This page last reviewed January 15, 2013

Sustainable Communities

Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act of 2008 (Sustainable Communities, SB 375, Steinberg, Statutes of 2008) enhances California's ability to reach its AB 32 goals by promoting good planning with the goal of more sustainable communities.

Sustainable Communities requires ARB to develop regional greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for passenger vehicles.  ARB is to establish targets for 2020 and 2035 for each region covered by one of the State's 18 metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs).

Each of California’s MPOs then prepare a "sustainable communities strategy (SCS)" that demonstrates how the region will meet its greenhouse gas reduction target through integrated land use, housing and transportation planning.  Once adopted by the MPO, the SCS will be incorporated into that region's federally enforceable regional transportation plan (RTP).  ARB is also required to review each final SCS to determine whether it would, if implemented, achieve the greenhouse gas emission reduction target for its region.  If the combination of measures in the SCS will not meet the region’s target, the MPO must prepare a separate “alternative planning strategy (APS)” to meet the target.  The APS is not a part of the RTP.

Sustainable Communities also establishes incentives to encourage implementation of the SCS and APS.  Developers can get relief from certain environmental review requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) if their new residential and mixed-use projects are consistent with a region’s SCS (or APS) that meets the target (see Cal. Public Resources Code §§ 21155, 21155.1, 21155.2, 21159.28.).

Sustainable Communities Implementation Activities

• ARB Executive Order accepting Sacramento Area Council of Governments' determination that the Final SCS would meet the region's GHG emissions reduction targets (June 2012) 
• ARB staff's technical evaluation of the SACOG Final Sustainable Communities Strategy (May 2012) 
• ARB Executive Order accepting SCAG's determination that the Final SCS would meet the region's GHG emissions reduction targets (June 2012) 
• ARB staff's technical evaluation of the Southern California Association of Governments' Final Sustainable Communities Strategy (May 2012) 
• Informational update on the draft Sustainable Communities Strategies for the SCAG and SACOG regions (March 2012)
• Public Workshop Presentation on SCAG's Draft SCS (February 2012)
• ARB Executive Order accepting SANDAG's determination that the Final SCS would meet the region's GHG emissions reduction targets. (November 18, 2011) 
• ARB staff released its informational report on the San Diego Association of Government's Draft Sustainable Communities Strategy. (Sept. 2011)
• ARB staff released its methodology for reviewing greenhouse gas reductions for an SCS. (July 2011)
  

Sustainable Communities Target-Setting Activities

• ARB Executive Order (see Attachments here) and Notice of Decision filed approving the final targets. (Feb. 2011)
• Final targets (Feb. 2011)
• ARB staff's responses to the CEQA functional equivalent document. (Feb. 2011)
• ARB staff report on targets and CEQA functional equivalent document. (Aug. 2010)
• ARB staff's documentation for the calculations of the MPOs' carbon dioxide emissions reductions. (Aug. 2010)
• ARB staff release of draft targets. (June 2010)
• ARB public meeting to report on target setting efforts.
• ARB-MPO collaboration on technical information and data to support target-setting.
• ARB appointment of the Regional Targets Advisory Committee (RTAC), as required under the Sustainable Communities Act, on January 23, 2009.  The RTAC's charge was to advise ARB on the factors to be considered and methodologies to be used for establishing regional targets.  The RTAC provided its recommendation to ARB on September 29, 2009.

Other Sustainable Communities-Related Activities

• ARB research on policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from passenger vehicles to support implementation of the Sustainable Communities Act.

• Get involved, sign up with our email list

• View Comments
• Attend Meetings and Workshops

Related Information

• ARB's white paper entitled "Status of Research on Potential Mitigation Concepts to Reduce Exposure to Nearby Traffic Pollution"  http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/health/traff-eff/traff-eff.htm  (Aug. 2012)  
• ARB's Press Release on Board action to adopt the regional greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. (Sept. 2010)

• Additional information and resources on Sustainable Communities implementation activities.
• Staff Presentation to the Board on RTAC Recommendations - Methodologies for Setting Targets (Nov. 2009)

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