Who Benefits from Urban Growth? Examining California's Most Vulnerable Communities

Recent California legislation and regional planning efforts aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by promoting infill housing, often designated as Priority Development Areas (PDAs), frequently in transit-rich areas. However, such urban developments could have unintended negative consequences if planned in already disadvantaged communities (DACs). New Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) research, Mitigating Negative Consequences of New Urban Growth in Disadvantaged Communities, examines the unintended consequences of planned growth in four disadvantaged California communities and assesses the effectiveness of mitigation strategies. 

DACs are socially, economically, and environmentally disadvantaged communities, which can include those with limited access to parks, libraries, and roads, and/or poor quality public transit, schools, and air. Through a literature review, document analysis, and stakeholder interviews, the study looked at four DACs—North Richmond (primarily in unincorporated Contra Costa County) and West Oakland (City of Oakland) in the S.F. Bay Area, and Bloomington (unincorporated San Bernardino County) and Florence-Firestone (unincorporated Los Angeles County) in Southern California—that are targeted for new growth in their regional plans. 

This project’s findings reveal that: 

• With the exception of Bloomington, which has faced major environmental pollution since the introduction of warehousing and trucking there in the last 2–3 decades, the other three case study communities have long legacies as DACs.

• Contrary to the popular notion that DACs are in inner-city areas of large cities, except for West Oakland, three case study DACs are in unincorporated counties, which can put them at a political disadvantage, especially when policies are adopted at the county level.

• While several tools exist to mitigate disadvantage, their implementation or efficacy at the DAC-level is sparse.

• Without stronger policies, new development risks reinforcing existing inequities.

“County governments view DACs as locations to meet their county-wide objectives, such as housing (in Florence-Firestone) and economic development through warehouses (in Bloomington),” explain the study’s authors. “Often, these objectives do not align with the DACs’ needs or, in Bloomington’s case, even worsen the environmental disadvantage.”

In order to reduce the unintended consequences of urban growth on disadvantaged communities, researchers suggest that: local governments should proactively engage community-based organizations, local development should align with community needs, and, ultimately, there needs to be an increase to state and federal funding. The development of a policy framework by regional agencies can mitigate disadvantages in DACs that may be targeted for infill housing as part of VMT-reduction plans, thus ensuring California is safe and equitable for everyone.

ABOUT THE MINETA TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE

At the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) at San Jose State University (SJSU) our mission is to increase mobility for all by improving the safety, efficiency, accessibility, and convenience of our nations’ transportation system. Through research, education, workforce development and technology transfer, we help create a connected world. Founded in 1991, MTI is a university transportation center funded by the US Department of Transportation, the California Department of Transportation, and public and private grants, including those made available by the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (SB1). MTI is affiliated with SJSU’s Lucas College and Graduate School of Business.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Dr. Shishir Mathur is an MTI Research Associate and a Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at San Jose State University. Dr. Christopher Ferrell is a principal of Transportation Choices for Sustainable Communities. Cindy Adrian recently graduated from the Urban Planning Program at San Jose State University.

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