Local Works

Overview

Local Works

Article Local Works By Benjamin Garza

Backyard cottages are having a big impact in these two cities

Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are easier to build than other housing units and blend seamlessly into the community. As a result, many cities are incentivizing ADUs to quickly increase housing — including Rosemead and Arcata. 

Article Local Works By Peter Grant and Matt Burton

Cypress targets fully funded pension by 2030

As every city knows, the combination of people living longer into retirement, underwhelming state pension returns, and lower discount rates are straining local budgets. But Cypress plans to wipe out its unfunded pension liability by 2030 — without taking on any new debt.

Article Local Works By Kerrie Romanow

Three ways San José leads in water resiliency and adaptation

Cities across California are looking for ways to keep their water supplies reliable even during droughts under a new water standard. San José’s wastewater treatment and municipal water system infrastructure can serve as a model for other cities.

Article Local Works By Jackie Krentzman

Coachella is building its way to an energy-efficient future

Meeting the demand for housing can be a formidable task for California’s desert communities. On top of the usual challenges of cost, resources, and land availability, these cities must contend with relentless heat and accompanying energy costs exacerbated by climate change.

Article Local Works By Christine Jones

San Diego is driving change through an arts workforce program

The city of San Diego is leading Far South/Border North, a regional initiative for artists and cultural practitioners. The program provided grant funding to 78 recipients for outreach and awareness campaigns focused on everything from public health to civic engagement.

Article Local Works By Anthony Valdez 

Bakersfield, known for moving quickly to address California’s homeless crisis, has a simple message: More must be done

For the past two years, Bakersfield has had more homeless people living in shelter than those without shelter. Yet as is the case across California, Bakersfield is staring down an inflow crisis. For every six people placed in permanent housing locally, another ten become newly homeless. 

Article Local Works By Brian Lee-Mounger Hendershot

There’s no way roundabout it. Cities dominated this statewide award program

Western City has several guiding values, chief among them collaboration. Unless we are talking about award programs. After two years of county domination, cities have reclaimed their rightful place at the top of the Outstanding Local Streets and Roads Project Awards.

Article Local Works By Brian Lee-Mounger Hendershot

Small business support keeps Dublin’s economy humming

If you’re looking for the best ways to support local businesses, travel east of San Francisco to Dublin — one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. for several years. But for many leaders, the best is yet to come. 

Article Local Works By Catherine Way and Rachel Kertz

How to become a fire-adapted community

In 2020, Marin County voters approved the state’s first JPA dedicated solely to local wildfire protection. The agency has a clear mission: Help Marin County co-exist with wildfire by adopting fire-adapted strategies. This starts with a “House Out” strategy that all cities can follow.

Article Local Works By Brian Lee-Mounger Hendershot

In this rural city, a ‘nothing off the table’ mindset gets housing built

California’s housing crisis stretches from one end of the state to the other. For many small cities, the odds often feel insurmountable. Huron — located in the state’s agricultural heartland — shows that progress is possible. Cities just can’t do it by themselves.

An aerial view of a suburban community.
Article Local Works By Jackie Krentzman

Gateway cities band together to bridge housing funding gaps

Approximately 4,000 affordable housing units in Southern California’s Gateway region have stalled due to funding shortfalls. A group of cities has formed an affordable housing trust fund, which they hope can close funding gaps — especially in small, under-resourced communities.

The Victorville Wellness Center is a low-barrier shelter with medical care, interim housing, and other supportive services.
Article Local Works By Alex Morales

Victorville to open the High Desert’s first-of-its-kind homeless shelter

Victorville is preparing to open a low-barrier shelter with medical care, interim housing, and other supportive services. Officials hope the shelter can serve as a model for other cities looking for ways to offer better services and more shelter to homeless residents.

The city of Palmdale launched #FightFentanylAV — an initiative aimed at reducing drug overdose deaths through education and community engagement.  
Article Local Works By Nardy Lopez

Palmdale’s #FightFentanylAV shows the power of a united community

Palmdale wanted to do something about the growing number of fentanyl-related deaths. City officials knew they could not enforce their way out of the crisis. Working with key stakeholders, they launched an initiative aimed at reducing drug overdose deaths through education and community engagement.

Article Local Works By Kimberly Bonéy

City of Redding Podcast breaks down big topics and builds trust

It’s easy for people to mistrust cities when they are not privy to the day-to-day happenings within city hall. The wheels of government turn slow, and delivering information is a multilayered process. Enter the City of Redding Podcast, where no topic is too big or mundane.

Article Local Works By Karina Gonzalez

Pacific Grove closes the coastal trail gap to provide a safer experience for all

Until 2022, people had to weave through parked cars and native dune habitats to visit Pacific Grove’s beautiful, rocky coastline, known as Point Pinos. Today, visitors can safely walk or bike along the shore. The new section of the trail is built to last for years to come. 

Article Local Works By Sarah Henry and Andrew Thomas

Alameda’s journey from restrictive to pro-housing policies

Alameda was the first Bay Area city to have its 2023-31 housing element certified by the state. How did a city that had restrictive and discriminatory land use regulations change its tune? For starters, it had a two-year conversation with the community about equity and housing.

Article Local Works By Karina Gonzalez

Santa Monica puts people first to spur a post-pandemic comeback

Like many cities across the country, Santa Monica was devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The city faced a projected revenue shortfall of about $225 million due to hotel and business closures. In response, the city invested more than $5 million in 25 city programs to accelerate local recovery.

Article Local Works By Donovan Lazaro

How Fremont became a national hotspot for battery development and manufacturing

Over 16.5% of new electric generation capacity is anticipated to come from batteries this year. While the sudden surge of battery adoption may seem like it arrived overnight, it comes after years of painstaking efforts by clean energy startups, many of them in Fremont.

Article Local Works By Brian Lee-Mounger Hendershot

Berkeley and Monterey’s awarding-winning infrastructure projects reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Two innovative infrastructure projects in the cities of Berkeley and Monterey received top honors from the Outstanding Local Streets and Roads Project Award program. The statewide program recognized Berkeley for its renovation of the “worst streets in town” and Monterey for a citywide adaptive traffic control system.

Article Local Works By Brian Lee-Mounger Hendershot

Nevada City exceeds its low-income housing allocation

A lack of buildable terrain, funding, and skilled labor, as well as the threat of wildfires, makes building affordable, multifamily housing difficult in California’s rural, mountainous communities. Until 2023, Nevada City’s last large, multifamily development was built in 2001. Before that, the 1980s. So, what changed?