Celebrating 55 years!

The California Environmental Quality Act

The Office of Planning and Research was founded by statute because of the passing of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in 1970 under the leadership of Ronald Reagan. The 1969 Cuyahoga River Fire in Cleveland, Ohio, was the catalyst for many leading environmental laws and agencies. On the heels of that environmental disaster, Governor Ronald Reagan passed CEQA to require state and local agencies to requires public agencies to "look before they leap” and consider the environmental consequences of their discretionary actions. The Office of Planning and Research was founded by statute because of the passing of the CEQA.The primary responsibility of CEQA was overseeing environmental policy and reporting about it to the California Legislature.

That report, known as the Environmental Goals and Policy Report, was first published in 1973, updated in 1978 and revised in 2003. Its goal is to “articulate the state’s policies on growth, development and environmental quality; to recommend specific state, local and private actions needed to carry out these policies; and to serve as the basis for the preparation of the state’s functional plans (such as housing, transportation, air and water quality) and for locating major projects such as highways, water projects and university facilities.”

The report, which focused on growth, development and the environment, is generally regarded as an important acknowledgement that broad state policy and strategy needed to be articulated and then integrated into functional plans for state projects that incorporate local and private participation.

The 1978 revision sought to home in on specific actions government could take to revitalize urban areas and provide new development while protecting the environment. Although the report is statutorily required every four years, it has not been published since 2003.

The California Racial Equity Commission

This coalition, now named the California Racial Equity Commission, was led by Catalyst California, NextGen California, The Greenlining Institute, Public Health Advocates, Community Coalition, and SEIU California. Governor Gavin Newsom announced Executive Order N-16-22 establishing the Racial Equity Commission on Sept. 13, 2022. The structure and functions of the Racial Equity Commission as described in the Executive Order were developed in partnership with Dr. Richard Pan and the organizations advocating for SB 17.

Since the time of its inception, LCI has been at center of groundbreaking research, land use and growth policies that influenced the state’s direction for decades. LCI works closely with state and other governments on planning and policy matters regarding environmental protection, providing guidance and tools regarding land use and climate innovation.