May 10

May 10 Environmental justice woven throughout Sacramento's proposed 2040 General Plan

Breaking News, Building a sustainable future, Building up business, Making sure your voice is heard

*Rendering of the Wong Center, and affordable senior housing project being built in The Railyards.*

Sacramento, CA (May 10, 2023) - For the first time, environmental justice is a key consideration in the City of Sacramento’s general plan update.

The general plan, referred to as, “Sacramento 2040,” is the City’s blueprint for how and where it will grow over the next 20 years and the framework to guide Sacramento’s efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Environmental Justice, or EJ, is defined by the California Environmental Justice Alliance as, “the basic right of people to live, work, go to school, and pray in a healthy and clean environment—regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, culture, ability, nationality, or income.”

The idea of creating a healthy environment for all Sacramento residents has been woven through the 500-page draft general plan in various policy goals and recommendations. The plan also has a section dedicated to environmental justice as required by SB 1000, new legislation passed in 2016. The heart of the document covers land use and placemaking, historic and cultural resources, economic development, environmental resources and constraints, environmental justice, mobility, public facilities and safety, and youth, parks, recreation and open space.

*EVgo electric vehicle charging stations in Sacramento, CA*

In Land Use and Planning, the document covers policies on planning for a greater array of housing types, refining zoning requirements to allow for more and denser housing, limiting or eliminating parking requirements, and encouraging adaptive re-use and infill housing.

Another set of highlights centers on the various climate mitigation and adaptation strategies presented throughout. It includes policies and goals such as adding to and improving EV charging infrastructure while prohibiting new gas stations unless they include high-speed electric charging; transitioning more buildings to a carbon zero footprint, strengthening the urban tree canopy, and encouraging development near existing and proposed transit stations and stops.

“We need a bold vision for the future of Sacramento that delivers equitable growth and economic opportunity for more people while helping us reach our climate goals,” said Mayor Darrell Steinberg. “I think this document delivers on those fronts and more.”

*A timeline of the general plan update update process*

The draft of the General Plan update was released to the public for review on April 28, and it has already gone through a lengthy community process that established the overarching vision.

Accompanying “Sacramento 2040,” the City of Sacramento’s Climate Action team released the Climate Action & Adaptation Plan (CAAP). This document includes measures and actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strategies for adapting to the projected impacts of climate change, and a path to reach citywide carbon neutrality by 2045.

“We hope the community will take this opportunity to review and comment on these plans, as their input is important for Sacramento’s future,” said Remi Mendoza, senior planner with the City. “There are components of the General Plan and the Climate Action & Adaptation Plan that support Sacramento in fulfilling our vision to become a national model of sustainable, equitable growth and community development.”

The City is holding three optional webinars to give a project overview and explain how to participate in the self-guided online workshop. Each of the three webinars will present the same content, and each will include a Q&A session. They will be held on:

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