Bill Fulton says that California's new smart growth and climate change law doesn't really contain any new ideas, and it's unlikely to make a huge difference in California's growth patterns all by itself.
"The newspapers have been calling California's smart growth and climate change bill"precedent setting," but it's got nary a new idea in it. If you peel back the layers, you've got what old-timers like me call a "growth management law" – one that ties transportation funding to growth patterns.
The ideas in SB 375 -- which has passed the Assembly and appears certain to be signed by Gov. Schwarzenegger -- have been kicking around Sacramento for 20 years. The question now whether SB 375 – combined with all the other darned laws we already have in place here in California – will actually influence the state's growth patterns.
It's important to remember, however, that SB 375 is only one of several state laws and policies dealing with growth – and unless the Schwarzenegger administration is serious about using all of them consistently, the impact of the new law is likely to be reduced."
Thanks to Bill Fulton
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