Achieving Sustainability in California’s Central Valley

This report analyzes the barriers and catalysts to sustainable growth and development in Central Valley cities at a crucial time of rapid population growth in that region. Sustainability has been described as “the current object of planning’s fascination” (Campbell 1996), yet the term’s exact meaning remains vague. This report aims to clarify the concept of sustainability as applied to cities in California’s Central Valley and identify some of the major factors influencing a city’s ability to achieve sustainability goals. The Central Valley is at a critical juncture: the 2009 population of about seven million people is expected to grow to 12 million people by 2040, according to California Department of Finance estimates. “By developed world standards, such growth is phenomenal,” outstripping any other region in California, the United States, and even Mexico (Johnson and Hayes 2004; p.7). It’s timely to assess the capacity of Central Valley cities to manage the economic, social, and environmental problems associated with this rapid population growth in a sustainable manner. The issues discussed in this report will take on added urgency as California’s response to climate change—including state laws like SB375 and AB32—encourage local governments to take action to reduce emissions.

• Record URL:
  https://itspubs.ucdavis.edu/download_pdf.php?id=1286
• 
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/422642033
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Additional funding came from NSF Grant SES-0350817, "Collaborative Research on Institutions and Land-Use Politics." File contains both Executive Summary and full report.
• Corporate Authors:

  University of California, Davis

  Sustainable Transportation Center
  Davis, CA  United States  95616

  University Transportation Centers Program

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Lubell, Mark
  • Beheim, Bret
  • Hillis, Vicken
  • Handy, Susan L
• Publication Date: 2009-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: v.p.
• Serial:
  • University of California, Davis. Institute of Transportation Studies. Research report
  • Publisher: University of California, Davis

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Case studies; Environmental impacts; Environmental policy; Land use; Socioeconomic factors; Sustainable development
• Geographic Terms: Central Valley (California); Davis (California); Fresno (California); Modesto (California); Sacramento (California)
• Subject Areas: Environment; Transportation (General); I15: Environment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01142723
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: UC Berkeley Transportation Library
• Report/Paper Numbers: UCD-ITS-RR-09-06
• Files: CALTRANS, UTC, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Oct 30 2009 8:39AM