A Planning and Economic Development Quandary in Fresno

Should cities with some of the worst air pollution in the country be adding massive campuses for logistics and heavy industries?

1 minute read

January 27, 2018, 11:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


California Central Valley

Interstate 5, moving trucks through California's Central Valley. | Aaron Kohr / Shutterstock

"This Thursday the Fresno City Council will vote on a proposal for a major new industrial development in south Fresno," reports Joe Moore.

The proposal strikes at a core set of issues driving planning decisions in the California Central Valley—economic development catering to the logistics industry in a city with ongoing unemployment challenges, which is likely to exacerbate air pollution challenges that impact public health throughout the region.

According to an article and radio segment by Moore, the proposed development would be built on 110 acres and "would allow up to 2,000,000 square feet of new construction for heavy industry." Such developments are a goal of Mayor Lee Brand's administration as it attempts to lower unemployment in the city. However, the development and others like it, "could result in increased air pollution from all the trucks that bring goods in and out of the facilities." 

Tuesday, January 23, 2018 in KVPR

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Google street view image of strip mall in suburban Duncanville, Texas.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall

A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

6 hours ago - Parking Reform Network

Blue tarps covering tents set up by unhoused people along chain link fence on concrete sidewalk.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work

Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

July 6 - Next City

Aerial tram moving along cable in hilly area in Medellin, Colombia.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle

Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.

July 6 - InTransition Magazine