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As stated in General Plan 2020, “Planning is about change.” San Rafael started as a compact community around a mixed-use downtown. After World War II, the city expanded rapidly with low-density, suburban development. This suburban development pattern separated neighborhoods of single-family homes from employment and shopping areas. As a result, automobile use increased as walking and bicycling decreased. Although there is virtually no vacant land remaining in San Rafael, there is a desire to redevelop older buildings and underdeveloped properties for sustained economic and community vitality. In addition, State law requires that each city plan for a prescribed number of new housing units to accommodate its “fair share” of the state-wide housing need for affordable housing. While San Rafael is projected to grow slowlyover the next few decades, to assure that future changes will improve the community’s environmental and social sustainability, General Plan 2020 subscribes to the planning tenets of Smart Growth as described below. |
In 2006 the Greenbelt Alliance, a premier Bay Area land conservation and urban planning organization, ranked San Rafael 9th out of 101 Bay Area cities in promoting Smart Growth principals in its land use policies. Smart Growth Scorecard |
Smart Growth Principles
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Create a Range of Housing Opportunities and Choices
Providing quality housing for people of all income levels is an integral component to a sustainable community. Lower-income employees provide needed public and commercial services and should be able to live near their jobs, which would reduce long-distance commuting.
The Housing Element contains many strategies to encourage a diverse housing supply, ensuring a range of new housing options affordable to all income levels.
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Create Walkable Neighborhoods
Walkable communities are desirable places to live, work, and play and offer alternatives to driving an automobile for short trips.
The Circulation Element endorses San Rafael’s Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan which promotes improvements to make San Rafael a safe and pleasant place to walk. The Neighborhoods Element includes policies promoting pedestrian-friendly design in commercial centers throughout the city.
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Mix Land Uses
By putting different land uses (residential, employment, shopping, recreation) in close proximity to one another, alternatives to driving, such as walking or biking, once again become viable. Mixed land uses also provide a population and commercial base for supporting viable public transit. It can enhance the vitality and perceived security of an area by increasing the number of people on or observing the street. It helps streets, public spaces and pedestrian-oriented retail again become places where people meet, attracting pedestrians back onto the street and helping to revitalize community life.
The Land Use Element allows housing in every commercial district, from downtown to retail strip centers, to the mall and the corner shops.
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Foster Distinctive, Attractive Communities with a Strong Sense of Place
Redevelopment opportunities should result in physically attractive environments which create a more cohesive community. Smart growth promotes development which respects and enhances natural amenities, is oriented towards pedestrians and creates distinctive places that are inviting to the public.
The Community Design and Economic Vitality elements promote connectedness, respecting San Rafael’s natural places, and design that enhances the built environment.
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Provide a Variety of Transportation Choices
As automobile congestion worsens, communities are looking for more transportation choices. As noted above, there is a close relationship between land use patterns and the likelihood that people will choose alternative modes of transportation. Government must also take action to expand infrastructure, such as bicycle facilities and pedestrian paths, and to offer convenient and desirable transit options.
The Circulation Element promotes choice in transportation, from walking and biking to bus and rail transit.
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Preserve Open Space, Farmland, Natural Beauty and Critical Environmental Areas
Smart Growth is not just about additional development. It balances focused, higher density development with preservation of surrounding open space and valuable habitat areas. Marin is known for its open spaces. Eighty-four percent of the county is public open space or agricultural uses, with all urban development occurring along Highway 101.
The Open Space and Conservation elements continue the legacy of San Rafael’s environmentalists who lobbied long and hard for purchase and protection of the city’s hillsides and wetlands. Policies continue to have the strictest standard of protection for wetlands and other natural areas. In San Rafael virtually all new development will be “infill,” and will not consume existing open space.
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Encourage Community and Stakeholder Collaboration
San Rafael ascribes to the philosophy of community-based governance by engaging residents, businesses and other stakeholders to define how best to upgrade the city through redevelopment opportunities.
The Governance Element describes opportunities for engaging residents, businesses and other stakeholders to define how best to improve the city through redevelopment opportunities.