Posted on 12/04/2008 9:32:55 PM PST by Lorianne
Many California planning and environmental groups are heralding the passage of legislation designed to address global warming by curbing suburban sprawl as a watershed moment, perhaps the state's most important land-use law in more than 30 years.
"It's a sea change in the way we're planning and funding growth and development," said Stephanie Reyes, senior policy advocate with San Francisco's Greenbelt Alliance. "The winds are shifting, and this is the time to get on board."
But she and other advocates acknowledge that the importance of SB375, signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in late September, lies as much in the tone it sets as in what it will accomplish, which remains unclear.
Essentially the law, which will take years to implement, uses incentives and requirements to encourage local governments and builders to concentrate growth in urban areas or close to public transportation hubs in an effort to reduce Californians' use of cars and lower their greenhouse gas emissions.
Whatever the law's accomplishments, proponents hope it sends a clear message that will be reflected in future legislation and policies on the state and local levels: Dense, transit-oriented development is a critical goal for the collective good.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
...and 20 story highrises near the RR tracks. End of the low-profile suburbs as we know them. Uglification, coming right up.
Its interesting that twentieth century European and Asian Socialist dictators moved all of their populations out of the cities and into the country to till the fields.
Twenty first century US socialists want to move everyone into the cities. Either they are a lot smarter than Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, et al, or they are a lot dumber. Unfortunately, we are going to find out which it is.
also see
How Smart Growth Exacerbated the International Financial Crisis
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Economy/wm1906.cfm
This is representative of what’s going on in many other states, and a huge factor in the housing bubble. Prices went partly up unneccesarily due to the false scarcity of building lots.
Anyone who has flown over the West understands that land scarcity is not a reality. But Greenies and NIMBYs have the development industry by the throat, and their kids and grandkids will live in the projects, in some stranger’s spare room, or their parents attic because of it. In fact, a lot of young, clueless 0bama voters are already stuck there, oblivious to one of the root causes.
The values of the insect world.
Bravo. Noise (from mandatory honking of the locomotive horn). Hazards (from hazardous cargo - toxic gases, caustic liquids, flammable liquids). Imagine a derailed and leaking tank car full of chlorine gas. Physical danger from derails. Liberal stupidity has no limits.
As FZ once said, I might be moving to Montana soon. :)
I’m getting damn sick and tired of CA politicians.
If they don’t build high-rise ghettos along the transit lines, how will they have enough thugs to infest the few remaining crime-free areas when they extend the lines from failed cities into the suburbs?
Besides, it’s only fair to make everyone live next to transit lines. I’ve seen the crime maps as they ran Chicago’s lines further out and break-ins and violent crime followed the train tentacles. It’s not fair that some people escaped the invasion...
But but but, we have high-speed rail coming soon, don’t we? Won’t investors be lined up 100 deep to buy the first bond issue for it? And we were promised 400K new jobs!
What’s a few dead proles, as long as Mother Gaia is protected?
Dude, that sounds exactly like the situation with the MAX line in Portland. It's the Thug Mover.
Anyone conservative left in California: It is time to get the heck out NOW.
There is no saving it; let it collapse and implode, then you can go back and rebuild afterwards.
This is called sustainable development or “smart growth” and is an offshoot of Agenda 21 of the Biodiversity Treaty.
New land-use law's meaning: Politicians and major political contributors own massive land tracts near proposed transit projects.
Excellent article, thanks.
The big thing here is building jogging/bike trails. Crime follows along those routes as well. Crooks know that there are few, if any, cops along those trails so they can break into houses at their leisure.
They plan to up-zone some areas and of course, they are trying to cut off any local opposition to those moves with a state law. Of course if won’t work. People hate living in high rise buildings. There are tons of them empty in CA today—overbuilt and overpriced. They are energy hogs and the fees kill either owners or tenants.
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