The Land Use Connection

Earlier this year California Attorney General Jerry Brown sued San Bernardino County for inadequately addressing the global warming impacts in the county’s updated General Plan. This lawsuit was one of its kind and local county officials complained that it was an unfair imposition. They pointed out the lack of state guidelines on how to address global warming in the planning process. [1] But the Attorney General’s Office had made a point, that the connection between land use planning and climate change cannot be ignored anymore.

Video: California Attorney General Jerry Brown's speech at the League of California Cities urging local representatives to fight global warming.


Counties and cities will now be forced to address this issue through tougher regulations.Development plans can no longer promote sprawl that has immensely contributed to the global warming problem. Therefore other than avoiding lawsuits, the bigger challenge facing local planners is having to convince local residents to support higher density projects. For example, the City of Menlo Park, which has taken several initiatives to go green, has reached a roadblock in getting its residents to approve high-density housing projects. The residents have opposed these projects, as they believe it would negatively impact traffic, schools and the “look and feel” of Menlo Park. [2] They express that they are not convinced that compact development can help save the environment.

View of typical sprawl developement in California.

Source:http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/globalwarming/2007-06-05-warming_N.htm

Thus the real challenge is in changing people’s perceptions and educating them on the benefits of compact development. This may not be a easy task and will be met with resistance from the communities who want to protect their interests. But innovative outreach programs that create awareness on global warming issues through neighborhood meetings, local schools and other public gathering spaces can help remove the myths associated with high-density mixed use planning.


Bibliography:

“Brown's global warming suit says county must rewrite growth plan”
http://www.legalnewsline.com/news/193605-browns-global-warming-suit-says-county-must-rewrite-growth-plan
"County leaders told to cut greenhouse gases"
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_7458690
"California Lawmakers Fight Over Land Use Lawsuits"
http://www.planetizen.com/node/25978
"Not in Menlo's Backyard"
http://www.almanacnews.com/story.php?story_id=4142"
Sprawl clashes with warming in California" http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/05/27/MNGJ0Q2FUI1.DTL