Working Towards Environmentally Sustainable and Socially Equitable Growth in the San Francisco Bay Area
Challenge: Illustrating the Community and Climate Impacts of Our Built Environment
You Choose Bay Area is a strategic initiative led by Silicon Valley Community Foundation to help residents and community leaders make informed decisions about the building and growth that will shape the future environment, economy and everyday life in communities throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
Solution: Iterative Scenario Planning Demonstrates the Effects of Land Use and Transportation Choices
Calthorpe Analytics built and modeled regional scenarios to depict the land use and transportation choices facing the region and the consequences of those choices for a range of critical indicators. The scenarios explore how variations in jobs-housing mix, development patterns, and transportation investments impact land consumption, energy and water use, greenhouse gas emissions, fiscal impacts, and household costs.
Results: Public Education and Community Outreach Supports the Reduction of Carbon Emissions
The scenario choices, along with their environmental, fiscal, and social impacts, were presented via a dynamic website (www.youchoosebayarea.org), and at workshops held throughout the region in partnership with regional planning agencies. The project was integral to regional planning efforts, including the development of the Bay Area’s Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) mandated by Senate Bill 375, California’s groundbreaking climate legislation.
