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DRAFT <br />14. SUBREGIONAL PLANNING ELEMENT <br />PURPOSE <br />The purpose of the Subregional Planning Element is to facilitate Pleasanton's involvement in the <br />cooperative planning of the Tri-Valley area. The key to successful subregional planning will be active <br />inter-jurisdictional participation, citizen support, and a strong sense of responsibility to the subregion. <br />Pleasanton is committed to planning and acting cooperatively to enhance the future of the Tri Valley. <br />PLANNING CONTEXT <br />Pleasanton is part of the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area region (Figure 14-1), and the <br />seven-jurisdiction -Pleasanton, Livermore, Dublin, Danville, San Ramon, and Alameda and Contra <br />Costa counties -Tri-Valley subregion (Figure 14-2). As such, the City of Pleasanton plays an integral <br />part in the functioning of both the region and the subregion. Changes in the physical environment, <br />economy, and infrasttucture of the region and subregion affect Pleasanton, and vice-versa. <br />Local control of development has historically been highly important to the Tri-Valley jurisdictions. <br />The advantages of local control are that the decision makers are close to home, knowledgeable of the <br />area they serve, and directly accountable to their constituents. Unfortunately, because local plamung in <br />the Tri Valley has sometimes occurred without a thorough consideration of the regional and <br />subregional context, some problems have occurred. Fox example, the supply of housing affordable to <br />Tri-Valley workers has not kept pace with the expansion of jobs. The freeway and street systems have <br />become overburdened and air quality reduced because of long commutes which extend beyond the <br />Tri-Valley area. <br />The City first adopted the Subregional Planning Element as part of its General Plan in 1996. At that <br />time, the Element was drafted as part of a Subregional Planning Strategy, a cooperative effort among <br />the seven Tri-Valley jurisdictions that the Association of Bay Area Governments funded by grant. The <br />seven jurisdictions making up the Tri-Valley Council were to consider the objectives and policies of the <br />strategy in future amendments to their general plans. At the date of this writing (2006) Pleasanton is <br />the only Tri-Valley jurisdiction that has adopted the Subregional Plamung Strategy as part of its <br />General Plan. <br />THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA REGION <br />The San Francisco Bay Area region (Figure 14-1) consists of the nine counties which adjoin the Bay, <br />including San Francisco, Mahn, Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, and San <br />Mateo counties. The region includes 4.4 million acres, of which approximately 16 percent (700,000 <br />acres) was developed as of 2000.1 <br />~ Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), ABAG Projectianr 2005. <br />subn3gional %anning 060507, clean 14- ~ City Council 6/5/2007 <br />