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Greenbelt Alliance In the News

August 5, 2002

Redwood City tackles suburban sprawl

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REDWOOD CITY -- Efforts to build affordable homes and contain urban sprawl on the Peninsula have taken several forms, and Redwood City's efforts were highlighted at a seminar and walking tour Saturday.

The city has built several housing projects in areas near its downtown and the Caltrain station, both to provide more housing in a tight market, and to try to promote less car travel.

The seminar, sponsored by the Greenbelt Alliance, brought together Redwood City residents and local officials interested in affordable housing and related issues. "The fate of open space is tied to the fate of Bay Area cities and towns," said Janet Stone, director of the livable communities program at the Greenbelt Alliance. "The quality of life is dependent on how we handle growth and development challenges."

Using a slide presentation to illustrate the differences between urban sprawl and controlled development, Stone called for stricter planning regulations and the adoption of urban growth boundaries -- which would protect open space outside cities while providing room within city boundaries for continued expansion.

"A significant amount of area is at risk of uncontrolled sprawl, almost a half million acres."
In Redwood City, ceasing -- or at least slowing -- sprawl has been achieved through residential development above commercial space, as in the City Center Plaza, an 81-unit development atop a retail center at Main Street and Middlefield Road.

"We want to emphasize living downtown," said Planning and Redevelopment Manager Mike Church.

"We're looking at possibly adding some 3,500 housing units downtown in the next 5-10 years." In doing so, Church said the city hopes to spur the economy of the downtown while creating a safe and attractive area that draws its residents for shopping, entertainment and socializing.

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