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Photo of the Fruitvale Transit Village.

Building residences and shops right near public transit is a good example of sustainable land use planning. Photo credit: Peter Beeler, MTC

The way we plan the physical layout, or land use, of our communities is vital for sustainability. The County has a significant role to play in land use planning. Currently, we are revising our general plans to encourage activities that conserve resources, reduce energy consumption, and reduce greenhouse gases.

Examples of County land use planning activities include promoting development to capitalize on existing transit infrastructure and sponsoring public events in cooperation with the Hayward Area Recreation and Parks District, the Oro Lomo and Castro Valley Sanitation Districts. In addition, to help the County monitor best practices and develop and implement policies that reflect those practices, the Community Development Agency has created an internal Green Team.

Conservation Planning

The County is participating in the preparation of the East Alameda County Conservation Strategy (EACCS), a collaborative effort by County staff, local cities, resource agencies and special districts to develop and adopt a shared vision to guide long-term habitat protection. The EACCS will assess areas across eastern Alameda County for their habitat conservation value and establish guiding biological principles for conducting conservation in this part of the County. For additional information, visit: www.eastalco-conservation.org.

The County is developing a Natural Communities Conservation Plan and Habitat Conservation Plan for Altamont Pass windfarms. This serves as a critical element of California's goals to expand renewable energy production and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and will serve as a model for other new and expanding wind energy facilities in California.