City-Level Decoupling-Case Studies

Environmental organizations such as the Sierra Club have raised concerns over the development, particularly relating to transport, climate vulnerability and affordable housing. Only one bus line connects to Treasure Island and The Bay Bridge, and the toll bridge that links the San Francisco peninsula with the East Bay is already a major bottleneck. The planned eco-village is centered on pedestrian and bicycle traffic but a sufficiently large population is required to justify regular bus and ferry services. Concerns were also raised about the number of parking spaces in the development, as well as a reduction in the number of affordable housing units from 2,400 to 2,000 due to a lack of funding. Other concerns are related to sea level rise in the case of climate change or a tsunami. Community advocates also worry that Treasure Island could end up falling prey to the environmental risks and drawn-out timelines of other area redevelopment projects like Mission Bay and Bayview. In response to these concerns, the developers have promised new fill, higher sea walls, and dedicated bus and ferry lines. The board also approved amendments increasing the amount of affordable housing in the project, requiring that maintenance and landscaping workers be paid prevailing wages and that the developer consults with experts in any historic preservation projects. It also required that the development be evaluated after a few years to confirm that it is meeting goals for transit usage. In addition, the board approved a requirement that the developer pay a fine of up to US$10 million for development delays. • The development and testing the sustainability proposals was lengthy, and during this time the project has played a role in shaping the regime within which it operates. Early proposals influenced the development of new environmental regulations adopted at state and local level, and this has meant that it has become more difficult to exceed these raised standards that now govern implementation. • While such developments may be self-sufficient in terms of meeting their own infrastructural needs, it will rely on a broader infrastructural network to some degree. Careful attention needs to be paid to connections with surrounding infrastructure, such as public transport systems, if sustainable property developments are to integrate into their context in a sustainable way. In other words, without having to resort to private car use. • The failure of similarly ambitious projects to make it from concept to implementation have influenced the terms and conditions under which the project is to take place. These include making some of the environmental standards binding, and requiring that compensation be paid in the event of delays in implementation. The development of Treasure Island has required artful engagement with an existing context – of ecological problems, existing residents and stakeholders and the environmental expectations of policy makers and publics in San Francisco. This has made it more challenging than 'clean slate' eco-developments, but has provided interesting insights into the process through which existing regimes can be renegotiated rather than recreated from scratch. Although approval for the project has been granted, ground was only broken in 2012 so the lessons from the project are limited to the preparatory processes:

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