Climate Smart San José

San José, CA | 2020

Natural and Working Lands (NWLs) like open space, parks, and farmlands, are linked directly to the health of our climate and communities. Not only are they scenic places for relaxation and recreation and essential to the health of our ecosystems, but they play a critical role in capturing and storing CO2, one of the most impactful greenhouse gasses (GHGs) that contributes to climate change. Understanding the impact of preserving and enhancing NWLs can help cities and regions better plan for these important lands.

The Cascadia Partners team recently led the analysis and reporting for the Natural and Working Lands Element of the Climate Smart San José Climate Action Plan for the City of San José. The NWL Element utilized scenario planning to evaluate how land use and transportation changes on and around natural and working lands may impact San José’s net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions profile. The NWL Element scenarios established a “business-as-usual” scenario based on City’s General Plan, and several alternative scenarios exploring other future policy and growth options. A mapped and quantified “baseline” GHG inventory was established based on present day land uses and a “business-as-usual” GHG inventory based on land uses as designated in the General Plan. These inventories quantify emissions associated with building energy consumption, transportation and the City’s carbon stocks and allow us to evaluate the impacts that different policies and growth patterns can impact our environmental footprint.

The NWL Element further explores how protection and enhancements made on NWLs can support the City’s environmental goals and GHG reduction targets. The Cascadia team developed custom models to assess the carbon sequestration benefits of environmental restoration strategies such as native grassland restoration and emerging urban forestry practices, as well as the costs of implementing them.