Dear Friends and Colleagues, Join us in reading June's issue of The Collaboration. This month's issue includes a Los Angeles Times Opinion piece on Climate Change by TLUC Board Member Cary Lowe; news updates on public transit and State budget cuts, funding for congestion pricing, a new subsidy for port drivers and the future of the Los Angeles River. TLUC is also proud to share exciting news on our recent Public Outreach award, presented by the American Planning Association, Los Angeles section. Sincerely,
Op-EdCalifornia Steamin' Sooner than you think, you're going to feel global warming in your own backyard. By Cary Lowe, CARY LOWE is a land-use lawyer and urban planning consultant who has served as an advisor to state and local government in California. Cary serves on the board of the Transportation and Land Use Collaborative. June 10, 2007 CLIMATE CHANGE is about to move from the headlines into the personal lives of Californians. While scientists continue to debate the probabilities of various worst-case scenarios - a 31-inch rise in sea level or an 8-degree jump in average temperatures by the year 2100 - few dispute that we face a future of potentially catastrophic environmental conditions if the proliferation of greenhouse gases isn't checked. In contrast to the federal government, which only recently recognized the human element in climate change after years of denial, state and local governments, as well as regional agencies, are devising policies that address global warming. Much of this activity is spurred by lawsuits and lobbying by environmental organizations that seek to compel public agencies to consider climate change when making decisions on land use, transportation projects, energy production and other issues.In California, seven high-profile suits have been filed, mostly by the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit organization based in Arizona. All challenge the legitimacy of environmental impact reports and permit approvals that do not analyze the effects that proposed developments might have on global warming. Most recently, the center, joined by the California attorney general, sued for that reason to block implementation of San Bernardino County's long-range land-use plan governing development, road construction, utility services and related issues. Developers, business groups, energy producers, water agencies and local governments are all trying to get out in front of the lawsuits and expected legislation on global warming. They recall the years of struggling to catch up with previous waves of environmental regulation, such as the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act. So far, California has led the way nationally with passage of a law requiring the rate of greenhouse gas emissions in the state to be cut to the 1990 level by 2020, a 25% reduction. Climate change will create uncertainty and conflict on a variety of fronts in California. Home construction will become more difficult and costly as its effects on climate change become a factor in the approval process. Already, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Natural Resources Defense Council have challenged three large residential projects in Riverside County and the Sacramento River Delta because the agencies that approved them did not consider their effects on global warming. If such suits prevail, developers will need to learn quickly how to minimize the climate change effects - the "carbon footprint" - of their projects by making them more energy efficient, less traffic generating and less dependent on water, among other things. Otherwise, they may face years of litigation, resulting in higher costs for some projects and abandonment of others. If sea levels rise 8 to 31 inches over this century, as predicted by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and if severe ocean storms become more common, as groups such as the Global Business Network have warned, development along California's coast will be further restricted or stopped altogether, in the same way it is occurring in the hurricane-prone Southeastern states. California's legendary water wars will intensify as parts of the state compete for reduced supplies caused by global warming. A study published by the National Academy of Sciences predicts higher temperatures and less precipitation inland, resulting in a reduced snowpack in the Sierra and diminished runoff that feeds the state's rivers, lakes and reservoirs. A study by the National Research Council expresses similar concerns about the Colorado River, a major water source for Southern California. Even though changing weather patterns are expected to increase coastal rainfall, a serious shortage of storage capacity there will allow much of the water to escape into the Pacific. A federal court in Sacramento has already blocked increased water deliveries from the Sacramento delta to the Central Valley and Southern California, saying the plan failed to address scientific predictions of reduced water supplies because of global warming and how that would affect the habitats of endangered species. California law requires developers of large housing projects to demonstrate the availability of long-term water supplies for those projects, and state lawmakers are proposing even tougher rules. The state Supreme Court recently halted development of a 6,000-acre community outside Sacramento because its developers could not guarantee water sources. If projections of less water availability because of global warming turn out to be true, this and similar developments may be a thing of the past. The power shortages that Californians endured in 2001 are likely to become commonplace as rising temperatures produce more frequent heat waves, boosting the demand for air conditioning. Unfortunately, existing electricity plants, especially those burning coal, are among the foremost generators of greenhouse gases. Tougher energy-efficiency standards in construction, better insulation and requirements for fluorescent lighting will help reduce demand for electricity. But until alternative energy sources fill the power gap, climate change will further strain power supplies and sharply raise living costs. The hotter, drier weather will greatly reduce - or even shut off - access to such popular recreational areas as the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains because of the heightened risk of wildfires. Just how dangerous it can be living in urban areas close to parklands was recently demonstrated by the Griffith Park and Catalina Island blazes. Fire officials already are placing stricter controls on development in such fire-prone areas, meaning that communities such as Lake Arrowhead and Idyllwild probably won't see more housing or tourist facilities. The Legislature is considering nearly 60 bills on global warming issues. The most prominent ones would require climate change analyses in water supply and transportation planning. The governor's office is drawing up regulations to implement the law mandating cuts in greenhouse gases. Meantime, the current lawsuits are heading toward decisions, and more suits will surely be filed. However it all plays out, land-use policy and development in California will be forever changed. For a link to the full article »
Brawl over sprawl June 18, 2007 Are objections to urban sprawl legitimate public policy concerns or just aesthetic snobbery? All week, author Robert Bruegmann and activist Gloria Ohland debate the shape of America's cities. Today, Bruegmann and Ohland address the social tensions over urban sprawl. Later this week, they'll debate Smart Growth, environmental concerns, modifying public behavior and more.
The State enforces Land Use Legislation to Tackle Urban Sprawl In related news, lawmakers and environmentalists have decided to utilize State Legislation (AB32) to tackle urban sprawl in California. Advocates argue that the state must rethink the kind of immense and far-flung housing developments that have defined California land-use patterns for decades. The global warming fight has given new ammunition to the battle against sprawl, which detractors argue creates more cars on the road and energy use and is therefore a key ingredient in the climate-change crisis that threatens the California coastline and snow pack. (Los Angeles Times) Attorney General Jerry Brown recently filed an unusual lawsuit against San Bernardino County over the county's recently adopted 25-year growth plan. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Did you know?Two-thirds of Los Angeles children do not live near a park, playground, or other safe place to play. The Trust for Public Land conducted a study in 2003 and found that in comparison to other mayor cities Los Angeles' Youth severely lack access to green. The Study found that New York City's parks are much more equitably distributed with more than 91 percent of its children living within walking distance of a park.* As the urban fabric of our region changes, we need to ensure that parks and open space are a part of creating a healthy, livable and sustainable communities. *Source: Hollywood Freeway Central Park Project
NewsTLUC Wins 2007 Los Angeles APA Public Outreach Award  From left to right: APA Rep. Jessie Barkley, South Gate Planning Commission President Abe Torres, TLUC Executive Director Monica Villalobos, South Gate Planning Commissioner Robert Machuca and South Gate Community Development Director Steve Lefever. On Tuesday, June 12th, the Los Angeles section of the American Planning Association awarded its 2007 Public Outreach Award to the South Gate General Plan 2030, a community visioning process led by the Transportation & Land Use Collaborative of Southern California (TLUC). The project was recognized for it's comprehensive and culturally inclusive outreach strategy. South Gate is a city of 103,000 people located in southeastern Los Angeles County. With a diverse population that is 90% Latino, the City reflects demographic trends characteristics of many Southern California communities. "South Gate General Plan 2030" is a long-term planning effort with an emphasis on public participation. The process has helped to bring a sense of optimism and civic pride to a City still rebounding from highly publicized political woes. The City's new leadership recognized a need to create a positive vision for the City's future, and retained TLUC to help lead the effort. Over the last 10 months TLUC organized and facilitated a series of five public workshops, focusing on topics such as density, population growth, housing, transportation, public safety, and economic development. These interactive events gave hundreds of South Gate residents the opportunity to shape the way their city will grow and develop over the next twenty years. Eleven guiding principles articulate and reaffirm the community's values and vision for achieving a greater South Gate in the years ahead. These include: A City that Grows; a Green City; A Family-Oriented City; Strong Neighborhoods; Transportation Choices; a Healthy Environment; and Community Participation.
Public-Transit Budget Cut Alert Los Angeles stands to loose from a recent proposal to transfer State transit funds. The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Transportation agreed on a proposal to transfer $1.3 billion from the Public Transportation Account to service bond obligations of the General Fund and pay for non-transit related services. This transfer threatens projects locally and throughout the state. Locally, Metro stands to lose $198 million, while Municipal Operators may lose as much as $31 million in State Transit Assistance Funds. We strongly encourage you to contact your elected representatives to voice your support for public transportation and your opposition to a funds transfer. Correspondence letters are available on the TLUC website.
International Solutions to Reducing Los Angeles Traffic Woes In 2003, London introduced a congestion pricing tax on private vehicles to curb traffic in the downtown area. Enforcement during the first year resulted in a 34% decline in cars and a 22% increase in bus activity. Josh Jackson of Good Magazine explains congestion pricing and its possible application in the U.S. New York Wins and Los Angeles Loses Bid for Congestion Pricing Funding The U.S. the Department of Transportation initiated a competition among large metropolitan cities for federal assistance with traffic busting programs. The federal grant required applicants to include some form of congestion pricing. New York City garnered attention with Mayor Bloomberg's aggressive congestion pricing plan to discourage vehicles from entering lower Manhattan during weekdays. Los Angeles, on the contrary, failed to qualify as semifinalist because the proposal lacked the grant required congestion pricing program. Port Drivers Steer Toward Clean-Truck Program In an effort to reduce pollution and comply with the Clean Air Action Plan, the Port of Los Angeles will offer subsidies to port drivers to retrofit their trucks to utilize cleaner burning diesels. Presently, port trucks emit 30%-40% of the air pollution attributed to port operations. Rail-Transportation to the Sea in Jeopardy despite MTA Fair Increases Los Angeles County transit officials approved fair increase on rail and bus transit for the first time in a decade. The new fair increase will give the MTA an additional $30 million in revenues; however a $1.8 billion deficit looms over the next decade. This threatens the future for rail extension projects planned for the Red, Green, Gold and Orange lines, as well as Phase II of the Expo Line. (Los Angeles Times) High Speed Rail Becomes Road Kill in Governor's Budget The reality of a 2.5 hour rail trip between Los Angeles and San Francisco remains a pipe-dream in the Governor's current budget proposal. The California High Speed Rail Authority requested $103 million to start detailed engineering work and purchase of rail right of ways, but they will receive only $5.2 million next year in the Governor's current budget proposal. In addition, the proposed $9.9 billion rail bond, slated for the November 2008 election, appears to be at risk of postponement for the third time. Mehdi Morshed, Executive Director of the High Speed Rail Authority, contends the governor's proposal could be a death sentence for bullet trains in California. (Sacramento Bee) City Council Approves Revitalization of Los Angeles River Embracing an ambitious and expensive vision, the Los Angeles City Council on May 10th approved a long-awaited blueprint for revitalizing the much-maligned Los Angeles River. The plan - which itself cost $3 million - calls for spending as much as $2 billion over the next half a century on more than 200 projects along the 31 miles of rive
Upcoming Events:PBI California Agenda: "Political Potpourri: A Review of California's Political Reform Issues" Thursday, June 21, 2007
California Endowment: From Sensitive to Competent: Botánicas, Traditional Medicine and Cultural Competency Wednesday, June 27 at 5:30 p.m. California Endowment will host a public conversation that explores the role of the botánicas as a principal or supplementary health care provider for thousands of individuals throughout Southern California. The botánica -- a tradition that connects physical health to spiritual well-being -- is part alternative health care facility and cultural gathering place, part religious supply house and spiritual center. Panelists for this discussion include Hector Flores, M.D., co-founder and medical director, Family Care Specialists Medical Group, East Los Angeles; David Hayes-Bautista, Ph.D., professor of medicine and director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at the School of Medicine, UCLA; and Beatriz Solís, M.P.H., Ph.D., senior program officer, The California Endowment. This event takes place in with the exhibition Worldly Roots & Local Healers: Botánicas & Herbal Medicine in Los Angeles.
ULI Young Leaders Group: Sustainable Development Crawl (and Happy Hour) June 23, 2007 This unique event will give you the opportunity to actually tour some of the most important and groundbreaking development, construction, and adaptive reuse projects in the city of LA. Not only will you get the chance to get an inside, VIP tour of these otherwise closed off and private projects, but you will be able to learn from representatives, from the developers and decision makers of the projects on what makes these projects actually sustainable, and possible. These discussions and tours will hit on such topics as; green building techniques, LEED certification, sustainable planning and design, urban infill situations, adaptive reuse, transit oriented development, as well as financing these types of projects, marketing them, and pricing as well.
ULI: Master Plan for the Los Angeles River Enjoy a summer evening at the Los Angeles River Center & Gardens and learn more about the Master Plan for the Los Angeles River.
CCAPA Conference and Registration September 30th – October 3rd The California Chapter presents a statewide conference annually that provide networking and educational opportunities for its members. These popular conferences attract planning professionals from throughout California, the United States, and around the world. Conferences include an opening reception in a spectacular venue, keynote speakers, concurrent tracks of programs and seminars including practical "nuts and bolts" sessions, mobile workshops to local planning related venues, the CCAPA awards luncheon, and the California Planning Foundation auction to fund scholarships for planning students.
Los Angeles Business Council Sustainability Summit July 18, 2007 Capitalizing on Green Business: Incentives, Opportunities and Solutions Featuring: The Honorable Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor, City of Los Angeles; The Honorable Eric Garcetti, President, Los Angeles City Council; Ray Anderson, Founder and Chairman, Interface, Inc; Bill Browning, Senior Fellow, Rocky Mountain Institute (invited); Jonathan Ratner, Director of Sustainability Initiatives, Forest City Enterprises. Partners: The UCLA Institute for the Environment, The City of Los Angeles Planning Department and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Wednesday, July 18 , 2007 For more information about the event and about registration »
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