Planning and Policymaking for Transit-Oriented Development, Transit, and Active Transport in California Cities

This report provides research findings from the first year of a two-year research project on patterns of local policymaking in California to support transit-oriented development (TOD), transit, and active transport. The project aims to assess motivations, perceived obstacles, and priorities for development near transit, in relation to patterns of local policy adoption, from the perspective of city planners in the state’s four largest regions: the San Francisco Bay, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Sacramento metropolitan areas. This first-stage report discusses research and policy context that informed the methodology, findings from the analysis of results from an online survey of city planning directors administered in the spring of 2019, and findings from two case studies of TOD policymaking in urban central cities, namely Los Angeles and Sacramento. A sampling methodology for conducting further case studies of TOD policymaking during the upcoming second phase of the project is also described, based on findings from the first year of the research.View the NCST Project Webpag

Growing city farming together: A 5-year Bay Area urban agriculture & food systems needs assessment with models, barriers and recommendations to shape community engaged programming

Urban agriculture and food systems in the California Bay Area are multifaceted and intricate. There are many successful models and inspirational stories of coalition building, thousands of pounds of local food production, and overall community empowerment. Our presentation will highlight case examples, challenges, barriers, and recommendations in the University of California Cooperative Extension’s (UCCE) Urban Ag & Food Systems Program’s (UAFSP) 2019 Bay Area Needs Assessment. The needs assessment summarizes and discusses research, outreach projects and extension services the UAFSP conducted during the years 2014-2019 in five Bay Area Counties. It comprises both quantitative and qualitative information gathered from soil analysis, research, participatory research, workshop surveys, site visits and technical extension services. Projects include grant projects like USDA Beginning Farmer & Rancher Development Program workshops across California. Also, the program conducted an urban farmer’s mini-grant program with the Alameda County Resources Conservation District designed with low entry and an easy application process. The UAFSP’s projects provide a unique snapshot of urban food production systems and challenges growing in urban environments in disenfranchised communities experiencing higher levels of food insecurity and environmental injustice. One of the assessment\u27s conclusions was that land access, technical education and economic viability remain the highest challenges faced by urban agriculture and food systems groups. Most groups thrived on the social, cultural and services aspects of producing local affordable food, transforming lives, and serving important roles in their communities as food hubs, green spaces, and empowering sites. But these accomplishments were difficult to achieve due to the economic and political aspects that create an eb and flow of activity depending on grants, available resources, community, and political stakeholders. A suggested framework for supporting local food production and enhancing local food systems that presents itself is to support urban residents in becoming community food producers (AB 1990), who can not only grow local food but also safely and legally prepare and package value added products through CA Cottage Food Act (AB 1616); in the process boosting the local economy and food system by becoming a micro enterprise home kitchen operation (AB 626)

Increasing Community Participation in Planning to Prevent Housing Displacement: Case Study of Stockton Boulevard Community, South Sacramento

In this project, I evaluate the participation of community residents, who are potentially at risk of displacement, in planning for their neighborhood and investigate strategies to increase that participation to achieve more equitable outcomes. Historically, low-income community voices have been overlooked in the process of implementing city government strategies, and even when those groups participate, there is no guarantee that their voices will be heard (Lasker & Guidry, 2009; Arnstein, 1969). Based on the findings from twenty semi-structured interviews with community residents and stakeholders in the Stockton Boulevard area of South Sacramento, the residents have keen interest to participate in planning. However, resident participation in planning is obstructed by low awareness of the ongoing projects in the community as a result of limited access to the internet and other information resources. One of the ways to increase engagement is by improving communication between planners and community members. To address the communication issue between planners and the community, in this thesis, I developed a model of Meaningful Community Engagement that implies prompt and transparent communication between planners and community residents and stakeholders at all stages of the planning process. This model will increase transparency of the planning process, which in turn will improve trust among community residents towards planners, and will lead to more equitable planning outcomes

Planning and Policymaking for Transit-Oriented Development, Transit, and Active Transport in California Cities

This report provides research findings from the first year of a two-year research project on patterns of local policymaking in California to support transit-oriented development (TOD), transit, and active transport. The project aims to assess motivations, perceived obstacles, and priorities for development near transit, in relation to patterns of local policy adoption, from the perspective of city planners in the state’s four largest regions: the San Francisco Bay, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Sacramento metropolitan areas. This first-stage report discusses research and policy context that informed the methodology, findings from the analysis of results from an online survey of city planning directors administered in the spring of 2019, and findings from two case studies of TOD policymaking in urban central cities, namely Los Angeles and Sacramento. A sampling methodology for conducting further case studies of TOD policymaking during the upcoming second phase of the project is also described, based on findings from the first year of the research.View the NCST Project Webpag

City Planner Survey Reveals the Most Common Tools for Promoting Transit-Oriented Development

Transit-oriented development—higher density residential or mixed-use development centered around high-quality transit stations—can reduce the need for driving and cut vehicle greenhouse gas emissions. It can also play a role in revitalizing downtowns, improving accessibility for residents, and preserving open space. For these reasons, state and local governments in California have adopted goals and policies to support transit-oriented development.Despite its benefits, transit-oriented development faces multiple barriers. Projects may face more complex planning, financing, and regulatory hurdles, and often entail higher land and development costs compared to greenfield development. Local governments are confronting these challenges through the adoption of innovative policy, planning, and finance tools. Researchers at the University of California, Davis surveyed almost 150 city planning directors in California’s four largest metropolitan areas to better understand cities’ motivations for supporting transit-oriented development, the challenges encountered, and techniques employed in achieving their transit-oriented development goals. The results presented in this policy brief are from the first part of a two-year study.View the NCST Project Webpag

City Planner Survey Reveals the Most Common Tools for Promoting Transit-Oriented Development

Transit-oriented development—higher density residential or mixed-use development centered around high-quality transit stations—can reduce the need for driving and cut vehicle greenhouse gas emissions. It can also play a role in revitalizing downtowns, improving accessibility for residents, and preserving open space. For these reasons, state and local governments in California have adopted goals and policies to support transit-oriented development.Despite its benefits, transit-oriented development faces multiple barriers. Projects may face more complex planning, financing, and regulatory hurdles, and often entail higher land and development costs compared to greenfield development. Local governments are confronting these challenges through the adoption of innovative policy, planning, and finance tools. Researchers at the University of California, Davis surveyed almost 150 city planning directors in California’s four largest metropolitan areas to better understand cities’ motivations for supporting transit-oriented development, the challenges encountered, and techniques employed in achieving their transit-oriented development goals. The results presented in this policy brief are from the first part of a two-year study.View the NCST Project Webpag

The impact of COVID-19 on CalFresh and Market Match spending at farmers markets

What barriers and opportunities did low-income consumers face in shopping at farmers markets during COVID-19? To answer this question, we observed purchasing practices in Sonoma and Marin counties in Northern California, organized focus groups, and analyzed data from CalFresh and Market Match, which are public programs to support food access. We found that expanded federal food benefits during the pandemic increased financial access to farmers markets for low-income consumers, resulting in increased CalFresh and Market Match sales. While some consumers perceived outdoor shopping as safer, others were unsure whether farmers markets were strictly following pandemic precautions. Further, broader changes to shopping practices as a result of the pandemic indirectly impacted consumers’ interest in shopping at farmers markets. To make farmers markets more accessible now and in preparation for future disasters, we recommend increasing awareness of farmers markets among low-income communities, strengthening public nutrition benefits that can be used at farmers markets, and linking public and nonprofit organizations that promote access to healthy food with farmers markets

A preliminary assessment of food policy obstacles in California's produce recovery networks.

California is a landmark setting for studying produce recovery efforts and policy implications because of its global relevance in agricultural production, its complex network of food recovery organizations, and its environmental and public health regulations. Through a series of focus groups with organizations involved in produce recovery (gleaning organizations) and emergency food operations (food banks, food pantries), this study aimed to deepen our understanding of the current produce recovery system and determine the major challenges and opportunities related to the produce recovery system. Operational and systematic barriers to produce recovery were highlighted by both gleaning and emergency food operations. Operational barriers, such as the lack of appropriate infrastructure and limited logistical support were found to be a challenge across groups and were directly tied to inadequate funding for these organizations. Systematic barriers, such as regulations related to food safety or reducing food loss and waste, were also found to impact both gleaning and emergency food organizations, but differences were observed in how each type of regulation impacted each stakeholder group. To support the expansion of food recovery efforts, participants expressed need for better coordination within and across food recovery networks and more positive and transparent engagement from regulators to increase understanding of the specifics of their unique operational constraints. The focus group participants also provided critiques on how emergency food assistance and food recovery are inscribed within the current food system and for longer term goals of reducing food insecurity and food loss and waste a systematic change will be required

City Planner Survey Reveals the Most Common Tools for Promoting Transit-Oriented Development [Policy Brief]

Caltrans 65A0686 Task Order 001 USDOT Grant 69A355Transit-oriented development\u2014higher density residential or mixed-use development centered around high-quality transit stations\u2014can reduce the need for driving and cut vehicle greenhouse gas emissions. It can also play a role in revitalizing downtowns, improving accessibility for residents, and preserving open space. For these reasons, state and local governments in California have adopted goals and policies to support transit-oriented development