For a region that is widely considered to be the sprawl capital of the world, creating a vision for the future that reduces traffic congestion and air pollution while accommodating an estimated four million new residents is no easy feat.  But that is precisely what the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) has done.

Last week saw a flurry of milestones for SB 375, culminating in a hearing at the Air Resources Board that shined a spotlight on key issues such as gentrification, “Redevelopment 2.0,” and the transformation of SCAG into a leading force for healthy and sustainable communities in Southern California.

For years, CEQA has been California’s most powerful tool to evaluate the impacts of proposed development projects.  But it’s fair to say that CEQA has too often been misused to block infill, affordable, and transit-oriented development.

The draft SCS for Southern California’s 6-county megaregion hit the streets in December.  The plan’s nearly 2000 pages and whopping $525 billion pricetag are reminders of just how much is at stake.

If 2010 was the year of setting targets, 2011 was the year of Sustainable Communities Strategies (SCSs), with plans adopted or underway all across California. With so much happening, we wanted to use this holiday season to pause and reflect on how far we have come as a state toward making our regional planning more sustainable and equitable.