Clean Energy > Community Planning
Community Planning
California has ambitious goals to reach five million Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV) by 2030, and to require that all new vehicle sales be electric by 2035. Since transportation is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in California, meeting these goals is one of the most important ways we can avert the worst impacts of the climate crisis.
Additionally, the plans our cities and counties make affect our daily lives, and it’s important that we are not only thinking about building infrastructure for electric vehicles, but also encouraging greener transportation options like telecommuting, biking, buses, and walking.
The way our communities are built and developed has a major impact on our environment, our local economy, and our quality of life. Thousands of Central Coast residents who are unable to live where they work make long commutes in heavy traffic. This culture of long-distance commuting increases vehicle emissions, contributes to stress, and reduces well-being. Climate-smart community development can help us find a better balance between housing availability and employment opportunities, allowing more people to live in the communities where they work. By bringing jobs and housing to the same neighborhoods, we can reduce emissions, strengthen our economy, and create a better life for ourselves and our communities.
How You Can Take Action
Drive Less
Try out alternatives to the single-passenger commute available in our community – like buses, trains, and ride-shares – or see if greener transportation options like telecommuting, biking, and walking could fit into your life. Any of these will reduce vehicle miles traveled while improving health and creating more vibrant communities.
Take the Ventura County Energy Needs Assessment Survey
Do you, or someone you know, manage or operate a business or a commercial, multifamily, or industrial facility in or near the cities of Ventura or Oxnard? If yes, complete our energy needs assessment survey and you could receive up to $40 for sharing your input.
Get Educated
Visit the Clean Energy Resources page to learn more about community planning and subscribe to our email list to stay updated on the latest news, events, and opportunities to engage.
Influence Local Plans and Decision-Making
Attend public hearings and voice your support to elected officials to make it clear that climate-smart development is a priority for our community. Sign up to receive alerts about opportunities to take action to support the work of the Community Environmental Council.
What CEC Is Doing
Involving Community
CEC plays a major role in long-term sustainable community planning by encouraging civic engagement in government planning such as the Regional Transportation Plan, the County’s Climate Action Strategy, and the City of Santa Barbara’s Bike Master Plan and general plan update. In addition to attending meetings and providing our own detailed comments, our job is to bring more community members into the process so our region can design truly people-centered communities.
Advocating for Climate-Smart Development
CEC engages in policy advocacy so that new development goes into existing urban areas rather than sprawling into farmlands and wildlands. CEC is a strong advocate for climate-smart development that will address our region’s jobs-housing imbalance, allowing people to live closer to where they work and reduce long-distance commutes. We advocate for infill development strategies that reduce sprawl, create more affordable housing in urban centers, and bring more job opportunities to the region. Programs that support infill development and increase the supply of affordable housing are crucial for addressing climate change and improving our quality of life. Climate-smart planning also encourages people to use more sustainable modes of transportation, like walking, biking, mass transit, and carpooling.
Building new charging stations
The Central Coast now has over 1,800 public charging stations, and CEC is working with local cities and businesses to install more at ideal locations. While most charging is done overnight at home, a robust public charging network allows EV drivers to top off and drive more electric miles. Please contact Michael Chiacos, CEC’s Director of Climate Policy, at mchiacos@cecmail.org if you are interested in charging stations at your business.
Making Buildings Plug-In Ready
We work with city planners, builders and architects to pre-wire new construction and major renovations so that buildings are “plug-in ready.”
Creating Bicycle Master Plans
We work with cities and counties to develop and strengthen their bicycle master plans. Increasing the number of bike commute trips is one of the most effective and immediate ways to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions from transportation. These plans establish specific goals, like increasing the number of bike commute trips made, create framework for making data-driven safety improvements to bicycle networks, and open the door to significant sources of funding for bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly street improvements.
