use will decrease, air (duality will irn-
prove, and residents will use public transit, walk,
and bike. `i'hc planning ~t()CC55 lathered sur-
vey tC5~()~5C5 from ~()tC than I 7,000 residents.
An overwhelmin,,~ ~3 per cent of respondents - -
stipported the key stratc~y of l()catin~ future de- ,~,
velopmcnt al()n~ transit lines. `l~hc ~ also ~ ,,,~ ~
~ , ,
maintains the tC,,oi()O'5 2(1-year-old tirban ~r()wth
boundary, a pi()nccrin~ effort by the non-profit
orl,'ani/ation 1000 {~ricnds ()f()re~()n.
Making Sustainability Happen
119
PAGE 119 Show Image
Planning Together
ueeessful plannin efforts ive every~~ne a reason to partieipate, as discussed in this
section. Individuals, community groups, and eity planners can create a vision for their
eommnnity and work together to make it happen.
Making Connections and Get the Facts.
Communities Pocumcntin~ your issuc wit hard facts will
In the process ofwtiting the Blueprintwe convert the skeptical as was the case when the
realized we needed to listen to many points of Hoosin~ Action Coalition conducted their af-
view; learn how our actions affect others, work fordahle hoosin~ campaign. But heware
out our differences, and he creative and open- nothing derails an effort faster
minded in solving our prohlems. But planning than factual errors. You need
for the future requires a well-designed process. to learn as much as p05- ~
To he effective participants must understand the sihie ahout the issue. ~
coals of the process and how they can work Find other citizens to
within it. These pares provide a road map of share research responsi-
those components ofparticipatory planning pro- hilities and rememher, ~
cesses that have worked well roughly in the or- even people who might `~
der in which they occur. The actual process not agree with your coals
adopted hy any particular community depends can supply you with facts that support
on the circumstances, the finances, and the par- your case.
ticipants. ~et Goals and Priorities.
Define the Issne. 4 The next step is usually to ask people what
The first step is to ½ they would like to see happen in the
look for an opporto- I ~ ~4 ~ ~ ~ ~ nei~hhorhood or
nity to hrin~ people ~ \ ~ ~
together. Once you
have focused on an is-
sue that personally af- \\ L ½ ~ ~
fects a numher ofpeople and requires spe-
cific action, make arrangements to hold an open
community meeting. Even people who may dis-
agree with each other on national issues are community. Active participants may use this in-
likely to agree on local issues. Don't he discotir- formation to determine the lone and short-
aced ifa little fur he~ins to fly For some people range prohlems that need addressing and to set
this may he their first opportunity to complain community coals. Be prepared for conflict hut
in puhlic. don't let it dehilitate you. (creative soltitions will
emerge, as they did in ~an Rafael's nei~hh()r-
hood plan.
Chapter Six
120
PAGE 120 Show Image
Develop Choice. Advoeate.
Participants nccd to visualizc opportunities Bc bold and creative in your thinking. Once
and choose amongst the various possible alter- you have people's attention, intensify your ef-
native solutions. Visual materi~ such as maps, forts slowly and steaddy. Have alternative strat-
drawings, photographs, and computer ima~in~ e~ies ready in case the community rejects the When the City of Palo Alto
were extremely helpful in developing Portland's first plan. Use the media to advertise your sue- undertook its general plan
Metro 2040 Plan. Discuss the strengths and cess and broaden your base ofsupport. Urge Jo- update it employed a
weaknesses of the important ideas demon- cal officials to address your issues and endorse number of innovative
strated in each alternative and what each would your actions. techniques to involve
cost in time and money. Then evaluate each al- Do It! citizens. For example the
ternative on the basis of the Launch a demon- ~ 37-member citizens
community's coals and ~ stration project that al- ½\~ ~
many people to ~ ~ ½~l; oversight committee, with
priorities. # > : lows
staff help,
~ohdify Plans. participate. If the ½ veloped outreach kits for
This is the point ~ ¼>~ I pro]ect is large and ~ residentstoconducttheir
at which the group I, ¾~¼ ¾i lon~term, divide it ½ ~` own goal-setting meetings.
I
decides exactly what ` > into manageable pieces Each kit contained a 20-
it wants to do. It is I as the \orth ofMarket Plan- minute video made by the
important to stay focused on ~ nine Coalition did when it decided to start with committee which talked
your coals. Determine the best \ the Lower Eddy section of~an ~rnncisco's Ten- about the city's vision and
mechanism for defining, institutionalix- derloin. When the demonstration project is over, goals. Also included were
ins, and codifying your plan (is it a workplan, monitor the situation to make stire the action is markers, large pads of
Master Plan, specific Plan, or a General Plan not reversed when no one is looking. Evaluate paper for recording group
amendment.~). Develop a plan in detail and print ~()Ot actions to learn what is effective and what discussion, and a
it in the local newspaper to ~et additional feed- should be in ftiture efforts. Ifnecessary, change questionnaire. Over 600
back from the community. the plan to reflect chan~in~ coals and circum- residents participated using
I£dueate and Communicate. stances. Plot this kit, including high
Once your agenda has been set, present it your course school students who used it
to your future supporters and ~et their feedback. for future ½ in civics class.
Lse the local media to keep your community projects.
~ j'~ ~;`
informed ofyour progress and to rain support.
A newsletter is an excellent communications \~$
tool. start one ifthere is none. Consider publi- ¼~
cizin~ your issue on the Internet. Don't be shy t ¼! ;½
about contacting local newspapers, radio, and
1~v stations when you are ready, but be sure to
have a strong, well-formed position first. Keep
yotir facts simple and well-()r~anized, and use
lan~ua~e the avcra~c person can understand.
This stratc~y has been effective in ~athcrin~
support for ~AEJ's
fight to prevent
another - -
power plant ~
in Bayview- ~
Hunter's Point.
Making ~ustainability Happen
121
PAGE 121 Show Image
People Taking Action
~
¼
½
4
,,,~
Sustainable San Mateo County
I, Community Inspircd hy the 1992 United \ations Earth list ofpotential indicators in June 1995. Thcse
involvement is a vital summit conference in Rio dc Janeiro, Marcia indicators, or vital signs, were developed to brine
campanent-just Pagels and several other ~an Marco County resi- puhlie awareness about environmental, social,
complaining doesn't get dents decided to see how they could put prin- and economic trends. ~or example, the annual
very much done." ciples ofsustainahility into practice hack home. bird cotint ofthe local Audubon Society will live
- Marybeth In its second year ofexistence, this small band an idea ofwhether songbird species are declin-
Wallace, Noe ofactivists called sustainable ~an Marco County ins. Other indicators include the range of fund-
Valley mother, has surveyed cities about their general plans, in~ per pupil within the school district, a hous-
and one of ~e helped develop an organizer's handbook, held in~ affordability ratio, vehicle miles traveled, and
park researchers public workshops, and developed "Indicators for annual air c~uality ratings. Organizers hope to
a sustainable ~an Marco (~ounty" {~ollowin~ the collect data annually that is specific to their
pioneering example of the sustainable seattle county. Once the indicators are finalized, the
Coalition, and j()iOiO~ other Bay Area efforts ~t()tl~ hopes to enlist local ~()vernment, busi-
such as sustainable ~an I~rancisc() and Joint nesses, educators, and other residents in moni-
Venture silicon \/~alley, the ~t()tl~ released a draft torin~ the county's lone-term well-being.
Chapter Six
122
PAGE 122 Show Image
Santa Clara Valley Manufacturing Group's
Housing Action Coalition Delivers
M~'ny ~`dy Area r~sidcnts cannon be choose
about whcrc they live, what jobs they takc, and
how thc'y ~et to work. Ihis is ~spccia11y truc in ½:
(`anta Clara County, whcr~ thc mcdian homc
price is beyond the reach of many. Almost ~ ,
pcr ccnt ofthc workers in hi~h-tcch firms use a Get started!
car to ~et to work. Many workers now livc as
fat away as Mantcca whctc housing costs arc
much lowct. Rcco~nizin~ that affordahic hous-
in~ is a crucial in~rcdicnt in ~ilicon Valley corn-
pctitivcncss, thc coalition\ volunteer spcakcrs
hutcao hc~an addrcssin~ this issue. They spoke
ahout the hroad effects of the lack of afford-
ahle housing. The fact that ~1ountain View
school teachers could hardy afford the ~oin~
rent caught people's attention. In more than 15()
presentations the coalition has successfully ad-
vocated for 7,000 new affordahle units.
Report Card on San Francisco's Parks Shows Now
More Homework Is Needed ~ D+ G.~rr~Idsqoar~
{)esirin~ to improve ~an L~rancisco's poorly ~ I~e ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ d ~ ~ I
Roiph Pia~round
maintained parks, Coleman Advocates for Chil- ar~~und~rccrn'oi~ ~ ~ ~ ~
dren devised a rating system as an educational NOEVALLEY
v~J~'j~ ~ ~
and political tool. After six months spent evalu- ~ C upper N(~ R(c C~nt('
atin~ 45 parks fifteen parent activists save the
NORTN BEACH
parks poor marks overall. 1~he primary tea C NorthEeachPIaygrow~
mpo~~me t t~ if~- ~d-I~ t ~ I ~ D ~" . -~I~ I
was insufficient funding. {~he puhlicity ~ca-~hin~i ~ nZ~Q~~ ~ Ap c~c~ .`L-~ld~thc-~. - 9 -
~g pool I zh b(~i~-i-:
rounding the initial 1995 report hrou~ht th D Washi~gConSqu.~~
sue to the attention of the puhlic and city h ill n~wthpo1c~~ss-~t
and helped prevent further cuts in funding In ~ ~ ,- --4
A i~~i'u K,~hn ~
the wake ofa 1()C)() follow-up report, which k ~ -- ~ ~
just as damning, parents are contintiin~ their di ~ ~ E+ Alta Plaza
o~~~?44 ~
lo~ue with police and recreation departments -d-,-~--n
to improve park maintenance. C Portofa Rec Ce
Od -ztten p~
I C+ C+ Potrero Hilt Playground ~
Gz cor-~~~a4
ur nt ~a~- -~n
C C jackson Playg-
R~~z--------Ic
-?---- c~~z-do
E B Row Playgmund #>~
ala- C' l.zl~ -cc-- cu~ Coo~~-nIy ~
-~c)4~-cc4 ` -~ Ic- 4 u5(-
I E B Argoece Piayg~ued
I -c-ce o---:~e Ie~ ~ ch d
-~ B Mtn~LakcPark
a ~ ~ let ~--c- ~ Nc ghbc~ -on--ibbtc c~~c -up ~~z- dr
--~z-~ ~-II-------~ 4--dc S-nd-~~-~d-d--~ay
Making ~ustainabihty Happen
123
PAGE 123 Show Image
x-\
½ ~½'½~j$j ½¾½
\\~ht' 3\c\t
¼ ) ~ k- ti \ ~ fl( 1 *:* ~ ()+ ~ Q (`;{` k- {~\ \ 3: `---
( (~ (
½ ½/~ (I h¼ ()) () `\ () ~ \ ). Q 3:
½½\/½ k(
\\ hcQ \\ \\ `3 \\ \\ (~C \
A
~
~
~--
~
~
~
<½
(
\i()~ \ \\ i{'~ ~f)~ ~ %{)~-k fl ~ Q Ic]d of 1~ ~ \~~:- ~ ~j( ~ ~ C ~. ______________
___ _ - -- -~
____------------------------------------~
-A
~ - ~ ½
¼ ½½½½;½~ -~4:½- t
½
PAGE 124 Show Image
Making Sustainability Happen
125
PAGE 125 Show Image
Glossary
affordable lioum - uscd [)\T houm dCflV1~ entrification FchbiliL'Ttion J'nd c~cmcn~ of
`nd dcvelopcrs ~ dcscribc housin for vey low dcc'ayin~ urbAn arcis b~ middle- md high-
to modcri~ inco~c pc()plc; ~`~t which C()~~ flo incomc pc()plc, lc}din~ ~) A' rchir~ of somc
more tao ()oc-tirci oftc cross mootly hooc- oci~hhorhood~ ~o4, jo o~crs, te diplaccmcot
hold incomc. of poor rcsidcot.
biodiversity rich mix of diffcrcor ~nd iorcr- cranny flats, secondary unite hoosio~ ooir~
coonccrcd animal and planr spccic~ rhar is addcd ro iocrcasc rhc oomhcr ufpcoplc who can
rhrcarcncd hy sprawling homan dcvclopmcnr livc on a parricolar br and rhcrcforc rhc rcsidcn-
and ccolo~ical dc~radarion. rial dcnsiry ofa parricolar nci~hhorho()d.
I)iore~on a spccific ~co~raphic area rhar has tray water - water that has heen reclaimed and
developed plant, animal, and homan coltores partially treated after heinz osed initially for
that are deeply intertwined and interdependent "hither qoality" fonctions.
with each other, and distinct from relationships
heinz practiced in sorroondin~ regions. ~reenI)e1t - intentionally estahlished and perma-
nently maintained land area sorroondin~ and
brownfield polloted land parcel in an orhan hetween towns, cities, and other orhanized areas,
area, often foond in at-risk neighhorhoods and that inclodes open space, hills, moontains,
commercial or indostrial districts. forests, wetlands, and meadow land.
btisines~ incubator - a program or apparatos for ~reenfield - the opposite of hrownfield; refers to
hoosin~ and developing small, often volnerahle ondeveloped land at the fringes oforhan areas,
start-op hosinesses. osoally considered part ofthe ~reenhelt.
e()li()t1sifl~ - resident-developed, -owned, and - liea~ rai1 - primarily re~ion-servin~ railway,
managed cooperative commonities in which often elevated or ondC½~roond hot alwavs within
individoal hooseholds are clostered around a dedicated right-of-way, that moves people
coorts and streets and a large common hoose hetween cities and across sohreeions, often hot
with shared facilities for eroop cooking and not exclosi\ ely for the porpose of commotin~.
d inin~, work, play, social activities, an d ch i ldcare. ine1u~i()flary housing policies, inelusionarv
densitv - a measore of the nomher of people Z()flifl~ - legal reqoirement applied to hoosin~
who live or work within a eivcn area, osoaly development that ret~oires a minimom percent-
measored hy the nomhcr ofpeople ()~ d~cllines a~c oflower income onits ifa residential project
contained within an acre of developed area, or consists of more than a threshold nomher of
the nomhcr ofemployces per acre in an indos- onits.
trial area. infill - residential, commercial, ()~ commtinity
system in natore in which all livine service hoildin~s hoilt on vacant ()~ reosed orhan
ee()~V~tem -
thines and their environments fonction in an lots, often hetween or ahove cxistin~ strticttires
integrated, halanced, and holistic way as an ot ahandoned ri~ht-()f-ways.
interdependent cntitv a
~d therchy provide for infra.';truetnre - the hasic facilities, services, and
the harmony, well-heine, and perpettlity ofeach installations needed for a commonity ()~ society.
other and the system.
I~TEi\ (Intermodil ~urfaee Trin.~p()rtati()n
e~ttiiry - partly enclosed hody ofwatcr, ()~CO to 1£ffieieney ~\et) - a 1991 federal act in which the
the ocean so that fresh and salt water mix.
~overnmcnt estahlished new policies to fond a
~enera1 pktn - is (~alif()rn1a 5 version of the varicy of modes of transportation. Uhe Act
master ot "comprehensive" plan. It lays not retlLlires state and regional authorities to think
the fotore ofa city's development in policy ahoot and plan comprehensively for appropriate
statements, text, and map form. modes t)ftransportation for natoral and hoilt
Glossary
126
PAGE 126 Show Image
cnvironmcn~, and relte thc sclcctc4 modcs to ofmateri'~1 comfofL Qua1i~ is clcfincd and
air (luality in mctropolitan ateas and thc tiuality cnhanccd by ~c level ofcost and ume savin
oflife in commonines in ~cncra1. cmotional suppov~ sccuri~, social intcrcsts, and
communication.
ktnd use what thc Blocptint is all about; thc
way land is uscd eithcr for compact or sptawlin~ renewable resourees - energy and matcrials
rcsidcntial, commercial, industrial, or mixcd-usc ~cncratcd from sourccs that cithcr arc not
dcvclopmcnt or for open space preservation, depleted or can be replaced.
including parks and agricultural land. sustainability - is
about improving our quality of
li~lit rail locallyservin~ railwa% usually along life in the present while ensuring continued
city streets in a dedicated right-of-way. prosperity in the future. It is hased on develop-
live-work - dual-purpose residential/work ment that preserves and enhances the natural
and human resources upon which our future
huildin~, oftentimes industrial huildin~s, where generations' economic, social, and cultural
artists or other professionals hoth live and work.
systems depend.
mixed-use - development that comhines a soeial/environmental/eeonorniejustiee -
numher offunctions in the same huilding or
vicinity. separate yet related movements that seek to
more fairly distrihute positives like financial and
NIMBY - \ot In My Backyard; a hehavior infrastructural resources to all people in a par-
typically characterized hy nei~hhorhood resis- ticular hody, for example equal puhlic
tance to societally-important development, for transportation access throughout a community or
example affordahle and/or infill housing, indus- hetter salary distrihution within a company, hut
trial uses, or commercial developments that also seek to hetter disperse throughout a com-
increase activity. munity things that present potential risks, like
heavy industry, landfills, and power plants, rather
nonrenewable resources - as opposed to
than clustering them disproportionately in lo~ -
renewahle resources; energy and materials income areas and/or communities of color.
which, when used, are permanently depleted.
paratransit - modes oftransportation designed sprawl - to spread awkwardly or without a
for people with disahilities; also small scale, regular pattern; development which takes up
more space than is necessary.
supplemental forms of transportation.
transit-oriented development - TOP; develop-
parking ear-out - a tool used hy employers to
decrease the numher of people driving alone to ment, tisually commercial or residential, that
occurs at high densities around transit stations
work. 4~he system essentially takes away free
with a strone emphasis onpedestrian access.
parkine as an employee henefit and uses parking
fees collected from those who choose to drive ro value-added - an approach to husiness, industry,
provide a cash incentive to those who commute or even e()vernmcnt that commits to t)ffer net
using alternative modes. henefits to the environment, the economy, and
pr()ximitv - as in "access hy proximity," often society hy impr()vin~ the (duality of community
at all levels of its influence.
used to refer to sustainahle modes oftransporta-
tion like walking or hiking; accomplished hy watershed - entire land area that drains into a
inte~ratin~ land uses, usually at high commercial river ot other stream hasin; a ridge or stretch of
and residential densities. high land dividing the areas drained hy different
rivers or river systems.
quahty of hIe - relationship that people have to
one another and to the environment as distinct
from their relationship to things and their level
Glossary
127
PAGE 127 Show Image
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