Alhambra City Hall (Photo – ColoradoBlvd.net)
Cities are on the front lines of fighting climate change. They influence some of the biggest sources of our carbon footprints: our homes, our cars, and our energy use. Local action is critical.
By Sawyer Brooks
Many cities say they are committed to sustainability. They release glossy plans and announce green initiatives. But too often, these plans are filled with voluntary programs and small projects that sound nice but do not create real change.
Why the gap between words and action? Consultants are paid to create a plan that makes the city look good. City staff and council members, who are not climate experts, adopt it. No one is held accountable for results. This leads to plans that are heavy on good intentions but light on impact.
Take Alhambra. Its new draft Sustainability Plan is a textbook case. It focuses on popular ideas from public workshops, like community gardens, but ignores proven, high-impact solutions recommended by climate experts. Public input is vital, but a good plan needs more than just popular ideas. It requires expertise to turn broad public desires, like clean air, into the technical policies that deliver it.
Alhambra’s plan falls short. For example, 60% of residents are renters, yet the draft has zero programs to help them save energy or reduce waste. Transportation creates most of the city’s emissions, but the plan calls for more studies instead of building the 57-mile bike network the city already has approved. After the 710 freeway extension was canceled, Alhambra received hundreds of millions in regional funds for traffic relief, but it has wasted years studying freeway ramps instead of building safer streets and bike paths.
Alhambra is not alone. A recent review of 157 U.S. city climate plans found that 70% were rated as “needs improvement” or “poor.” They often rely on voluntary measures and lack the funding or authority to enact real change. The public can demand our cities adopt the boring but important policies that actually cut emissions.
This is where you come in. City leaders need to hear that the public supports ambitious climate action. If you visit, live, or work in Alhambra, you have a direct opportunity to provide public comment by April 30th and help shape the city’s future. Here are some concrete actions you can suggest:
- A Renter-Focused Plan: Create programs for energy efficiency, EV charging, and waste diversion for the 60% of residents who rent.
- Build Walkable Neighborhoods: Legalize more mixed-use and multi-family housing, especially near transit. Dense, walkable neighborhoods allow people to drive less, which is the single biggest way to cut climate pollution.
- Build the Bike Network: Use traffic relief funds to build the approved 57-mile bike network, not more freeway ramps. Stop studying and start building.
- Fast, Frequent, & Flexible Transit: Implement high-frequency bus routes with dedicated lanes. Bring shared bikes, scooters, and Metro Micro to Alhambra to solve the “last-mile” problem and make transit a viable option for daily commutes.
- All-Electric Buildings: Require or incentivize all new construction to be 100% electric, and help existing residents switch from gas to electric.
- Ensure Accountability: Hire a full-time Sustainability Officer and empower the Environmental Sustainability Commission to ensure the city meets its climate goals.
For everyone else, look at your own city’s climate plan. Is it ambitious? Does it have clear, binding commitments? If not, speak up. Our cities can lead on climate change, but only if we demand it. The time for weak plans is over.
Sawyer Brooks is a systems engineer by day and an engaged Alhambra neighbor by night, applying a clear, systems‑minded lens to advocating for livable cities and a sustainable planet.
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