A Proposal to Plan Regionally in the Silicon Valley

Could development fights in the home of the biggest tech companies be avoided if cities just talked to each other?

2 minute read

November 30, 2017, 7:00 AM PST

By Katharine Jose


California

Uladzik Kryhin / Shutterstock

San Jose City Councilman Donald Rocha (he's also, it's important to note, a candidate for county supervisor) wrote an op-ed for The Mercury News arguing that Santa Clara County needs to plan regionally.

“The city where I serve has recently had friction with its neighbors over new development projects along our borders. My observation has been that cities offer to start talking to each other when disputes arise over development projects, but there generally isn’t a forum for cities to have ongoing conversations about how to address the challenges of growth outside the context of a dispute.”

Rocha is referring at least in part to a conflict that began last summer when San Jose sued the city of Santa Clara over the environmental review for a massive mixed-use development called City Place (the county court just ruled in favor of the defendant), after which Santa Clara sued San Jose over the plan for an enormous retail/office complex called Santana West.

Silicon Valley is in the middle of a housing crisis, and part of the City Place controversy was that Santa Clara would get the jobs while San Jose would have to find housing for the people in those jobs. “One of the assumptions of our society is that economic growth is good,” Rocha writes. “There are many excellent reasons to believe that is true, but it’s also true that some of the most serious problems we face in our region are the result of our economic success.”

Citing examples from the past, Rocha proposes reviving a governing body that existed in the 1970s—“another period of rapid growth.” Facilitated by Santa Clara County, the Planning Policy Committee had two representatives from every city in the jurisdiction.

“Traffic, housing and other challenges of growth are among the most serious problems that our county faces.  We will make the most progress on these challenges if we work together.”

Sunday, November 26, 2017 in The Mercury News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Bird's eye view of manufactured home park.

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing

Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

March 25, 2025 - Shelterforce

U-Haul truck on road with blurred grassy roadside in background.

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?

Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

March 27, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Rusty abandoned oil well and equipment with prickly pear cactus next to it in West Texas.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage

Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

March 31, 2025 - Pennsylvania State University

Downtown Los Angeles skyline viewed from a distance with freeway and trees in foreground.

Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods

A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.

4 hours ago - USC Dornsife

Aerial view of Claifornia aqueduct with green orchard on one side.

California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy

California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.

5 hours ago - Turlock Journal

Close-up of older woman's hands resting on white modern heating radiator mounted on wall indoors.

HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program

The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.

6 hours ago - The New York Times