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Envision San Jose 2040

Envision 2040, San Jose’s bold blueprint for growth over the next three decades, was approved by the City Council on Nov. 1, 2011.

Envision 2040

The approved version of the updated General Plan includes important conservation safeguards: the Coyote Valley and South Almaden Valley urban reserves are off limits to development through 2040 and are recognized as wildlife corridors.

Strong language aims to make San Jose more walkable and bikeable for all ages. And urban villages are proposed throughout the city that will make better use of existing infrastructure, provide built-in customers for local merchants, and lead to the kind of communities that attract Millenials and Boomers alike.

The environmental impact report of the draft General Plan -- released in Aug. 2011 -- shows that the plan prioritizes urban villages near transit, recognizes Coyote Valley as a wildlife corridor and sets ambitious targets to increase the number of people who walk, bike or take transit. The plan also includes strong health goals, such as ensuring equitable access to parks, trails and healthy food.

Read Greenbelt Alliance's comment letter on the draft Environmental Impact Report.

In order to successfully implement this visionary document, a strong partnership is needed between the City of San Jose, residents and advocates. To signal our support and intention of following the Plan’s implementation, Greenbelt Alliance and allies, including the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, Sierra Club and The Health Trust signed onto a joint letter.

The update process

In 2006, the City of San Jose kicked off the Envision 2040 planning process. A 37-member Task Force was convened in fall 2007 to make suggestions for how to improve the 2020 General Plan.

Among the issues San Jose will be facing in the coming decades are:

• An aging population: by 2020, Santa Clara County’s population of adults over 65 will nearly double, reaching close to 300,000.
• In the next 25 years, the Bay Area will grow by 1.7 million. Much of that growth will be directed into existing cities and towns, near public transit. 
• Rising fuel costs will require the creation of communities where mobility by foot, bike and transit is safe, convenient and appealing.
• Climate change also means designing cities that use land more efficiently and reduce dependency on cars.

Greenbelt Alliance had a seat on the General Plan Task Force and used this opportunity to advocate for compact, walkable neighborhoods instead of building on open space.