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Center for Sustainable Communities (CSC)

Aerial shot of city

The Center for Sustainable Communities (CSC) works with cities and counties, special districts, and regional and state government agencies to develop planning policies and implementation strategies related to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, planning for healthy communities, the relationship between land use and water resources, and other sustainability and resiliency topics. The CSC utilizes faculty, students, and "encore career" professionals (recently retired leaders from the environmental professions), providing mentoring and professional development opportunities for students and assistance to our government partners in addressing a wide array of environmental, economic, and social challenges.

Annual Planning Conference

We are happy to invite you our annual Sonoma State University Planning Conference for commissioners, practitioners, and others interested in planning issues.

Upcoming Conference Date: February 3, 2024 from 1-4pm

Current Research Projects

Scooters on sidewalk

Fees levied by cities on shared micromobility systems

In recent years, shared e-scooter systems have appeared in cities around the world. Most of these systems have been set up by private companies. Thus, one potential barrier to greater use of these devices is operator profitability. One factor in profitability are fees charged by cities on these businesses. This study explores what fees cities are levying and for what purposes, how those fees compare to revenues (and thus operator profitability/rider cost), and how fees for scooters compare to those levied on other modes of transportation. 

Apartment Buildings

Public perception on California’s housing disagreements

California’s shortage of housing impacts millions of Californians on a personal level, as well as having broader societal impacts on transportation patterns and the environment. In public discourse, there are many ideas out there on what do, if anything, about the housing crisis. While rhetoric can often quite loud, how representative are these ideas? This study surveys Californian’s more broadly on what they think about various housing positions found in the public discourse. This survey was distributed through the CalSpeaks survey panel, a statewide survey administered by the Institute for Social Research at Sacramento State University.

Dr. Fang working in the CSC
Student presenting research at a symposium
Student in Water Planning Class