The county of San Diego wants sprawling suburban developments to buy carbon offsets, billing the idea as a fix to the region's housing affordability crisis.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors is considering a collection of developments that would put a serious dent in its climate action plan.
"Citing the state’s desperate need for housing, it’s poised to adopt a potentially precedent-setting strategy that would allow developers to buy millions of dollars in carbon offsets in exchange for building projects that dramatically increase the number of cars on the road," reports Joshua Emerson Smith.
The Board of Supervisors could fast track seven new suburban housing developments, spread around the county and totaling 10,000 housing units. The new developments "would also generate enough greenhouse gases to cancel out all of county’s envisioned efforts, under its climate action plan, to reign in transportation emissions by mid-century."
To counteract those carbon emissions, the county will allow the developers "to purchase offsets to account for roughly 77 percent of all the potential greenhouse gases attributed to the nearly 10,000 new units. The rest of the emissions would be addressed through onsite efforts, such as solar panels and electric car charging ports."
The plan is controversial, and the Sierra Club and other environmental organizations have filed a lawsuit to challenge the use of offsets. More details on the political debate, the development proposals, and the potential precedent for the rest of the state are included in the article.
FULL STORY: Should housing developers be allowed to pay their way out of climate pollution?

The Right to Mobility
As we consider how to decarbonize transportation, preserving mobility, especially for lower- and middle-income people, must be a priority.

Early Sharrow Booster: ‘I Was Wrong’
The lane marking was meant to raise awareness and instill shared respect among drivers and cyclists. But their inefficiency has led supporters to denounce sharrows, pushing instead for more robust bike infrastructure that truly protects riders.

Push and Pull: The Link Between Walkability and Affordability
The increased demand for walkable urban spaces could make them more and more exclusionary if cities don’t pursue policies to limit displacement and boost affordability.

Milwaukee County Makes Substantial Progress on Homelessness
In 2022, the county’s point-in-time count of unhoused people reflected just 18 individuals, the lowest per-capita in the country.

Opinion: Connecticut Vision Zero Bill A Step in the Right Direction
The proposed legislation could energize efforts to eliminate fatal crashes and fix the structural flaws that make roads inherently more dangerous.

Tacoma Developing New Housing Policy
The city’s Home in Tacoma plan is designed to address the region’s growth and rising housing prices, but faces local backlash over density and affordability concerns.
Town of Palm Beach
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
York County Government
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Fitchburg, WI
City of Culver City
Sonoma County Transportation Authority
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.