Why SB 50 Will Help Build Resilience to Climate Change in California

01/27/20

“How will SB 50 make California more resilient against climate change?”

 

By all records, Climate Change has arrived, and California is definitely a showcase of this. In the past few years the state has seen scorching wildfires, brutal heat waves, and floods of levels unmatched in its history. To make matters worse, the vast majority of housing in the state was built in the last century which not only had looser standards but also had environmental conditions! Furthermore, a disproportionately large portion of the recent housing has been built in the state in the past few years has been in areas with hotter climates and a higher vulnerability to wildfires. Although the most logical solution is to build more housing in cooler, more job-rich cities with solid transit, their biblically high cost makes it almost impossible to do so. If the state wants to show that its serious about growing its population and keeping its residents safe, then something needs to change real soon.

 

Enter SB-50. SB-50 is a California bill designed by Senator Scott Wiener that focuses on relaxes height zoning in urban areas that are dense, job-rich, and transit-rich. Through a variety of mechanisms, this will allow for these areas to densify to a great degree and bring back people from the fringes, making communities stronger against climate change. To help others understand Why SB 50 Will Help Build Resilience to Climate Change in California, just follow the simple instructions here.

• Engineering
• Policy