The Nation's Largest Growth Visioning Effort

But the biggest challenge may be getting the political leaders of each of the 183 cities and six counties in the region to put aside local interests and cooperate on a long-range plan that will balance the needs for open space, new housing units, job centers and improved transportation systems... The population boom also is expected to exacerbate the region's worsening housing crisis. When compared with other large metropolitan regions in the nation, Southern California has by far the highest rate of crowded housing at 20%... Under the Compass program, Southern California residents will be able to offer ideas for a long-range planning blueprint through the Internet (www.socalcompass.org), public workshops and community forums. SCAG consultants will use computer modeling to gauge how each planning scenario would increase or decrease the region's traffic, smog, open space and housing.

Thanks to Chris Steins