HomeMy WebLinkAbout3.2 CompactSustainBayArea CITY CLERK
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AGENDA STATEMENT
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: November 6, 2001
SUBJECT:
Draft Compact for a Sustainable Bay Area
· (Report Prepared by deri Ram, Planning Manager)
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Draft Compact for a Sustainable Bay Area
2. Draft letter from the CitY Council to the Bay Area Alliance for
Sustainable Development
RECOMMENDATION:
Receive Staff Report and Presentation from Surlene Grant
Deliberate
Authorize Mayor to Sign Letter to Bay Area Alliance for
Sustainable Development (Attachment 2)
FINANCIAL STATEMENT:
Approval of the draft Compact will not have an immediate financial impact on the City. However, if
several of the Commitments in the draft Compact are incorporated into the Final Compact, and those
Commitments are implemented, there would be a long-term fiscal impact on the City.
DESCRIPTION:
The Bay Area Alliance for Sustainable Development ("BAASD") has prepared a draft "Compact for a
Sustainable Bay Area" (Attachment 1). Surlene G. Grant, Local Government Liaison for the BAASD has
transmitted a request to the City Council asking for their feedback on the draft Compact. The BAASD
would like the City Council to support the draft Compact by letter or approval of a Resolution of Support.
The BAASD is a multi-jurisdictional alliance that was established in 1997. Its mission is to develop and
implement a sustainability action plan for the Bay Area. Members of the Alliance include, but are not
limited to Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District, ABAG, Bay Area Council, Greenbelt Alliance,
Homebuilders Association of Northern California, League of Women Voters of the Bar Area, Nature
Conservancy, PG&E, Sierra Club, Urban Ecology and others (see Attachment 1 for complete list).
Process:
The Draft Compact was presented to ABAG in April 1999. It was then modified and introduced to other
member organizations and stakeholders. It has been modified to reflect the second review and is now
being introduced to jurisdictions in the Bay Area. It is the BAASD's desire to complete the public review
COPIES TO:
In-House Distribution
BAASD
ITEM NO.
of the draft Compact, incorporate comments obtained during the public review, obtain a regional
consensus and then prepare the Final Compact. Materials provided indicate that after there is regional
consensus and the Final Compact is prepared, it would be implementable. It is the BAASD's hope that
the Final Compact will become a foundation for implementation actions by the public and private sections
at local, State and National levels.
As part of the process, the BAASD is making presentations to the various Bay Area jurisdictions on the
draft Compact. Surlene G. Grant is the Local Government Liaison for BAASD and a Councilmember of
the City of San Leandro. She will make a presentation on the draft Compact at the CitY Council meeting.
The BAASD has also requested that the City Council take action by letter or resolution to support the
draft Compact at the meeting. Ms. Grant has indicated to Staff that BAASD is in the final stages of their
effort to receive support from the local jurisdictions and would appreciate a decision on the draft Compact
from the City Council.
Draft Compact:
The Draft Compact is based on the vision of integration of the "Three Es of Sustainable Development:
prosperous economy, quality environment, and social equity. Using this vision as a basis, the Compact
contains ten Commitments to action as follows (please see Attachment 1 for complete text):
Enable a diversified, sustainable and competitive economy to continue to prosper and provide jobs
in order to achieve a high quality of life for all Bay Area Residents. This Commitment looks at
encouraging policies that promote green businesses, enhancing the region's strength, while
protecting the environment, the relationship of a living wage and sustainability, jobs housing
balance and social equity.
In general, this Commitment is consistent with City of Dublin's programs and policies. The City
is working towards a jobs housing balance and we participate with other jurisdictions in promoting
policies that protect the environment. In general, other than in the areas of housing, the City does
not have specific policies relating to social equity.
o
Accommodate sufficient housing affordable to all income levels within the Bay Area to match
population increases and job generation. The items listed under this Commitment are extensive
and range from advocacy for a range of housing in communities to advocating changes in State
and Federal legislation to provide incentives for the development of affordable housing.
This particular Commitment is broad reaching and similar to policies that the City of Dublin
currently has in place or is developing.
Target transportation investment to achieve a world-class comprehensive, integrated and
balanced multi-modal system that supports efficient land use and decreases dependency on single-
occupancy vehicle trips. The City's policies are generally consistent with the Commitments in
this area. The items include supporting transportation services that support compact development,
supporting efforts to improve the efficiency, reliability and affordability of regional transportation
services, and advocating safe and convenient bicycle and pedestrian facilities to link residential,
commercial and recreational and transit service facilities.
The Commitment also contains an item that states: "Support the continuing efforts to MTC to
conduct an equity analysis of the Regional Transportation Plan process and to consider the social
equity impact of new transportation investment." This type. of policy could have the effect of
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changing the way in which funding for regional transportation projects is allocated and could
therefore have an impact to the City of Dublin in relationship to the funding and programming of
projects in the City or on area highways.
Preserve and restore the region's natural asset, including San Francisco Bay, farmland, open
space, other habitats, and air and water quality. This Commitment includes supporting urban
growth boundaries, implementation of strategies to reduce water pollution, supporting a public-
private partnership to improve the efficiency of environmental regulation, developing plans to set
priorities for natural resource preservation, supporting an open space initiative/regional bond
measure, and coordinate land acquisition efforts with environmental and community based
organizations.
The issues discussed in this Commitment are generally consistent with Dublin policies. However,
the Commitment supports a more proactive environmental presence than the City currently
maintains.
Use resources efficiently, eliminate pollution and reduce waste. This Commitment encourages
local and regional recycling, the encouragement of high quality and green building materials,
seeks tax and other incentives and work to eliminate existing disincentives, to encourage producers
and consumers to minimize the enVironmental impact associated with their energy and resource
use, and encourage more resource efficient production and construction processes.
The City of Dublin currently works with businesses and the community on recycling. We also
work with the construction industry to require recycling of construction waste. Staff also works
with new development to encourage energy efficient designs.
Focus investment to preserve and revitalize neighborhoods. This Commitment addresses what
jurisdictions can do to support nbighborhoods in need of revitalization. This includes programs
that include the Community Investment Program, supporting economic development efforts,
ensuring that' new industrial development is compatible with neighborhood and community needs,
and working with businesses in impoverished neighborhoods.
The City of Dublin presently supports this Commitment to the extent applicable. The City's Code
Enforcement program helps to preserve neighborhoods, we have an active economic development
program to both bring in new business and preserve existing businesses.
Provide all residents with the opportunity for quality education and lifelong learning to help them
meet their highest aspirations. This Commitment involves supporting local schools and school
reform programs, State and local school bond measures that are consistent with sustainable
development, encouraging parental and community involvement, advocating stable and equitable
funding for all schools, and supporting targeted efforts, including increased funding, to improve
school performance in the poorest neighborhoods.
The City of Dublin presently'supports the Dublin Unified School District in the areas suggested in
the draft Compact. The most recent example of this support was the Computers for our Schools
Program..There are elements in the Commitment relating to funding where the impact to the City
is unknown.
8. Promote healthy and safe communities. It appears that this Commitment is focused more towards
aging urban and suburban areas that are being challenged to break the cycle of community decline.
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It calls for Dublin to work with the Bay' Area Partnership and others to ensure residents of all
communities have access to health care and community facilities. It also supports community
policing, bay area leadership in family planning, and support enhancing human services for
families, youth and children.
This is an area in which the City has shown support by targeting CDBG monies for agencies that
provide services for special needs groups.
Implement local government fiscal reforms and revenue sharing. The BASD would advocate for
changes in legislation and practices at the State, region and local level to reduce competition
between jurisdictions for development, reduce economic polarization in the region, and increase
cooperation. The changes in legislation would support reforms that reduce the fiscalization of land
use, support expansion and strengthening of sub-regional and regional cooperative land-use
planning and implementation efforts, encourage local governments to work together to determine
how to allocate and share tax revenues, and establish cooperative, rather than Competitive,
economic development programs at the subregional and regional levels.
Implementation of this Commitment would likely result in major changes to the level of service
the City provides to the community. The Commitment advocates regional and subregional
planning and revenue sharing between jurisdictions. It also includes actions that involve
supporting legislation directed towards implementing the. Commitment. Approval of the draft
Compact with this Commitment would commit the City towards working towards policies that
would have land use and fiscal impacts to the City.
10.
Stimulate civic engagement. The BAASD commits to work towards improving civic engagement
by establishing means of conversing and cooperating across racial, cultural, age and class lines and
jurisdictional boundaries. The BAASD Commitment addresses ways in to eliminate obstacles to
civic engagement such as providing childcare, youth program and elder care. They also support
working with schools to understand the concepts expressed in the draft Compact. The
Commitment encourages local governments to consider the regional impact of their local
decisions.
In general, this Commitment is Consistent with current Dublin policies and actions. The City
works with the schools, participates in many regional committees, reaches out to the community
on local and regional issues.
Implementation:
The BAASD has developed a set of indicators with which they will measure the impact of the
implementation of the Final Compact. They are also developing a compilation of Best Practices in.
relation to Smart Growth for communities, businesses and households to promote smart growth and
sustainable development.
In addition to the Draft Compact, the BAASD and five Regional Agencies (ABAG, MTC, BAAQMD,
RWQCB, and BCDC) have joined together to develop the Smart Growth Strategy and Regional Livability
Footprint. The Regional Livability Footprint works towards implementing some of the goals identified in
the draft Compact.
The BAASD is also working on the Community Capital Investment Initiative to attract private investment
into neighborhoods that need assistance in partnership with the community.
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Conclusion:
Many of the Commitments contained in the draft Compact are areas in which the City's policies are
consistent, for example, supporting affordable housing, schools, civic engagement, preserving our
neighborhoods, recycling, promoting a healthy and safe community and using resources efficiently. There
are Commitments, however, that would be substantive changes in the City's policies.
The three Es of Sustainable Development, as proposed by the draft Compact are prosperous economy,
quality environment, and social equity. This vision would be implemented by Commitments that rely
upon regionalism in transportation and land use planning and revenue sharing. Funding decisions by
regional agencies for transportation projects may impact the City's ability to complete planned projects.
Land use planning may become more regional, based on social equity concerns and revenue sharing.
While the draft Compact is in general an agreement on broad policy ideas that could be implemented in
each jurisdiction, the strength of the draft Compact for implementing the Vision appears to be from
regional planning and supporting legislation to implement revenue-sharing.
The BAASD has asked that the City Council take action on the draft Compact. That action could be by a
resolution of support or letter of support. Staff suggests that the City Council may want to send the
attached letter to BAASD indicating their concerns with items in the draft Compact, but also indicating
the City Council's support for many of the broad policies.
Recommendation:
Staff recommends that the City Council receive the Staff Report and presentation from Surlene Grant,
deliberate and authorize the Mayor sign the attached letter to the BAASD expressing support for areas of
the draft Compact and expressing concerns in the areas of regionalism in transportation and land use
planning and revenue sharing.
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5
e-vision
DRAFT COMPAC'T FOR A SUSTAINABLE BAY AREA
SUSTAINABLE
;~TTACFtMENTI
BAY AREA ALLIANCE FOR .DEVELOPMENT
"We envision a Bay Area where the natural environment is vibrant, healthy and safe; where the
economy is robust and globally competitive; and where ail citizens have equitable opportunities
to share in the benefits of a quaLity environment and prosperous economy."
Bay Area Alliance for Sustainable Development, 1997
Bay Area Alliance for
Post Office Box 2050
Oakland California 94604-2050
Sustainable
Development
Voice: (510) 464-7978
Fax: (51'0) 464-7970
July 2000
-Dear Bay Area Friends:
We are pleased to present the Draft Compact forA Sustainable Bay Area (Draft Compact) and to invite
your active engagement in shaping the £mal version of this document. The purpose of the Draft
Compact is to encourage and facilitate a regional conversation about a sustainable future for the Bay
Area. It is important to underscore the fact that this is a DRAFT.
In order to facilitate a more productive discussion and a greater likelihood of.regional consensus, the
member organizations of the Bay Area Alliance for Sustainable Development along with many other
participants have worked diligently to reach "agreement in principle" on the Draft Compact. We are
particularly grateful to the county and city officials participating in the 1999 and 2000 General
Assemblies of the Association of Bay Area Governments for considering and voting upon the initial
draft and deliberating strategies for implementation. Our efforts are intended to be a helpful starting
point to engage in a meaningful discussion that will lead to conclusions and actions. There will be a
series of public workshops and meetings to review and refine this Draft Compact before it is finalized.
We welcome your feedback and input through the workshopsand the response survey, which is
available on paper or on-line.
The Draft' Compact identifies key regional challenges and recommends a package of strategic
· commitments to meet those challenges to put the Bay Area on a more sustainable path. The Draft
Compact embraces and employs e-vision--integrating the essential Three Es of Sustainable
Development in order to achieve and maintain a prosperous economy, quality emvironment, and
social equity. Hence the design of the cover, with the word "linking" connecting the Three Es to con-
vey the,concept of integration.
This Draft Compact also is a commitment by member organizations of the Bay Area Alliance to take
specific steps extending over the next quarter century. It is envisioned that the final Compact will be
an action plan to guide government, employers, civic organizations and individuals in cooperative
efforts that will lead to a more sustainable region.
We recognize that full implementation of the strategies and actions in this document will not ensure
that the Bay Area will be sustainable. However, such action would'be a large step in the right direc-
tion. By working together and simultat~eously considering social equity, environmental quality, and
economic prosperity, we will leave a more sustainable future for generations to come in the Bay Area.
Sincerely,
/
Carl Anthony
Executive Director
Urban Habitat Program
William I. CarroLl
President
Association of Bay Area Governments
Robert L. Harris
Vice President Environmental Affairs
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Sunne Wright McPeak
President and CEO
Bay Area Council
Michele Perrault
International Vice President
Sierra Club
The Bay Area's vibrant economy, spectacular environmental resources, cultur-
al' amenities, educati..°nat institutions, and the rich diversity of the population
make this region a unique and special place. As many growing regions, however,
the Bay Area is undergoing rapid changes and facing serious challenges. Traffic
congestion, long commutes and overburdened transit systems, the lack of suffi-
cient housing and skyrocketing housing' costs, loss of open space, declining
neighborhoods, air and water pollution and the increasingly inequitable distri-
bution of the benefits of our thriving economy are interrelated problems that
require integrated solutions. Sustaining the region's environment and economy
in a way that ensures equity for all residents requires innovative thinking and
"e-vision"--a balanced, integrated, inclusive, collaborative approach.
e-vision
"We have to be successful if we want
to achieve our own dreams and to
provide even greater opportunities
for our children."
Supervisor 3irn Bea[[
Santa CLara County
Chair, MetropoLitan
Transportation Commission
e-vision is a vision of the future that integrates the Three Es of Sustainable
Development (Three Es): prosperous economy, quality environment, and
social equity, e-vision is inclusive of all stakeholders; and celebrates the region's
diverse social, environmental, and economic strengths.
Bay Area Al'fiance for
,Sustainabte Development
The Bay Area Alliance for Sustainable Development (Bay Area Alliance) is a
multi-stakeholder coalition established in 1997 to develop and implement a sus-
tainability action plan for the Bay Area. The Bay Area Alliance has embraced the
United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development defini-
tion of sustainable development as the ability "... to meet the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs."
The overall g0al of the Bay Area Alliance is to reach consensus regionwide among
a crkical mass of stakeholder organizations and civic leaders regarding a new
shared vision rooted in common values about how the region can grow in a
more sustainable manner. The overarching strategy is to achieve the regionwide
consensus on a new shared vision through the development and adoption of a
"compact" that can become the foundation for implementation actions by both
the public and private sectors at the local, regional, state and national levels.
"Sustainable development has to be a
stakeholder-driven process."
Larry Kotb
Acting Executive Officer,
San Francisco Bay Regional
Water Clua[ity Control Board
4 DRAFT COMPACT FOR A SUSTAINABLE BAY AREA
The Bay Area Alliance is committed to facilitating a regionwide dialogue on how
the region can grow in a more sustainable manner, and to taking actions com-
mensurate with achieving that goal. In all activities and deliberations the Bay
Area Alliance is employing e-vision, integrating the essential Three lis of sus-
tainability in order to achieve and maintain a prosperous economY, quality
environment, and social equity.
Draft Compact for a
Sustainable Bay Area
"The Vision is right on... the
Commitments are great. We need
o vehicle to achieve good, strong,
sustainable land use practices."
Supervisor Mike Nevin
San Morea County
Chair, Bay Area Air Quality
Management District
"We are one region. The problems
we share don't stop at county
boundaries or city fimit lines.
Dirty air doesn't stop at these
jurisdictions. We need to participate
in regional solutions."
Supervisor Wi[tiara Carrot[
Solana' County
President, AsgocSation of Bay
Area Governments
The purpose of the Draft Compact for A Sustainable Bay Area (Draft Compact) is
to invite and encourage a regional conversation about how the BayArea can grow
in a more sustainable manner. It is important to underscore the fact that it is a
DRAFT.
The Draft Compact identifies key regional challenges and recommends a package
of ten strategic commitments to meet those challenges to put the Bay Area on
a more sustainable path. This Draft Compact is a commitment by member organ-
izations to take specific steps over the next quarter century. It is also a proposed
action plan to guide cooperative efforts that will lead to a more sustainable
region.
This Draft Compact recommends strategies and actions that move toward the
essential Three lis of' sustainability: prosperous economy, quality environment,
and social equity. All are equally important and interdependent. The Three Ils
also represent different constituencies in the Bay Area that, along with local and
regional governments, have the ability to accomplish the recommended actions.
Each constituency views every strategy and action through its particular lens or
point of view. The recommendations in the Draft Compact will have a positive
effect on all Three lis.
This Draft Compact calls for actions by business, community and civic organiza-
tions, individuals, and government to bring about the vision. It will be especially
important for everyone to consider decisions from the perspectives of all Three
lis-economy, environment, equity.
Initial Input from Local Officials
The Bay Area Alliance for Sustainable Development initially presented this Draft
Compact to the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) General Assembly
in April 1999. Since then, it has been revised to reflect input received from ABAG,
other member organizations and stakeholders, and other participants. The Draft
Compact and the work of the Bay Area Altiance helped shape the discussion at
ABAG's General Assembly in April 2000, which was co-sponsored by the Urban
Land Institute, and for which the theme was Smart Growth: Rhetoric to Reality.
The Draft Compact is now ready for broader review.
INTRODUCTION 5
Public Review to Shape Final Compact
The Bay Area Alliance for Sustainable Development will seek input from Bay
Area leaders and the public to refine the Draft Compact: and develop consensus
on the recommended actions. Through workshops in each Bay Area county, a
website, and other means, the Bay Area Alliance will make the Draft Compact:
widely available for review. The input received will be used to finalize the
Compact before submitting it to the member organizations for approval and
implementation. Your involvement and participation will make a difference in
the future of the region.
l 'he Bay Area Alliance for 'Sustainable Development adopted in lune 1997 the
following Vision:
Ii;, envision a Bay Area where the natural environment is vibrant, healthy and~
where the economy is robust and globally competitive, and where alt citizensI
ave equitable opportunities to share in the benefits of a quality environment]
nd a prosperous economy." Bay Area ALliance for Sustainable Development, 3une 1997J
The members of the Bay Area Alliance for Sustainable Development agree that a
sustainable Bay Area must have the following attributes:
Environmental quality is excellent.
· The Bay Area ecosystem--including the Bay-Delta Estuary, air quality, wet-
lands and watersheds, and biodiversity--is healthy, vibrant, and productive.
' Open space and agriculture are preserved as a result of efficient, compact land
use patterns.
· Resources are conserved and waste is eliminated.
"The Vision of the Bay Area Alliance
describes a place where most people
would want to live. We need to act
now to protect the quality of the
environment, continue the robust
economy and ensure equitable
opportunities for all."
Wilt Travis
Executive Director,
[lay Conservation and
Development Commission
The economy is prosperous.
· The regional economy is robust, and productivity is high.
· Unemployment rates are low, and poverty levels are decreased. '
· Sufficient housing affordable to the workforce is available close to job centers.
· Economic well being and quality of life are high in all neighborhoods.
· Traffic congestion is greatly reduced. There is a first-rate public transportation
system including water transit, and the percentage of single occupant vehicle
trips significantly declines.
The diverse segments of the population share the region's economic prosperity
and environmental quality.
· Education performance is greatly improved, especially among the disadvan-
taged population.
· Strategic capital investments in priority neighborhoods, in partnership with
local neighborhood leaders, improve the physical and social environment,
provide living-wage jobs, and enhance housing opportunities for neighbor-
hood residents.
· The workforce in all sectors and civic leadership'throughout the region reflect
the diversity of the population.
· Land-use planning, economic development and the transportation network
minimize disparities among neighborhoods and municipalities.
The sustainable vision is possible, starting now and continuing over the next
quarter century.
The Bay Area is one of the world's most desirable places to live'and work. It has
a robust and expanding economy. It is a gateway to the Pacific Rim. It.has
internationally-known institutions of higher learning. It has a richly-diverse
population. It has a climate that is among the best in the nation. And it has nat-
ural resources whose beauty is unmatched anywhere in the world.
But the Bay Area also faces maior challenges to a prosperous economy, quality
environment, and social equity. These challenges are interconnected and must be
addressed comprehensively.
Sustainable economy. The Bay Area economy has not been immune to
recession. In the 1990s, the region experienced the most significant recession
since the Great Depression. In aggregate, the recovery from this recession has
gone very well. But many people have been left out of the recovery. The gap
between the "haves" and "have-nots" has grown in the region. Many workers
earn less than a living wage.
Housing supply. People travel increasing distances between home and
work, leading to traffic congestion, personal stress and excessive time away
from families. Housing prices are among the highest in the nation, adding
to the problem of homelessness and causing Bay Area workers to live out-
side the region. Decent, affordable, safe and accessible housing should be
available to all Bay Area residents.
Transportation system. Historical expansion of the freeway system in the
Bay Area has reinforced low-density vehicle-dependent suburban develop-
ment and more congestion. While funding priorities have shifted in recent
years, public transit systems throughout the Bay Area are not sufficiently
coordinated and do not provide adequate service, which is'especially a hard-
ship in low-income areas.
San Francisco Bay, habitats, farmland, open space and other natural
assets. Prevailing low-density patterns of development separate homes from
job centers, services and other destinations. These patterns are wasting
resources, eating up open space, wildlife habitat and farmland, and threat-
ening San Francisco Bay, the region's biodiversity and human health
through the degradation of air and water quality.
Resource use. Inefficient practices of production and consumption cause
pollution and threaten the future prosperity of the economy.
Neighborhood integrity. The movement of job centers away from inner
city neighborhoods and older suburbs is resulting in concentrations of
poverty, deteriorated housing, a lack of adequate job training, public tran-
sit and other services, and a growing disparity of incomes between the rich
and poor.
Educational system. The quality of the K-12 education system has deterio-
rated to the point where the region is no longer among national educational
"The growing economic gap between
the rich and the poor is leading to
concentrated poverty in inner dries
and older suburbs. All neighborhoods
and communities should hove a fair
share of the benefits as well as the
responsibilities of growth."
Carl Anthony
Executive Director,
Urban Habitat Program
"Without a quality environment and
sodat equity, a prosperous economy
is a short term phenomenon."
Robert Harris
Vice President Environmental
Affairs, Pacific Gas and
Electric Company
DRAFT COMPACT FOR A SUSTAINABLE BAY AREA
"Our Bay Region environment is
in jeopardy and in some 'ways
declining. The Bay Area Alliance
draft Compacf makes a promising
start on addressing these challenges
in ways that are consistent with
economic prosperity and
soda[ equity."
Sherman Lewis
Sierra Ctub
"If not well planned, growth can
degrade our cities and the
environment, 'which threatens
economic conditions. We stand
firmly on the side of planning for
growth that fueLs economic
prosperity, environmenta[ protection
and equitable opportunities and
benefits--in short~ planning that
protects quality of life."
Candace Skarlatos
Senior Vice President,
Director Environmental.
Initiatives, Bank of America
leaders. The current educational system no longer provides an adequately-
prepared workforce, and the future of the region's children is at risk.
8. Community health and safety. Declining inner city neighborhoods and
older suburbs have experienced increasing crime and safety concerns. These
issues are often exacerbated by environmental degradation in the same areas
leading to increasing levels of health-related problems. People move away
from unsafe and unhealthy communities, thereby increasing the rate of
decline of the community.
9. Local government finance. Because of unreliable sources of funds, local
governments often plan land uses that compete with other jurisdictions in
order to increase revenues to meet growing demands for social and other
municipal services. The result is a growing financial challenge, particularly
for inner cities and older suburbs.
10. Civic engagement. Increasing geographic and cultural separation among
people of different races, classes, and cultures and a lack of understanding
of the dynamics of growth have resulted in a decline of a common civic con-
science. People who are stressed by poverty, tong commutes, and lack of
support networks have little time for involvement in their neighborhoods
and communities. Without established mechanisms for ongoing dialogue
and policy development, we cannot address emerging regional challenges
effectively and equitably.
If present trends continue, the Bay Area quality of life will deteriorate. But trends
are not destiny. A more sustainable future is possible through the cooperation of
the constituencies of the Three Esmeconomy, environment, equity--working in
partnership with government at all levels.
This Draft Compact for a Sustainable Bay Area contains specific Commitments to
Action to address the major challenges to achieving a more sustainable region.
The overall goal of the Bay Area Alliance for Sustainable Development is to
achieve more sustainable growth and a smarter land use pattern in the region.
Thus, although reaching regional consensus on a final Compact for a Sustainable
Bay Area will be an important milestone, there must be an ultimate focus on
implementation.
The impact of implementation will be measured regularly using the indicators
included in Appendix A of this Draft Compact document. The Bay Area Alliance is
also developing a compilation of"best practices" for communities, businesses, and
individual households to promote sustainable development and smart growth.
In addition, the Bay Area Alliance has launched a Regional Livability Footprint
Project to facilitate regional consensus on how the Commitments in the Draft
Compact for. a Sustainable Bay Area relate to land use. The Regional Livability
Footprint Project is being coordinated with the work of the regional agencies on
smart growth to develop an "alternative growth scenario" for the Regional Trans-
portation Improvement Plan. There wil~ be an extensive public participation
process to reach regional consensus on a preferred Regional Livability Footprint
for the future. For more information on how you can get involved, please contact
the Bay Area Alliance at (510) 464-7978 or www. BayAreaAlliance.org.
A high-priority implementation strategy for the Bay Area Alliance is the
Community Capital Investment Initiative to attract private investment into the
poorest neighborhoods in partnership with the community. The Community
Capital Investment InitiatiYe is intended to simultaneously tackle poverty with
market-based solutions and promOte smart growth. Work on this Initiative will
provide valuable real-time information and practical lessons on the potential for
inffll, land recycling, and neighborhood revitalization as strategies for sustain-
able development.
,"Without a regional vision and
strategy, law-income communities
have the most to lose. Involving
these communities in regional
planning processes will improve
the quati~y of lffe for att."
Luis Arteaga
Associate Director,
Latino Issues Forum
T his Draft Compact for a Sustainable Bay Area contains specific Commitment~
to Action to address the major challenges to achieving a sustainable region.
The members of the Bay Area Alliance for Sustainable Development propose the
following framework for bold action. The ten strategic commitments are inextri-
cably interconnected, and they are directly linked to the previous ten challenges..
The order of listing is not intended to imply a priority.
9.
10.
1. Enable a diversified, sustainable and competitive economy to
continue to prosper and provide jobs in order to achieve a high
quality of life for all Bay Area residents.
2. Accommodate sufficient housing affordable to all income levels
within the Bay Area to match population increases and job
generation.
3. Target transportation investment to achieve a world-class com-
prehensive, integrated and balanced multi-modal system that
supports efficient land use and decreases dependency on single-
occupancy vehicle trips.
4. Preserve and restore the region's natural assets, including San
Francisco BaY, farmland, open space, other habitats, and air and
water quality.
5. Use resources efficiently, eliminate pollution and significantly
reduce waste.
6. Focus investment to preserve and revitalize neighborhoods.
7. Provide all residents with the opportunity for quality education
and lifelong learning to help them meet their highest aspirations.
Promote healthy and safe communities.
Implement local government fiscal reforms and revenue sharing.
Stimulate civic engagement.
These Ten Commitments to Action form the centerpiece of the Draft Compact for
a Sustainable Bay Area. The Draft Compact sets forth an overview statement and
specific actions associated with each of the ten commitments.
12 DRAFT COMPACT FOR A SUSTAINABLE BAY AREA
"The foundation of smart growth is
a strong economy. Smart growth
strategies definitely are not business
as usuaL The challenge is to ensure
they make business sense."
Robert L. Duffy
Vice President,
A.T. Kearney, Inc.
Enabte a Diversified, Sustainable and COmpetitive Economy to
Con,hue to prosper and Provide 3obs in order to Achieve a High
Qu~htY of Life .for AIl Bay'Area Residents.
The Bay Area'Alliance will work to strengthen the regiorial economy to
reduce the aggregate effect of future' global, national, state or regional reces-
sions. We will seek to ensure that all sectors of the Bay Area population have
the opportunity to participate in the region's growing economic prosperity.
We commit ourselves to:
· Support and lead collaborative actions to enhance the region's eco-
nomic strengths and minimize its weaknesses while ensuring its com-
parative advantage, protecting the environment and improving social
equity.
· .Encourage businesses in environmental technologies, material recy-
cling, energy efficiency, brownfields reuse and those that employ the
disadvantaged.
· Participate in discussions on: growth and sustainability; the nature and
quality of jobs in the region; the relationship of a living wage and sus-
tainability; and strategies to Promote a living wage without affecting
competitive position, '
· .Encourage the location of jobs near places where workforce housing
exists, and link 'jobs and housing with convenient, affordable transit
service.
· Link employer-based workforce development.to the schools, including
technical and vocational schools.
"The. Bay Area needs a coordinated
strategy dedicated to affordable
housing development and
neighborhood revitalization."
Lynette 3un§ Lee
Executive Dkector,
East Bay Asian Local
Development Corporation
Accommodate Sufficient Housing Affordabte to Att Income
Levels within the Bay Area to Match Population Increases and
3ob Generation. '
The Bay Area Alliance wilt work to protect and expand the supply of hous-
ing that is needed by and affordable to all residents. Actions will be taken to
promote housing the most needy, current and future workers of all income
levels in locations near transit, community services and places of employ-
ment. We will coordinate our efforts with regional agencies, local, state and
federal governments, employers, community organizations, developers,
non-profits, business associations, economic development~ organizations,
foundations and lenders.
The Bay Area Alliance supports optimizing the potential for meeting land
use needs for new housing and job's through increasing average densities
with infill, land recycling, transit villages, development of closed military
I0 C'OMMI'FMENTS TO ACTION 13
bases, and revitalization of poor and older neighborhoods ~hile avoiding
displacement. However, we recognize that even' with optimizing these
strategies to achieve more efficient land-use, there might likely need to be
growth in Bay Area urban and suburban communities, but not in identi-
fied environmentally sensitive areas, in order to meet the regional housing
needs. The Bay Area Alliance en.courages management of growth in a way
that uses land efficiently, reduces automobile dependency, minimizes inter-.
regional impacts and provides sufficient housing opportunities to all
income levels.
We commit ourselves to:
Reach out to financial institutions to encourage diverse housing types
and mixed-use investments at transit-supportive densities within
urban areas, near .transit, which reuse underutilized or deteriorated
areas.
Work with local community organizations to learn about their needs
for housing and services, including needs of the homeless, and encour-
age community organizations to participate in planning, advocacy and
implementation.
Advocate in support of mixed-density and mixed-income residential
development, particularly in areas with transit and other services.
Support efforts to use existing housing stock efficiently, by encouraging
second units; group housing and similar mechanisms.
Support community-based efforts to retain and expand the supply of
existing affordable housing and the adoption of measures to prevent
displacement.
Advocate local government actions, such as amending general plans
and zoning ordinances, and providing incentives, such as permit fast
tracking, to encourage affordable housing development, especially near
transit.
Advocate changes in federal and state legislation to provide incentives
for the development of resource-efficient, affordable housing near
transit, community services and places of employment, and to address
barriers such as construction defect litigation..
Establish an Affordable Housing Trust Fund to assist jurisdictions in
providing their fair share of affordable housing. ·
Support state legislative reform tO improve the fair share housing
process and provide financial and other incentives to strengthen local
iurlsdictions' abilities to meet their fair share responsibilities.
Support preservation and conservation of existing housing stock Such
as housing at dosing military bases, single residential occupancy
hotels and other affordable housing.
Support existing fair housing laws and prohibitions against discrimi-
nation in housing.
"Supplying housing to all economic
segments of the Bay Area, commen-
surate with job and population
growth, is the first crudal step
towards a more sustainable region."
Phil Serna
Vice President of Regional
Governmental Affairs,
Homebuitders Association
of Northern CaLifornia
"We need to provide housing that
the working poor can afford. We
need to pay more attention to those
at the bottom who are working and
trying verY hard. We also need to
recognize that public service
employees, such as teachers and
police officers, often are not
compensated at the same level os
private sector workers with
comparable skills and experience.
People don't want a handout, They
want decent, affordable housing."
Counci[rnember Gwen RegaLia
City of Wa[nut Creek
Vice President, Association
of Bay Area Governments
t4 DRAFT COMPACT FOR A SUSTAINABLE BAY AREA
"Smart growth means creab'ng
residential industrial, and
commercial development that
encourages the use of alternative
modes of transportation, preserving
our natural landscape, and investing
in affordable housing along
transit routes. Smart growth is
necessary i~ the Bay Area is going
to sustain its quality of li~e and
economic vitality."
Supervisor 3ira Beall
Santa Clara County
Chair, Metropolitan
Transportation Commission
Target Transportation Investment to Achieve a World-Class
Comprehensive, Integrated and Batanced Mu[ti-moda[ System
that SUpports Efficient Land Use and Decreases Dependency on
Singte-Occupancy VeMc[e Trips.
To increase the effectiveness of investments, the Bay Area Alliance will work
with transportation planning agencies and all advocacy groups to maintain
and preserve existing transportation facilities and to invest in an integrated
transportation system which improves access and mobility of people, goods
and services throughout the region, and minimizes environmental impacts,
particularly on air and water resources.
The Bay Area Alliance supports maximizing alternatives to single-occupant
vehicle travel with incentives and priorities for the development of a com-
prehensive, integrated, seamless public transit system. To achieve such a
viable pubtic transit system, there must be better coordination among tran-
sit agencies as well as increased funding. To improve mobility, simultaneous
strategic investments must be made in key roadway systems. All investments
should be subject to a comparative mobility and access evaluation of the
performance of similar investments in other transportation modes.
In addition, the Bay Area Alliance will work with others to promote
improved linkages between transportation investments and land use plan-
ning to help ensure effective and efficient use of transportation funds.
We commit ourselves to:
· Encourage the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and
its partners to plan to achieve an effective and efficient integration of
transportation systems that improve mobility and promote environ-
mental protection and a healthy, durable economy.
· .Support the transportation services, regulations and facilities that
complement compact land-use patterns.
· Encourage more transit exPress routes that increase ridership to exist-
ing high volume destinations and dekelopments.
· Support the linking of existing high-occupancy vehicle lanes and
increased strategic bus and water transit services to create a high-speed
transit system for the region.
· Support efforts to improve the efficiency, coordination and affordabil-
ity of transit services, including high-speed Water transit, BART,
CalTrain and other trains, light rail and.buses in order to achieve an
integrated, comprehensive, region wide, seamless public, transit net-
work.
· Encourage the restoration and expansion of transit service during both
commute and non-commute times to Under-served neighborhoods
and populations (e.g., seniors, schoolchildren, etc.).
10 COMMITMENTS TO ACTION 15
Advocate that MTC continue to give priority to the repair, maintenance
and improvement of existing freeways while addressing new or expand-
ed facilities with a comparative evaluation of surface transportation to
public transit alternatives in order to increase total system efficiency.
Consider the implementation of congestion pricing and other pricing
reforms that do not unduly burden vulnerable populations as a means
of motivating alternatives to single-passenger vehicle trips and gener-
ating additional financial resources for transportation system improve-
ments, with a priority on improving public transit service in conges-
tion corridors:
Advocate for a safe, convenient network of bicycle and pedestrian facil-
ities which serve and/or link residential, employment, commercial,
recreational and transit service areas.
· Support the integration of new surface transportation and transit
improvements to relieve key bottlenecks and maximize efficiency of
movement for the Bay Area population.
· Support investment in transportation infrastructure for the efficient
movement of people and commerce using seaports, airports, raft, and
highways, at a level sufficient to maintain the competitiveness of the
region.
· Support the continuing efforts of MTC to conduct an equity analysis of
the Regional Transportation Plan process and to consider the social
equity impact of new transportation investments.
"Tomorrow's demands need to
be addressed today. We need to
work together to create housing,
transportation plans and mass
transit that are seamless for all
parts of the Bay Area."
Supervisor Mike Nevin
San Mateo County
Chair, Bay Area Air Quality
Management District
4.
Preserve and Restore the Region's Natural Assets, inctuding San ~
Francisco Bay, Farm[and, Open Space, Other Habitats, and Air and]
Water OuaUty.
The Bay Area Alliance will work with others to identify and protect high-
priority lands, waterways and the San Francisco Bay. We will seek resources
to develop a region-wide plan and map showing which lands should be con-
sidered for restoration and preservation and which could be considered for
development, consistent with sustainabftity criteria. These criteria must
include the encouragement of compact, mixed-use, mixed-income develop-
ment in existing developed areas to ensure that land is used efficiently
(including the reuse of brownfields). The criteria should also include
matching jobs with housing, linking homes, jobs and services, and reducing
dependence on motor vehicles. Recognizing that the Bay Area already has
lost extensive habitat, we will work to obtain .funds for land protection,
restoration and management, through acquisition and other means, to pro-
.tect wetlands and watersheds and to preserve open space, prime agricultur-
al land, wildlife habitat, and natural resources and to provide appropriate
public access. We will work with local and regional park and open space
agencies, emrir0nmental organizations, and local governments to identify
priority areas. We will coordinate efforts to obtain funds from federal and
state governments, foundations, and other sources.
"Continued economic development
is built on a.foundation of
environmental protection. This
region, which has the toughest
environmental protection and best
environmental standards, has the
naffon's strongest economy."
WitL Travis
Executive Director,
Bay Conservation and
Devetopment Commission
16 DRAFT COMPACT FOR A SUSTAINABLE BAY AREA
"Water quality is tremendously
affected by growth in the
watersheds. We need to protect
open space ,while encouraging
in-fill development."
Lar~ KoLb
Acting Executive Officer,
San Francisco Bay Regional
Water QuaLity Control Board
We commit ourselves to:
· Support efforts to protect and restore the Bay-Deka Estuary.
· Support an open space initiative/regional bond measure.
· Address the particular needs for open space, environmental cleanup,
and resource/habitat protection in urban areas and low-income neigh-
borhoods, and promote environmental responsibility throughout the
region.
· Develop plans to set priorities for natural resource preservation,
including wetlands restoration and preservation, informed by best
available science.
· Support coordinated advocacy efforts to obtain funds for planning,
acquisition, restoration and stewardship and appropriate public access
incentives.
· Advocate incentives for landowners to practice good environmental
stewardship.
· Work with farmers to develop policies and incentives that promote
environmentally-responsible agricultural practices.
- Coordinate land acquisition efforts with environmental and community-
based organizations.
· Link land prOtection/management programs to local economic develOp-
ment and employment efforts, including assistance to family farmers and
farm workers.
· Support urban growth boundaries, provided that complementary poli-
cies and incentives are adopted that ensure that new jobs generated and
needed housing are accommodated within the boUndaries in a manner
emphasizing revitalization and reuse.
· Implement strategies to reduce water pollution, especially non-point
source run-off, and promote watershed management practices for the
Bay and associated waterways.
· Reduce air pollution, especially from mobile sources.
· Support public-private partnerships to improve the efficiency of envi-
ronmental regulation while simultaneously improving environmental
performance and enforcement of existing environmental laws and reg-
ulations.
· Support the study of the relationship of carrying capacity to growth.
Use Resources Efficientty, Etiminate Pottution and Significantly
Reduce Waste.
To improve resource efficiency, the Bay Area Alliance will work to support
leadership by utilities, manufacturers, builders, other businesses, institu-
tions, public agencies and consumer groups that encourage 'the efficient use
and reuse of resources, including water and energy, and the elimination of
pollution and reduction of waste.
10 COMMITMENTS TO ACTION 17
We commit ourselves to:
Seek tax and Other incentives and work .to eliminate existing disincen-
tives, to encourage producers and consumers to minimize the environ-
mental impact associated with their energy and resource use.
Encourage high quality design and "green" building materials through
a cooperative effort involving industry, government and community
organizations.
Emphasize the use of goods and services produced, 'packaged and
transported in an environmentally and socially responsible fashion.
Encourage more resource efficient prOduction and construction
processes.
Support local and regional recycling and resource recovery programs,
emphasizing resource cycling.
Encourage the use of energy and water efficient technologies in new
building design and retrofit of residential, business and institutional
facilities.
Encourage the substitution of renewable for non-renewable energy
resources, and reduction in energy use.
Encourage households, industry, government and agriculture to reduce.
the use of harmful pesticides, fertilizers and other potential pollutants.
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Encourage development of total ecological production processes.
"The Bay Area boasts unparalleled
natural beauty and quality of life,
but we are in danger of loving it to
death. This draft Compact affirms
our shared commitment to clean
air and smart growth through
sustainable transportation and
other means."
Donna Liu
Natural Resources
Defense Council
6. Focus Investment to Preserve and RevitaUze Neighborhoods.
The Bay Area Alliance will work to establish a Community Investment
Program ("Community Capital Investment Initiative") which supports
neighborhood revitalization efforts while encouraging compact, efficient
development patterns. The program, which is intended to complement exist-
ing efforts, will focus iob development and training, community improve-
ments, and social services in neighborhoods experiencing decline, including
inner cities, older suburbs, and the 46 most impoverished neighborhoods in
the Bay Area. The program will provide assistance to community-based
entrepreneurs. It will also encourage employers with high growth opportu-
nity to locate in these areas and use indigenous vendors for needed services
to the extent possible.
We commi{ ourselves to:
· Recruit community and Bay Area business leaders to participate in devel-
oping and adopting a Community Investment Program ("Community
Capital Investment Initiative").
· Support and strengthen the efforts of economic development organi-
zations in the region that invest in stimulating local entrepreneurship
"The efforts of the Bay Area Alliance
for Sustainable Development are a '
significant means to provide needed
resources for community revitaliza-
tion and capodty building."
2ames Head
Executive Director,
Nationa[ Economic
Development and Law Center
DRAFT COMPACT FOR A SUSTAINABLE BAY AREA
"Attracting private investment to
revitalize poor and older neighbor-
hoods--in partnership ~ith the
existing residents and businesses,
not disptadng them--is a key smart
growth strategy that relieves
pressures for development at the
edge of the urbanized areas."
Sunne Wright McPeak
President & CEO,
Bay Area C, ounciL
in identified neighborhoods that are in decline or at risk, while mini-
mizing resident displacement.
Seek ways to address the adverse impacts of gentrification and dis-
placement of low-and moderate-income residents.
Work to assure that environmental, housing and infrastructure prob-
lems that discourage investment in these neighborhoods are addressed,
including training and incentives for self-help neighborhood projects.
Support and strengthen community-based financial institutions to
facilitate neighborhood revitalization in iow-income communities.
Work with service providers to assure adequate job training and sup-
port programs for local residents.
Encourage business incubators, and vendors and suppliers to regional
growth-industry dusters, to locate in impoverished neighborhoods to
complement local entrepreneurship.
Support and strengthen the efforts of employers who recruit, hire, and
train currently unemployed or underemployed welfare recipients and
the working poor for jobs with career and income growth potential.
Ensure that new industrial development is compatible with neighbor-
hood and community needs.
"We need to make more effort, partic-
ularly with poor communities, to get
children, and their parents, exalted
about education and school and help
them reach their ful! potentiaL This
is a rea! challenge in many places in
the Bay A rea. We need to bring
young people along ond offer them
opportunities to succeed.'
Counci[member Gwen Regalia
City of Wa[nut Creek
Vice President, Association of
Bay Area Governments
Provide Att Residents with the Opportunity for Ouatity Education )
and Lifelong Learning to Help Them Meet Their Highest Aspirations./
To improve educational performance, the Bay Area Alliance will establish a
"support for schools" program, working with local school districts, com-
munity organizations, residents and employers. The focus will be on invest-
ment in and improvement of the quality of public education performance
at the primary, secondary, and post-secondary levels. Performance indica-
tors will include levels of achievement and rates of graduation, especially for
low-income youth and those living in impoverished neighborhoods.
We commit ourselves to:
Support school reform programs and state and local school bond
measures, consistent with sustainable community development.
Support mentoring programs.
Encourage parental and community involvement.
Support programs that help ensure students have both basic education
and job skills.
Advocate education on the environment, sustainable living, and envi-
ronmentally-responsible consumption throughout the region, within
inner city and suburban communities alike.
Advocate adequate, stable and equitable funding for all schools.
Support targeted efforts, including increased funding, to improve
school performance in the poorest neighborhoods.
lo CO~I'Mjt~ENTS TO ACTION
Promote Healthy and Safe Communities.
To break the cycle of community decline leading to increased crime, which
in turn leads to more community decline, the BayArea Alliance will work to
enhance the safety and health of inner city and older suburban neighbor-
hoods. In this effort, we will work with the Bay Area Partnership: Building
Healthy and Self-Sufficient Communities for Economic Prosperity and oth-
ers to build on the assets of families, neighborhoods and individuals rather
than focusing on deficits.
We commit ourselves to:
Work with the Bay Area Partnership and others to help ensure that res-
idents of alt communities have access to adequate health care and
community facilities.
Encourage community policing where police officers have longer-term
assignments on specific beats in order to facilitate closer relations
between police and community residents.
· Support efforts that lead to toxic-free communities.
· Seek opportunities to support and participate in local neighborhood
social and cultural events.
Support and strengthen efforts that facilitate community access to
clean, healthy food supplies and enhance food security.
· Advocate for performance-based "good neighbor agreements" that
ensure worker and neighborhood health and safety.
· Continue to support the Bay Area's leadership in family planning
services.
· Support enhancing human services for families, youth and children.
"It is visionaoI that the Boy Area
Alliance's approach to smart growth
recognizes the importance of
assisting families to become self-
sufficient and helping children to
learn and thrive."
Ed $choenberger
President, Northern California
Council for the Community,
and Secretariat, Bay Area
Partnership: Building Healthy
and Serf-sufficient
Communities for 'Economic
Prosperity.
..Imptement Loca[ Government Fisca[ Reforms and Revenue Sharing.
To address local government finance and fiscal inequity and uncertainty,
which currently motivates local governments to plan and zone for revenue
rather than for balanced communities, the Bay Area Alliance will advocate
changes in legislation and practices at the state, regional 'and local level. The
goals will be to reduce competition between jurisdictions for development,
reduce economic polarization in the region, and increase cooperation. We
will pay particular attention to improving the fiscal health of economically-
distressed inner cities and older suburbs.
We commit ourselves to:
· Advocate changes in state legislation to provide local governments with
adequate and stable tax revenues.
"I believe in sim'ng down with those
with differing viewpoin~s. If we as
public policy leaders check our egos
and respect where each person is
coming from, I think we con expect
to have win-win outcomes."
Supervisor Wi[tiam Carroll
Sotano County
President, Association of Bay
Area Governments
20 DRAFT COMPACT FO.R A SUSTAINABLE BAY AREA
· Establish cooperative, rather than competitive, economic development
programs at the subregional and regional levels.
· Encourage local governments to work together to determine how to
allocate and share tax revenues.
· Support expansion and strengthening of sub-regional and regional
cooperative land-use planning and implementation efforts.
· Support legislative reforms that reduce the fiscalization of land use.
"The Bay Area Alliance is a dynamic
organization that reflects the real
world challenges of creating a
sustainable region. From the outset,
the Bay Area Alliance has recognized
the need for an inclusive process
that identifies regional solutions to
regional problems that affect every-
one in the Bay Area. We look
forward to continued joint efforts'
to involve the public in discussion
oJ: the hard choices to be made·"
· 3ean Matsuura
Tmmediate Past President,
League of Women Voters of
the Bay Area
(10. Stimutate Civic Engagement.
To improve civic engagement, the Bay Area Alliance will celebrate the diversi-
ty of the Bay Area, and will work to establish means of conversing and coop-
erating across racial, ethnic, cultural, age and class lines, and jurisdictional
boundaries. We will also seek to assure that people have the support and serv-
ices they need in order to participate in community decision making. To
address emerging regional challenges we will promote the establishment of
appropriate forums for ongoing policy discussions and development.
We commit ourselves to:
· Engage local residents and community organizations as equal partners
in planning, development, and investment decisions.
· Support efforts to provide needed services, such as child care, youth
programs and elder care in neighborhoods and at places of employ-
ment so that people have time to participate in community events,
planning and decision-making.
· Continue to actively engage in ongoing multi-stakeholder dialogue to
address regional sustainability issues.
· Work with others, including the school'community, to enhance under-
standing of the concept of sustainability, civic engagement and the
interdependence of the economy, environment and social equity,
including the equity impact of public investments.
· Support a continued analysis of other metropolitan regional models.
· Encourage and support ongoing models of cooperation in the Bay
Area.
· Encourage local governments to consider the regional impact of their
local decisions.
· EncoUrage inter-regional dialogue on sUstainable deVelopment issues.
Sustainable Development Indicators
This section on Sustainable Development Indicators is a
key companion document to the Draft Compact and
an integral component of the overall implementation
strategy. Widely distributed regular public reports about
the status and progress on standardized indicators will
help increase the general awareness of the concept of sus-
tainable development. Additionally, indicators provide a
mechanism for motivation as characterized by the adage:
"what gets measured gets done." Furthermore, indicators
may help encourage the behavioral changes that could
move the Bay Area towards a more sustainable path.
Following are a set of broad indicators, listed by Commit-
ment in the Draft Compact, that the Bay Area Alliance will
use to measure status and gauge progress (or tack thereof)
toward sustainability. Where feasible, data will be tracked
annually. In addition to. these broad indicators, others will
be developed for many of the commitments and initiatives
associated with them. The Bay Area Alliance also recog-
nizes that the indicators to be tracked may change over
time. The following are only those indicators to be tracked
initially. As experience is gained, the BayArea Alliance may
choose to add additional indicators and/or delete some of
them. This group of indicators is intended to get the Bay
Area Alliance started on the path of tracking and publicly
reporting the status of sustainability in the region.
This set of indicators is expected to be widely published
by the Bay Area media and will provide a periodic "report
card" to the residents of the Bay Area. The Bay Area
Alliance recognizes that some of the indicators will
require the development of new data sets. The Bay Area
Alliance strongly recommends that all applicable agen-'
cies, institutions and jurisdictions implement a dedicated
and funded data collection and analysis effort on a con-
tinuing basis to facilitate and eventually automate the col-
lection, analysis and public dissemination of the sustain-
able development lndicators.
Enable a Diversified, Sustainable and Competitive
Economy to Continue to Prosper and Provide Jobs
in order to Achieve a High Quality of Life for All
Bay Area Residents.
Indicators:
a. Annual Gross Regional Product (GRP) / Annual
Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI).
b. Persons below the poverty line (percentage of
the population), including data by ethnicity and
gender.
c. Workers with jobs earning less than living-wage
(percentage of the workforce) and without ben-
efits, number of new living-wage jobs and num-
ber of new small businesses, indu. ding data by
ethnicity and gender.
d. Median per capita income, mean income per
capita, per capita income of the lowest and high-
est quintlles of income, and the Gini coefficient.
Accommodate Sufficient Housing Affordable to All
Income Levels within the Bay Area to Match
Population Increases and Job Generation.
Indicators:
a. Housing starts vs. new jobs and population
increases (annual and cumulative).
b. Percent of low- and moderate-incomes spent on
housing by renters and homeowners and on
commu, ting, including data by ethnicity and
gender.
c. Housing units needed in job surplus areas to
alleviate severe congestion.
d. Average density of new housing and percent of
total housing within 1/2 mile of transit nodes.
e. Number of homeless, including data by ethnici-
ty and gender.
Target Transportation Investment to AchieVe a
World Class Comprehensive, Integrated and
Balanced Multi-modal System that Supports
Efficient Land Use and Decreases Dependency on
Single Occupancy Vehicle Trips.
Indicators:
a. Commuting modes, commUting time, transit-
served households, and transit-served jobs,
22 DRAFT COMPACT FOR A SUSTAI. NABLE BAY AREA
bo
including data by ethnicity and gender, and low-
income and zero-vehicle households. ("Transit-
served" is defined as "frequent and reliable
service.")
Vehicle miles traveled per capita by mode.
Preserve and Restore the Region's Natural Assets,
including San Francisco Bay, Farmland, Open
Space, Other Habitats, and Air and Water Quality.
Indicators:
a. Land use over time: urbanized land, protected
parkland (urbanized and unurbanized areas),
agricultural/rangeland in use, agricultural/
rangeland, wetlands, protected open space
(urbanized and unurbanized areas), and other.
unurbanized land.
b. Water use per capita (residential and non-resi-
dential) and percent reused.
c. Ecological impact on all land of the 'Bay area
population over time.
d. Progress towards restoring the ecological health
of the Bay as determined by the CalFed Bay-
Delta process. (This will be refined over time.)
Use Resources Efficiently, EIiminate Pollution and
Significantly Reduce Waste.
Indicators:
a. Energy use (including percent renewable) and
carbon dioxide gas emissions per capita, resi-
dential and non-residential.
b, Days in violation of air quality standards.
c. Solid waste per capita and percent recycled.
d. Amount of particulate matter per capita in tar-
geted low-income neighborhoods and in the
region.
e. Toxic pollutants discharged into San Francisco
Bay.
Focus Investment
Neighborhoods.
Indicators:
c. Acres of designated brownfields and percent
rehabilitated in targeted low-income neighbor-
hoods.
d. Percent change in composition of residents and
small businesses in targeted low and moderate-
income neighborhoods, including 30-day
notices and eviction rates.
e. Neighborhood satisfaction in targeted low- and
moderate-income neighborhoods and in the
region.
Provide All Residents with the Opportunity for
Quality Education and Lifelong Learning to Help
Them Meet Their Highest Aspirations.
Indicators:
a. Educational performance based on testing.
b. Educational performance of students, including
data by ethnicity and by school, based on out-
comes.
c. Educational investment: total dollar spent per
public school pupil from all sources.
d. Availability of and participation in low-cost
adult education.
.8. Promote Healthy and Safe Communities.
Indicators:
a. Crime victimization rate: Bay Area vs. targeted
low-income neighborhoods, tracked annually.
b. Percent of children and adults covered by med-
ical insurance, tracked annually.
9. Implement Local 'Government Fiscal Reforms and
Revenue Sharing.
Indicators:
a. Amount of tax revenue shared among local gov-
ernments, tracked annually.
b.' Municipal revenue sources (aggregated) tracked
annually.
to Preserve and Revitalize 10.
a. Poverty and types of investment in targeted low-
income neighborhoods.
b. Unemployment in targeted iow-income neigh-
borhoods and in the region, including data by
ethnicity and gender.
Stimulate Civic Engagement.
Indicators:
a. Percent of eligible people who vote by age, gen-
der and race/ethnicity (tracked regularly to rec-
ognize election cycles).
b. Diversity of race and gender of elected officials
in the Bay Area compared to population in the
Bay Area, over time.
Historica[ Perspective of the
Alliance. for Sustainable Deve
The Bay Area Alliance for Sustainable Development
(Bay 'Area Alliance) is a multi-stakeholder coalition
established in 1997 to develop and implement an action
plan that will lead to a more sustainable Bay Area. It is
founded on the principle Of the Three Es of Sustainable
Development--prosperous economy, quality environ-
ment, and social equity--and embraces e-vision--a
vision of the future which integrates the Three Es' into a
balanced, 'inclusive, collaborative approach to achieving a
more sustainable region. The Bay Area Alliance adopted
the definition of sustainable development endorsed by the
United Nations' World Commission on Environment and
Development: "Meeting the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs."
In late 1996, Richard Clarke, retired Chairman and CEO
of Pacific Gas & Electric Company and Michele Perrault,
International Vice President of the Sierra Club, both
members of the President's Council on Sustainable
Development (PCSD), presented the idea of a regional
sustainable development initiative to the General
Assembly of the Association of Bay Area Governments
(ABAG) and to representatives of business, environment,
and social equity organizations in the Bay Area. In order
to ensure that all Three Es and government were repre-
sented in the leadership of the Bay Area Alliance, Carl
Anthony, Executive Director of the Urban Habitat
Program (representing equity), Charlotte Powers,
President of ABAG (representing government) and Sunne
Wright McPeak, President and CEO of the Bay Area
Council (representing business) were recruited to join
Richard Clarke (representing economy) and Michele
Perrault (representing environment). These five individu-
als constituted the original Steering Committee of the Bay
Area Alliance. Mr. Clarke recently transitioned his leader-
ship role to Mr. Robert Harris, Vice President Environ-
mental Affairs, Pacific Gas & Electric Company. Ms.
Powers transitioned her leadership role in the Bay Area
Alliance as she transitioned her presidency of ABAG to
Mary King and most recently to'William Carroll. The cur-
rent Steering Committee are the individuals who signed
the introductory letter in this document.
Bay Area
[opment
The first meeting of the Bay Area Alliance for Sustainable
Development was convened on March 3 I, 1997. Quarterly
meetings have been held since then. In order to carry out
an adopted work plan and to develop this Draft Compact,
the Bay Area Alliance established five working caucuses
and six working groups to include a broad cross-section
of perspectives and representation. The caucuses ensure
ongoing input from the perspectives of each of the Three
Es, local government, and local community-based sus-
tainability initiatives. The caucuses are:
· Social Justice
· Environment
· Business-Employer and Economic Development
· Local Government/Regional Agencies
· Local/Sub-regional Sustainability Programs Roundtable
The working groups included balanced participation
from each of the caucuses and provided initial input and
recommendations for the Draft Compact. The working
groups are:
· Housing, Jobs and Access
· Environmental Quality and Biodiversity
· Public Education and Media Strategy
· Tax and Fiscal Policy
· Sustainable Development Indicators
· Best Practices
More than 200 people have participated in the caucuses
and working groups. Each member organization of the
Bay Area Alliance, all of which are listed on the inside of
the cover, agrees in principle with the vision and direction
of this Dr~ft Compact for a Sustainable Bay Area. However,
this Draft Compact is no~ an end, but to paraphrase
Winston'Churchill, merely the end of the beginning.
There will be a series of focus groups and workshops
throughout the region to obtain feedback and input, and
to refine and finalize the document.
24 DRAFT COMPACT FOR A SUSTAINABLE BAY AREA
The Bay Area Alliance is founded on the premise that the
people of the Bay Area want to preserve the environmen-
tal, economic, and social attributes of the region for gen-
erations to come. There has already been much work to
preserve .and enhance these attributes. The Bay Area
Alliance acknowledges the contributions of the people
and groups that have worked and continue to work for
sustainability and is building on these efforts to develop a
broad, effective constituency of support for actions that
will promote a more sustainable region. The Bay Area
Alliance also acknowledges the interdependence of the
Bay Area's sub-regions and strives to make the concept of
"region" a value for at! Bay Area residents. Additionally, it
recognizes the inter-relationship of the Bay Area with
adjoining regions in California.
. Inspired by the work of the President's Council on Sustain-
able Development, the Bay Area Alliance operates within a
national 'context and seeks to exemplify the theme in the
two PCSD reports: Sustainable America: A New Consensus
(1996), and Towards 'a Sustainable America: Advancing
Prosperity, Opportunity, and a Healthy Environment for
the 21st Century (1999), that a sustainable America can
only be achieved by creating sustainable communities.
While recognizing that they may not sufficiently address
the specifics of the Bay Area region, the Bay Area Atliance
used as a guide in formulating its'work plan the principles
set forth by PCSD as follows:
1. To achieve our vision of'sustainable development,
some things must grow--jobs, productivity, wages,
capital and savings, profits, information, knowledge,
and education~-and o.thers~pollution, waste, and
poverty--must not.
2. Change is inevitable and necessary for the sake of
future generations and for ourselves. We can choose
a course for change that will lead to the mutually
reinforcing goals of economic growth, environmen-
tal protection, and social equity.
3. Steady progress in reducing disparities in education,
opportunity, and environmental risk within society
is essential to economic growth, environmental
health, and social justice.
4. The United States .has made great progress in protecting
the environment in the last 25 years, and must continue
to make progress in the next 25 years. We can achieve
that goal because market incentives and the power of
consumers .can lead to significant improvements in
environmental performance at less cost.
5. Economic growth based on technological innovation,.
improved efficiency, and expanding global markets
is essential for progress toward greater prosperity,
equity, and environmental quality.
6. Environmental regulations have improved and must
continue to improve the lives of all Americans. Basic
standards of performance that'are dear, fair, and con-
sistently enforced remain necessary to protect that
progress. The current regulatory system should be
improved to deliver required results at lower costs. In
addition, the system should provide enhanced flexibil-
ity in return for superior environmental performance.
7. Environmental progress will depend on individual,
institutional, and corporate responsibility, commit-
ment, and stewardship.
8. We need a new collaborative decision process that
leads to better decisions; more rapid change; and
more sensible use of human, natural, and financial
resources in achieving our goals.
9. The nation must strengthen its communities and
enhance their role in decisions about environment,
equity, natural resources, and economic progress so
that the individuals and institutions most immediately
affected can join with others in the decision process.
10. Economic growth, environmental protection, and
social equity are linked, We need to develop integrated
policies to achieve these goals.
11. The United States should have policies and programs
that contribute to stabilizing global human popula-
tion; this objective is critical if we hope to have the
resources needed to ensure a high quality of life for
future generations.
.12. Even in the face of scientific uncertainty, society
should take reasonable actions to avert risks where
the potential harm to human health or the environ-
ment is thought to be serious or irreparable.
13. Steady advances in science and technology are essen-
tial to help improve economic efficiency, protect and
restore natural systems, and modify consumption
patterns.
14. A growing economy and healthy environment are
essential to national and global security.
t5. A knowledgeable public, the free flow of informa-
tion, and opportunities for review and redress are
CITY OF DUBLIN
100 Civic Plaza, Dublin, California 94568
NOvember 7, 2001
Website: http://www, ci.dublin.ca.us
Ms. Surlene G. Grant,
Local Government Liaison for BAASD
Councilmember, San Leandro
P.O. Box 2050
Oakland, CA 94604
Re: Draft Compact for a Sustainable Bay Area
Councilmember Grant:
Thank you for appearing before the City Council on November 6, 2001, to present the
draft Compact for a Sustainable Bay Area. The City of Dublin supports the overall
vision of the Compact, but has concerns with the Commitments to Action.
Many of the City's current policies are similar to those referenced in the Commitments to
Action, such as those relating to housing, a diversified economy, using resources
efficiently, civic engagement, and promoting healthy and safe communities. The City's
concerns, however, relate to those items listed in the Commitments that would lessen the
City's control over its land use and transportation planning. Additionally, the City does
not support and will not support a revision to the current method of appropriation and
distribution of revenue.
If the draft Compact is revised to address the concerns raised above, the City would be
happy to take another look at the Compact.
Very truly yours,
Janet Lockhart
Mayor Pro Tem
City of Dublin
Area Code (925) · City Manager 833-6650 · City Council 833-6650 · Personnel 833-6605 · Economic De,
C:~t~:~o~tinglC~811~6t~/~e~~3~JY6tfg~nct ~[q4~gtlC~~~ 833-6645 · [
Planning/Code Enforcement 833-6610 o Building Inspection 833-6620 · Fire Prevention Bureau.
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