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

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

People sitting and walking in plaza in front of historic Benton County Courthouse in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners

How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.

March 28, 2025 - Emily McCoy

Orange and white vintage-look streetcar on Market Street in San Francisco, CA.

San Francisco’s Muni Ridership Grew in 2024

The system saw its highest ridership since before the Covid-19 pandemic, but faces a severe budget shortage in the coming year.

15 minutes ago - San Francisco Chronicle

Green and silver Max BRT bus at station in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Colorado Lawmakers Move to Protect BRT Funding

In the face of potential federal funding cuts, CDOT leaders reasserted their commitment to planned bus rapid transit projects.

1 hour ago - Colorado Public Radio

Low view of separated bike lanes in middle of Pennsylvania Avenue with U.S. Capitol dome visible at end of street at night.

Safe Streets Funding in Jeopardy

The Trump administration is specifically targeting bike infrastructure and other road safety projects in its funding cuts.

2 hours ago - Grist