LOS ANGELES, Sept. 30, 2002 -- A set of recommendations to improve the economic and social well-being of California's communities through better growth patterns has been released by a diverse public-private coalition organized by the Urban Land Institute (ULI).
The Statewide Coordinating Committee for ULI's California Smart Growth Initiative, including representatives from business, real estate, civic, environmental, and social justice organizations, has joined public officials to publish "Putting the Pieces Together: State Actions to Encourage Smart Growth Practices in California."
The report is the culmination of 18 months of analysis to find ways to curb haphazard, ill-planned sprawling development, and promote development that more closely links housing to jobs and preserves open space.
"The publication of 'Pieces' proves that stakeholders with widely varied interests can find common ground on shaping a better future for our state," said Committee Co-Chairman Greenlaw "Fritz" Grupe, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of The Grupe Company in Stockton, Calif. "This effort is bound by the desire for a more satisfying quality of life, environmental balance and a healthy economy for the next generation of Californians. Our ability to remain economically competitive hinges on our ability to change how we grow -- to accommodate more people with more efficient development."
Will Rogers, president of the Trust for Public Land, who serves with Grupe as committee co-chairman, noted that the group's recommendations are particularly timely, given the unusually high number of growth-related bills considered -- but not approved -- by the recently adjourned California legislature. "There is substantial interest in better growth, but so far, little consensus on how to achieve it. We aim to use these recommendations as the basis for productive action," Rogers said.
The committee's recommendations are divided into two categories: economic incentives for local government; and state regulatory reforms. Under the local incentives proposal, financial assistance, such as forgivable loans and grants, would be provided to localities meeting specific criteria, such as the encouragement of housing development, promotion of transportation choices, promotion of infill development, encouragement of mixed land use and preservation of open space.
Localities meeting smart growth guidelines would receive priority in obtaining future state infrastructure funds, and the program would establish economic incentive strategies to encourage linking transportation and land use decisions.
The state regulatory reform proposal recommends better coordination between state laws that guide development and conservation activities at the local level; and it recommends revising the laws so they more effectively promote smart growth. For instance, the committee recommended modifying the state environmental quality law to reduce barriers to smart growth development, including the elimination of obstacles to brownfields redevelopment.
The committee also proposed a strategy to address the importance of schools to a community. "Maximizing community building in the construction and remodeling of schools is encouraged by sound community planning, joint use and better and more efficient uses of land," Rogers noted.
The committee intends to "spread the word" about its 'Pieces' report among the public and private sector to gain momentum for a long-term, substantive commitment to smart growth in California, Grupe said. "The public is clamoring for solutions to traffic and housing problems, and for ways to improve their quality of life. All of us have a responsibility to help turn the tide," he said.
For more information, and a copy of the committee's report go to http://www.smartgrowthcalifornia.uli.org/. For questions and more information contact Gary Binger, Director, ULI California Smart Growth Initiative at [email protected].
The Urban Land Institute is a nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide responsible leadership in the use of land in order to enhance the total environment. Established in 1936, the institute has more than 17,000 members representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines.
Source: Urban Land Institute
