One key element of Smart Growth (and, consequently, healthy communities) is housing that can be afforded by local workers:
“Creating homes that are affordable to local workers would also help reduce long commutes and enable people to live in the community they serve.”
More workforce housing units would provide our families and children more quality of life, increase use of local public transportation, and stimulate the local economy! It is important that we also resource alternative models of housing such as community land trusts, and housing co-ops to support affordable first time home ownership opportunities. In this way, we will promote upward economic mobility and address poverty in our County.
One great opportunity to influence the development of our cities and the county is the Housing Element Update processes. Contact us if you would like more information on how to participate : info@maringrassroots.org
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Smart growth urged along SMART rail line in Marin
Mark Prado
Posted: 06/10/2009 05:17:49 PM PDT
SAN FRANCISCO – Growth in Marin over the next 25 years should be funneled into areas along the planned Sonoma-Marin Rail Transit corridor to curb sprawl and cut greenhouse gases, according a plan released Wednesday by the Greenbelt Alliance.
The report by the land conservation and urban-planning organization titled “Grow Smart Bay Area” is an initiative to get Bay Area cities and counties to plan for the expected additional 2 million people and 1.7 million jobs that will come to the region by 2035.
“Traditionally Marin has been anti-development and environmentalists have been anti-growth,” said Whitney Merchant, a Greenbelt Alliance field director who lives in San Anselmo. “But now environmentalists and the sustainable community realize we can’t be sustainable until we start to build more and better housing that allow for more biking and walking and access to transportation.”
The report cites downtown Novato and San Rafael, where growth can occur in existing lots that are now empty or unused, so called “in-fill” housing, along the SMART rail corridor.
The report looks at the entire Bay Area, and estimates that 5 percent of the new homes and 6 percent of new jobs coming to the region will end up in Marin and Sonoma over the next 25 years.
Read more at:
http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_12563663?IADID=Search-www.marinij.com-www.marinij.com
Filed under: community issues, housing, partners | Tagged: greenbelt alliance, report, smart, smart growth, Transportation, workforce housing
