I can say that Peter Detwiler really knows the complexities of redevelopment and CA land use policy having been fortunate enough to have Peter as a professor in grad school and a second readerof my thesis. This is a great article for the Sacramento Press.

I want to say that I am 100 percent an advocate of housing downtown. I just wonder how we are going to get there. I heard a long time ago that people won't change their ways until an alternative becomes more attractive than current actions. (everyday homeowner) - It's still very easy to do your business downtown and leave. I work downtown and live in East Sac. I rarely drive and find it very easy to get downtown by light rail or bike and can still have a safe park as well as neighborhood-serving coffee, bars, restaraunts, drug stores, and high-end grocery one or two blocks from me. I can't get that downtown. I pose this question - How will Downtown get the families w/ children to move downtown with higher crime rates and low test scores in the elementary schools? The fact is that most families move to the suburbs because of these two statistics. Will downtown only serve the needs of DINKs and empty-nesters? I would love to raise a family downtown if it was more attractive than the established streetcar suburbs. What will draw them down there? Also, see "The High Cost of Free Parking" by Shoup for stats on free parking and congestion.

Demand....people have to buy or rent the units and demand does not exist downtown. Do you think that cutting edge architecture will make people leave East Sac or Land Park to live in a "cool" building downtown? Probably not. People live where they do because of neighborhood amenities. I also find it hard to believe that any developer will be able or willing to pursue financing on a spec residential building in downtown Sacramento. The only way you change downtown is to give people a reason to be there. Look at what downtown Denver, Cleveland, San DIego, and the China Basin in San Francisco did to get people downtown. "Cool architecture" on an empty street won't change anything. "Call it "mixed use", or "smart growth", or just call it "normal"." Downtown is not "normal" and needs an attraction (like a stadium) to attract people.

Thanks for your comment William. We also feel that cheap alternatives exist to increase energy efficiency and save homeowners money right now. We are developing a list that will show exactly how much energy a homeowner can save for each investment. Basic weatherization efforts will surely be part of our menu item list. Go Green Sacramento could really produce a significant positive impact for our city. We will keep everyone updated as we proceed.

Hi. This is Joe Livaich with Councilmember McCarty’s office. Thanks for your comment Susan. We understand the current economic times and do not want to add an extra burden on a homeowner. The program will be completely voluntary with a goal of helping people save money on their energy bills and actually putting money back in their pocket.