Land Use and Environment

Cities and counties can have an enormous impact in shaping the physical environment of neighborhoods and the health and well-being of their residents. The Sustainable Communities/Land Use and Environment Program provides resources to support local officials in their efforts to plan and develop healthy communities that are socially, economically, environmentally and fiscally sustainable.

This website contains:

Case Stories and Examples from California Cities and Counties

• Case Stories by Topic
• Case Stories by Region

Tools and Resources in the following areas:

• Understanding the Basics of Land Use and Planning
• Planning Sustainable Communities
• SB 375 and Regional Planning
• Participating Effectively in the Planning Process
• Land Use and Planning Websites and Organizations

ILG Resources on Land Use and Environment:

Available for purchase or free download-

• Understanding the Basics of Land Use and Planning: Guide to Local Planning
• Understanding the Basics of Land Use and Planning: A Guide to Planning Healthy Neighborhoods
• Understanding the Basics of Land Use and Planning: Glossary of Land Use and Planning Terms
• Building Public Support for Affordable Housing: A Toolbox for California Officials
• An Ounce of Prevention: Best Practices for Making Informed Land Use Decisions
• Financing Open Space Acquisition Programs
  

These publications are part of a series of resources designed to help California local officials with land use decision making.  Click on the links above to read more about purchasing hard copies or the right to reproduce and distribute these resources. 

Available for free download-

• Land Use One-Pagers
• The Basics of SB 375: Transportation, Housing and Greenhouse Gases
• Understanding SB 375: Public Participation Requirements
• Farmland Preservation Action Guide
• Understanding the Habitat Conservation Planning Process in California

Click on the links above to download these resources.

Related Institute Programs

• Sustainable Communities/Climate Change Program
• Public Engagement and Collaborative Governance (PECG) 

Contact

Steve Sanders
Program Director, Sustainable Communities/Land Use and Environment
Telephone: (916) 658-8245
E-mail Steve

Jessica Avina
Program Coordinator, Sustainable Communities
Telephone: (916) 658-8274
E-mail Jessica

Robin Evans
Program Coordinator, Sustainable Communities
Telephone: (916) 658-8255
E-mail Robin

Carmen Pereira
Program Assistant, Sustainable Communities
Telephone: (916) 658-8208
E-mail Carmen