City of Sacramento Planning Academy

The City of Sacramento Planning Academy is a free, hybrid course designed to educate, engage, and empower Sacramento residents and business owners on current planning issues and City plans underway in Sacramento. Participants can expect to learn about the City’s planning process and how planning shapes our community, with the opportunity to discuss Sacramento’s future with a cohort of civic leaders. The course objective is to provide participants knowledge, skills, and connections to encourage civic engagement in the planning process. Participants will have the opportunity to engage directly with staff leading a range of planning efforts including the Sacramento 2040 General Plan, the Climate Action & Adaptation Plan, Transportation Priorities Plan, Stockton Boulevard Plan, the 2022-2030 Housing Element, the Accessory Dwelling Unit Resource Enter, Missing Middle Housing Strategy, and the Existing Building Electrification Strategy. The program is intended to provide participants with tools and insights that will empower them to be more effective advocates in future City of Sacramento Planning efforts.

2023 Program Date: Monday* evenings, March 5-May 15, 2023, 5:30-7:30pm

Learn more and apply by January 30, 2023, here: http://www.cityofsacramento.org/Community-Development/Planning/Long-Range/Planning-Academy

Release of Preliminary Public Review Draft of the Sacramento Climate Action Plan

From the City of Sacramento:

The Community Development Department is pleased to announce the release of the preliminary public review draft of the Climate Action Plan (CAP) on July 1, 2022.

This document will be circulated for a 30-day period, several months ahead of the release of the full Draft Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, Draft 2040 General Plan and Draft Master Environmental Impact Report this fall, which will be circulated for 45 days. This approach will allow the community to have advanced review and provide comments on the draft measures to reduce the City’s greenhouse gas emissions. The document is posted on the project webpage and can be found directly here.

Following release of the preliminary public review draft Climate Action Plan, the Sacramento City Council will hold a workshop to discuss additional potential actions that can be taken to achieve carbon neutrality in advance of the CAP’s target date of 2045. This City Council workshop is scheduled for August 16, 2022.

Submit comments on the preliminary draft Climate Action Plan (from July 1 to July 30).

Contact staff
Email: cap[at]cityofsacramento[dot]org
Sign up to receive updates from the Office of Climate Action and Sustainability
Sign up to receive updates on the Sacramento 2040 General Plan and Climate Action Plan

What Is A General Plan?!?

Posted here: January 12, 2021

Created by Tomboy Dru November 10, 2018 via YouTube

With the City of Sacramento working on updating the City General Plan, we thought we would post this fantastic video created by YouTube creator Tomboy Dru, who humorously breaks down what’s in a General Plan, by providing a general explanation of each General Plan element. These elements include land use, environmental resources, recreation and open space, noise, circulation or mobility, safety, energy, and housing or growth area. We highly recommend this video to gain an understanding of this important document, or to refresh your knowledge! Check out her channel for other great urban planning content, as well!


Click here to learn more about the City of Sacramento’s General Plan.

Click here to learn more about the County of Sacramento’s General Plan.

To learn about the general plan where you live, visit your local government websites.

Strong Mayor Measure Presentation

Tuesday 9/22 at 6pm on Zoom

Everyone is welcome to virtually join in on Tuesday 9/22 for a presentation on the 2020 Strong Mayor Measure at the ECOS Board Meeting!

  • Julia Burrows, Senior Policy Advisor to Sacramento Mayor Steinberg, will present for “Yes on Measure A”
  • Heather Fargo, former Sacramento Mayor, will present for “No on Measure A”
  • Followed by Q & A

Meeting starts at 6:00 pm | Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Zoom Meeting ID: 818 6537 7865
Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81865377865 | Call-in: 1-669-900-6833
ECOS Board Meetings are scheduled for the fourth Tuesday of odd-numbered months.

Here’s a link to the agenda: https://www.ecosacramento.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/bsk-pdf-manager/2020/09/2020-09-Sept-22-ECOS-Board-Meeting-Agenda.pdf

ECOS Board Meeting July 23rd

At this meeting, we will hear from Special Assistant Julia Burrows, the new senior policy advisor to Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg. She will share with us some insight into how the City of Sacramento is currently handling environmental concerns. This is also a chance to raise issues of which we think their office ought to be aware. Click here to learn more about Julia Burrows.

Date: Tuesday, July 23rd

Time: Reception is at 5:30 pm (feel free to bring something to share) and the meeting begins at 6:00 pm

Location: The meeting will be held in the Sierra Club CA conference room on the second floor of the Breathe CA building, at 909 12th Street, Sacramento. Ring the buzzer for Sierra Club to be let in. Street parking is difficult, but lightrail stops right by the office and there is secure bike parking inside the building.

Click here to see the agenda.

We look forward to seeing everyone!

Creating Sustainable Communities and Landscapes

Recommended practices and tools for local collaboration on climate-smart growth

Published: October 8, 2018

By the Strategic Growth Council

The State of California has a rich history of environmental leadership. With some of the most beautiful landscapes and fertile soils in the country, we have much to protect and conserve. As the State’s population grows towards fifty million people, infrastructure demands place intensified levels of stress on California’s agricultural and natural wealth. In order to address these challenges, California has led the charge nationally to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions, because we recognize that this battle is not only about the environment – it is also about protecting the well-being of our families and communities. To ensure the prosperous future of our State, we must shift to a more conscientious approach to land use planning in California – one that balances the needs of conservation and development. In order to balance these priorities, the State has put new laws in place for new housing and infill development, community resilience, economic growth in urban and rural areas, and set an ambitious target for carbon neutrality by 2045 that relies upon efficient and orderly growth across California.

Developed through a collaboration among the Strategic Growth Council, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research and the California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions (CALAFCO), this paper is intended to help support coordination among local entities to advance efficient growth and conservation of natural resources. The document highlights case studies in which LAFCos, cities, counties and special districts successfully partnered to reduce suburban sprawl and increase the conservation of natural and working lands, while also considering how to improve community resilience. It also aims to raise awareness of available tools and resources that can be used to create more environmentally and economically sustainable communities throughout California.

California, State of. “AnnouncementCreating Sustainable Communities and Landscapes: Recommended Practices and Tools for Local Collaboration on Climate-Smart Growth.” CA.gov, Strategic Growth Council, 8 Oct. 2018, www.sgc.ca.gov/news/2018/10-08.html.

Read the paper by clicking here.