The Local Government Commission (LGC) is a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

Sacramento, California ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

dedicated to local environmental sustainability, economic prosperity and social equity. LCG has worked for over 35 years to support local policymakers on topics involving climate change, energy, water and community design. The LGC approach includes connecting leaders, advancing policies and implementing solutions. They do this through the creation of programs to connect local leaders and work on policy advancement by providing technical assistance and advice to local jurisdictions. Some of the specific services provided by the LGC including forums, workshops, training programs, presentations, design charrettes, and community image surveys. The LCG is led by a board of fifteen elected California city and county elected officials and the total membership of the nonprofit encompasses over seven hundred local leaders from around the California and the greater U.S.

Ahwahnee Principles The Ahwahnee Principles are a set of guidelines that emphasize sustainable urban planning practices. These principles have developed alongside the New Urbanism movement, which incorporates mixed-use, walk-able, compact, and transit-oriented elements ...

In 1991, the LGC helped bring together the architects Peter Calthorpe, Michael Corbett,

Andrés Duany Andrés Duany (born September 7, 1949) is an American architect, an urban planner, and a founder of the Congress for the New Urbanism. Early life and education Duany was born in New York City but grew up in Cuba until 1960. He attended The Ch ...

Elizabeth Moule Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (s ...

Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk (born December 20, 1950) is a professor at the University of Miami's School of Architecture and an architect and urban planner in Miami, Florida. Plater-Zyberk is considered to be a representative of the New Urbanism scho ...

Stefanos Polyzoides Stefanos Polyzoides (born February 16, 1946, in Athens, Greece) is an architect and urban planner based in Pasadena, California. He received his undergraduate and master's degrees in architecture and urban planning from Princeton University. H ...

and

Daniel Solomon Daniel Solomon (born 1945) is an abstract painter who uses intense, vibrant colour in his work, combined with complex, pictorial space, inspired by artists such as Jack Bush and is a painter and professor in Drawing and Painting at OCAD Univer ...

to develop a set of community principles for

land use planning Land use planning is the process of regulating the use of land by a central authority. Usually, this is done to promote more desirable social and environmental outcomes as well as a more efficient use of resources. More specifically, the goals ...

. Called the Ahwahnee Principles (after

Yosemite National Park Yosemite National Park ( ) is an American national park in California, surrounded on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service and covers an ...

's Ahwanee Lodge). The Ahwahnee Principles were designed to help revitalize existing parts of communities through infill development and create communities that are complete and integrate a mix of uses. These principles, are a blueprint for elected officials and planners to provide compact, mixed use, walkable and transit-oriented development in their communities. The Ahwahnee Principles were the start of the now widespread and diverse SmartGrowth and New Urbanism movement This movement largely arose out of the looming presence of urban sprawl and

land consumption Land consumption as part of human resource consumption is the conversion of land with healthy soil and intact habitats into areas for industrial agriculture, traffic (road building) and especially urban human settlements. More formally, the EE ...

that saw exponential expansion since the 1950s. According to the LCG, the ten principles of smart growth are 1) Preservation of open space 2) Development towards existing communities 3) Compact building design 4) Mix land uses 5) Range of housing choices 6) Variety of transportation choices 7) Walkable neighborhoods 8) Strong sense of place 9) Community and stakeholder collaboration 10) Predictable development decision

Civic Spark

The LCG in partnership with the Governor's Office of Planning and Research started CivicSpark; an AmeriCorps program that hires fellows each year to implement targeting projects dedicated to helping build capacity for local governments to address environmental issues in California like climate change and water resource management. Civic Spark is administered by CaliforniaVolunteers and sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service.

References

{{Reflist Urban planning in California State and local government commissions in the United States