Tools for Revitalizing CA's Cities After Redevelopment

When California's 400 or so redevelopment agencies were shuttered in 2012, cities lost an essential tool for funding affordable housing and economic development. A new white paper from the ULI recommends new tools to stimulate balanced growth.

December 18, 2013, 12pm PST | Jonathan Nettler | @nettsj

"Having repealed the redevelopment authority of local governments two years ago, the state needs to implement an alternative method for improving communities and financing infrastructure and lower cost housing, the Urban Land Institute's California chapters say in a white paper."

"And it can be done, the 22-page document says, without threatening the operational finances of local and state governments," writes Dan Walters.

Though California's legislature has floated several ideas for resurrecting some form of redevelopment, no bill has been passed to date. ULI's panel of government officials, urban planners and consultants have weighed in with what they believe should be the top priorities for promoting economic development and building sustainable communities.

"At the top of the list of recommended new tools are the ability to assemble sites and negotiate sales, use of tax increment financing on a voluntary basis by affected taxing agencies, and the ability to deploy these tools with local control, flexibility, and accountability," notes Ron Heckmann in Urban Land.

Full Story:

Urban Land Institute wants to recreate California redevelopment

Published on Thursday, December 12, 2013 in The Sacramento Bee