Item A: Envision Eugene Update - Environmental Stewardship

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“moving the dials” and the concurrent impact on satisfying a portion of the residential, commercial and industrial land need. By state law (and consistent with community values), land within the current urban growth boundary must first be used efficiently before the UGB can be recommended for expansion. Practically, the council will choose a package of strategies that satisfies all or a portion of the land need within the current UGB, with any unmet residual earmarked for UGB expansion. Each strategy will be accompanied by one or more tactics, which are the actions that must be taken to successfully implement a strategy. If tactics are not approved concurrently with a strategy, “phantom capacity” is created, and the strategy is not a viable means of satisfying the land need within the current UGB. Several Envision Eugene work sessions have been held in recent months. Most recently the work sessions have been laying the foundation for each of the triple-bottom-line elements – economic prosperity, social equity, and the topic of this work session, environmental stewardship. These work sessions are focused on baseline data, goals, frameworks, etc. Similar to the joint City Council/Planning Commission work session, different CRG members will be invited to participate in the work sessions to add their perspectives to the conversations. Environmental Stewardship Foundation Eugene has long been recognized as a national leader in environmental stewardship. Decisions made during the Envision Eugene project will influence several important topic areas, each of which is briefly described below. While many excellent programs are already in place, failure to address these issues through the Envision Eugene process will result in a lost opportunity to avoid potentially serious impacts to public health, livability and the environment. Fossil fuel use, greenhouse gas emissions, and air quality: Greenhouse gas inventories conducted for Eugene indicate that passenger vehicles (primarily cars and light trucks) account for approximately 16% of local greenhouse gas emissions, while local freight transportation accounts for an additional 5%. Burning fuels for transportation also harms public health directly by contributing pollutants to the airshed. Recent research, including the Health Impact Analysis completed as a part of Eugene’s Climate and Energy Action Plan, indicates that measures to increase biking, busing, and walking not only reduce fuel use and emissions, but also lead to better public health by improving fitness, improving air quality, and reducing automobile collisions. The State requires local municipalities to promote transportation efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through land use and transportation policy. Elements of land use policy that have been shown to most strongly affect driving and associated greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants include:  Housing density in the urban core and along major transit corridors  Mix of residential and commercial uses within small geographic areas (e.g. presence of 20- minute neighborhoods)  Quality and quantity of walking, biking, and transit infrastructure  Ability to move freight efficiently \\Cesrv500\cc support\CMO\2011 Council Agendas\M110126\S110126A.doc