By Larry Barnett
At its recent meeting, Sonoma’s Planning Commission received a presentation from a group of citizens concerning the concept of urban planning using “Green and Blue” infrastructure.
According to the group, which includes members of the city’s Climate Action and Cultural and Fine Arts Commissions and the Sonoma Ecology center, among others, Green and Blue Infrastructure (GBI) is an urban planning concept that blends natural elements like trees, gardens, parks (green) and waterways, ponds, wetlands (blue) into a seamlessly connected network of parks, trails, pathways, green streets, and art-infused public spaces.
The group believes that GBI should be the foundational component of Sonoma’s General Plan, harmonizing ecological, cultural, and economic priorities to foster resilience, vibrancy, and equity. In their presentation, the group explained that by integrating natural systems into urban design, GBI ensures a healthier environment, sustainable growth, and improved quality of life for residents and visitors alike. With Sonoma’s compact size of just 2.7 square miles, there are no barriers to creating GBI. This scale enables a cohesive system where no trail ends abruptly and safe routes lead to key services and the historic Plaza, reinforcing its role as the heart of the City.
Grounded in community needs and informed by prior plans and best practices, GBI is a shift from siloed urban planning to an integrative framework that recognizes the interdependence of economic prosperity, environmental stewardship, and social well-being. Currently, General Plans are mandated to have discrete “Elements” that treat issues as separate technical concerns, rather than focusing on people, their homes, and their community resources.
Urban planning and design have evolved. The California Office of Planning and Research (OPR) now guides jurisdictions to take an integrative approach. Best practices prioritize creating connections—between people, places, and nature—to sustain a thriving, inclusive, and unified community. Rather than focusing solely on roads, parking lots, and garages or enforcing codes as ends in themselves, a GBI enables this new approach by establishing an integrative urban design framework rooted in sustainability, equity, and livability.
GBI recognizes Land Use, Circulation, Housing, Conservation, Open spaces, Public Safety, Economic Development and the other Elements as interdependent parts of a larger, connected system. By embedding these priorities into policies, designs, and investments, GBI provides a vision and a practical roadmap for these parts to function as a unified, interconnected system, a whole greater than the sum of its parts. This plan envisions one city—a place we love built for people to thrive. One Sonoma.
In essence, GBI bridges aspiration and action, offering a vision for a thriving, sustainable future while providing a practical roadmap to maximize resources, streamline investments, and ensure lasting impact. GBI addresses emerging mandates—including air and water quality standards, greenhouse gas reduction targets, affordable housing, and future laws signaled by initiatives such as 30×30 —while providing a decision-making framework to balance housing, infrastructure, and economic growth with ecological stewardship.
With the unanimous agreement of the Planning Commission, the concept will now be integrated into Sonoma General Plan, according to Community Development Director Jennifer Gates. Sonoma’s General Plan is currently being updated, a requirement of state law. It encompasses a vision of the community over the course of the next twenty years, policies to support that vision and implementation measures to bring the vision into practical reality.
To learn more about Sonoma’s General Plan Update, CLICK HERE
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