Regional Planning Begins To Meet CA's Stricter Emissions Standards

Two Bay Area planning agencies have jointly released what they call their "Initial Vision Scenario", a first step in implementing the Sustainable Community Strategy required by state law (SB 375, 2008) to reduce climate emissions from transportation.

1 minute read

March 22, 2011, 7:00 AM PDT

By Irvin Dawid


Per SB 375, the Bay Area must reduce these emissions by 15% per capita by 2035 and 7% by 2020 - a goal mandated by the California Air Resources Board. Unlike prior regional transportation plans that focused mainly on how to spend the region's transportation funds, this plan will be much broader in scope and will also combine the affordable housing requirements apportioned by Association of Bay Area Governments .

"The Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Association of Bay Area Governments say the release of their plan -- called the Initial Vision Scenario for 2035 -- opens a public debate about how and where the region should grow. The two agencies will hold public workshops on the vision plan in each of the nine Bay Area counties in April and May.

The 94-page vision document will provide the groundwork for a plan the two regional agencies must adopt in 2013 to meet Senate Bill 375 requirements to combat global warming."

From One Bay Area: "One major effort now underway is the development of Plan Bay Area, the region's long-range plan for sustainable land use, transportation and housing."

Thanks to MTC-ABAG Library

Monday, March 21, 2011 in Mercury News

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

A road in north eastern Nebraska with power lines on either side, and grassy fields.

Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity

Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.

November 6, 2026 - Grist

A rendering of a mall turned living space. People walk around a green space surrounded by apartments.

Malls are becoming the midtowns of the future

Mall and office park redevelopments are a generational opportunity to create new nodes of urbanity.

October 29, 2026 - Ben Schneider

A car drives through a puddle in NYC

NYC breaks ground on anti-flooding infrastructure project

New York City's new system will reduce stormwater flows to local sewers by 90%.

November 9 - Smart Cities Dive

Members of the Smoketown CLT gather for a photo

One Kentucky town’s secret to affordable housing

The Smoketown Community Land Trust has already built seven affordable homes for community members.

November 9 - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Two people stand under mesh coverings shaped like petals

Houston gains petal-shaped cooling infrastructure to make streets more ‘delightful’

The city has installed the pavilions along 15 blocks in Houston.

November 9 - De Zeen

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.