During these times of budget strife, good news can be hard to find. After scouring the media, I’ll say that it can be extremely hard to find.  Nonetheless, I was interested in the story of a car-free development proposed in Hayward:

Quarry Village is a proposed 1,000-unit neighborhood that would fill a former quarry near Cal State East Bay and 1 1/2 miles from the Hayward BART Station. It’s the brainchild of Sherman Lewis, a professor emeritus in political science at Cal State East Bay who created a nonprofit organization to promote the idea with local officials, investors and developers.

According to Lewis, 69, people would rent or buy eco-friendly, garage-free homes in the densely built community with interconnected pathways. Residents would receive transit passes with the cost of their home but could pay separately for one of just 100 parking spaces.

A village square would feature a grocery store and other services. Shuttles would ferry passengers to the campus and BART. (SF Chronicle)

The project is a looong way from even getting approval, let alone breaking ground.  However, Lewis has some commitments from potential owners, and the City of Hayward seems to be amenable to the idea of this development. And given its proximity to public transit, this very well could be a feasible project.

If we are to move into a future that responds to the nature of our sensitive environment and the demands of the modern economy, this kind of development will have to become the new suburbia. This project will be an interesting case study as we move forward with sustainable planning.

Incidentally, if you know of something that would be a good fit for my new California Good News features, drop me an email.