Envision Bay Area - YouChoose Bay Area

By 2035 there will be an estimated 1.2 million new jobs and 900,000 new households within the Bay Area. Where will all of these people live? Where will the new housing be built? How will people get around?

If not planned for and managed carefully, a population increase of this size would compound some of our most overarching concerns -- rising air pollution levels, climate change, escalating cost of living, increasing traffic and less green space for all of us to enjoy.

Silicon Valley Community Foundation strongly believes that planning for this projected growth needs to start now if we are going to preserve our quality of life and natural resources for generations to come.

Opportunities for Leadership: Meeting Silicon Valley's Information Needs from Knight Foundation on Vimeo.

The Initiative

The community foundation is leading a strategic initiative, Envision Bay Area, to strengthen the ability of residents and community leaders to make informed decisions about the building and growth that will shape the future environment, economy and everyday life in our communities.

At the core of the initiative is YouChoose Bay Area, an interactive, web-based simulation that allows you to outline your priorities, choose different growth options and see future consequences. It translates complicated planning concepts into user-friendly images. Animations allow you to see the links between growth and the things you care deeply about, such as open space preservation, clean air, water consumption, public health, energy use, affordable housing, greenhouse gas emissions and access to mass transit.

In the spring of 2011, Envision Bay Area teamed with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Association of Bay Area Governments to hold five forums in Santa Clara, San Mateo, Contra Costa, Alameda and Sonoma counties. The forums brought county residents together to learn about land use, housing and transportation policies and voice their opinions about where and how growth should be accommodated in order to reduce greenhouse gas omissions as required by state law, SB 375. YouChoose Bay Area was used to facilitate conversations about our future growth, the choices available to us and the inevitable tradeoffs. Start sharing your ideas with us directly online at www.youchoosebayarea.org.

Envision Bay Area is a two-year initiative and is partially funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. It includes lead nonprofit partner Greenbelt Alliance, consulting partner, TransForm, renowned urban planning firm Calthorpe Associates, Northern California Public Broadcasting and an advisory group representing leading businesses, public health experts, environmental and social-equity advocates, labor, community-based organizations and academics.

Learn more by reading the Envision Bay Area case statement and scenarios report that details the options built into the YouChoose simulation. You may also be interested in the evaluation of the initiative’s impact. Or contact Margot Rawlins at mmrawlins@siliconvalleycf.org for more information.