225 / The Land Use Report #2

Since 2002, I have been providing a very brief commentary on land use policy each weekday morning. The "Land Use Report" is a local segment within the "Morning Edition" news show on NPR Station KUSP, which serves California's Central Coast. Since the show is available on the web, both live and by way of podcasts, anyone can listen in. Mostly, listeners live or work in Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito, Santa Clara, or San Luis Obispo Counties, but I've had "out of area" comments from as far away as Boston.

Here's the basic philosophy of the Land Use Report: political decisions on land use projects and policy matters (usually made by local governments) will have a determinative effect on the future of our local economy, and on both the natural environment and our ability to reach our social equity goals. Because that's true, it's important for concerned residents to become personally involved in the land use decision making process. When we do that, we help create a world that responds to our deepest aspirations. We make things happen the way we want, and don't let things just "happen to us."