Greener Glendale Plan Community Activities The City of Glendale’s Sustainability Plan Community Development Department Credits and Acknowledgments Funded by Glendale Water & Power and the United States Department of Energy Produced by the City of Glendale Community Development Department with Assistance from ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability), and the Statewide Energy Efficiency Collaborative. City Council and City Manager External Agencies and Partners Laura Friedman, Mayor Local Governments for Sustainability Rafi Manoukian, Council Member (ICLEI) Ara Najarian, Council Member Southern California Gas Company Frank Quintero, Council Member Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts David Weaver, Council Member California Energy Commission Scott Ochoa, City Manager California Air Resources Board Southern California Association of GWP Commission Governments Terry Chan, President Armen Adjemian, Commissioner Zanku Armenian, Commissioner Project staff: Cassandra Pruett, Planning Deborah Dentler, Commissioner Assistant; Laura Stotler, Principal Planner. Hugh Yao, Commissioner Planning Commission Greg Astorian, Commissioner Cover photo by Gary Edstrom, 2004. Stephanie Landregan, Commissioner Chang Lee, Commissioner Hank Scheetz, Commissioner A. Erik Yesayan, Commissioner This plan was adopted by the Glendale City Council on March 27, 2012. City Departments City Attorney City Clerk City Treasurer Community Development Community Services & Parks Finance Fire Glendale Water and Power Human Resources Information Services Library Management Services Police Public Works Table of Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................................................1 Environmental Context............................................................................................................................2 Purpose, Scope, and Process Behind the Greener Glendale Plan.........................................................2 Purpose...............................................................................................................................................2 Scope ..................................................................................................................................................3 Process ...............................................................................................................................................3 Sustainability and Climate Change .........................................................................................................3 Glendale’s GHG Emissions Forecast and Reduction Targets ................................................................5 Sustainability Achievements: What Glendale Has Accomplished.........................................................10 Climate Change Policy.................................................................................................................14 The Policy Context of Climate Planning................................................................................................14 California ...........................................................................................................................................14 AB 32 ................................................................................................................................................14 SB 97 ................................................................................................................................................15 CEQA ................................................................................................................................................15 State Renewable Energy Programs..................................................................................................16 AB 811 ..............................................................................................................................................16 SB 375 ..............................................................................................................................................17 Other Benefits of Climate Protection Measures ....................................................................................17 Sustainability Focus Areas...........................................................................................................18 Nine Focus Areas..............................................................................................................................18 Cross-Cutting Objectives & Strategies..............................................................................................18 Economic Development ....................................................................................................................18 New and Existing Strategies .............................................................................................................18 Climate Change Adaptation ..............................................................................................................19 Cross-Cutting Approaches...........................................................................................................21 Economic Development................................................................................................................27 Urban Design ..............................................................................................................................31 Buildings............................................................................................................................................31 Urban Places.....................................................................................................................................32 Waste..........................................................................................................................................38 Energy ........................................................................................................................................46 Measures for Future Consideration.......................................................................................................51 Urban Nature ..............................................................................................................................52 Measures for Future Consideration.......................................................................................................58 Water..........................................................................................................................................59 Transportation ............................................................................................................................67 Measures for Future Consideration.......................................................................................................72 Environmental Health .................................................................................................................73 Next Steps ...................................................................................................................................77 Appendix A Environmental and Policy Context in Glendale ........................................................78 Community Profile.............................................................................................................................78 Topography .......................................................................................................................................78 Watershed.........................................................................................................................................79 Air Basin............................................................................................................................................80 Flora and Fauna................................................................................................................................81 Other Relevant Policy Documents ....................................................................................................81 Appendix B Sustainability Resolution & UN Accords ..................................................................82 How the Greener Glendale Plan Addresses the 21 Actions of the UN Accords ...............................84 Appendix C Climate Change Science ..........................................................................................87 Climate Change ................................................................................................................................87 Temperatures are Rising Globally.....................................................................................................88 Regional and Local Impacts..............................................................................................................88 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Must be Reduced ................................................................................89 Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions ..................................................................................................90 Appendix D Utility Emissions .....................................................................................................92 Appendix E GHG Inventory Methodology ................................................................................103 Understanding a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory