Greenbelt Alliance

The author Meghan Hart was a UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy (GSPP) Fellow and Greenbelt Alliance research collaborator between February and May 2026.

For decades, California has been building new homes in the wrong places. Between 1990 and 2020, nearly half of new housing development landed in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), where suburbs intermingle with fire-prone vegetation. 

State legislators and advocates are aware that building in WUI areas is increasingly problematic, threatening both natural habitats and our ability to meet our climate goals. The stakes have not been higher, but there are significant challenges—both structural and political—to redirecting new homes away from urban fringes and towards existing communities. 

Governance Challenges in Land-Use Planning

Land use planning is very decentralized. No one group, agency, or even layer of government is the primary driver of where to build in California. Each jurisdiction has its own rules and perspectives on what to build. Individual projects on the edge of town may seem to have a small impact, but in aggregate, this pattern of development takes a toll on natural habitats, air quality, and the health of our communities. Experts call these “spillover” effects, or the unintended costs of one person’s decision falling on others, who never had a say in the decision-making. 

Spillover effects are a signal that we need state-level intervention. In the past 10 years, lawmakers have passed legislation aimed at guiding development to reduce these effects by making it easier to build within existing communities. Recent successes include our co-sponsored Senate Bill 79, making it easier to build near transit, and strengthened support for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)  

Nevertheless, there’s a long way to go to make up for the sprawling development of the last 80 years.

Current Tools Fall Short

So, what state policies best meet the moment? To date, few tools exist to help advocacy organizations identify which legislative solutions have the greatest impact and move us closer to thriving, walkable communities. Without a research-based framework for evaluating novel policy ideas, it’s difficult to know where to focus advocacy energy.

Existing tools each capture part of the problem, but very few connect the need to protect habitats with the imperative to build in existing cities. The Terner Center’s Housing Development Calculator captures market forces well, but it is not intended to project statewide and doesn’t account for the impact of development on ecologically valuable lands. Conservation tools display environmentally sensitive areas, but don’t incorporate housing demand or the planning decisions that put those areas at risk. This gap exists for a good reason—it’s difficult to predict the long-term impact of a housing policy on production, since development is so dependent on interconnected market factors. Tracing how a policy might indirectly affect habitats and ecological processes is even harder to measure.

A New Framework

To work around the tradeoffs in measurement, I spent this spring as a fellow investigating how state land-use policies shape development patterns and using those findings to design an evaluation framework that captures both conservation and housing development dynamics. My research culminated in 5 main findings, which became the basis for the tool: 

1. Location-based housing policies offer many benefits for residents, including boosting new housing development in existing communities and away from ecologically significant and sensitive habitats. 
2. Although the state legislature has made progress, many barriers to compact development remain. The main challenges include political opposition at the local level, financial barriers, high costs of construction, and land readiness. 
3. Policies that split responsibilities across departments or require complex administrative processes increase a policy’s risk of failing to deliver on its intended outcome.
4. Economic levers—like taxes or subsidies—that rebalance the relative attractiveness of building in cities compared to urban fringes can benefit residents, but need to be carefully evaluated for which groups bear the costs. 
5. Some of the most effective state policies are those that offer the clearest expectations and provide defined, predictable guidelines for local governments to implement.  

I used these findings to build the evaluation framework, which works in three parts: 

First, we ask whether a policy idea is location-based. For policies that apply to specific places, we use an ecological risk map to assess whether the policies might impact sensitive areas, like valuable farmland, critical habitats, and areas at risk of wildfire.

In the second stage, we ask what outcome a policy is trying to achieve and how the design and implementation can help or hurt that goal. Based on the available details, we can estimate relatively how much land would be impacted and how significant the barrier to infill housing. Then, using a few more questions, we can estimate how likely the policy is to achieve its goal.  Combining the magnitude and likelihood produces a rough internal ranking that surfaces tradeoffs more intuitively than looking at either input on its own.

Finally, the framework collects practical considerations, including estimating the likely time to impact, noting the political environment, and capturing any current events the organization is aware of that may aid in decision-making. As a result, the framework produces a policy profile that brings more rigor to the organization’s legislative strategy.

The Big Picture

Land use decisions are hard to undo. This tool will help Greenbelt Alliance identify policies that move California closer to actually producing vibrant, connected communities and protecting the invaluable land we all enjoy. It gives the organization a shared language for discussing the tradeoffs and making the case to coalition members. Using the insights from the framework, the organization can push for policies that move California away from the fire-prone, fringe development of the last few decades, and towards the connected, sustainable communities that we know benefit both people and the environment. 

Header Photo: Gilroy aerial view. By Karl Nielsen/Greenbelt Alliance

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In April 2026, Greenbelt Alliance was thrilled to endorse the Wolfe Road Housing development in Cupertino, an infill project that will create over 250 affordable homes in the city. Developed by Eden Housing, this project is specifically designated to support our educator workforce and provide affordable housing options to these essential workers.  

The Wolfe Road Housing development is aligned with Greenbelt Alliance’s climate SMART—Sustainable, Mixed, Affordable, Resilient, Transit-Oriented—development criteria in several ways. Keep reading to learn how!

Affordability, Accessibility & Engagement 

Wolfe Road Housing increases the affordability and variety of housing in Cupertino. With nearly all 251 units designated as affordable, Greenbelt Alliance is assured that this project will meet the needs of our educators and low-to-middle-income households. This vibrant new community will be adjacent to the shopping district on Stevens Creek Blvd and give residents access to a handful of bus options nearby. Additionally, the inclusion of over 200 bike parking spaces and new bike-pedestrian trails will make it easier for people to get around.

We appreciate the dedication of Eden Housing in supporting the housing needs of our region and engaging with the existing neighborhood. Born out of new connections and listening workshops, this is a project that is thoughtful in its approach and mindful of the various concerns raised by the community. 

Sustainability & Resilience 

As part of those community conversations, Wolfe Road Housing will now introduce lovely native plant landscaping and tree-lined streets that are both aesthetically pleasing and cooling on increasingly hot summer days. The buildings will have an all-electric design, heat pumps for water heating, rooftop solar, and low-flow water fixtures. Paired with EV charging and sound attenuating windows, the developers demonstrated their priority to center both environmental and community needs. We also would like to note that Wolfe Road Housing is neither in a flood risk area nor faces wildfire risk thereby ensuring the project’s resilience in the long-term. 

A metrics comparison based on GreenTRIP—a tool created by Transform that models traffic and greenhouse gas impacts of residential projects in California—underscores the project’s environmental benefits:

• 3,869 fewer miles driven every day compared to the Santa Clara County average.
• 48% fewer GHG impacts every day compared to the Santa Clara County average.
• 20% less parking use every day compared to the Santa Clara County average.

We believe that Wolfe Road Housing is a significant new project in Cupertino that will make the city more accessible and affordable to more people. Greenbelt Alliance hopes the project will inspire cities in Santa Clara County and around the Bay Area to be audacious and redouble their efforts to grow in more sustainable ways.  

Greenbelt Alliance’s Climate SMART—Sustainable, Mixed, Affordable, Resilient, Transit-Oriented— Development Endorsement Program goals call for fully protecting the Bay Area’s greenbelt, directing growth within existing communities, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and accomplishing both in a way that equitably benefits all Bay Area residents. Our Endorsement Program supports projects that advance the right kind of development in the right places. By promoting climate SMART development, we can create thriving, resilient neighborhoods with ready access to transit and housing choices for all of the Bay Area’s people. Find out more about our Endorsement Program here. Feel free to contact our team for more information. 

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In April 2026, Greenbelt Alliance was thrilled to endorse the 2 Park Rd development in Burlingame, an infill housing project that will create 144 homes near the downtown area of the city. Being well-situated in a highly urbanized area, the proposed development is within walking distance from a major shopping district and the city’s Caltrain station. 

The 2 Park Rd development is aligned with Greenbelt Alliance’s climate SMART—Sustainable, Mixed, Affordable, Resilient, Transit-Oriented—development criteria in several ways. Keep reading to learn how!

Mixed-Use & Transit Oriented

This exciting new project brings 144 new homes to Burlingame and provides new residents with easy access to shops and amenities in the downtown area. 2 Park Rd is also built with public transit in mind as it’s just a 10 minute walk to SamTrans lines 397, ECR, and 292. Plus: residents would be able to take the Caltrain to go to the major job centers of San Francisco or San Jose. While the affordability component is limited, we still appreciate the developers for including 10 affordable units to serve the needs of moderate to low income families. 

Sustainability & Resilience 

Additionally, 2 Park Rd has a multitude of sustainability highlights including full electrification, smart meters, native and water-efficient landscaping, and solar readiness for future panel installations. The project goes above and beyond with its utilization of cool roofs for high solar reflectance and various energy and water monitoring systems to ensure efficient usage. 2 Park Rd is also resilient to both wildfires and flooding due to its central location in the city. 

A metrics comparison based on GreenTRIP—a tool created by Transform that models traffic and greenhouse gas impacts of residential projects in California—underscores the project’s environmental benefits:

• 808 fewer miles driven every day compared to the San Mateo County average.
• 18% fewer GHG impacts every day compared to the San Mateo County average.
• 9% less parking use every day compared to the San Mateo County average.

We believe that 2 Park Rd is a great new project that will bring more homes to Burlingame’s downtown area. Greenbelt Alliance hopes the project will inspire cities in San Mateo County and around the Bay Area to build in our existing communities and grow in more sustainable ways. 

Greenbelt Alliance’s Climate SMART—Sustainable, Mixed, Affordable, Resilient, Transit-Oriented— Development Endorsement Program goals call for fully protecting the Bay Area’s greenbelt, directing growth within existing communities, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and accomplishing both in a way that equitably benefits all Bay Area residents. Our Endorsement Program supports projects that advance the right kind of development in the right places. By promoting climate SMART development, we can create thriving, resilient neighborhoods with ready access to transit and housing choices for all of the Bay Area’s people. Find out more about our Endorsement Program here. Feel free to contact our team for more information and support.

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On Saturday, June 27th, Greenbelt Alliance and our partners through the Hayward Eden Area Resilience Collaborative hosted a workshop to learn about the latest sea level rise planning strategies, to explore nature-based solutions like horizontal levees, and to share community perspectives. Almost 100 attendees joined us to learn about the adaptation strategies informing multiple project designs.

The afternoon kicked off with updates from the project teams, including the Hayward Area Shoreline Planning Agency (HASPA)’s Shoreline Adaptation Implementation Plan, the First Mile Horizontal Levee at Oro Loma Marsh, the Hayward Nature-Based Solutions Project, and the Hayward Marsh Restoration Project. Then attendees explored stations across the room to learn more about the projects and map where they have seen flooding and erosion along the shoreline. During the breakout session, participants were able to speak to planners and designers for each of the projects. Throughout the gallery walk attendees asked questions, gave project feedback, and shared their thoughts on the plans.

Our team heard from long-term residents who had observed local shoreline flooding, and who on Saturday became aware of  the measures being taken to adapt the shoreline to higher sea levels. Additionally, we were joined by Chabot College students who participated through Teach Earth Action to depict their visions for the shoreline through art. 

After the workshop, participants got a chance to look at the First Mile Horizontal Levee project site, the biggest horizontal levee to be built in the San Francisco Bay. The site will serve as a vital demonstration and educational reference for future coastal adaptation projects around the Bay. Workshop participants were able to view the project site from the San Lorenzo Community Park. The First Mile Horizontal Levee will become a sloped marsh that will reduce flooding and shoreline erosion, filter treated wastewater, provide vital habitat for shorebirds and young fish, and expand public access.

Looking forward, this summer Greenbelt Alliance will be hosting a bike tour on Saturday July 11th along the Hayward Eden Area shoreline to learn about the project in more depth and hear about how sea level rise is impacting the shoreline today. Interested in the bike tour? Sign up here! Additionally the Collaborative will take the project on tour, tabling at farmers markets and sharing the projects with interest groups in the Hayward Eden Area. Want to stay connected? Reach out at HaywardShoreline@greenbelt.org to join our list.

The Hayward Area Shoreline Resilience Collaborative includes Greenbelt Alliance, Plantify, East Bay Dischargers Authority, The Watershed Project, Teach Earth Action, and San Francisco Estuary Partnership, working with HASPA member agencies: City of Hayward, East Bay Regional Parks District, Hayward Area Recreation and Park District, and Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District.

 

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The 2026 legislative session is well underway, and legislators are crafting new laws and regulations that determine how and where California builds, whether or not our natural landscapes are protected, and whether our communities have the tools they need to thrive.

Greenbelt Alliance is hard at work advocating to defend California’s natural and working lands and ensure our communities are resilient to a changing climate!

This year, we have prioritized support for a strong package of bills that have the potential to put new housing in climate-smart places, protect critical lands and habitat from the threat of development, and help realign growth patterns in the state to be more environmentally sustainable.

Learn more about our legislative priorities here and check out our most recent highlights below:

Accelerating Infill Housing Development:

Assembly Bill 2433 (Alvarez): Housing development: density bonus
Greenbelt Alliance is proud to co-sponsor this bill, which builds on California’s existing Density Bonus Law, a tool that allows developers to build more homes on a parcel than zoning typically permits in exchange for including more affordable homes. 

AB2433 makes four key improvements: 

1. Creates additional incentives for projects with affordable ownership units for low- and moderate-income families; 
2. Clarifies that 100% affordable housing projects can access the “Double Density Bonus” established by AB 1287; 
3. Establishes a by-right approval pathway for infill projects meeting AB 130 criteria; and 
4. Requires local governments to proactively notify developers when their projects qualify for density bonus benefits. 

Together, these changes aim to reduce local resistance, cut regulatory uncertainty, and make the program easier to use, particularly for ownership housing and 100% affordable projects.

Assembly Bill 1903 (Wicks and Wilson): Construction defects reforms California’s construction defect liability laws to revive condo and townhouse construction, which has fallen roughly 90% from its mid-2000s peak. Under current law, homeowners’ associations have a 10-year window to sue developers over construction defects, and insurance companies essentially assume all HOA condo projects will eventually be sued, resulting in policies that cost 3 to 4 times more per unit than equivalent rental projects. 

The bill addresses this by strengthening the pre-litigation right-to-repair process, giving builders a clear opportunity to inspect and fix defects before costly litigation begins. It preserves homebuyers’ rights to seek legal recourse for serious, unrepaired defects, but redirects disputes toward resolution rather than treating litigation as the default first step.

Assembly Bill 2074 (Haney): Regional transit hub districts: downtown housing developments. This bill targets California’s seven largest cities (those with populations over 400,000) and requires each to designate a “downtown transit hub district” with uniform state zoning standards, including a 150-foot height baseline and at least 25% of each district, allowing buildings up to 450 feet. Residential projects meeting the bill’s labor standards would qualify for streamlined, by-right ministerial approval, removing the discretionary barriers that currently slow downtown housing production. 

AB2074  also creates a state-backed revolving loan fund administered by the California Housing Finance Agency to provide low-interest construction financing for qualifying projects, which is repaid upon completion to keep the fund self-sustaining. The bill responds to two overlapping crises: a severe statewide housing shortage and the ongoing underperformance of downtown cores following the pandemic-era shift to remote and hybrid work, with office vacancy rates in some California downtowns exceeding 30%.

Sustainable Land-Use:

Senate Bill 1087 (Cabaldon): Transportation planning: sustainable communities strategies: transportation funding programs. This is one of the most important bills of the session, SB1087 updates California’s sustainable communities strategies, our framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions through realignment of regional growth practices across the state.

Protecting Natural and Working Lands:

Senate Bill 1250 (Cortese): State highway system: wildlife connectivity
requires our state transportation agency (Caltrans) to formally integrate wildlife connectivity into its transportation planning by establishing it as an official performance objective within the agency’s asset management system, with clear connectivity targets required in its management plan. 

SB1250 also improves inter-agency collaboration and creates opportunities for public input as Caltrans develops an inventory of wildlife connectivity needs. The legislation responds to decades of development that have fragmented natural habitats across California, with roads and infrastructure cutting off species from food, water, mates, and migration routes. Habitat fragmentation raises the risk of inbreeding, disease, and population decline, and limits species’ ability to respond to climate shifts, wildfires, and other environmental pressures.

Senate Bill 994 (Cabaldon): Local agencies: nondisclosure agreements
This bill prohibits local government officials and their staff from entering into nondisclosure agreements related to public business that would prevent them from sharing information with their agency’s governing body. The bill extends to local government a protection the Legislature already applied to state legislators through AB1370 in 2025, creating consistent standards for democratic accountability across all levels of government. 

Greenbelt Alliance’s core work depends on open, transparent land-use planning processes, and the organization has repeatedly seen private interests operating in the shadows of public decisions lead to outcomes that harm communities, natural lands, and the environment. NDAs between local officials and private development interests are precisely the kind of arrangement that can enable large-scale sprawl proposals to advance without full public deliberation, which is the type of harmful development Greenbelt was founded to resist. Because the most consequential decisions about land, growth, and sustainability happen at the local level every day, SB 994’s protections are especially important to our mission. The bill reinforces the principle that sound land-use decisions must emerge from democratic processes where all officials are fully empowered to act in the public interest.

 

Every year, Greenbelt Alliance selectsto further our mission to educate, advocate, and collaborate, ensuring the Bay Area’s lands and communities are resilient to a changing climate.

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