local government

This study examines climate action plans (CAPs) released by jurisdictions in California, and develops a framework to assess their inclusion, which could also be used to guide future CAP development, and develops a set of guiding questions to promote the inclusion of equity themes in climate action planning and implementation.

Transit-oriented development—higher-density residential or mixed-use development centered around high-quality transit stations—has emerged as a strategy to reduce greenhouse gases while increasing housing supply. Researchers at the University of California, Davis completed in-depth case studies of 11 California cities to understand their mix of strategies and how they have needed to reconcile sometimes competing policy goals in advancing transit-oriented development.

This study examines climate action plans (CAPs) released by jurisdictions in California, and develops a framework to assess their inclusion, which could also be used to guide future CAP development, and develops a set of guiding questions to promote the inclusion of equity themes in climate action planning and implementation.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis assessed and scored over 30 CAPs released between 2009 and 2020 based on the degree to which they addressed three themes: emissions reductions, cost, and equity, and developed a set of guiding questions to assist jurisdictions in developing CAPs that include equity considerations both broadly and by specific sector.

Researchers at UC Davis studied methods and web-based mapping and quantitative analysis tools available to regional and local governments to evaluate the land use efficiency and equity of their policies and plans. The team reviewed 11 web-based tools on their incorporation of VMT, gentrification, equity, land use, and tool accessibility.

This research resulted in a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Impact spreadsheet tool, which lets users easily see impacts for any census tract, city, or region in California.