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Page 3 of 6 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Constant regional job growth, combined with a low housing production, created the <br />context for changes in State law. In short, “job-rich” areas such as the Peninsula are <br />now required to allow for the most housing production. <br />Over the past decade, the State further refined where housing must be built through a <br />series of laws. SB 375, which followed AB 32, tied land use policy with transportation <br />policy in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The State now disproportionally <br />allocates housing requirements and transportation funding to areas where <br />transportation choices exist (trains, buses, etc.). Given State requirements, the legal <br />question for cities is not whether housing should be allowed, but where it should be <br />built. Consistent with State law, the City’s General Plan primarily calls for growth to <br />occur in the Downtown area and along several commercial corridors. This approach <br />also protects the character of existing residential neighborhoods in Redwood City. <br />Immediately following the adoption of the General Plan, Downtown Precise Plan and <br />Zoning Ordinance, the region bounced back from the Great Recession. The economic <br />upswing, combined with the recent General Plan and Zoning changes, created the basis <br />for a period of relatively rapid growth in Redwood City. Although the City has not <br />returned to the pre-1970 housing production numbers, the City has seen a substantial <br />spike in housing development over the past five years. As new jobs are being produced, <br />the City has also seen an increase in development of commercial space. The chart <br />0 <br />10,000 <br />20,000 <br />30,000 <br />40,000 <br />50,000 <br />60,000 <br />70,000 <br />1975198019851990199520002005201020152020 <br />Total Jobs in Redwood City <br />8.A - Page 3