By Afshan Hamid, AICP, January 21, 2022
APA California–Northern Section has partnered with SPUR to bring exciting and relevant events to Bay Area planners. Please register on the SPUR website at spur.org. Use APAWinter for free access during checkout. We hope to see you at these events.
Event attendees will receive a link to a Digital Discourse with their receipt of registration. If you experience any difficulties, or for questions or comments, please email publicprograms@spur.org, or call (415) 781-8726.
• Building the Foundation for Transit-Oriented Communities in the Bay Area
12:30 to 1:30 p.m. | Wednesday, January 26, 2022
This program is rescheduled from November 2021. If you signed up for the original event, your registration will be transferred to this new date.
In July 2021, SPUR hosted a conversation with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and local developers about the prime opportunities that exist for more successful and equitable transit-oriented development (TOD) throughout the Bay Area — locations that could house thousands of jobs and residents in communities around existing transit. Months later, the agency has developed new preliminary policy proposals for its updated TOD plan, drawing on rigorous analysis and years of research into best practices. Join us to learn what MTC is proposing, share your questions and concerns, and help push the region towards more achievable transit-oriented development.
+ Kara Vuicich / Metropolitan Transportation Commission
+ Mayor Jesse Arreguín / Mayor of Berkeley
+ Justine Marcus / Enterprise Community Partners
+ Councilmember Carlos Romero / East Palo Alto City Council
+ Jonathon Kass / SPUR
Free to the public. Co-presented by APA California–Northern, Enterprise Community Partners, and TransForm, and generously sponsored by Google.
Pre-register for a link to this Digital Discourse >>
• • A Coordinated Strategy for California
12:30 to 1:30 p.m. | Wednesday, February 2, 2022
California is faced with such a multitude of land use and planning challenges — including climate change, wildfires and drought, and a worsening housing crisis — that they span multiple state agencies. The California Strategic Growth Council was created to ensure that these myriad agencies align around a coordinated vision towards addressing these existential dilemmas. Join us for a conversation with the agency’s new executive director, Lynn Von Koch-Liebert, to hear the state’s plans for making California a more resilient and sustainable place for everyone.
+ Nick Josefowitz / SPUR
+ Lynn Von Koch-Liebert / California Strategic Growth Council
Co-presented by APA California–Northern.
Pre-register for a link to this Digital Discourse >>
• • • How Should California Prioritize Its Transportation Funding?
12:30 to 1:30 p.m. | Tuesday, February 8, 2022
The California Transportation Commission (CTC), the state agency formed in 1978 to replace four other independent bodies, is responsible for distributing a significant portion of the state’s discretionary transportation funding, including the allocation of funds for highway construction, passenger rail, and general transportations improvements throughout California. Where does the money go, and how does the commission determine what to fund? Take part in a conversation with the executive director of the commission, Mitch Weiss, and learn how the CTC operates and its critical role in achieving the state’s climate, public health, and equity goals.
+ Nick Josefwitz / SPUR
+ Mitch Weiss / California Transportation Commission
Co-presented by APA California–Northern.
Pre-register for a link to this Digital Discourse >>
• • • • Planning (Literally) the Future of California
12:30 to 1:30 p.m. | Tuesday, February 15, 2022
As California continues the fight against climate change amid the growing housing crisis, leaders across the state are looking at a number of ways to address both challenges. The California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) is a vital player in this undertaking, with a wide purview that includes land use, community development, climate resilience, and economic development, and is tasked with studying future research and planning needs across the state. In the fall of 2021, the agency brought on a new director, Samuel Assefa, to lead OPR’s efforts towards planning for an affordable, equitable, and sustainable California. Join him in conversation with SPUR’s Chief Policy Officer, Nick Josefowitz, to learn how California plans to address its monumental challenges in 2022 and beyond.
+ Nick Josefowitz / SPUR
+ Sam Assefa / California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research
Co-presented by APA California–Northern.