Statewide greenhouse gas pollution fell below 1990 levels for the first time since emissions peaked in 2004, the California Air Resources Board reported. Emissions are down 13 percent from the peak. At the same time, the economy has grown 26 percent, thus dropping the state’s “carbon intensity." The reduction is equivalent to taking roughly 12 million cars off the road or saving 6 billion gallons of gasoline a year. The 2016 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory showed California emitted 429 million metric tons of climate pollutants in 2016. The report also highlights per capita emissions are among the lowest in the country and approximately half as much as the national average. Electricity generation contributed the largest share of the drop, with an 18 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The transportation sector saw a 2 percent increase in emissions in 2016 but cars and trucks used a record amount of biofuels. Under AB 32 passed in 2006, California must reduce its emissions to 1990 levels (431 million metric tons) by 2020. (See accompanying CP&DR coverage.)
Disadvantaged Communities Suffer from Cap-and-Trade, Study Says
A study published in PLOS Medicine studied the social disparities in California’s cap-and-trade program to regulate carbon emissions. Researchers found that 52 percent of companies regulated by the program saw an increase in annual average GHG emissions – and those companies are largely situated in disadvantaged communities. The study looked at the first three years of the program, which first launched in 2013. While the program is succeeding in lowering overall emissions statewide, the study found that specific industries actually produced more emissions since the program was launched. Particularly cement plants increased emissions 75 percent, followed by electricity generators, and the oil and gas industry.
SCAG Releases Draft Federal Transportation Improvement Program
SCAG's Executive/Administration Committee approved release of two updated transportation plans for a 30-day public review and comment period, which will run from July 10 through Aug. 8. In partnership with state and local agencies, SCAG has developed its Draft 2019 Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP), which includes a comprehensive list of transportation investment priorities in the SCAG region. It emphasizes transportation system operations and maintenance, and reflects how the region is making progress on the transportation policies and goals of the 2016-2040 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (2016 RTP/SCS). SCAG staff concurrently developed a Draft Amendment #3 to the 2016–2040 RTP/SCS to reflect additions and changes the 2019 FTIP makes to some long-range transportation projects.
UCLA Studies Use of Federal Housing Assistance Programs in Los Angeles County
UCLA’s Lewis Center studied the five major federal housing assistance programs: housing choice vouchers, low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC), project- based Section 8 housing, traditional public rental housing, and Mortgage Interest Deduction (MID). MID is an accidental tax loophole that is extremely regressive and primarily assists households earning more than $100,000. The researchers found that nearly one million households in Los Angeles County benefit from the MID, which is five times more than the combination of the four other programs targeted at low-income households. The report finds that the MID disproportionately benefits higher-income coastal areas and hillside zip codes, while the low-income housing assistance programs are concentrated in the central urban zip codes of the county as well as outlying northern areas of Palmdale and Lancaster. The correlation between median household income and the number of mortgage interest returns by zip code is positive and strong, 0.4, indicating that many more households benefit in higher income parts of the city.
Renovation of Lindbergh Field Terminal Takes Crucial Step
The draft environmental report for the $3 billion project to replace San Diego Lindbergh Field’s more than 50-year-old Terminal 1 has been released. The plan would increase the airpot’s gates from 18 to 30 and accommodate 28 million annual passengers, compared to the current level of 22 million. The completion of the report triggers a 45-day public comment period, before the San Diego International Airport can proceed with actual construction expected to start in 2020. In addition to increasing gates, the project would be adding a 7,500 space parking structure, a dual-level roadway in front of the terminal and a new airport entry road.
Two Stadium Initiatives Can Appear on November San Diego Ballot
San Diego Superior Court judge Randa Trapp gave the OK for the dueling stadium initiatives to appear on the November citywide ballot. In her final order, Judge Randa Trapp said the city did not convince the court there was enough reason to take the SDSU West proposal off the ballot. Judge Timothy Taylor also said the city did not provide a strong enough argument for removing the initiative from the ballot. Specifically, Taylor determined the SoccerCity proposal is legislative- and not judicial- in nature, meaning that the court cannot weigh in on the merits of the measure until after the election.
OPR Hosts AHSC Workshops
At our June 28 Countil meeting, the SGC awarded more than $257 million to 19 new Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) projects around the state! By integrating affordable homes and sustainable transportation, the AHSC program makes it easier for Californians to drive less by making sure housing, jobs, and key destinations are accessible by walking, biking, and transit. Now that Round 3 awards have been made, SGC invites stakeholders to participate in Lessons Learned Workshops to reflect on this round of the AHSC Program this July 17-19 in Fresno, Los Angeles and Oakland. During the workshops, AHSC Program staff will facilitate roundtable discussions on a variety of aspects of the program, including the guidelines and application process, with the aim of gathering input to improve the program in future rounds. For those who cannot attend, or prefer to submit comments in writing, SGC will also accept written comments until August 14. Comments may be sent to ahsc@sgc.ca.gov. (See prior CP&DR coverage.)
Quick Hits & Updates
The Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation program is now accepting applications for both Agricultural Conservation Easement grants and Strategy and Outcome grants. The final application deadline is Wednesday, August 1.
The Planning and Conservation League has filed a lawsuit to block Prop 9, the proposal to split California into three states. The challenge asserts that the proposal is too sweeping in its nature to have bene placed on the ballot under the same provisions used to enact traditional laws. However, if Prop 3 is approved, the proposal would have to be approved by Congress. (See CP&DR commentary.)
The California Transportation Commission recently released its Cycle 4 Call for Projects for the 2019 Active Transportation Program grant, which was created to encourage increased use of active modes of transportation. Grant applications of up to $5 million will be accepted until July 31. In the meantime, be sure to check out their flash training resource for application assistance.
In partnership with the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, the Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities(TFN) is announced the opening of Round 13 of the Partners for Places matching grant program, which improves U.S. and Canadian communities by building partnerships between local government sustainability leaders and place-based foundations. TFN is accepting proposals until July 31.
The San Diego City Council's Smart Growth and Land Use Committee unanimously approved shrinking the minimum size for a live-work space from 750 square-feet to 500 square-feet. These “live-work” spaces are meant to ease the city’s housing crisis and encourage more people like dentists, accountants, and comic store owners to live in the same places they work. The new amendments also increased the portion of live-work space that can be residential from 33 percent to 49 percent. In March, City Council expanded the commercial and retail zones where live-work spaces are allowed.
The City of Sacramento issued 5,500 housing-unit building permits between 2015 and 2017, only 98 were for apartments or houses that people with salaries in the minimum wage range or a little higher could afford. That leaves the city less than 10 percent of the way toward its 2021 housing target for low- and very-low income households, according to goals set by Sacramento Area Council of Governments.
A new study released from UC Santa Barbara found coastal Southern California has experienced a significant decline in cloud cover since the 1970s. The increase in density of our urban areas leads to more reflection of the sun’s heat and the dissipation of the morning fog and low clouds. The study found with less cloud cover in the summer, plants lost a higher percentage of their moisture to the atmosphere, making them more likely to burn if exposed to fire.
The University of Minnesota researchers released “Access Across America: Transit 2017” which highlights 36 of the 49 largest metros and shows increases in job accessibility by transit. While rankings of the top ten metro areas for job accessibility by transit only changed slightly from the previous year, new data comparing changes within each of the 49 largest US metros over one year helped researchers identify the places with greatest increases. San Francisco ranks second for job accessibility by transit and improved by nearly nine percent. San Jose was ninth on the list of metropolitan area with greatest job accessibility by transit.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation named its 11 “Most Endangered Historic Places" for 2018. The Walkout Schools of Los Angeles were the only California placs to be on the list. Five historic campuses played a key role in the 1968 East Los Angeles Chicano Student Walkouts which helped catalyze the national Chicano Civil Rights Movement. The Los Angeles Unified School District is considering demolition of several buildings on the campuses. Cross-country highway Route 66, which terminated in California, was also on the list as the trust seeks to designate it as a National Historic Trail.
The City of Morro Bay is proposing to build a water reclamation facility pipeline through an area that may contain sacred tribal sites or burial grounds according to the chairman of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council Fred Collins. Collins made his opposition clear in a response to the project’s EIR and reiterated his stance in a phone interview. The project evaluated an alternative route along the Embarcadero but found it would “have a greater impact on the kaleidoscope of issues the (environmental impact report) has taken under consideration”, such as traffic and noise concerns, according to city manager Scott Collins.
Chinese developer Shenzhen New World filed plans with the City of Los Angeles to redevelop the 13-story LA Grand Hotel into a 77-story tower. The proposed project would be the tallest building west of the Mississippi at nearly 1,108 feet above the ground. LA based Dimarzio | Kato architecture designed the redevelopment which would include 599 hotel rooms, 224 apartments, 28,705 square-feet of commercial space, 36,674 square-feet of hotel amenities- including a bar on the top two floors.
The Save the Redwoods League purchased 730-acre forest north of Cazadero which has the oldest and widest redwood tree in Sonoma County. The giant tree is 1,640 years old and 19 feet in diameter. The group plans to open the property as a park in three years.
