Sacramento General Plan Update, Climate Action Plan, and EIR

The Sacramento 2040 General Plan outlines a new path for California’s fastest growing big city - one that is sustainable, equitable, and just. The Plan accommodates 70,000 new homes and 80,000 new jobs, strategically focusing growth in a walkable network of corridors and centers to lay the foundation for frequent, reliable transit. It also incorporates innovative first-in-the-nation strategies to promote “gentle density” in established residential neighborhoods, and includes a robust, data-driven policy framework for promoting environmental justice and building resilience to urban heat and the effects of climate change. Broad-based community engagement strategies generated input from thousands of residents throughout the process, and included neighborhood listening sessions in Sacramento’s disadvantaged communities, an Environmental Justice Working Group comprised of local CBOs and other organizations, a statistical survey for input on key policy choices, and a multi-lingual youth-led survey focused on linguistically isolated residents as well as a wide array of digital and in-person events. D&B also updated 10 community plans for subareas of the city, which are now folded into the General Plan, an Age-Friendly Community Action Plan, and a Climate Action and Adaptation Plan that charts a course for carbon neutrality by 2045.

Environmental Justice Element
Dyett & Bhatia conducted deep exploration of environmental justice topics, developing a “factbook” of baseline conditions and issues in Sacramento for each topic outlined in the Planning for Healthy Communities Act (SB1000). The EJ Element was developed in collaboration with an EJ Working Group comprised of local CBOs and seeks to promote community health, quality of life, and access to opportunity.

Climate Action and Adaptation Plan
D&B partnered with NASA to quantify and map urban heat to support urban planning initiatives in the city. The study assessed urban heat at the neighborhood scale, identified priority areas for cooling interventions, and assessed heat risk using satellite imagery products. The current magnitude of urban heat island and existing hotspots were identified, and future temperatures were modeled to assess future baseline conditions under climate change, particularly areas where high heat exposure and vulnerability overlap. Natural Capital Project’s InVEST Urban Cooling Model was used to outline intervention strategies, with implementation linked to capital improvement programs and zoning. These strategies are reflected in the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, and the General Plan.