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Housing affordability pressure and climate goals shape development in Santa Cruz

C.J. Gabbe (ESS) along with Ryan Anderson and Veronica Miranda (SCU Anthropology) published a paper on "The drivers of planning and development in flood-prone areas: A case study of Santa Cruz, California" in the Journal of Flood Risk Management. ESS student researchers Declan Bernal '23 and Hannah Hagen ‘23 played important roles collecting data and supporting the research project. The study combined a spatial analysis of development trends, a content analysis of 11 adopted plans, and stakeholder interviews. The authors found that the central factors guiding new housing into Santa Cruz's most flood-prone neighborhoods were an acute housing shortage in Santa Cruz and the Bay Area, confidence in the city’s flood control infrastructure, and the environmental benefits of infill development in the downtown.