In November voters will be able to pass judgment on a capital improvement bond proposed by the City of Long Beach. Should it be accepted, the fund is slated for a variety of public infrastructure improvements, including repairs to stormwater systems, sidewalks, and streets, as well as building new libraries, public safety facilities, and a civic center. There may be persons who will not want to support such a bond measure, or who wish to pick and choose what elements it should include. One reason for this is that this bond measure could be seen as just another stop-gap initiative to repair aging municipal infrastructure. But this capital improvement bond measure should be seen as an opportunity to invest in the city’s long-term future. This bond could provide needed vision and direction for transforming this city, beyond just fixing what needs repair.
Indeed, this capital improvement bond could represent a major step toward making Long Beach a more sustainable city. Since a sustainability element has already been included in the most recent update of the city’s general plan (“Long Beach 2030”), and there already exist interim green building regulations for private development and city projects, it should be possible to create a foundation to establish guiding principles for this capital improvement bond. In addition, Long Beach has recently created a sustainability commission; in coordination with other City committees, commissions, and the City Council. This sustainability commission could further develop these guiding principles.
Possible sources of inspiration for developing these principles already exist. For instance, Long Beach’s “Green Building Policy for City Structures” is already in existence for five years. It dictates that all new and expanded facilities of over 7,500 square feet must be LEED certified. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a rating system established by the US Green Building Council to determine criteria for sustainable developments. The new Mark Twain library on Anaheim Street east of MacArthur Park is certified LEED Silver. Long Beach was one of the first cities of its size to establish green building standards for new municipal structures. It goes without saying that should voters affirm the capital improvement bond in November, structures built with these funds should meet at least these minimum standards.
Developing new park space represents another obvious sustainable strategy for Long Beach’s urban environment. Green space contributes many things to the local environment; it reduces the “heat island effect,” creates additional carbon sinks to reduce air pollution, and provides recreational opportunities for local residents. But while green space is typically equated with parks, such space can also be used in other ways, such as expanded habitat for wildlife and stormwater management. Incorporating some of the Long Beach’s creeks and rivers into the city’s open space network could expand these capacities.
Creating a green infrastructure network is less straightforward than creating green space, since there are few guidelines for things like sustainable streets and sidewalks. Nonetheless, it is possible to incorporate a vision for sustainable streets in Long Beach. At a planning level, the city’s public right-of-way should take into consideration all modes of transportation, not just automobiles: it should also provide for mass transit, biking, and pedestrian needs. I discussed this issue in an earlier article, while discussing the lack of such accommodations along portions of Pacific Coast Highway. As part of a more balanced mobility strategy, planning for these kinds of infrastructure improvements could help create a more sustainable city—in particular, by reducing local reliance on the automobile.
Beyond the planning stage, sustainable construction techniques for building new streets and sidewalks already exist, even if they are not always used. These strategies include using recycled material such as fly-ash concrete. Transitioning from black-top asphalt to lighter pavement colors can help reduce the urban “heat island” effect. To reduce stormwater runoff, new streets can incorporate stormwater retention basins as well as pervious pavement surfaces. In addition, reducing road widths to minimum allowable standards provides larger parkways for mature trees and greater permeability and landscaping.
Shaun Lumachi wrote about the idea that voters should be able to choose what portions of the City’s infrastructure to fund through the November bond. If given such an option, one element I would reject would be expanding the city’s stormwater drainage system. New stormwater systems would be unnecessary were an effective stormwater management system to be employed throughout Long Beach. This would include new developments (both private and public) preventing stormwater runoff, capture water in existing parking lots using pervious paving surfaces, employ stormwater retention basins along streets, and create retention ponds in new parks. The crucial benefit of such a stormwater management system versus new stormwater drains is that in such a system, rainwater filter and recharges the city’s aquifer. In contrast, an expanded drainage system simply sends that same polluted water down the river into the ocean.
A city capital improvement bond focused on sustainability could create the underpinning for future annual public infrastructure investments. Such sustainable strategies would be good for the local environment and, at the same time, good for the city’s fiscal future. Doable, effective possibilities like this demonstrate that a public infrastructure bond based on creating a sustainable city is the fiscally and morally responsible approach to investing in Long Beach’s future.
