EPA Recognizes Seven Communities for Smart Growth Achievement (including one in the Bay Area and one in LA County)

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized seven communities with its 2012 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement. The Smart Growth awards are given for creative, sustainable initiatives that better protect the health and the environment of our communities while also strengthening local economies.

The 2012 award winners are being recognized in four categories: Overall Excellence in Smart Growth, Equitable Development, Main Street or Corridor Revitalization, and Programs and Policies. This year’s winners and honorable mentions were selected from 47 applicants from 25 states. The winning entries were chosen based on their effectiveness in creating sustainable communities; fostering equitable development among public, private, and nonprofit stakeholders; and serving as national models for environmentally and economically sustainable development.  Specific initiatives include improving transportation choices, developing green, energy-efficient buildings and communities, and providing community members with access to job training, health and wellness education, and other services.

The 2012 winners are:

Overall Excellence - Winner
BLVD Transformation Project, Lancaster, California
The redesign of Lancaster Boulevard helped transform downtown Lancaster into a thriving residential and commercial district through investments in new streetscape design, public facilities, affordable homes, and local businesses. Completed after eight months of construction, the project demonstrates how redesigning a corridor guided by a strategic vision can spark new life in a community. The project has generated almost $300 million in economic output and nearly 2,000 jobs.

Equitable Development - Winner
Mariposa District, Denver, Colorado
The redevelopment of Denver’s historic and ethnically diverse La Alma/Lincoln Park neighborhood is turning an economically challenged area into a vibrant, transit-accessible, district. The community’s master plan preserves affordable housing while adding energy-efficient middle-income and market-rate homes. Because of extensive community engagement, development will include actions to improve the health of residents, reduce pollution, and control stormwater runoff.

Main Street or Corridor Revitalization - Winner
The Cooperative Building, Brattleboro, Vermont
The Brattleboro Food Co-op, the town’s only downtown food store, made a commitment to remain at its downtown location by constructing an innovative, four-story green building on Main Street with a grocery store, commercial space, offices, and affordable apartments. The Main Street location provides healthy food, new jobs, and housing within walkable distances of downtown businesses and public transit.

Programs and Policies - Winner
Destination Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Virginia
The city of Portsmouth revised its comprehensive plan and undertook a broad review of its development and land use regulations. As a result, Destination Portsmouth prepared a package of new plans, zoning ordinances, and other development policies in collaboration with community stakeholders. The overhaul of the city’s codes encourages development in targeted growth areas and helps businesses to locate in the city while also protecting the character of Portsmouth’s historic neighborhoods.

Equitable Development - Honorable Mention
Northwest Gardens, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Through safer streets, job training and education programs, and high-quality, affordable homes, the once struggling Northwest Gardens neighborhood is rapidly becoming a model for economic, environmental, and social sustainability. The redesigned neighborhood offers a range of energy-efficient, affordable housing choices and is one of the first communities in the nation to receive LEED for Neighborhood Development certification. A local housing authority program also provides disadvantaged youths with construction training as they complete their GEDs.

Main Street or Corridor Revitalization - Honorable Mention
Larkin District, Buffalo, New York
Community organizations and a local developer partnered with the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning to help revitalize the Larkin District, an old manufacturing district located one mile from downtown Buffalo. Architectural students worked with the developer and the city to create a master plan for an urban village that now features new office space, restaurants, apartments, parks, and plazas. New sidewalks, lighting, crosswalks, bicycle lanes, and bus shelters reduce pollution from vehicles by making walking, biking, and public transit more appealing.

Programs and Policies - Honorable Mention
Bay Area Transit-Oriented Affordable Housing Fund, San Francisco, California
The Bay Area Transit-Oriented Affordable Housing Fund is providing loans for developers to build affordable homes near public transportation. At this point, the fund has provided loans for a 153-unit high-rise for low-income families located two blocks from a major transit station, and for a 64-unit building for seniors close to a light rail station that will provide free transit passes for all residents.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/awards.htm

Vulnerability & Adaptation to Climate Change in California

The California Natural Resources Agency and the California Energy Commission have jointly released "Our Changing Climate 2012", the State’s third major assessment on climate change.  This report highlights California's specific vulnerabilities, few of which will be a surprise to anyone:

• The state’s electricity system is more vulnerable than was previously understood.
• The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is sinking, putting levees at growing risk.
• Wind and waves, in addition to faster rising seas, will worsen coastal flooding.
• Animals and plants need connected “migration corridors” to allow them to move to more suitable habitats to avoid serious impacts.
• Native freshwater fish are particularly threatened by climate change.
• Minority and low-income communities face the greatest risks from climate change.

The report maintains that there are effective ways to prepare for and manage climate change risks, but local governments face many barriers to adapting to climate change.

Read the complete report here.

Health Costs of Climate Change-Related Disasters in the US

Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, November 10, 2011

A study published in the November 2011 edition of Health Affairs is the first-of-its-kind to develop a uniform method of quantifying the associated health costs for extreme weather and disease events that are expected to be exacerbated by climate change.

The analysis spotlights six US case studies occurring between 2002 and 2009 that resulted in health costs exceeding $14 billion dollars:

• Florida hurricanes in 2004
• North Dakota floods in 2009
• California heat wave in 2006 and wild fires in 2003
• Nationwide ozone air pollution from 2000-2002
• West Nile virus outbreaks in Louisiana in 2002 (which were tied to warmer weather and changes in precipitation patterns)

Extreme climate-change related events are projected to increase in severity and frequency. Only 13 US states currently include public health measures in their climate-change adaptation plans.

Read more here.

Oakland City Council Adopts Energy and Climate Action Plan

On March 1st, Oakland's City Council adopted a resolution that accepts the city's first Energy and Climate Action Plan (ECAP)--with some of the strongest greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals of any city in the country--and directs the staff to proceed with appropriate California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review.

The February 22, 2011 Draft ECAP is available for review here.

The purpose of the ECAP is to identify and prioritize actions the City can take to reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions associated with Oakland. The ECAP recommends GHG reduction actions and establishes a framework for coordinating implementation, as well as monitoring and reporting on progress.

In July 2009, the Oakland City Council approved a preliminary GHG reduction target for the year 2020 of 36% below 2005 levels. The primary sources of Oakland’s GHG emissions are:

• Transportation and Land Use
• Building Energy Use
• Material Consumption and Waste

The ECAP outlines a ten year plan including more than 150 actions that will enable Oakland to achieve its target reduction and recommends a Three Year Priority Implementation Plan.

Read more here.  A video of the Council meeting is available here (skip to about 2:43:00 in the video for the ECAP agenda item).

Oakland City Council to Discuss Climate Action Plan

The Oakland City Council is holding a public meeting on Oakland's Energy and Climate Action Plan on Tuesday, March 30, from 5:30-8:30 at City Hall.

Click here for an overview of the ECAP development process.

Click here for a council meeting schedule.

Preliminary GHG Reduction Targets Topic of July 7th Oakland City Council Meeting

Consideration of preliminary planning targets for development of the draft Oakland Energy and Climate Action Plan (ECAP) is scheduled on the Oakland City Council agenda for July 7th, 2009. The Staff recommendation and accompanying report for this item have been posted to the City's website.

Agendas and additional information about past and upcoming meetings of the Oakland City Council and Council Committees are available on the City's website. The July 7th Oakland City Council meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:00 pm.

For those planning to attend, please see the posted meeting agenda for further information on when the ECAP item is likely to be considered during the meeting.

Berkeley Climate Action Plan Public Meeting

The Berkeley City Council is considering approval of the city's Climate Action Plan for the purpose of environmental review.

A public meeting will be held May 5, 2009 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm in the Council Chambers at 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Berkeley.

Read Berkeley's Climate Action Plan here: http://www.berkeleyclimateaction.org/Content/10056/ClimateActionPlan.html

Previously on the Northgate Sustainability Forum: Compendium of California Climate Action Plans.

Oakland Energy and Climate Action Plan

The City of Oakland is developing a community-wide Energy and Climate Action Plan to identify actions the City can take to help minimize energy use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the Oakland community.

On April 30th, the City will host a second round of public workshops for all members of the Oakland community to learn about and help shape the Plan.

Participants in this workshop will discuss potential energy and climate targets for the Oakland community and provide input on actions to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

Two identical workshops will occur on Thursday, April 30, 2009, from 3:00 to 5:00 pm and from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.

Meeting location:
Oakland City Hall
One Frank Ogawa Plaza (at 14th & Broadway)
Hearing Room 3

For more information on the Oakland Energy and Climate Action Plan, please visit www.sustainableoakland.com.

Compendium of California Climate Action Plans

Find out more about how California's cities and counties are addressing climate change by reading their sustainability and action plans.

Cities:

Alameda, Albany, Arcata, Berkeley, Benicia, Burbank, Davis, Fremont, Fresno, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Riverside, Sacramento, San Carlos, San Diego, San Francisco (city/county), San Jose, Santa Monica, Hayward, Martinez, Oakland, Sebastopol

Counties:

Alameda, Marin, Sonoma

Your favorite city or county not on the list?

Contact your city or county and ask why.

Oakland Energy & Climate Action Plan

Public Workshop ~ December 11, 2008

The City of Oakland Public Works Agency (PWA) had its first public workshop to identify, evaluate, and prioritize actions it can take to becoming a model sustainable city. The city intends to do this by reducing and optimizing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. The PWA, under direction of a sustainability coordinator, is drafting an Energy and Climate Action Plan (ECAP) that will be submitted to the Oakland City Council to clarify its policy and recommend priority actions.

The stages of the process include initial public input, early research and analysis, setting targets and objectives, plan development, plan presentation, and a comment period. The second public workshop will be in Spring 2009, with a goal of presenting the ECAP to the City Council in Fall 2009.

During the first meeting, the attendees were asked for input in four areas:

1. What do you see as the main purposes and benefits for Oakland by addressing climate change locally?
2. What should the City consider in deciding which greenhouse gas reduction actions to implement?
3. What actions should the City take to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions?
4. What other suggestions do you have that might help the City develop its ECAP?

Comments, questions, ideas, and suggestions can be forwarded to the city's Sustainability Coordinator, Garrett Fitzgerald:
City of Oakland, Public Works Agency
250 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Suite 5301
Oakland, California 94612
climateaction@oaklandnet.com

For more information, please visit http://www.sustainableoakland.com/