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The purpose of the SCS is to forge consensus in the Bay Area on a preferred long -term regionwide growth pattern. Under SB 375, local governments are explicitly not required to update their general plans in accordance with the SCS. The SCS does not carry the same authority as Regional Housing Needs Allocation but it will inform the distribution of housing at the local level. The adopted SCS land development pattern will help guide regional policies and investments that are made pursuant to the Regional Transportation Plan. These regional policies and investments are intended to create financial and other incentives to implement the adopted land pattern in the SCS. ABAG is currently working with its Housing Methodology Committee to develop a methodology for distributing regional eight -year housing targets to Bay Area local jurisdictions; the methodology will be adopted by ABAG later this year. The Initial Vision Scenario kicks off a two -year conversation among local jurisdictions and regional agencies on what ultimately will become the Sustainable Communities Strategy, as a part of Plan Bay Area. During that time, the regional agencies will engage local agencies and the public to help identify and assess several detailed Sustainable Communities Strategy scenarios that demonstrate ways that land -use strategies, transportation investments, pricing and other strategies could achieve our adopted goals and targets. The scenarios also will need to address how the Bay Area's land -use plans can assist adaptation to climate change. The Sustainable Communities Strategy will need to coordinate regional agencies' initiatives and requirements related to sea -level rise, air quality, and other climate change related issues. These detailed scenarios will lead to selection of a preferred scenario early next year that would include an integrated transportation investment and land -use plan; this plan would also undergo a detailed environmental impact review that local agencies could use to streamline environmental assessments of their own local development projects as provided for in SB 375. Finally, the ABAG and MTC boards would be asked to adopt the complete Plan Bay Area, including a Sustainable Communities Strategy, by April 2013. (See Figure 2.) The regional agencies look forward to further dialogue on these assumptions with our local government and transportation partners, stakeholders, and the general public. Attachments 4