SPRAWLING CITIES SPILL ENERGY, SERVE SPEW

Cut suburban sprawl, save energy, study urge
Will Kane, June 24, 2010 (San Francisco Chronicle)

"New development in California needs to be designed from the start to conserve electricity and water, decrease driving time, improve air quality and promote a sustainable lifestyle, according to a landmark study of the state's future growth.

"Vision California, the state's first major planning document in almost 30 years, [says]…Growth should focus not on increasing suburban sprawl but instead on creating compact development in already established cities…Bringing commuters closer to their jobs…can help Californians drive 3.7 trillion fewer miles and save 140 billion gallons of gasoline by 2050…"

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"There are few surprises in the document, which focuses on…[the] need to conserve increasingly scarce resources…The $2.5 million [study] was overseen by the Strategic Growth Committee, a Cabinet-level group that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger told to develop a state blueprint for growth…

"Even though the report is only a recommendation with no teeth, the plan takes direct aim at today's development politics…[C]ities and regions have for decades insisted on having the autonomy to develop their own growth initiatives…The difference now is that a variety of statewide rules and projects, including requirements to cut green-house gas emissions and the effort to design and build a high-speed rail system, requires that planning agencies throughout the state look at development from a broader perspective…"

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"The political realties of California could dilute the full impact of the report…GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman has said that if elected she would suspend a 2006 law that requires greenhouse gas emissions be reduced by roughly 25 percent. Whitman and other conservatives complain that the plan - strongly backed by Schwarzenegger - will increase energy costs and stifle much-needed economic growth…

"…[The study’s backers, however, say] sustainable growth is necessary and will survive any short-term political delays…"