Local Government and Suburbanization Local issues local government growth and sprawl smart growth

Local Government--what people really care about Some issues of local govt: maintaining town character--pleasing neighborhoods and vital downtown preserving local environment and green space providing recreation providing health and social services ensuring public peace and safety maintaining infrastructure, waste disposal providing schooling

Forms of local government City: -mayor, city council, city manager, planning commission, police review board, etc. -weak mayor/strong mayor -district/at large elections

contd Special districts: -School -Transportation -Air -water -waste management Etc.

contd County: -Board of Supervisors—5 by district -Like city council for unincorporated areas -SF a special case—11 supervisors -County provides services mostly funded by state and fed govt -Courts and jails -Hospitals and health -“Welfare” and social services

California population

Growth and sprawl abandoning pre-automobile land-use low density separation of functions single family residential, commercial, office, industrial

Is growth good or bad? neo-traditionalism and smart growth? “infill” not “greenfield” higher densities, especially in urban cores mixed uses streetscape designed for pedestrians as much as cars ns/index.asp

Gated housing and privatopias Growth of homeowner associations

Obstacles Nimbyism Proposition 13 --”starved” localities for property tax revenue, distorts development many problems are regional in nature-- traffic and transport, housing, development

A choice