A Planning and Economic Development Quandary in Fresno

"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."