We will work at the local and regional levels to increase community engagement and power at the intersection of climate, housing, land use, and transportation. We will provide community-based organizations and resident leaders, especially those representing underserved populations, with tools and resources to shape their communities’ future.

Actions

Provide technical assistance as requested around housing, land use and transportation decision-making
A significant barrier to community leadership in land use and transportation planning is its technocratic nature, especially developing scenarios and travel modeling. As requested, we will provide trainings, targeted technical assistance, and campaign support. These efforts will allow communities to develop their own scenarios for the future, with livable communities that integrate open space, affordable housing, and active transportation.

Fundraise to provide seed grants to community organizations to grow their own resources to engage in land use and transportation planning 
ClimatePlan is committed to increasing resources and power for local and regional organizations, so they can shape their own communities. We recognize that a primary barrier to this work is lack of funding. We will seek funding to help these organizations expand and secure tools to tackle the challenges their communities face.

Focus on replicating successes from community-led partnerships in San Joaquin Valley and Southern California to address historic inequities 
Underserved communities in these regions bear the burdens of past inequitable land use and transportation decisions. These burdens include lack of basic transportation infrastructure, such as protected bicycle lanes, sidewalks, and crosswalks. Homes are far from hospitals and necessary social services. Many community-based organizations and resident leaders have created meaningful change in their neighborhoods by shaping local and regional plans for growth and transportation. We will work with these community organizations to amplify their work so other community-led coalitions can learn and be effective change agents. We will support coalitions that request our help; we will make sure these coalitions use their communities’ knowledge—as well as state laws—to develop and implement local and regional plans that advance environmental justice, fair housing, sustainable growth, and investment in transportation choices that reduces communities’ dependence on automobiles.