Contra Costa County is a large, diverse region of farms and orchards, historic communities, high-density transit-oriented neighborhoods, suburban subdivisions, and extensive open space. PlaceWorks is leading a general plan update process that focuses on strengthening the dozens of unincorporated communities through extensive community-scale engagement and community-specific policy guidance. In the western part of the county, several major refineries and other highly polluting industries operate in close proximity to communities of color and low-income residents.

With substantial involvement from the county’s health services staff and partnerships with community-based organizations, we are developing policy guidance for the explicit purpose of undoing the wrongs of the past. The county is prioritizing its investment in and protections for the communities that have suffered from a lack of investment and a disproportionate burden of pollution and health impacts. Most of the more than 100 meetings (so far) took place in and focused on individual communities. PlaceWorks will prepare a vision for what each community wants to be in 2040 and community-specific policy guidance so that future decisions support that vision.