To Build, Or Not To Build? That Is The Question Facing Local Governments

Short Wave

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🗓️ 23 August 2021

⏱️ 12 minutes

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Summary

NPR climate correspondent Lauren Sommer talks with Emily about a dilemma facing many local governments now. Should they develop in areas vulnerable to rising sea levels?

On today's episode, we look at Sunnyvale, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It's a situation complicated by a landowner that really wants to continue expanding there, Google.

In an episode last week, we asked who should be paying for climate change — taxpayers or private landowners with waterfront property?

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to shortwave from NPR.
0:04.4	Hey everybody, Emily Kwong here with NPR Climate Correspondent Lauren Summer.
0:09.4	Hey, hey Lauren.
0:10.4	Hey Emily.
0:11.4	So today we're going inside an incredibly important climate change decision.
0:16.4	It's happening all over the country and it sounds like this.
0:20.4	This city council meeting is being conducted using teleconferencing and electronic means
0:24.6	consistent with state of California executive order N-29-29.
0:28.7	Lauren, you know I love good, crunchy local government meetings.
0:33.4	I mean, they sound boring, but really important stuff goes down in these rooms.
0:38.6	Right, yeah.
0:39.6	Every day local governments use one of their core powers, deciding where and how building
0:45.5	happens in their city.
0:47.2	This particular city, Sunnyvale, is in the San Francisco Bay area.
0:50.9	There's a massive housing shortage and city planners are laying out their vision for revitalizing
0:56.2	a particular neighborhood.
0:57.6	16,000 to 20,000 households, new streets, community facilities, two activity centers, office
1:03.6	and our D space, public parks and plazas, and five potential new neighborhoods.
1:09.8	Sounds pretty nice.
1:10.8	I mean, something any city would probably want.
1:13.0	Right, but there's a problem.
1:15.0	All right, we have time for one last question.
	...

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