Att3 SMP Proposal - Buro Happold — City Council/Public Financing Authority, April 5, 2022

1 RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONSUL TING SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY PLAN City of Huntington Beach
Research, Analysis and
Consulting Services for
Sustainability Master Plan
January 31, 2022
3 RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONSUL TING SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY PLAN 2 January 31, 2022
City of Huntington Beach
2000 Main Street
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
RE: Research, Analysis and Consulting Services for Sustainability Master Plan Dear Evaluation Committee,
On behalf of Buro Happold, I am pleased to submit this proposal for the Sustainability Master Plan. We are truly excited by the opportunity to work with the City of Huntington Beach, a community known for its beaches and surf culture, robust and diversified economy, variety of housing options, excellent schools, and renowned destinations for dining, entertainment, and outdoor recreation. Buro Happold is a multidisciplinary engineering and urban planning consultancy that combines technical acumen, creativity, and participatory stakeholder engagement to plan, design, and implement sustainable and resilient solutions at every scale. We are renowned for our sustainability planning work with leading-edge cities and regions across the country, as well as our ability to deliver complex and innovative projects on time and on budget.

Our firm is uniquely equipped to deliver an effective sustainability master plan for the City of Huntington Beach. Buro Happold’s sustainability consultants - many of whom have worked in local government - are respected experts who have developed sustainability and climate plans for local and regional jurisdictions spanning from smaller cities (West Hollywood, CA and Cambridge, MA) to the nation’s most populous metropolitan regions (Los Angeles County and Greater Chicago). Earlier this year, Buro Happold received the American Planning Association’s Excellence Award for the Los Angeles Countywide Sustainability Plan, which featured an equity-centered approach to long-range sustainability planning.

We are very pleased to present Huntington Beach with key team members from that award-winning effort. Leading the engagement process and quality of life aspects for our team is Raimi + Associates, a mission-driven planning, urban design and research firm with a statewide reputation for conducting authentic community engagement, incorporating health and equity into planning projects, promoting sustainable neighborhoods, and preparing plans that balance vision with market realities. Additionally, the transportation aspects of the plan will be led by Toole Design, a national team of planners, engineers, and landscape architects committed to designing and building spaces where people can move freely and intuitively, enjoying the experience and becoming a part of the community instead of just moving through it.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, our team’s diversity of professional and life experiences will allow us to deliver world-class solutions that are tailored to the Huntington Beach context—a skillset that will be particularly important in order to deliver a bold and transformative Sustainability Master Plan that establishes Huntington Beach as a leader amongst its peer cities, prioritizes high-impact sustainability initiatives, identifies key performance metrics, and establishes an implementation framework that ensures success.

Thank you for your time and consideration of the following proposal, which summarizes our approach to this assignment, along with qualifications and resumes for the assembled team. We welcome the chance to further discuss our proposal. Feel free to contact me directly with any questions at [email protected] or 310-912-1002.

Sincerely,
Chris Rhie
Associate Principal
Buro Happold
Letter of Interest

ORANGE COUNTY GREAT PARK IRVINE CALIFORNIA
IMAGE © JAUSTIN
5 RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONSUL TING SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY PLAN Contents
Letter of Interest
Firm Qualifications
Firm Overview

Resumes

References
Timeline

Project Understanding and Proposed Approach

Estimated Costs

ORANGE COUNTY, DANA POINT, IMAGE © NEWPORT COAST MEDIA
6 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH
IMAGE: DESIGN SPRINT: CONNECTED AND AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES, NEW YORK, NY | IMAGE © MINI Firm Qualifications
y Assessments/models/forecasts
y Performance/design guidelines
y Project design/development/
management
y Research/analyses
y Strategies/frameworks/plans/
designs
y Visualizations
y Workshops/facilitation
Buro Happold is a global, integrated, multidisciplinary consulting engineering firm that offers a complete range of services for the built environment, from individual buildings to campuses, and from neighborhoods to regional plans. Buro Happold is engaged in both the built and natural environments, tackling complex design and implementation issues relating to buildings, neighborhoods, cities, and institutions.

Cities
Cities is the strategy consulting and infrastructure engineering arm of Buro Happold. The Cities discipline provides strategic planning, project management, and analytical services to a diverse range of public- and private sector clients worldwide—bringing together planners, economists, engineers, urban designers, real estate professionals, and demographers to tackle urban development problems that represent “the built environment” at its broadest scale. Buro Happold follows an evidence-based planning approach that ensures tailor-made and highly effective solutions to today’s multi-layered urban issues.

The firm’s appreciation of the various city aspects and enablers—social, economic, resource, infrastructure, and political—allows the firm to support decision makers by providing a complete picture of the planning context and devising a unique approach to delivery. Drawing on local and international experience of best practices, staff work with clients to identify suitable strategies and programs to meet current and future challenges.

In addition to more traditional analytic assessments, the firm prides itself on planning and then delivering unique, highly visible, and complex projects hand in hand with its clients.

Service offers
The Cities Group is organized around three themes: Sustainability and Environment, Economic and Strategic Planning, and Infrastructure Planning + Design. The Cities Group performs a variety of services, including:

Buro Happold
Year established: 1976
Offices: 31 (worldwide)
Global staff: 1,900
U.S. staff: 350
Type: Corporation
Developed climate action
plans for 26 cities
Advised on net zero
carbon strategies for
over $130bn assets
under development or
management
Committed to offset
operational emissions for
2019/20 and 2020/21
Committed to designing
all new build projects to
be net zero carbon in
operation by 2030
We are a global network of
30+ offices including 11
in the US —
Boston, Chicago, Detroit,
Durham, Los Angeles,
Minneapolis, New York,
Pittsburgh, San Francisco,
Seattle and Washington D.C.
8 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH 9

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONSUL TING SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY PLAN Subconsultants
Toole Design
We believe that vibrant places rely on transportation systems that facilitate choice in how people get around and contribute to community goals around sustainability, equity, and placemaking.

Starting from the earliest planning stages and working all the way through project completion, we consider safety, community context, environmental impacts, and urban design to create functional, inviting public spaces for all.

Our project experience includes planning for parks and open spaces, recreational trails, greenways, sidewalks and walkways, streetscapes and Complete Streets, bicycle facilities, interpretive and wayfinding signage, landscape amenities, and sustainable project elements such as bioretention and permeable surfaces. We use a multidisciplinary approach that integrates planning, engineering, landscape architecture, ecological studies, environmental permitting, and public art. Our master and site planning experience includes:
•
Feasibility and due-diligence studies: Investigation and analysis of potential improvements, identification of initial and long- term costs, and feasibility of implementation.
•
Master planning: Forward-thinking solutions that thoroughly detail agreed-on project improvements and provide workable implementation strategies.
•
Site planning and preliminary design: Combining creative thinking with a thorough understanding of the project goals and program, site opportunities and constraints, permitting requirements, available funding, and public expectations.

Toole Design frequently uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to conduct spatial analysis and communicate information. Toole Design routinely develop data sets, or build upon existing data sets, using data collected in the field or from secondary sources.

We ensure that our analyses are context-sensitive, accounting for community elements such as land use, crash, topography, transit, and roadway characteristics to inform demand at network-based distances appropriate for walking and bicycling. We streamline analysis into a step-by-step process that is flexible and based on local values. We have also worked with both small and large developers, and our portfolio includes several large-scale and nationally significant development sites. We are often entrusted with developing state-of-the-art multimodal networks for greenfield and brownfield sites, and we have adapted, modified, and redesigned existing street networks to better serve their land uses and increase their economic productivity.

West Hollywood Sustainability Evaluation and Strategy
APA Awarded
waste sorting, stormwater
management, and urban
forestry protection
48 Awards
throughout California
200+ Projects
in Los Angeles
Orange County Safe Routes To School Action Plan
Planning for
community goals around
sustainability, equity, and
placemaking
Raimi + Associates
At Raimi + Associates, we are advocates, collaborators, organizers, and pioneers committed to creating healthy and enduring places.

Over the years, we have served dozens of communities in California and across the nation as trusted advisors, skilled practitioners, imaginative problem solvers, and effective communicators. We help communities achieve their long-term visions by listening to and learning from ordinary people, partnering closely with our clients, and relying on our keen eye for place.

Our firm’s planning and urban design expertise is complemented and informed by our focus on public health, equity, sustainability, and program evaluation. To address the complexity of communities, Raimi + Associates integrates a host of interrelated subjects — land use and design, sustainability and green building, public health and social equity, and public engagement and visioning — into planning and social research efforts at a variety of scales. Our work focuses on six practice areas:
•
C
omprehensive Planning
•
Ur
ban Design + Area Planning
•
P
ublic Health + Equity
•
S
ustainability + Climate Change
•
E
valuation, Assessment + Strategic Planning
•
E
ngagement, Communication, + Technical Assistance
Whether it’s updating a City’s comprehensive plan, developing health and sustainability objectives, creating a targeted neighborhood retrofit plan, guiding a project through the green building process, or generating a vision for a multi-jurisdictional corridor, we think holistically and examine the physical, environmental, health, and socioeconomic challenges of planning and design. This approach allows us to successfully develop, assess, and implement, community plans, implementation programs, community outreach strategies, and policy framework for the cities and communities we work in.

As a result of our dedication to the profession, Raimi + Associates regularly wins awards for our projects including multiple regional and state awards for comprehensive plans and community engagement.

Additionally, Raimi + Associates was the recipient of the 2015 APA Award for National Emerging Planning and Design Firm due to our technical planning expertise, commitment to authentic community engagement, and emphasis on healthy, sustainability, and equity. 10 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH 11

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONSUL TING SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY PLAN Images © Buro Happold
Buro Happold led the development of the
first-ever Countywide Sustainability Plan
for Los Angeles County. A key initiative of
the Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability
Office, the comprehensive plan leverages
critical resources and systems across the
county, the largest and most complex
county in the United States with over 10
million residents and 88 incorporated
cities. Over the 18-month effort, Buro
Happold in partnership with the University
of California Los Angeles (UCLA) worked
closely with civic leadership and community
stakeholders to develop an inclusive vision
and actionable roadmap for a healthy and
vital region.

The new plan comprehensively considers
a county-level resources and services
including water, energy, land-use,
transportation, public health, economic
development, and housing through the
lenses of equity and resilience. Informed by
stakeholder and community engagement
as well as robust data analysis, the plan
outlines integrated strategies that leverage
resources across the county. While several
of the 88 cities in Los Angeles County have
completed independent sustainability
plans, the County-wide initiative seeks to
catalyse and support the development of
additional sustainable city efforts, though
better integration, communication and
cooperation.

OurCounty: Los Angeles Countywide Sustainability Plan
Los Angeles, CA
CLIENT
County of Los Angeles Chief Executive Office

DURATION
Completed in 2019

PROJECT VALUE
$1.9 million

SERVICES PROVIDED BY BURO HAPPOLD
Sustainability planning, climate
action planning, project management
and coordination, messaging and
communications, GHG inventory analysis,
policy advising for energy and climate, water,
waste, health and wellbeing
AWARD
Recipient of the 2021 Excellence in
Sustainability Award from the APA
Sustainable Communities Division
Regional Solutions for a Sustainable Future
the worst impacts of climate change, and
protect and enhance the region’s economy,
transportation infrastructure, natural
environment, public health, social equity,
and quality of life.

The Metropolitan Council Climate Action and Resilience Plan Twin Cities, MN
Images © The Metropolitan Council
Bolstering Regional Efforts to Mitigate and Adapt to the Impacts of Climate Change The Metropolitan Council recently selected
Buro Happold to support the creation of
their Climate Action Plan to respond to
and plan for an increase in climate-related
threats in the Twin Cities metropolitan
region. As the regional planning agency
and designated Metropolitan Planning
Organization (MPO) for 181 cities and
townships and seven counties in the Twin
Cities region, with more than half the state’s
population, the Council is uniquely situated
to bolster regional efforts to mitigate and
adapt to the impacts of climate change.

The Council is positioned to leverage
economies of scale and add value
through transboundary coordination and
collaboration on climate change issues.

With the Climate Action Plan, the Council
is looking for pathways to dramatically
reduce operational GHG emissions, leverage
existing programs and policies, and develop
new strategies to decarbonize enterprise
operations and enhance regional planning.

Buro Happold, the Council, and a team
of subconsultants will focus on finding
solutions for combating climate change and
preparing for its impacts on infrastructure,
operations, and planning. Buro Happold
has assembled a uniquely qualified team
to support the Council in expanding and
tracking operational climate action and
resilience commitments.

Though the plan is focused on the short
term, it will outline policies that will shape
future planning efforts while responding to
the local social, political, and environmental
setting. Ultimately, the plan will coordinate
the Council’s existing internal efforts and
planning processes, ensuring a cohesive plan
that can guide regional systems toward a
more resilient future.

The plan will set a path forward to adapt to
challenges and improve the resilience of its
built infrastructure while centering equity
in policy development and action planning.

The plan offers an opportunity to prevent
CLIENT
The Metropolitan Council

DURATION
Completion expected in 2022

SERVICES PROVIDED BY BURO HAPPOLD
Project management, climate action
planning, and coordination, messaging and
communications, GHG inventory analysis,
policy advising
12 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH 13

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONSUL TING SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY PLAN of actions across the topic areas of Energy,
Water, Materials and Waste, and Site.

Building off of the Sustainability Plan,
the Green Guidelines provide technical
support for implementing actions while the
Sustainability Implementation Plan provides
resources and discrete steps for successful
implementation of actions.

Battery Park City has a long history of
environmental leadership, building its status
as a model for sustainable mixed-use urban
development. Battery Park City is managed
by the Battery Park City Authority (BPCA)
and stretches 36 acres with over 22 million
square feet of built area. The neighborhood
is well-known for its environmental building
standards and expansive waterfront parks
and recreational areas.

In 2019, the BPCA Board of Directors
passed a resolution to develop a 10-
year sustainability plan that would build
momentum and put Battery Park City on
a path towards carbon neutrality by 2050.

In addition to internal goals, New York
City’s Local Law 97 posed a challenge for
buildings in Battery Park City to reduce
their operational carbon emissions by
2030. These two challenges created a great
opportunity for BPCA to pool together
resources and develop a clear, actionable
plan for the next ten years. Buro Happold
and a team of specialist consultants were
selected to work with BPCA to develop
that plan through three documents: the
Sustainability Plan, the Green Guidelines,
and the Sustainability Implementation Plan.

The Sustainability Plan provides a vision
for sustainability at Battery Park City
and outlines a set of strategies, targets,
supporting milestones, and actions for
delivering meaningful change in the
neighborhood. Buro Happold completed
an in-depth analysis to investigate existing
conditions and understand sustainability
initiatives and practices already well-
engrained at Battery Park City. Further,
community engagement was a tenet
of the planning process to ensure that
the contents of the plan resonated with
BPCA staff and the wider community.

Ultimately, the Sustainability Plan set
forth three overarching goals for Resource
Management and Reduction, Innovation
and Inspiration, and Education and
Collaboration meant to inspire the direction
Images © Buro Happold
CLIENT
Battery Park City Authority

PROJECT VALUE
Confidential

DURATION
Completed in 2020

SERVICES PROVIDED BY BURO HAPPOLD
Implementation framework, sustainability,
strategy development
Battery Park City Sustainability Plan
New York, NY
Creating a Sustainable Future for Residents, Workers, and Visitors Alike Communities in the Santa Monica
Mountains region are taking a collaborative
and proactive approach to preparing for
climate change. The Woolsey Fire caused
devastation and destruction when it
stormed through communities in 2018. In
turn, the Malibu Foundation led an effort
to develop a regional climate vulnerability
assessment and resilience plan for the
Santa Monica Mountains region. The Malibu
Foundation envisioned an actionable
resilience plan that centered the needs of
the region’s most vulnerable residents and
communities.

Buro Happold provided technical support
to the Malibu Foundation in developing the
Santa Monica Mountains Resilience Plan.

Services included conducting a geospatial
analysis and providing strategic advice to
the project team. A climate vulnerability
assessment was a foundational building
block for understanding projected climate
change, and the potential impacts on
different communities, populations, and
infrastructure. Buro Happold provided
guidance on conducting a climate
vulnerability assessment and supported
local student groups who led some of the
climate vulnerability research and analysis.

To inform the assessment, Buro Happold
developed maps for the project team that
illustrated the climate projections and
potential vulnerabilities. Having led the
consultant team for the Los Angeles County
Climate Vulnerability Assessment, which
was released in October 2021, Buro Happold
also helped to ensure alignment between
these efforts.

The climate vulnerability assessment, along
with outreach led by the Malibu Foundation,
informed the community-based resilience
plan. Buro Happold served as a reviewer
of the drafts and provided guidance
on resilience action. The Santa Monica
Mountains Resilience Plan will advance the
client’s and the communities’ shared goal to
ensure a thriving and resilient Santa Monica
Mountains region.

Santa Monica Mountains Resilience Plan Technical Support Santa Monica, CA
Image © Adobe Stock Images
CLIENT
Malibu Foundation

PROJECT VALUE
$20,000

DURATION
Completed in 2021

SERVICES PROVIDED BY BURO HAPPOLD
Climate change adaptation and resilience,
sustainability, strategic planning, climate
action
A Collaborative Approach to Climate Change Resilience
14 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH 15

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONSUL TING SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY PLAN relationship between the City and urban
indigenous people, a conversation that is
extending to other long-term planning efforts.

West Hollywood Climate Action and Adaptation Plan
West Hollywood, CA
CLIENT
City of West Hollywood

PROJECT VALUE
$200,000

DURATION
Completed in 2021

SERVICES PROVIDED BY BURO HAPPOLD
Climate action planning, greenhouse
gas accounting, climate adaptation
planning, climate vulnerability assessment,
project management, energy strategy,
transportation strategy, waste strategy,
environmental strategy, stakeholder
engagement
An Equity First Approach to Climate Mitigation
Image © Flickr user
Buro Happold led the development of
the West Hollywood Climate Action and
Adaptation Plan, also known as WeHo
Climate Action, with authentic and reciprocal
stakeholder outreach and engagement,
policy research, and quantitative and
geospatial analysis. The client envisioned
the development of an actionable climate
plan that centered the needs of the city’s
most vulnerable residents and contributed
towards a more equitable and greener West
Hollywood. The City tapped the Buro Happold
team for the effort specifically for the firm’s
track record in equitable and intersectional
climate action planning. This was particularly
meaningful as the project coincided with the
COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter
racial justice movement.

Working with partnering firms Pueblo
Planning and Inner and Outer Engagement,
the team enacted a comprehensive
outreach strategy that included community
conversations with specific populations that
are affected first and worst by climate change,
including urban indigenous people, older
adults, low wealth families with children,
people with disabilities, people experiencing
houselessness and previously unhoused
individuals, and monolingual Russian and
Spanish speaking populations. Insights from
the community conversations revealed four
key themes intersecting with climate change:
social justice, housing security, public health,
and food access. The plan addresses each
of these equity themes by describing both
existing programs and policies, and the ways
that WeHo Climate Action addresses them.

Buro Happold’s climate experts also reviewed
existing policies, completed a vulnerability
assessment, completed a GHG emissions
inventory and future emissions projections,
and identified gap-filling actions based on
established and emerging best practices. All
of which resulted in a set of ambitious GHG
targets and strategies designed to ensure
West Hollywood achieves carbon neutrality by
mid-century, while preparing for the impacts
of its changing climate. Through the plan, a
path forward is set for adapting the City to
address the climate crisis and improve the
resilience of the City’s infrastructure and social
structure. The process also initiated a deeper
Envisioned as the first great metropolitan
park for the 21st Century by the community,
the 1,300-acre Orange County Great
Park will be a major community resource
accessible to approximately 10,000,000
regional residents. Located on the former
El Toro Marine Air Base in Irvine, California,
the park is a series of large scale places
and experiences unique to an urbanized
park environment, including sports fields, a
multiuse “lawn” for events, a cultural terrace,
botanical garden and history museum.

The crowning element is the Great Canyon,
a two-mile long 60-foot deep environment
that has its own microclimate, a series of
pools, streams and dense plantings. The
park was master planned with access and
connections coordinated across major
surrounding developments including mixed
use and transit-oriented development. The
first phase, a 200 acre $65 million project
was completed in 2012. Buro Happold’s
work focused mainly on:
•
T he development of alternative
transportation strategies and
connections that linked and transferred
residents to and from these surrounding
developments.
•
S
trategic advice on constructed
wetlands and stream corridors as well as
massive habitat restoration, migration
patterns and impact on the surrounding
urbanized community.
•
T
he development of a sustainable
management system including life cycle
carbon analysis.
•
Sustainabilit
y consulting throughout the
construction process.

CLIENT
Orange County Great Park Corporation

ARCHITECT
Ken Smith Landscape Architect

PROJECT VALUE
$65 million

DURATION
Completed in 2012

SERVICES PROVIDED BY BURO HAPPOLD
Sustainability, structural engineering, energy
planning
Orange County Great Park
Irvine, CA
Rendering © Ken Smith Landscape Architect
Sustainability Management in Design and Operations
16 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH 17

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONSUL TING SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY PLAN CLIENT
County of Los Angeles

PROJECT VALUE
$65K

DURATION
Completed in 2021

SERVICES PROVIDED BY TOOLE DESIGN
Transportation planning, master planning
Toole Design provided staff support, strategic
advice, and expertise in the areas of equity,
wellness, parks and open space, community
design, transportation, and other related
issues to assist the Chief Sustainability Office
(CSO) in the development of the County’s
first Sustainability Plan. Toole Design helped
oversee the preparation, stakeholder
engagement, and final development and
approval of the plan. This included the
following major tasks:
▪ R
eviewing and providing strategic
assessments of plan documents,
metrics and indicators, data, graphics,
and related materials.
▪ R
eviewing draft documents related to
the development of the plan, including
early and final drafts of the plan.
▪ P
roviding strategic advice and guidance
on the plan’s consistency with best
practices in sustainability planning,
especially as related to equity, wellness,
mobility, and other related elements.
▪ C
onducting reviews of plan documents
for clarity and style, appropriate use
of graphical elements, and content to
ensure the Plan was comprehensive,
ambitious, thorough, and actionable.
▪ S
upporting planning and
implementation of public events,
including Summits and other
gatherings, to present and engage
the community around the draft plan.

This included planning and reviewing
agendas, speakers and presentations,
and other meeting materials.
▪ W
orking in collaboration with the
County CSO to engage in monthly
strategic planning team meetings
with CSO staff, the County’s consulting
team, and others to guide the
formulation of plan documents.

Los Angeles County Sustainability Plan Development Assistance Los Angeles County, CA
LA County’s First Sustainability Plan
CLIENT
City of Huntington Beach

PROJECT VALUE
$100K

DURATION
Completed in 2022

SERVICES PROVIDED BY TOOLE DESIGN
Transportation planning, master planning
Toole Design is working with the City of
Huntington Beach on their Mobility Plan,
where the goal is to prepare for and shape
new mobility options in a way that meets
community goals, meets the mobility
needs of all people who live in, work in,
and visit Huntington Beach, and is well
integrated with the City’s sustainable
transportation system. Our work includes
is addressing equity and is finding ways
to incentivize high-occupancy, high-
density of passengers per space, shared,
and electric vehicles. The Implementation
Plan will provide clarity and specific,
practical direction for strategies that
support diverse transportation options
and technological innovations, such as
micromobility devices, electric vehicles,
and autonomous vehicles, while ensuring
that these changes do not adversely
impact progress towards other City
commitments related to safety, equity,
vehicular traffic congestion, and GHG
emissions.

Huntington Beach Mobility Plan
Huntington Beach, CA
Mobility Implementation Plan to Help Prepare

18 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH 19

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONSUL TING SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY PLAN CLIENT
Orange County Transportation Authority

PROJECT VALUE
$225K

DURATION
Completed in 2024

SERVICES PROVIDED BY TOOLE DESIGN
Transportation planning, public engagement
Toole Design is currently providing
a range of technical and strategic
support services to the Orange County
Transportation Authority to advance the
Authority’s active transportation goals in
the county. Toole Design, led by Project
Manager, Brent Oltz, is leading a team
of six subconsultants to provide these
services on an on-demand basis over a
three-year period. These services will
include a comprehensive training program
for internal, agency partner, and public
audiences on the fundamentals and best
practices of active transportation planning
and design. The team will also provide
communications and engagement support
to further Authority relationships with a
variety of audiences using remote and
in-person tactics. Finally, the team will
leverage its technical expertise to evaluate
and enhance the quality of the active
transportation plans and designs at the
Authority and among its partners.

Orange County Transportation Authority Active Transportation Support Services, Orange County, CA
Active Transportation Planning and Design
CLIENT
Orange County Transportation Authority

PROJECT VALUE
$300K

DURATION
Completed in 2021

SERVICES PROVIDED BY TOOLE DESIGN
Transportation planning, master planning
Toole Design led the development of
Orange County’s first ever Safe Routes
to School Action Plan. This project
involved coordinating a county-wide
stakeholder and community engagement
process, working directly with Orange
County school districts and schools
on walk audits and encouragement
events, and executing a multi-pronged
communications campaign. The Toole
Design team undertook an extensive
analysis of infrastructure and public health
data across the County to develop a
framework for identifying and addressing
infrastructure and programmatic needs
that, if met, could improve the safety and
health of students walking to Orange
County schools. The resulting plan
provides a pathway for establishment of
a dedicated countywide Safe Routes to
School program and includes detailed
recommendations for implementation
steps and ongoing engagement with
county districts, schools, and students.

This project was jointly managed by the
Orange County Transportation Agency
(OCTA) and the Orange County Health Care
Agency (OCHCA).

Orange County Safe Routes To School Action Plan
Orange County, CA
Orange County’s First Safe Routes to School Action Plan

20 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH 21

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONSUL TING SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY PLAN www.raimiassociates.com

LOS ANGELES COUNTY SUSTAINABILITY PLAN

LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CA
DESCRIPTION Raimi + Associates worked as a subconsultant to develop the Los Angeles County Sustainability Plan (LACSP). The LACSP, adopted by the Board of Supervisors in August of 2019, set forth a countywide sustainability framework, which includes a new climate action and adaptation plan. The goal for the LACSP was to create an actionable plan grounded in equity that supports residents' health, environmental sustainability, and economic growth.

Directed by the Chief Sustainability Office, this innovative plan provides a roadmap for County leadership to make decisions and includes a data dashboard to track, monitor, and report on performance while giving specific guidance for achieving indicator-based targets. Raimi + Associates worked with the project data collection team to advise on public health and adaptation topics; including identifying data gaps and opportunities to address public health, social equity, and human resiliency. R+A also supported stakeholder meeting facilitation and preparation of the overall plan, a role that capitalizes on the team's expertise in the region and work at the intersection of planning, health, and equity.

HIGHLIGHTS
Advised on public health and adaptation data collection and analysis Recommended indicators, target-setting methodology, and targets Led development of Public Health chapter and supported preparation of overall Sustainability Plan
CLIENT
Los Angeles County Sustainability
Office

SERVICES
Sustainability Plan, Health,
Equity, Climate Action and
Adaptation

TIMELINE
2018 - 2019

CONTACT
Kristen Torres Pawling
Chief Sustainability Office
(213) 332-3258
[email protected]
www.raimiassociates.com

SAN LUIS OBISPO CLIMATE ACTION PLAN

TECHNICAL ANAL YSIS

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA
SLO Climate Passport Book
Collect a signature at each station and turn in your full passport for a prize at the check-in table! STATION 1: GREEN
ENERGY
STATION 2: CLEAN

TRANSPORTATION
STATION 4:

ZERO WASTE
STATION 3: GREEN

BUILDINGS
STATION 5: OPEN
SPACE
STATION 6: ADDITIONAL

FEEDBACK
SLO Climate Passport Book
Collect a signature at each station and turn in your full passport for a prize at the check-in table! STATION 1: GREEN
ENERGY
STATION 2: CLEAN

TRANSPORTATION
STATION 4:

ZERO WASTE
STATION 3: GREEN

BUILDINGS
STATION 5: OPEN
SPACE
STATION 6: ADDITIONAL

FEEDBACK
DESCRIPTION Raimi + Associates, in coordination with the City of San Luis Obispo, led a team of subconsultants in creating the San Luis Obispo Climate Action Plan Technical Analysis. The analysis outlines an ambitious pathway to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035.

R+A helped to facilitate a high level of community engagement, including presentations to community organizations, one community workshop, and the development of a community engagement toolkit. The stakeholder outreach was designed to gather input, as well as activate and engage residents, businesses, and institutions with positive actions and tangible benefits.

As part of the project, R+A conducted a detailed assessment of potential greenhouse gas mitigation measures across the sectors of clean energy, buildings, transportation, waste, and sequestration focusing on areas under the City's direct control. R+A also developed a GHG Reductions Analysis tool to estimate the impact of strategies and the magnitudes of implementation needed to achieve carbon neutrality. The analysis is used to support the development and prioritization of strategies for the city.

HIGHLIGHTS
GHG Reduction Analysis tool.
Quantitative technical analysis of the impacts of potential GHG reduction strategies across the sectors of clean energy, buildings, transportation, waste, and sequestration.
Community engagement toolkit or "Climate Crate" for the City to continue climate action outreach.

CLIENT
City of San Luis Obispo

SERVICES
Climate Action Plan Technical
Analysis, Community
Engagement Toolkit

PROJECT DATES
2019-2020

CLIENT CONTACT
Chris Read
Sustainability Manager, City of
San Luis Obispo
[email protected]
805-781-7151

23 RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONSUL TING SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY PLAN Resumes
The organizational chart on the following page identifies the key team members and their role on this engagement. The diverse needs of this engagement, including sustainability planning, technical analysis, stakeholder and community engagement, and public communications require that our proposed team provides a broad range of skill sets. We are excited to put forward a team that represents our capabilities in these disciplines and have structured the team to enable swift communication, frequent collaboration, and a shared understanding of all project goals.

As principal-in-charge, David Herd will be in charge of client relationship and quality assurance for this engagement. David leads Buro Happold’s California offices and has experience leading sustainability planning efforts, including OurCounty: the Los Angeles Countywide Sustainability Plan, as well as Orange County Great Park.

Chris Rhie leads Buro Happold’s sustainability planning practice in North America and will serve as project director. He was the project director for OurCounty, and has a successful track record of working with public authorities throughout the country. Chris will ensure the highest quality deliverables are produced for the City of Huntington Beach.

Walker Wells is a principal at Raimi + Associates and an industry-leading expert in urban sustainability, green building, and renewable energy. Walker and Chris worked side-by- side on the OurCounty effort, and serve together on the LEED for Cities and Communities Working Group. Walker will lead the engagement effort for the project.

Louis Spanias is a senior consultant at Buro Happold and will serve as the project manager.

He will be this engagement’s day-to-day client contact. Louis’s eight years of experience leading and managing sustainability programs and initiatives for public sector clietns provides him with a deep understanding of how process and communities can shape a project, and how to navigate these factors to achieve a project’s goals.

This core leadership team will be supported by Buro Happold Cities’ specialized staff in climate policy and environmental management, Raimi + Associates’ specialists in quality of life subjects and public engagement, and by Toole Design, which brings its depth of knowledge in transportation planning.

Key Staff
Organization Chart
Sami Taylor
Project Staff
Raimi + Associates
David Herd
Partner
Buro Happold
Project Principal
Eden Axelrad
Climate and Air Quality
Buro Happold
Sabrina Bornstein
Resilience
Buro Happold
Kathleen Hetrick
Water, Resource Recovery and,
Waste Management
Buro Happold
Engagement
W alker Wells
Engagement Lead
Raimi + Associates
Louis Spanias*
Senior Consultant
Buro Happold
*Louis will be responsible for day-to-day
management of the contract
Project Manager
Chris Rhie
Associate Principal
Buro Happold
Project Director
Core Staff
Sarah Smyth
Project Staff
Buro Happold
Roger Pelayo
Land Use and Transportation
Toole Design
Adam Vest
Land Use and Transportation
Toole Design
Malia Schilling
Land Use and Transportation
Toole Design
Paige Kruza
Housing, Economy and Workforce
Development
Raimi + Associates
Jim Bergdoll
Housing, Economy and Workforce
Development
Raimi + Associates
Project Leadership
Engagement Support
Lilly N ie
Engagement
Raimi + Associates
Core Staff
Core Staff
SMEs SMEs SMEs
Subject Matter Experts
Buro Happold
Raimi + Associates
Toole Design
24 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH 25

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONSUL TING SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY PLAN

POSITION
Project Principal

POSITION
Partner

SPECIALISM
Sustainability and High
Performance Building Design

QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor of Engineering
(Hons), Electrical and Electronic
Engineering, University of
Plymouth

MEMBERSHIPS
USGBC-LA Net Zero Accelerator
Industry Advisor; Member of the
Institution of Engineering and
Technology (MIET)

BURO HAPPOLD
1998 – present
David Herd
David Herd is the managing partner of Buro Happold’s California region. Located in Los Angeles, the anchor office on the West Coast, David leads a diverse team that offers innovative, integrated design engineering and strategic consultancy services to the region’s world-renowned design community. David has significant experience in high performance building design and sustainable master planning of public buildings across the U.S. and globally, combined with a growing portfolio of strategic consulting in climate action planning, resilience and vulnerability planning. David believes in achieving successful design through influencing the architectural language, form, function and fabric of a building, landscape or master plan to minimize environmental impacts of energy, water, material, and waste.

Over a nearly 30-year career, David’s highly collaborative approach and distinct leadership skills have enabled his teams to achieve the highest levels of sustainability with unique innovative engineering solutions, tailored to each project’s unique challenges. He recently led the California team in the delivery of Santa Monica City Hall East, a highly sustainable net zero energy and net zero water building that is on track to be the largest Living Building Challenge certified project for a municipality in the world. The project is the first in California to feature composting toilets and to convert rainwater to potable water.

David also led the Los Angeles Countywide Sustainability Plan – the first countywide sustainability plan for the 88 cities and nearly 11 million residents of Los Angeles County which seeks to balance the environment, equity, and the economy.

Having been at the forefront of over 250 prominent projects across all sectors in the U.S. including the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and the new LACMA expansion, David is proud to walk the talk with our own Los Angeles office, which is LEED Platinum certified, a JUST label recipient, and WELL Certified TM Gold.

Key Project Information
OurCounty CAP: Los Angeles County
Climate Action Plan, Los Angeles, CA
Building upon the successful delivery of the
OurCounty sustainability plan, the County again
selected Buro Happold to take on the challenge
of creating a Climate Action Plan for deep carbon
reductions across the unincorporated region of LA,
with diverse populations and geographies. Dave
served as project principal.

College of the Desert Master Plan, Palm
Springs, CA
College of the Desert acquired a 27-acre site in
the heart of Palm Springs, a once-in-a-generation
opportunity to develop a centrally-located
satellite campus that could serve the students of
the Coachella Valley. Buro Happold coordinated
the development of strategies to deliver upon
the high aspirations for sustainable building and
campus certifications, renewable energy, water
conservation, thermal comfort, and sustainable
materials and waste strategies. Dave served as
project principal.

Orange County Great Park
Irvine, CA
Envisioned as the first great metropolitan park for
the 21st Century by the community, the 1,300-
acre Orange County Great Park will be a major
community resource accessible to approximately
10,000,000 regional residents. Located on
the former El Toro Marine Air Base in Irvine,
California, the park is a series of large scale places
and experiences unique to an urbanized park
environment, including sports fields, a multiuse
“lawn” for events, a cultural terrace, botanical
garden and history museum. Dave served as
project principal.

Orange County Cultural Terrace
Irvine, CA
Located adjacent to Irvine’s Great Park on a 110-
acre parcel of the former Marine Corps Air Station
El Toro, the project will focus on the adaptive
re-use of two 140,000 ft
2 hangars and a 40,000 ft2
warehouse, as well as the surrounding landscape.

The project will retrofit and update these
structures to accommodate a variety of programs
including a museum complex, library, event space,
community center, and city offices. Dave is serving
as project principal.

PROJECT ROLE
Project Director / Energy
Subject Matter Expert

POSITION
Associate Principal

SPECIALISM
Strategic Planning, Energy
Planning, Sustainability
Consulting, Infrastructure
Planning, Climate Change
Mitigation

QUALIFICATIONS
Master in City Planning &
Master of Science in Real Estate
Development, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology;
Bachelor of Arts, Political
Science, Yale University

ACCREDITATIONS
Certified Energy Manager
(CEM); EcoDistricts Accredited
Professional; Envision
Sustainability Professional
(ENV SP); LEED Accredited
Professional Neighborhood
Development (LEED AP ND)

MEMBERSHIPS
US Green Building Council
(USGBC); American Planning
Association (APA); Westside
Urban Forum; 2019-2020 Coro
Lead LA Fellow

BURO HAPPOLD
2014 – present
Christopher Rhie CEM ENV SP LEED AP ND EcoDistricts AP
Chris Rhie is an urban planner and Associate Principal at Buro Happold in Los Angeles. With a background in public policy, urban design, and environmental management, Chris works with local governments, universities, and non-profit organizations across the United States to develop sustainable infrastructure, land use, and climate policy frameworks. He was the energy project manager for New York City’s Roadmap to 80x50 and recently led the consultant team for the Los Angeles Countywide Sustainability Plan – widely recognized as the nation’s boldest regional sustainability strategy. Well-versed in equitable planning, Chris also chairs Buro Happold’s internally focused racial equity working group.

Chris comes from a public sector background, having worked as an energy manager at the Cities of Oakland and New York. He was recently a Coro Lead LA Fellow, and currently serves as Senior Fellow at the USC Marshall Brittingham Social Enterprise Lab as well as Energy and Emissions Chair for the USGBC LEED for Cities and Communities Working Group. Chris also sits on the boards of APA California and the Westside Urban Forum. Originally from Hartford, CT, Chris holds master’s degrees in city planning and real estate development from MIT.

Key Project Information
West Hollywood Climate Action and
Adaptation Plan, West Hollywood, CA
With the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan
(CAAP), the City of West Hollywood is looking for
pathways to dramatically reduce GHG emissions,
leveraging existing programs and policies as well
as developing new strategies to decarbonize West
Hollywood. Chris is serving as the project manager,
overseeing technical work streams within Buro
Happold as well as stakeholder engagement and
CEQA subconsultants.

OurCounty CAP: Los Angeles County
Climate Action Plan, Los Angeles, CA
Building upon the successful delivery of the
OurCounty sustainability plan, the County again
selected Buro Happold to take on the challenge
of creating a Climate Action Plan for deep carbon
reductions across the unincorporated region of LA,
with diverse populations and geographies. As the
project manager for the OurCounty sustainability
plan, Chris is acting as a strategic advisor for the
climate action plan, ensuring consistency in policy
and program development targeting greenhouse
gas mitigation.

GCoM Regional Climate Leaders
Chicago, Denver, Kansas City,
Washington DC
Buro Happold is working with four cities to create
regional plans that address and mitigate climate
change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Chris is serving as the liaison for the metro Denver
region, working closely with International Urban
Cooperation (IUC) and ICLEI – Local Governments
for Sustainability to develop the Regional Climate
Action Plan.

New York City’s Roadmap to 80x50
New York, NY
The 80x50 Integrated Action Plan set in place
a strategy to achieve an 80% reduction in
greenhouse gas emissions in NYC by the year 2050
by looking across four main sectors: buildings,
waste, transportation, and energy. As project
manager for the energy supply chapter, Chris
oversaw economic dispatch modelling and the
development of a community energy map.
26 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH 27

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONSUL TING SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY PLAN Louis Spanias ENV SP , ACA Verifier
Louis is a versatile sustainability and climate action strategist. With a background in environmental policy and climate science, he brings over eight years of experience leading and managing various sustainability programs and initiatives for public sector clients, in areas including but not limited greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation, fleet electrification and charging infrastructure, renewable energy development, environmental commodities, community engagement, and environmental education. Louis also brings a specialized technical skillset in GHG emissions inventory development and verification, as well as in sustainability performance reporting and monitoring.

PROJECT ROLE
Project Manager / Climate and
Air Quality Subject Matter
Expert

POSITION
Senior Consultant

SPECIALISM
Resilience Planning, Strategic
Planning, Sustainability
Consulting, Climate Change
Mitigation, Energy Planning

QUALIFICATIONS
Master of Science (MSc.)
in Nature, Society and
Environmental Policy,
University of Oxford; Bachelor
of Science (B.S.) in Society and
Environment, University of
California, Berkeley

ACCREDITATIONS
Envision Sustainability
Professional; Airport Carbon
Accreditation Verifier

BURO HAPPOLD
2021 - present
Key Project Information
Tucson Climate Action and Adaptation Plan,
Tucson, AZ
Buro Happold is leading the development
of Tucson’s forthcoming Climate Action and
Adaptation Plan, leveraging an equity-forward
approach to community engagement while
also completing GHG emissions and climate
vulnerability assessments. Louis is the project
manager for this project.

Community Energy Resiliency Analysis,
Planning and Support, Silicon Valley, CA
Buro Happold is leading the development of the
Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) community
energy resilience plan through stakeholder
outreach, research, and spatial data analysis. Louis
is the project manager for this project.

LA Metro Moving Beyond Sustainability
Report and Performance Dashboard, Los
Angeles, CA*
Following the release of LA Metro’s strategic
sustainability plan, Moving Beyond Sustainability,
in 2020, Louis led the development of the agency’s
first performance report under the new reporting
framework of the plan. Managing a collective of
10+ team members and sub-consultants, Louis
helped collect, clean, and aggregate data toward
the production of key performance indicators
(KPIs) that showed Metro’s progress toward the
goals and targets laid out in the strategic plan.

LA Metro Moving Beyond Sustainability 10-
Year Strategic Plan, Los Angeles, CA*
Louis provided technical and editorial services
for the development of LA Metro’s strategic
sustainability plan, Moving Beyond Sustainability,
adopted by the agency’s board in September 2020.

Louis performed data analysis across multiple
sustainability performance categories, including
Climate (i.e., GHG emissions, displaced emissions),
Air Quality (criteria air pollutant emissions), Water
(water consumption, water recycling), and Waste
(generated waste, diverted waste), for Metro
operations and construction.
*experience prior to joining Buro Happold

PROJECT ROLE
Resilience Subject Matter Expert

POSITION
Associate Principal, Head of
Climate Resilience

SPECIALISM
Resilience Planning, Strategic
Planning, Energy Planning,
Sustainability Consulting

QUALIFICATIONS
Master of Arts, Urban Planning,
focus on Community
Economic Development,
Affordable Housing, and
Environmental Policy, UCLA;
Bachelor of Arts, Urban Studies
with a focus on Community
Organization, Stanford
University

MEMBERSHIPS
American Society of Adaptation
Professionals (No. 2059);
Alliance of Regional
Collaboratives for Climate
Adaptation

BURO HAPPOLD
2019 - present
Sabrina Bornstein
Sabrina has over of 15 years of experience in local government, policy development, and the built environment. She is a technical expert and thought leader whose work has spanned climate change policy, infrastructure planning, and community economic development. To each position and project Sabrina brings a broad skillset in policy analysis, project management, and critical thinking.

After over a decade working on sustainability and climate strategy, policy, and planning in the Los Angeles region, Sabrina joined Buro Happold to lead the climate resilience practice for the Cities team. Her recent work includes project management for Los Angeles County’s Climate Vulnerability Assessment, technical advisory services for the Global Covenant of Mayor’s Regional Climate Leaders program, and climate adaptation lead for West Hollywood’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.

Prior to joining Buro Happold, Sabrina served as Deputy Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Los Angeles, where she helped develop and execute the City’s first resilience strategy. In this role, she represented Los Angeles in the 100 Resilient Cities Network and the C40 Cool Cities Network, collaborating with climate resilience leaders across California and the globe. Sabrina also worked in the Mayor’s Office on energy policy with the Department of Water and Power, the largest municipal utility in the country, and led climate action planning work for the South Bay Cities Council of Governments.

Key Project Information
OurCounty: Los Angeles Countywide
Sustainability Plan, Los Angeles, CA
Buro Happold led the development of the
first-ever Countywide Sustainability Plan for Los
Angeles County, the largest and most complex
county in the United States with over 10 million
residents and 88 incorporated cities. The new
plan comprehensively considers a county-level
resources and services including water, energy,
land-use, transportation, public health, economic
development, and housing through the lenses of
equity and resilience.

West Hollywood Climate Action and
Adaptation Plan, West Hollywood, CA
The City of West Hollywood is looking for
pathways to dramatically reduce GHG emissions,
leveraging existing programs and policies as well
as developing new strategies to decarbonize
West Hollywood. Buro Happold is developing
the West Hollywood CAAP using an evidence-
based planning approach built upon quantitative
and qualitative data, as well as focused project
management, value-add analysis, and meaningful
stakeholder engagement that will together
catapult West Hollywood’s progress towards its
climate and sustainability goals.

Global Covenant of Mayors (GCoM)
Regional Climate Leaders
Metro Denver Region, Kansas City Region,
Chicago Metro Region, Washington D.C.

For each of these regions, Buro Happold is
providing technical assistance, guiding each
region through tasks related to climate mitigation
and accounting, climate risk and vulnerability
assessment and adaption, and stakeholder
engagement. The goal for the project is to ensure
each region develops a regional-scale climate
action plan with consideration for mitigation and
adaptation that sets an actionable and effective
path forward.

Sabrina is the project director for this project,
leading team to develop an actionable energy
resilience strategy.
28 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH 29

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONSUL TING SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY PLAN

PROJECT ROLE
Water, Resource Recovery and,
Waste Management Subject
Matter Expert

POSITION
Associate

SPECIALISM
Sustainability Consulting,
Materials Expert

QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor of Science,
Architectural Engineering,
University of Texas at Austin

ACCREDITATIONS
LEED Accredited Professional
BD+C; EcoDistricts Accredited
Professional; WELL Accredited
Professional

MEMBERSHIPS

USGBC-LA

BURO HAPPOLD
2015 – present
Kathleen Hetrick LEED AP BD+C EcoDistricts AP WELL AP
Kathleen Hetrick is an associate sustainability consultant at Buro Happold. As part of Buro Happold’s sustainability and physics team, Kathleen combines her passion for human-focused sustainable design with a technical background in mechanical engineering. She has experience in a wide range of cutting- edge projects across all scales of work including multiple LEED platinum projects, Living Building Challenge projects, historical adaptive reuse, LEED Neighborhood Developments, and city and campus sustainability plans. Her most recent project work includes leading the ILFI Zero Carbon and LEED Platinum certification for a mass timber office and a water positive ,zero carbon master plan.

Her experience leading the materials vetting process for the Living Building Challenge Material Red List requirements has prompted her to spark a firm-wide effort to identify and reduce the most harmful chemicals within the MEP scope of work, and fuels her passion for improving the health aspects of sustainable materials on all of her projects. She is continuing her research into the intersection of embodied carbon and healthy materials through her role as Bloomberg Fellow at the Johns Hopkins University Masters of Public Health Program. She advocates for low carbon supply chains in her role as CLF-LA Co-instigator and board member of USGBC-LA.

Kathleen’s recent speaking experience includes: GreenBuild 2021 (Circular Economy: Bridges to Equity), leading the CLF Healthy Materials series, CLF Seattle/Los Angeles (Beyond the Gate Impacts of Life Cycle Stages A4 and A5), CLF-LA Webinar (Calculating Embodied Carbon Made Easy Using BIM 360 and EC3) and AIA COTE-LA (Environmental Justice + Design).

Key Project Information
College of the Desert Master Plan
Palm Desert, CA
College of the Desert acquired a 27-acre site in
the heart of Palm Springs, a once-in-a-generation
opportunity to develop a centrally-located
satellite campus that could serve the students of
the Coachella Valley. Buro Happold coordinated
the development of strategies to deliver upon
the high aspirations for sustainable building and
campus certifications, renewable energy, water
conservation, thermal comfort, and sustainable
materials and waste strategies. Kathleen led the
embodied carbon benchmarking and guidance
for an entire master plan and individual building
targets.

OurCounty: Los Angeles Countywide
Sustainability Plan, Los Angeles, CA
Buro Happold led the development of the
first-ever Countywide Sustainability Plan for Los
Angeles County, the largest and most complex
county in the United States with over 10 million
residents and 88 incorporated cities. The new
plan comprehensively considers a county-level
resources and services including water, energy,
land-use, transportation, public health, economic
development, and housing through the lenses of
equity and resilience.

Confidential Global Client—Sustainability
Master Plan, Confidential Location
The goal of this project is to assess the feasibility
of five campuses becoming water positive at
an individual site level. Kathleen assisted with
an embodied carbon budget creation and goal
setting for new buildings and existing renovations.

Confidential Warehouse and Manufacturing
Facility, Chicago, IL
This project includes an embodied carbon budget
creation and goal setting for new buildings and
existing renovations. Kathleen led research into
clean construction approach and electrification of
construction equipment.

Santa Monica City Hall East
Santa Monica, CA
Santa Monica City Hall East is a Living Building
Certified Building. Kathleen led the materials
specification, material vetting process creation
and analysis for achieving low embodied carbon
requirements and compliance with the red list.

PROJECT ROLE
Climate, Air Quality Subject
Matter Expert

POSITION
Graduate Consultant Cities

SPECIALISM
Sustainability consulting

QUALIFICATIONS
Master of Science,
Environmental Health Sciences,
University of California, Los
Angeles (UCLA); Graduate
Certificate for Leaders in
Sustainability, University of
California, Los Angeles (UCLA);
Bachelor of Science,
Environmental Science and
Management, University of
California, Davis

BURO HAPPOLD
2019 - present
Eden Axelrad
Eden Axelrad joined the Cities group at Buro Happold after graduating from UCLA with a master’s degree in environmental health sciences. During his time at UCLA he conducted research on green roofs and urban heat islands, became a finalist in the 2019 Patagonia Case Competition, and earned a graduate certificate for Leaders in Sustainability. Both his academic and professional backgrounds focus on climate action and sustainability initiatives at the corporate and community scale. He is particularly proficient at data analysis, data visualization, and creative problem solving and brings ambition to any project he works on.

Key Project Information
Los Angeles Climate Vulnerability
Assessment, Los Angeles, CA
Buro Happold is collaborating with a diverse
group of technical and community experts in
order to develop the Los Angeles County Climate
Vulnerability Assessment. Eden will be responsible
for the social vulnerability assessment and assist
with literature reviews, data gathering, spatial
analysis, and report writing.

West Hollywood Climate Action and
Adaptation Plan, West Hollywood, CA
West Hollywood’s Climate Action and Adaptation
Plan (CAAP) focuses on identifying pathways to
dramatically reduce GHG emissions by leveraging
existing programs and policies as well as
developing new strategies to decarbonize the City.

Eden played a key role in creating the city’s climate
vulnerability assessment and developed the
municipal inventory. He will be collaborating with
City departments to develop climate adaptation
strategies for the City.

Los Angeles County Climate Vulnerability
Assessment, Los Angeles, CA
The new countywide climate vulnerability
assessment (CVA) delivered actionable insights
for physical and social vulnerabilities that benefits
not only unincorporated county areas but also for
its 88 cities. Eden was responsible for the social
vulnerability assessment, datal analysis, and
geospatial components of the project. He also
contributed to both literature reviews and report
writing.

College of the Desert Master Plan
Palm Springs, CA
Buro Happold was responsible for developing
sustainability, climate responsive, and mobility
guidelines for College of the Desert Master Plan.

Eden assisted with solar PV capacity studies,
decarbonization and waste reduction measures,
and green building certification criteria.

La Casa De Maria Master Plan
Montecito, CA
Following mudslides in the area, Buro Happold was
commissioned to assist La Casa de Maria, a spiritual
retreat center, in developing a sustainability and
resilience Master Plan for disaster preparedness.

Eden’s involvement included writing a climate
impact report for the site and assisting with the
incorporation of resiliency into the design of the
space.

The Metropolitan Council Climate Action
Plan, Twin Cities, MN
Buro Happold is leading the development of a plan
that will set a path forward to adapt to challenges
and improve the resilience of its built infrastructure
while centering equity in policy development and
action planning. Eden is serving as project staff.

Verdugo Wash Visioning Plan
Glendale, CA
Buro Happold’s sustainability, mobility, water, and
ecology experts are working alongside !melk urban
design to develop a high level vision, including but
not limited to conceptual design, programming,
and integration of the Verdugo Wash into the
existing and anticipated land use framework as a
linear park and spine of the City’s pedestrian and
bicycle infrastructure. Eden is serving as project
staff.
30 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH 31

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONSUL TING SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY PLAN

PROJECT ROLE
Project Staff and Urban
Planning Subject Matter Expert

SPECIALISM
Urban Planning, Social Equity,
Community Development

QUALIFICATIONS
Master in Urban Planning,
Harvard University; Bachelor of
Arts, Political Science, Minors
in Global Studies and Public
Affairs, University of California,
Los Angeles

BURO HAPPOLD
2021 - present
Sarah Smyth
Sarah Smyth joined Buro Happold after graduating from Harvard University Graduate School of Design with a master’s degree in urban planning. While at Harvard, she conducted research into the long-term socioeconomic impacts of eviction, developed an analytical framework for measuring gentrification and collaborated with leading US Mayors on social mobility policies for Black neighborhoods. Before graduate school, she spent a year in public affairs consulting as a Coro Fellow. Her deliverables included two white papers on public banks and green bonds, a landscape analysis of future of work policies, and a fundraising and advocacy strategy for an educational non-profit. Her skills include quantitative and qualitative research, writing, stakeholder engagement, workshop facilitation, and data visualization.

Key Project Information
The Metropolitan Council Climate Action
Plan, Twin Cities, MN
Buro Happold is leading the development of
a plan that will set a path forward to adapt to
challenges and improve the resilience of its built
infrastructure while centering equity in policy
development and action planning. To support the
plan’s development, Sarah led a desktop review
of the Council’s past policy initiatives and relevant
existing plans.

Reimagine the Canals Strategy Framework,
New York State
Buro Happold’s strategic planning team to run
the Reimagine the Canals competition as well as
develop a strategic vision for the future of the
Canal System. The overarching goal is to celebrate
the heritage of this significant infrastructure while
adapting it to the 21st-century needs and desires
of the communities along it. Sarah is serving as
project staff.

West Hollywood Climate Action and
Adaptation Plan, West Hollywood, CA
Buro Happold developed the West Hollywood
CAAP to identify pathways to dramatically reduce
GHG emissions, leveraging existing programs and
policies as well as developed new strategies to
decarbonize. Sarah crafted the Equitable Climate
Action narrative of the final report, elevating
the insights from stakeholder and community
engagement.

Los Angeles County Climate Vulnerability
Assessment, Los Angeles, CA
The new countywide climate vulnerability
assessment (CVA) delivered actionable insights for
physical and social vulnerabilities that benefits not
only unincorporated county areas but also for its
88 cities. Sarah conducted qualitative research to
support the Social Vulnerability Assessment, with a
focus on marginalized communities.

PROJECT ROLE
Lead Senior Planner

POSITION
Los Angeles Office Director

SPECIALISM
Mobility Planning

QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor of Science, Urban
and Regional Planning (Minor
in GIS), Cal Poly University,
Pomona

TOOLE DESIGN
2021 – present
Roger Pelayo
Roger’s experience spans a wide range of activities aimed at improving active transportation modes of travel and school area safety which included: leading walking audits, bilingual outreach efforts, developing engineering improvement plans, preparing grant applications, creating walking and bicycling route maps, and managing the development of strategic active transportation plans and Safe Routes to School plans. His 14 years in the transportation field has given him the opportunity to develop experience in sustainable transportation and its relationship to urban form, inclusive of pedestrian/ bicyclist behavior, access to transit, and street and urban design research and practice.

Key Project Information
SCAG City of Santa Ana Downtown Transit
Zone Complete Streets Plan
Santa Ana, CA
Roger provided traffic engineering, traffic calming,
and project engineering services to help address
the City’s commitment toward sustainability and
the use of alternative transit modes such as walking
and bicycling. He also provided outreach services
and helped lead a team in preparing engineering
plans for five corridors. This project received a BOB
Vision Award from the Urban Land Institute.

Costa Mesa Pedestrian Plan
Costa Mesa, CA
Roger served as Project Manager for this plan.

The goal of the project is to develop safety
recommendations the pedestrian opportunity
zones identified in the General Plan and will be
completed in late 2021. Roger provided technical
input and oversight for all aspects of the project
including engagement, project identification, virtual
walk audits, and recommendations.

Irvine First/Last Mile Metrolink Station Plan
Irvine, CA
As Project Manager, Roger led a team in developing
a plan that analyzed the connectivity around a one-
mile radius of Metrolink station. Key deliverables
included virtual engagement, concept development
for key corridors along with cost estimates,
multimodal review and recommendations, and
corridor fact sheets.

Irvine Strategic Active Transportation Plan
Irvine, CA
As Deputy Project Manager, Roger led a team that
synthesized past planning efforts and established
recommendations and implementation strategies
into a single guiding plan. The plan deliverables
included: researching and updating past efforts; a
technological assessment; community engagement
strategy; creation of design guidelines; forecasting;
and project identification, cost estimating and
prioritization.

SCAG Central Santa Ana Complete Streets
Plan, Santa Ana, CA
As the Project Manager, Roger led a team that
provided improvement recommendations for 10
major corridors in Central Santa Ana including:

Edinger Avenue, McFadden Avenue, Raitt Street,
Willits Street, Flower Streets, Fairview Street, 5
th
Street, 1st Street, Orange Avenue, and Saint Andrew
Place. The team conducted engineering ﬁeld review,
provided engineering oversight for all pedestrian and
bicycle improvements, and produced conceptual
plans for seven of the ten corridors. His duties also
involved assisting in the community outreach,
providing facilitation and Spanish translation to
community participants.

Ontario Active Transportation Master Plan
Ontario, CA
As Project Manager, Roger led a team that
developed a plan for the City to be more
walkable, bikeable, healthier and safe. The plan
included pedestrian and bike demand analysis,
public engagement workshops, walk and bike
audits for 32 schools that included engineering
recommendations and cost estimates, and
design guidelines. The project also involved the
development of a pedestrian and bike network that
included factsheets and cost estimates for the top
10 locations.
32 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH 33

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONSUL TING SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY PLAN

PROJECT ROLE
Lead Engineer

POSITION
Director of Traffic Engineering,
Southern California

SPECIALISM
Multimodal Engineering

QUALIFICATIONS
Master of Science, Civil
Engineering, University of
Kentucky; Bachelor of Science,
Civil Engineering, University of
Kentucky;

ACCREDITATIONS
Professional Engineer: DC, FL,

MD, PA, VA
Professional Traffic Operations
Engineer

MEMBERSHIPS
Institute of
Transportation Engineers
Association of Pedestrian and
Bicycle Professionals

TOOLE DESIGN
2019 – present
Adam Vest PE, PTOE
For the past 18 years, Adam has led complex urban transportation planning and engineering projects for local and state agencies, private developers, and academic research institutions across the United States.

Adam’s work incorporates a human-scaled, Complete Streets approach to transportation planning and engineering, and he develops innovative solutions that support mobility, safety, and connectivity for all users. Adam understands how to effectively convey critical project impacts and creative solutions to community members and key stakeholders.

Key Project Information
Santa Monica On-Call Professional
Services, Santa Monica, CA
Adam manages two engineering and design on-
call contracts with the City of Santa Monica. Work
orders with the City have included detailed safety
analyses, traffic operations analysis, conceptual
design, and final PS&E design packages for safety
and bicycling projects at high-priority locations
throughout the City. Adam is the key contact with
the City and oversees the work of various Project
Managers.

Huntington Beach Mobility Plan
Huntington Beach, CA
Adam is Project Manager for this project. Work
for this project t includes is addressing equity and
is finding ways to incentivize high-occupancy,
high-density of passengers per space, shared, and
electric vehicles. The Implementation Plan will
provide clarity and specific, practical direction
for strategies that support diverse transportation
options and technological innovations, such
as micromobility devices, electric vehicles, and
autonomous vehicles, while ensuring that these
changes do not adversely impact progress
towards other City commitments related to safety,
equity, vehicular traffic congestion, and GHG
emissions.

Citrus Heights Multimodal Transportation
Safety Program, Citrus Heights, CA
Adam managed a citywide multimodal
safety study in Citrus Heights where the
team led systemic safety analysis to identify
priority locations for safety countermeasures.

Toole Design also led the development of a
methodology for prioritizing projects and a
supporting automated tool. The prioritization
tool included an online ArcGIS map and Microsoft
Excel tool that will be used by the City to
prioritize requests from residents and to identify
countermeasures to address safety concerns.

Hermosa Beach Systemic Safety Analysis
Report Program, Hermosa Beach, CA
Adam managed a Systemic Safety Analysis Report
Program in the City of Hermosa Beach, where the
team conducted detailed systemic safety analysis
across the entire City, identified priority safety
locations that meet Caltrans criteria for future
funding, developed safety recommendations, and
set the City up for Highway Safety Improvement
Program funding. The team also conducted
virtual community outreach during the COVID-19
pandemic, supported by custom-built online
surveys and comment maps to solicit community
feedback on problem locations and potential
recommendations.

Santa Monica Wilshire Boulevard Safety
Study, Santa Monica, CA
Adam served as the lead engineer on a detailed
safety study of the 2.4-mile stretch of Wilshire
Boulevard in the City of Santa Monica. The
team led a detailed quantitative and qualitative
safety and traffic analysis to understand current
conditions, including a full-day Road Safety Audit.

He oversaw the development of 30% design
plans and cost estimates for systemic and hot-
spot countermeasure locations on the corridor,
including detailed designs at seven intersections.

PROJECT ROLE
Lead Project Planner

POSITION
Project Planner

SPECIALISM
New Mobility

QUALIFICATIONS
Master of Urban and Regional
Planning, University of
California, Los Angeles;
Bachelor of Arts, Public
Relations and Graphic Design,
University of Southern
California

TOOLE DESIGN
2020 – present
Malia Schilling
Malia is a planner with experience in emerging trends in shared mobility, bicycle and pedestrian projects, and community outreach and engagement. Her background as a bicycle advocate for underserved communities gave her a passion for working closely with diverse stakeholders to ensure equitable access to safe and comfortable transportation. She has a flexible and responsive approach to community outreach and has already adapted multiple engagement activities to follow public health rules and social distancing during COVID-19 while still creating inclusive platforms for community participation.

Key Project Information
LA County Sustainability Plan Development
Assistance, Los Angeles County, CA
Malia was part of a team that served as an
extension of the LA County Sustainability office
staff. The team provided ongoing staff support and
expertise in the areas of equity, wellness, parks and
open space, community design, transportation, and
other related issues to assist the Chief Sustainability Officer in the development and implementation of
the County’s first Sustainability Plan. Malia helped
with the preparation of stakeholder engagement
and supported the development of the final plan
document.

OCTA Safe Routes to School Action Plan
Orange County, CA
Malia supported development of a countywide
Safe Routes to School Action Plan for Orange
County, CA. She led multiple walk audits,
collaborated closely with the plan’s working
group, and supported development of final
programmatic recommendations, strategies and
actions to implement SRTS across the county.

Beverly Hills Wilshire Boulevard and La
Cienegna Boulevard Streetscape Plan
Beverly Hills, CA
Malia is the Deputy Project Manager for this
streetscape plan and the development of designs
standards. The project will include a two-phased
charrette process and a robust public engagement
process. The design guidance and standards will
include recommended transportation and urban
design improvements that the City can adopt and
scale citywide.

Uptown Long Beach Neighborhood Mobility
Enhancement Plan, Long Beach, CA
Malia served as Deputy Project Manager for
a neighborhood mobility plan in Uptown, a
socially disadvantaged community in North Long
Beach. The project included significant capacity-
building activities, including the development of
an “Emerging Leaders” group and community-
informed walkability audits. Malia guided the
pivot of this from in-person to virtual during
the COVID-19 pandemic, while developing
the architecture for engagement that leads to
technical recommendations for projects and
programming. Malia also supported development
of the methodology for project prioritization and
funding to include in the final Neighborhood
Mobility Enhancement Plan.

LADOT Dockless Vehicle Pilot Program
Los Angeles, CA
Malia is supporting the Los Angeles Department
of Transportation (LADOT) with monitoring and
evaluating operator compliance with the agency’s
Dockless Vehicle Pilot Program. Malia is supporting
work on equity, transparency and compliance as
it relates to community concerns, and is leading
the development of strategies for equitable data
management.
34 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH 35

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONSUL TING SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY PLAN Walker Wells AICP , LEED AP , EcoDistricts AP
Walker Wells is an industry-leading expert in urban sustainability, green building, and renewable energy. He has 25 years of experience working with local governments, affordable housing developers, and non-profit organizations across the country to further sustainable development practices via technical assistance, charrettes, workshops, and developing public policy. He is a lecturer in green urbanism at the Claremont Colleges and the UCLA Urban Planning Program.

Walker holds degrees from UC Santa Barbara and California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, he studied at Lund University and Lund Polytechnic School of Architecture in Sweden.

PROJECT ROLE
Engagement Lead

POSITION
Principal

QUALIFICATIONS
Fulbright Fellow, Sustainable
Urbanism, Royal Institute of
Technology Stockholm;

Master of City and Regional
Planning, California Polytechnic
State University, San Luis
Obispo; Bachelor of Arts in
Environmental Studies and
Sociology (Double Major with
Honors) University of California
Santa Barbara

AFFILIATIONS & CERTIFICATIONS
LEED Accredited Professional
and Certified Green Rater,
American Institute of Certified
Planners, Los Angeles Regional
Collaborative for Climate Action
(LARC) Executive Committee
Member, Chair, LEED for Cities
and Communities Working
Group
Key Project Information
Los Angeles County Metropolitan
Transportation Authority, Strategic
Advisor, Los Angeles, CA
Preparing drafts of the equity, economic
development, and livable neighborhoods sections
of the Moving Beyond Sustainability plan; providing
guidance on stakeholder outreach; and sharing
best practices from other sustainability efforts.

Reviewing draft specific plans prepared through
Metro grant funding to determine consistency with
the Transit Supportive Development Toolkit.

Cupertino Energy Reach Code
Cupertino, CA
Assisted the City in developing a locally specific
energy reach code to support the climate action
plan and State of California efforts to require net-
zero energy new construction. The energy reach
code requires that new residential construction to
be all-electric so that properties in Cupertino are
able to fully benefit from the 100 percent carbon-
free energy provided by Silicon Valley Clean Energy.

NOVUS Innovation Corridor - LEED ND
Certification, Tempe, AZ
Working with Catellus Development Corporation to
prepare the LEED for Neighborhood Development
certification for multi-block development of over
10 million square in Tempe, AZ. The development
includes world-class multiple urban sustainability
and smart city innovations related to water
management, mobility, energy efficient and LEED
certified buildings, and the creation of a walkable
and connected urban fabric.

San Luis Obispo Climate Action Plan
San Luis Obispo, CA
Serving as project manager leading a multi-
disciplinary team in updating the Climate
Action Plan with a goal of carbon neutrality
by 2035. Leading analysis and development of
climate action measures related buildings and
sequestration.

GHG Reductions Analysis for AHSC
Applicants, Central Valley, and Southern
California
Conducting greenhouse gas reductions (GHG)
analysis and project scope advice for multiple
affordable housing developments submitting
applications for the Affordable Housing and
Sustainable Communities (AHSC) grant program.

Also advised on project application scopes of work
to ensure the project will achieve the greatest
environmental and co-benefits.

West Hollywood Green Building Program
West Hollywood, CA
Oversaw the stakeholder process and overall policy
development for the update to West Hollywood’s
award-winning green building program. Including
facilitation of the stakeholder working group and
overall program compliance. The updated program
includes innovative requirements related to the
productive use of roofs, incentives for providing
open space and large trees, and flexibility on
zoning codes for projects that commit for formal
third-party certification.

Paige Kruza MPH
Paige Kruza brings more than 15 years experience working with community-based organizations and government agencies to reduce internal and community-level inequities. She provides expertise in applied research, strategic planning, and Health and Equity in All Policies, and also has extensive skills in qualitative, quantitative, geospatial, and policy analyses. Paige is deeply committed to ensuring that data and plans are actionable, making policies, practices, and resource allocation equitable, and recognizing each community’s historical context and resilience.

PROJECT ROLE
Open Space, Recreation,
Habitat, Biodiversity

POSITION
Research Associate

QUALIFICATIONS
University of California,
Berkeley, Master of Public
Health; Wesleyan University,
Bachelor of Arts, Gender &
Ethnic Studies

Key Project Information
Evaluation of REACH Ashland Youth Center
Alameda County, CA
Designed and conducted multiple annual
evaluations to assess youth participant
demographics, participation levels, quality of
programming, and outcomes for collaboratively-
run youth center serving an unincorporated area
of Alameda County with high levels of poverty,
incarceration rates, unemployment, and violence.

Many of the youth who participate in REACH
programs are involved with the criminal justice
and/or child welfare systems. Developed and
analyzed youth survey, including piloting survey
questions with youth in a focus group. Conducted
interviews with youth members to develop
case studies of the care coordination system.

Developed and analyzed interview protocol and
survey for adult staff to gather information about
the care coordination system’s implementation,
strengths, and weaknesses.

Evaluation for San Francisco Sugary Drinks
Distributor Tax, SDDT, San Francisco, CA
Developed SDDT evaluation logic model, 2019-
2020 evaluation report, and 2020-2021 evaluation
plan that aligned with the recently adopted SDDT
Advisory Committee (SDDTAC) strategic plan
goals, strategies, outcomes, and values. Planned
and facilitated virtual meetings with grantees,
funded agencies, and other stakeholders to gather
feedback on the draft evaluation plan and report,
to review and answer questions about grantee
reporting templates, and to identify opportunities
for qualitative data collection highlighting how
grantees’ work embodies the SDDTAC values and
commitment to communities most burdened by
structural racism and disproportionately impacted
by diet-related chronic diseases. Identified the
most meaningful metrics (both quantitative and
qualitative) for each value, strategy, and outcome.

San Francisco Safe Routes to School
Evaluation, San Francisco, CA
Analyzed program and traffic collision data for
annual evaluation report and identified data to
highlight for Board of Supervisors. Worked closely
with designer to present complex evaluation
findings in a visually appealing and concise
manner while aligning data with the San Francisco
Municipal Transportation Authority’s recently
adopted Safe Routes to School framework.

Evaluation for Calistoga Community Schools
Initiative, Napa County, CA
Developed evaluation logic model, identified data
sources and metrics, and wrote evaluation plan
(including data collection process and timeline)
for a cradle-to-career collective impact initiative
working with low-income Latino immigrant
families. Clean and analyze deidentified student
data (including matching participation data
with academic records) and produce an annual
evaluation report.

Building Healthy Community University
Alisal, East Salinas, CA
Developed and facilitated highly engaging Data
Literacy, Data Analysis, and Evaluation trainings
to build the skills and capacity of community and
organization leaders working with the Building
Healthy Communities East Salinas hub. Each
training included interactive activities and tools
to support participants in using the information in
their organizing.
*experience prior to joining raimi + associates
36 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH 37

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONSUL TING SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY PLAN Sami Taylor EcoDistrict AP
Sami Taylor has an extensive background in sustainable policy and planning and brings with her nearly ten years of experience in a variety of sectors including local government and private institutions. With experience spanning each component of sustainability, she has coordinated the implementation of various sustainability programs and community engagement efforts. Her skill set includes quantitative greenhouse gas analyses, community engagement, green building code amendments, technical assistance, and LEED for Homes and Neighborhood Development certification.

PROJECT ROLE
Public Health and Wellbeing

POSITION
Senior Sustainability Planner

QUALIFICATIONS
University of Southern
California, Master of Public
Administration: Environmental
Management and Land Use
Policy; Oberlin College, Bachelor
of Arts: Environmental Studies
& Geology

CERTIFICATIONS
EcoDistrict AP (CA, Green
Building)
Key Project Information
City of Santa Clara CAP
Santa Clara, CA
Prepared GHG forecast and completed quantitative
analysis to determine the strategies and level
of implementation needed to achieve GHG
reduction targets. Planned and conducted virtual
community engagement including online surveys
and interactive Zoom workshops and assisted in
the preparation for Planning Commission and City
Council Study Sessions.

City of San Luis Obispo CAP Technical
Analysis , San Luis Obispo, CA
Supported the development of a Greenhouse
Gas (GHG) Reductions Analysis tool to analyze the
impact of GHG mitigation strategies. Completed
technical analysis to determine the strategies
needed to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035.

Assisted in preparing a “Climate Crate,” a set of
materials to be used for future climate action
outreach.

City of Cupertino Electrification Reach
Code, Cupertino, CA
Supported the development of an all-electric
building reach code for residential and
nonresidential new construction. Engaged with
City commissions and facilitated workshops to
gather input for new requirements. Prepared
presentations, educational materials, final building
code language, and California Energy Commission
filing.

General Plan Greenhouse Gas Analysis
Statewide, CA
Prepared greenhouse gas inventories and
forecasts as part of the existing conditions
analysis for General Plan updates and to inform
the development of future Climate Action Plans
for various cities including Palmdale and South
San Francisco. Performed EIR GHG calculations
and determined thresholds of significance for the
Beaumont General Plan Update.

HG-Reduction Technical Assistance for
AHSC Applicants , Statewide, CA
Work closely with Affordable Housing and
Sustainable Communities (AHSC) applicants
to: Quantify greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
reductions; Strengthen the quality of supporting
documentation; and Increase their understanding
of the multi-strategy and collaborative nature of
AHSC and California Climate Investments.

County of Santa Clara Greenhouse Gas
Inventory, Santa Clara County, CA
Gathered, cleaned, and analyzed data to create
2019 and 2020 municipal greenhouse gas
inventories to track operational emissions over
time. Prepared inventory reports to communicate
results and show progress toward Sustainability
Master Plan goals.
*experience prior to joining raimi + associates
Jim Bergdoll AICP
Jim is a leading expert in affordable housing policies and programs with extensive accomplishments in all aspects of planning, development, and policy. He has 24 years of experience in housing with non-profit and for-profit developers as well as local government. Previously he started his career practicing land use planning and urban design for the City of San Francisco. He has presented workshops at APA and other professional conferences in California and throughout the U.S, and published writing on density perception and affordable cohousing. Jim’s success stems from his passion for more equitable and sustainable cities, neighborhoods, and housing developments.

POSITION
Senior Associate

QUALIFICATIONS
University of California at
Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Master of City Planning;
University of Virginia,
Bachelor of Science in
Architecture

CERTIFICATIONS
American Institute of Certified
Planners (AICP),
American Planning Association,
(APA), Housing and Community,
Development Division
Planning Leadership Academy,
Certificate, 2021, California
Planning Roundtable and
APA California. San Francisco
Bay Area Planning and Urban
Research Association (SPUR)
Key Project Information
Housing Element and General Plan Updates
Petaluma, Berkeley, and Milpitas, CA
Generating housing opportunity sites inventories
and analysis of development trends to plan for
exceeding California HCD 6th Cycle Housing
Element RHNA projections in sustainable,
equitable ways. Analysis and improvement
of housing program strategies and goals to
effectively implement each city’s unique vision
and accommodate its needs for growth and
affordable housing. Coordinating housing policy
development with new and existing General Plan
update goals and land use direction, as well as
Climate Action goals and new Environmental
Justice considerations.

Affordable Housing Site and Project*
Dublin, CA
BSecured three different projects on transit-
oriented sites (one owned by Bay Area Rapid
Transit) for 100% affordable housing projects
totaling over 500 very-low and low-income
units working with City, County and non-profit
developers. Analyzed financing and entitlement
issues and coordinated securing predevelopment
and construction funding from City, County and
State sources. Coordinated use of State Density
Bonus and other regulations, resulting in average
density of over 90 units per acre.

Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance*
Dublin, CA
Implemented and updated inclusionary policies
with research on best practices from California
jurisdictions. Monitored and certified compliance
for the Below Market Rate housing portfolio
of approximately 1400 multifamily rental and
ownership units. Analyzed marketability and
effectiveness of different aspects including 150+
deed-restricted Accessory Dwelling Units.

Density Bonus Ordinance Re-write*
Dublin, CA
Researched changes in state law over previous
10-years and best practices throughout California.

Organized and prepared update to the Ordinance
in conjunction with City Attorney, securing
adoption by Planning Commission and City
Council.

State Housing Legislation
Implementation Workplan*
Alameda County, CA
Analyzed 35+ recently enacted state housing
and planning-related bills working with senior
planning officials, including Density Bonus,
Housing Element, SB 35, Housing Accountability
Act, Supportive Housing; Prepared workplan for
Planning Department implementation in the
municipal Zoning Ordinance, specific plans, area
plans, and design guidelines. Reviewed policy,
practice, stakeholders, and conditions to consider
additional actions for the County to promote the
development of housing needed to meet the
RHNA goal.
*experience prior to joining raimi + associates
38 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH 39

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONSUL TING SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY PLAN Robyn Wong
Robyn is a Climate Action and Resiliency Planner dedicated to helping communities and the natural environment thrive in the face of climate change. She brings a diverse range of experience in environmental and land use planning across local and state government, the non-profit sector, and academia.

POSITION
Intermediate Climate &
Resiliency Planner

QUALIFICATIONS
University of California, Los
Angeles, Master of Urban and
Regional Planning; University of
California, San Diego,
Bachelor of Arts in Urban
Studies and Planning, 2017

CERTIFICATIONS
American Planning Association
Key Project Information
Kaua’i Climate Adaptation Plan
Kaua’i, HI
Serving as key staff supporting project
management, community engagement efforts,
and drafting of the countywide adaptation
plan. Conducting technical analysis on climate
hazards facing the island, social vulnerability, and
adaptation strategies.

Petaluma Climate Action and Adaptation
Plan, Petaluma, CA
Preparing the community and municipal GHG
inventory reports to support GHG reduction
measure analysis and assisting with community
engagement efforts.

Ventura Climate Adaptation and Resilience
Plan,
Ventura, CA
Assisting with community engagement efforts for
the development of the adaptation and resilience
plan.

WRCOG Energy Resiliency Plan
Riverside, CA
Analyzed the social vulnerability of census tracts
around critical energy facilities to help identify
case study facilities for a toolkit of energy resilience measures.

Supporting Land Conservation in California:

A Toolkit of Financial Incentives for
Landowners and Communities*
Statewide, CA
Authored a report analyzing strategies to
financially incentivize conservation and
management of natural and working lands for the
CA Strategic Growth Council and the Governor’s
Office of Planning and Research. The toolkit is
meant to guide policymakers as they incorporate
nature-based solutions at the State, regional, and
local level.

Climate Resolve “Ready for Tomorrow?”
Status of Municipal Climate Planning
Preparedness Matrix *
Southern California Region, CA
Preparedness Matrix (Southern California Region,
CA)*
Updated the matrix tracking the climate planning
status of jurisdictions in Southern California
Edison’s 15 county service territory and assessed
plans’ compliance with SB 379, SB 1035, and SB
1000.

Baldwin Hills Parklands Resilience Plan*
Los Angeles, CA
Researched and mapped climate hazards and
social vulnerabilities for one of the first resilience
plans being prepared for an urban park.

ArcDR3 Initiative*
Los Angeles, CA
Conducted research for and supported
coordination of the global architectural research
studio based on the Sendai Framework for Disaster
Risk Reduction. Edited the studio publication and
contributed to the exhibition planned in Tokyo,
Japan.
*experience prior to joining raimi + associates
References
Project Contact Name, Title Address, Email, and Telephone OurCounty: Los Angeles Countywide
Sustainability Plan
Gary Gero
Chief Sustainability Officer
County of Los Angeles
500 W. Temple St., Room 358
Los Angeles, CA, 90012
T:213.974.1160
E: [email protected]
Santa Monica Mountains Resilience Plan Shea Cunningham
Climate Resilience Program Consultant
The Malibu Foundation
29169 Heathercliff Rd, STE 202
Malibu, CA 90265
T: 310.663.9749
E: [email protected]
West Hollywood Climate Action and
Adaptation Plan
Robyn Eason
Senior Sustainability Planner
City of West Hollywood
8300 Santa Monica Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90069
T: 323.848.6558
E: [email protected]
Buro Happold has been a great partner of ours in this
effort. We went through a very rigorous RFP process
to find the best consulting team possible to help us
build this plan. They’ve been our technical partner, our community outreach partner, advisor along the way and
project manager – they’ve done it all, and there’s no way we could have gotten this plan this far without them.

Gary Gero, Chief Sustainability Officer
County of Los Angeles
OurCounty: The Los Angeles Countywide Sustainability Plan 40 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH 41

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONSUL TING SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY PLAN Proposed Timline
Mar-22 Apr-22 May-22 Jun-22 Jul-22 Aug-22 Sep-22 Oct-22 Nov-22 Dec-22 1 1.1 Project initiation

1.2 Project staff and City departments engagement
2 2.1 Develop Community Engagement Plan

2.2 Conduct community engagement efforts
3 3.1 Evaluate existing measures, plans, and programs

3.2 Confirm analysis framework and data needs with City staff

3.3 Data collection from City departments, partner agencies, other

3.4 Data normalization, analysis, and synthesis

3.5 Confirm indicators and develop targets

3.6 Data Summary and Indicator Draft/Summary Memo
4 4.1 Develop detailed Plan outline and structure

4.2 Develop sustainability strategies to meet City targets

4.3 Prepare an Implementation Plan

4.4 Draft and Final Sustainability Master Plan
5 Performance Tracking and Dashboard
6 6.1 Message development

6.2 Prepare communication materials
Review Period
Message Development and Communications Strategy

PREPARE LEARN CREATE FINALIZE
Task
Project Administration
Stakeholder and Community Engagement
Data Collection and Analysis
Prepare Sustainability Master Plan
42 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH 43

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONSUL TING SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY PLAN Huntington Beach is at a crossroads. As the climate changes in coastal Orange County, the city is simultaneously facing continued growth: its population is projected to increase to 207,100 people, and employment to 87,000 jobs, by 2040.
1 The policy decisions
and public investments made - or not made - in the coming years will have a lasting impact on Huntington Beach’s iconic natural resources, its local economy, and the quality of life for its residents.

A Sustainability Master Plan (SMP) that can be meaningfully adopted and implemented by City staff will be necessary to realize a sustainable, safe, and equitable future
Sustainability and the Climate Crisis
Sustainability is often defined as the capacity to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Anthropogenic climate change remains the most pressing threat to achieving sustainability; our extractive relationship with the environment has generated excessive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which have substantially contributed to global heating and large-scale changes in weather patterns. As global emissions continue to rise, the impacts of climate change will intensify, thereby increasing the risks that people and ecosystems will face in the future. Sea level rise, coastal erosion, flooding, ocean acidification, biodiversity loss, and urban heat are just some of the impacts that may be felt in Huntington Beach.

We must take swift and decisive action to reduce our emissions and better prepare for the changing climate. Climate change is inherently unjust, with impacts that are felt “first and worst” by communities that have historically been marginalized and face compounding challenges of poverty, housing and food insecurity, exposure to environmental pollution, and/or systemic racism. Therefore, it is critical to understand specific local risks, vulnerabilities, and needs, and then tailor climate transition initiatives accordingly, so that they contribute to a Just and Equitable Transition.

Huntington Beach’s Climate, Sustainability, and
Equity Challenges
The coastal community of Huntington Beach was originally incorporated in 1909, named after the railroad magnate and real estate developer that accelerated the city’s initial growth. Oil reserves were discovered in the 1920s — the largest California oil deposit found at that time. Oil derricks were quickly erected across the area, earning Huntington Beach the nickname, “Oil City. ” The city’s population grew dramatically during the oil boom, and this growth continued through the 1960s. During this time, Huntington Beach was one of the fastest growing cities in the United States.

The rise in demand shifted the City’s land use priorities away from oil drilling to housing production. New residents were drawn to Project Understanding
the city for its warm climate, beautiful beaches, and family-friendly neighborhoods. The simultaneous rise of surf culture cemented a new identity for Huntington Beach: Surf City USA.

Projected shocks and stresses over the next century create challenges for Huntington Beach’s environment, economy, and the broader community. Remaining oil drilling infrastructure in Huntington Beach and surrounding areas increases the risk of spills, which can cause irreparable damage to local ecological systems. An estimated 144,000 gallons of crude oil leaked during the October 2021 spill, resulting in beach closures along the coast. 2 Sea level
rise and coastal erosion threaten coastal homes, businesses, and community assets; up to two-thirds of beaches across Southern California may be completely eroded by 2100.
3 This destruction
will have cascading effects across the city’s economy, severely impacting the recreation and tourism industries. Urban heat looms large as an invisible but potent threat; Orange County is projected to experience 46.6 days above 90°F by mid-century.
4 Extreme heat can
cause service disruptions, damage infrastructure, constrain water resources, and pose health risks to children, older adults, and those with preexisting health conditions.

The city’s age profile is also shifting; the population of young adults (25-44 years) is decreasing, while middle-aged (45-65 years) and older adults (65+) are increasing.
5 Older adults are particularly
vulnerable to climate hazards, due to decreased mobility, increased sensitivity to environmental conditions, and constrained access to resources. Huntington Beach must take decisive action today to ensure future generations are able to enjoy and benefit from its natural resources, economic opportunities, and community assets.

1SCAG. (2016). Demographics and Growth Forecast in Regional Transportation Plan/ Sustainable Communities Strategy.
2Hannah Fry, Robin Estrin, Anh Do, Jaclyn Cosgrove, Louis Sahagun, Rong-Gong Lin II, and Brittny Mejia. (2021). Massive oil spill sends crude onto Orange County beaches, killing birds, marine life. Los Angeles Times.
3Rachel Ehlers. (2020). What Threat Does Sea-Level Rise Pose to California? California Legislative Analyst’s Office.
4 SCAG. (2020). Extreme Heat & Public Health Report.
5U.S. Census Bureau (2019). Age and Sex, 2015-2019 American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

44 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH 45

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONSUL TING SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY PLAN Huntington Beach’s Progress to Date
The City of Huntington Beach has already demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainability. In October 2017, the City updated its General Plan, including elements for Environmental Resources and Conservation and Natural and Environmental Hazards. While these updates touch on the City’s Open Space Plan, conservation and recreational spaces, the Environmental Resources and Conservation elements highlights the city’s greenhouse gas emissions reductions program and includes an inventory of the City’s emissions and energy use. That same year, the City was recognized for its advancements of solar energy, receiving a Gold Status award from SolSmart. In 2020, the City adopted an Urban Water Management Plan and a Water Shortage Contingency Plan to address the city’s water resource use and supply. More recently, the City Council recently voted to join the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA), a critical step towards the use and proliferation of clean, renewable energy. The City should also be commended for its participation in the Orange County Recycling Market Development Zone, as well as its Sustainable Business Certification Program, as other markers of the City’s progress on sustainability issues.

What Needs to Happen Next
Achieving a sustainable future for Huntington Beach across the three pillars of environment, equity, and economy is a transformational effort that requires a sustainability framework to coordinate efforts across City staff, community stakeholders, and regional partners. To develop this comprehensive strategy, the City of Huntington Beach seeks a consultant team that can act as thought partners in the development of a sustainability master plan that will:
•
I
ncrease the City’s capacity to address sustainability issues, as well as to obtain and utilize competitive funding toward those issues; •
Build in
ternal and external tools to continuously evaluate the
progress and success of sustainability strategies;
•
B
e sensitive to the city’s unique history, climate, economy, and community;
•
D
evelop a data-driven sustainability strategy for City operations, complemented by local scientific knowledge, community input, and municipal expertise;
•
I
ntegrate equitable sustainability strategies to address environmental and socioeconomic inequities;
•
Engage the public
, particularly those affected “first-and-worst” by
climate change and environmental pollution, in the development and implementation of sustainability initiatives; and
•
A
void unintended and discriminatory consequences, such as displacement, that disproportionately affects low-income and vulnerable communities.

To achieve these goals, the Buro Happold Team is proposing a collaborative sustainability planning process that is informed by robust data analysis, effective engagement, international best practices, and a realistic understanding of the challenges to action implementation.

Overview
The Buro Happold Team (the “Team”) looks forward to being a strategic and technical partner to the City of Huntington Beach (the “City”), working hand-in-glove to deliver an actionable Sustainability Master Plan that reflects not only the known environmental realities of the City, but also its culture, vibrance, and community needs. To achieve this vision, the Team has developed an approach that ensures strong project management and deliverables that incorporate data- driven recommendations, community knowledge and best practices, and a realistic understanding of what it takes to develop, adopt, and implement a city-wide Sustainability Master Plan.

Our team firmly believes that equity and well-being must be at the center of any sustainability or climate-oriented plan; those who are most impacted must be engaged in defining solutions. And any proposed solution must be vetted so as to not negatively burden or affect the health, livelihood, and safety of those that these plans are meant to help. The various benefits, burdens, risks, and opportunities that our communities face will shift over time, so the strategies and actions put forth in any plan must also meaningfully advance the ability of all populations to not only adapt to a changing world, but to also be resilient and thrive in the face of future challenges.

Given the complexity of this project, we anticipate and welcome further iteration and refinement. If selected, the Team will work with the City to finalize a clear and detailed project plan, aligning with key milestones. This will include a clear project schedule and communication approach. With these strong management procedures and agreed-upon methodologies, the Buro Happold Team will ensure the process:
•
is or
ganized and instills confidence in the project team - resulting in greater buy-in and support,
•
is da
ta-driven and grounded in today’s physical, environmental, political, regulatory, social, and financial realities, •
in
tegrates existing City efforts with regional, statewide, national, and international best practices,
•
is inclusiv
e and engages stakeholders throughout the planning
process,
•
pr
ovides adequate time for review and comment by City staff, agencies, and other key stakeholders, and
•
deliv
ers a realistic, actionable, and innovative plan for community engagement and implementation.

Work Plan
The Team is proposing a Scope of Services based on our experience delivering sustainability plans for municipalities across Southern California and the United States.

Task 1: Project Management
Buro Happold will set a strong project foundation, laying out clear and defined project management processes to ensure that the City’s objectives are met and that the entire Plan development effort occurs in an efficient and timely manner. Following these guidelines and the early input from the City and its stakeholders, Buro Happold will develop clear, deliverable timeframes and project milestones, set quality parameters for planning outputs, and create well-defined communication and information management processes.

1.1 Project initiation
In order to set the foundation for a successful project, Buro Happold will facilitate a kick-off meeting to clarify project objectives and scope, define roles and responsibilities, and identify potential challenges to the project as well as key stakeholder groups. More specifically, during this meeting, the City and the Team will:
•
d
iscuss the City’s vision, aim, and objectives;
•
r
eview the approach and methodology in light of any new
project information (including timescales);
•
c
onfirm work schedule, milestones, and deliverables, including progress meetings and reporting within the project team and with stakeholders;
•
d
iscuss format, scheduling, logistics and recommendations for the Sustainability Master Plan deliverables; and
•
i
dentify key contacts in regional or municipal government agencies, and key stakeholders to engage in the project, including existing project team contacts.

The Team will also issue an information request in advance of the kick-off meeting to ensure that the Team is working with the most comprehensive and up-to-date information available, and will confirm all data and documents to be reviewed in Task 3 (Data Collection and Analysis). Weekly or biweekly project management calls or meetings will be used to coordinate for each of the tasks and deliverables. At the close of each month of the project, Buro Happold will compile a status report along with the invoice to be delivered to the City.

1.2 Project staff and City departments engagement
To facilitate information exchange, vet strategies, and generate buy-in for implementation, the Team will routinely engage with staff from City departments throughout the project. We recommend this engagement to take place at two points: first, a half-day kickoff session to welcome department leaders and facilitate thematic roundtable discussions; and second, a presentation midway through the project to communicate findings from the assessment phase (Task 3) and facilitate a discussion around sustainability strategies that could be adopted in Huntington Beach, as well as their associated implementation considerations. We also offer one-on-one meetings with department staff to review sustainability recommendations.

Approach and Preliminary Work Plan
46 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH 47

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONSUL TING SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY PLAN Task 2. Stakeholder and Community
Engagement
In our experience, the approach to stakeholder and community engagement can make or break the success of a sustainability plan.

Historically, many local governments have sought to simply inform stakeholders of decisions that were already made - leading to feelings of mistrust at best, and the realization of unintended consequences at worst. Our approach is to move from community engagement to ownership, taking the necessary steps to provide an open, inclusive, and transparent process.

2.1 Develop Community Engagement Plan
The Community Engagement Plan will outline how the Team will develop relationships and directly involve community leaders and groups from across the City, as well as partners from other local governments, state entities, councils of governments, transit agencies, health agencies, air and water districts, businesses, landowners, the public, environmental groups, and underrepresented communities. The Community Engagement
Plan will communicate how the stakeholder engagement process will be managed and how it will encourage alignment with City goals, authentic participation, community interaction, and the development of actionable strategies.

We will work with the City to identify communities, community- based organizations, and other stakeholders to engage toward the development of the Plan. Examples include the Surfrider Foundation, the Orange County Coastkeeper, the Southern California Marine Institute, Save Our Beach, Amigos de Bolsa Chica, Ocean Defenders Alliance, and Huntington Beach Tree Society.

2.2 Conduct community engagement efforts
Based on Huntington Beach’s specifications for stakeholder engagement, outreach will be conducted with targeted entities and communities in the form of individual meetings, virtual community workshops, office hours, community surveys, and if in-person events are possible, 2-3 pop-up engagements at community events such as farmers markets, festivals, or in locations with high levels of foot traffic such as the pier or downtown area. The purpose of the pop- ups is to provide an informal and accessible way for community members to learn about and contribute to shaping the SMP project goals and actions. R+A will prepare the outreach materials and R+A staff will be present for the various outreach efforts to engage with the community and serve as facilitators. These groups will represent key issues to be addressed in the Sustainability Master Plan, as well as other geographic, socioeconomic, or interest-oriented distinctions within the City. These meetings will be used to solicit feedback on all sustainability topics prioritized by the County. The Buro Happold team recognizes that it is necessary to be active in reaching out to affected, and especially underserved, communities in order to ensure inclusiveness and buy-in. As such, the community engagement effort will include an emphasis on equity, public education, interactive workshops, and reaching diverse communities and sectors.

2.2.1 Outreach Activities
To meet the public outreach goals stated above, the project team will reach out to targeted stakeholder groups throughout the City using a variety of activities to engage and inform the community as described below.

Individual Meetings
Sub-consultant partner Raimi + Associates (R+A), with help from Huntington Beach City Staff, will identify relevant stakeholders to engage throughout the SMP process. The project team will conduct interviews with key stakeholders related to energy, water, resource management, transportation, economic
development, open space management, youth advocacy,
business interests, etc). R+A will conduct meetings during the project-discovery phase.

The project team will help prepare discussion questions for these meetings and participate in up to five one-hour meetings.

The project team will compile notes and synthesize meeting outcomes.

Virtual Community Workshops

The project team will host two virtual community workshops to inform the community, vet key components of the Plan, and showcase the final SMP . R+A will use various Zoom tools including the presentation of slides and other relevant materials, chat, polling, and break out groups. Meetings will be recorded.

Input gathered from the engagement will be summarized by R+A to identify key issues and cross cutting themes, preferences for future educational topics, and opportunities to adjust the approach to future plan engagement efforts and work tasks.

The project team will prepare materials and activities for the workshops. City staff will help with outreach and coordination of meeting logistics. The project team will participate in the workshops, facilitate break out groups if needed, and be responsible for synthesizing workshop outcomes.

The Buro Happold team will develop the agendas, facilitate the meetings, and lead discussions and other interactive activities with smaller groups. They will also work closely with community- based organizations to accomplish these tasks. Notetakers will document all comments at the meetings and provide written summaries into a Stakeholder Feedback Matrix. The Team will also provide opportunities for stakeholders to give written comments at the outreach meetings. They will collect these written comments and add them to the Feedback Matrix. The findings of the stakeholder engagement process will fold into the Message Development and Communications Strategy (Task 6) for the plan.

Online Office Hours
To meet with community members at times and locations
convenient for everyone, R+A will conduct virtual office hours.

Office hours can be scheduled over 2-3 weeks in advance.

Accessible materials based on the previous community
workshop will be prepared for office hours. The project team will brainstorm ideas, prepare materials, and discuss strategies for deploying and summarizing findings from the office hours.

Community Survey
The project team will prepare and administer two community surveys. The surveys will provide a way for the broader public to share their perspectives on important issues, priorities, and recommended strategies. The intent is to inform the stakeholder meetings and workshops. Prior to the release of the survey, the City will publicize the event and survey via email, press releases, community newsletters, social media and other means.

In light of the very real potential for the need to modify engagement activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, specific strategies tailored to different communities will be created in close collaboration with these community partners, which may include activities like door-to-door canvassing, phone calls, connections with individuals via WhatsApp and other platforms, etc., in lieu of convening people at larger, in-person events.

As such, this stakeholder outreach process will be adaptable. The Team will summarize each engagement and use this information to communicate updates to the City and to inform both analyses and strategy development for the Sustainability Master Plan. We will also use stakeholder feedback to invite new participants as appropriate and incorporate their input into the SMP .
48 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH 49

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONSUL TING SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY PLAN

3.1 Evaluate Existing Measures, Plans, And Programs
For this task, the Team will conduct a thorough review of existing conditions, datasets, and additional information provided by the City of Huntington Beach. The results of the review will shed light on existing initiatives and potential future measures to mitigate environmental, resource, and climate impacts and risks. This information will also be important in the completion of each categorical analysis performed under Task 3.4. To inform the planning process, the Team will also summarize successful precedents in sustainability master planning.

Task 3. Data Collection and Analysis
To both consolidate material into digestible categories and to enable the City of Huntington Beach to benchmark its efforts against those of peer cities across the nation, our Team recommends consolidating the requested subject areas under the LEED for Cities and Communities framework, which measures performance across five categories (with integrated design prerequisites): energy, water, waste, transportation, and quality of life. The table below identifies how the requested focus areas would be consolidated under these five categories:

LEED for Cities and
Communities Category
Huntington Beach SMP Focus
Areas (from RFP)
Energy Energy; Climate
Water Water
Waste Resource Recovery and Waste
Management
Transportation Land Use and Transportation
Quality of Life
Air Quality; Recreation;
Public Health and Well-Being;
Economy and Workforce
Development; Housing
Integrated Design Prereq:

Ecological Assessment Open Space, Habitat, and
Biodiversity
About LEED for Cities and Communities
LEED for Cities and Communities helps local leaders create responsible, sustainable and specific plans for natural systems, energy, water , waste, transportation and many other factors that contribute to quality of life. The LEED framework encompasses social, economic and environmental performance indicators and strategies with a clear, data- driven means of benchmarking and communicating progress.

The program is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and is influenced by the U.S. Green
Building Council’s engagement with hundreds of cities and communities around the globe.

Team members Walker Wells and Chris Rhie serve together on the LEED for Cities and Communities working group, with Walker serving as Chair and Chris leading the Energy and Emissions Subgroup. Other Southern California municipalities which are using LEED for Cities and Communities to
communicate continuous performance include the Cities of Costa Mesa, Long Beach, Rancho Cucamonga, Riverside, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, and the County of San Diego. This proposal does not include nor require certification under the LEED for Cities and Communities program, but rather uses it as a framework to evaluate sustainability performance. Should the City be interested in pursuing certification during or after the development of the SMP , the Buro Happold Team can assist in that process.

The data collected under this category would need to be sufficient to develop both community-scale and municipal emissions inventories for the City of Huntington Beach. On the community side, this includes stationary energy emissions (i.e., residential and non-residential gas and electricity), transportation emissions (i.e., passenger vehicles, trucks, buses, etc.), product use (i.e., residential and commercial use refrigerants), waste and wastewater emissions (i.e., landfills, composting, wastewater treatment), urban tree carbon sequestration, and other scope 3 emissions as available (i.e., water treatment). On the municipal side, this includes emissions from buildings and facilities (electricity, natural gas, streetlights and traffic signals, EV charging), vehicle fleet emissions (i.e., municipal vehicle fleet, city-operated public transit), and other scope 3 emissions as available (i.e., employee commutes, employee generated waste, water consumption).

3.3.2 Water
Under the Water category, the Team would primarily need to collect data for domestic water consumption. We anticipate that most, if not all, water supplied to the City of Huntington Beach is provided by its own water utility through the City’s Utilities Division; we expect to use its data to understand both sources and consumptive water use. We expect that some data will have been collected for, and thus could be drawn from, Huntington Beach’s 2020 Urban Water Management Plan, which details historical and current water use as well as use projections and losses. Additional insights regarding future water supply and use can be drawn from the City’s 2020 Water Shortage Contingency Plan, which includes pertinent information on water supply reliability, customer demand, and infrastructure.

3.3.3 Waste
Under the Waste category, the Team will collect data sufficient for calculating municipal solid waste generated (amount per year per person) and municipal solid waste diverted from landfill (% of total amount collected). Calculations for waste generation and waste diversion will be performed to reflect CalRecycle guidelines and state legislation. Data needs include measurements for waste sent to landfill, recyclable waste, organics and greenwaste, and other forms of waste diversion (i.e., reuse, prevention). We anticipate most of this data can be obtained directly from the City and its haulers. Where data is unavailable, appropriate assumptions will be applied in line with best practice.

The Team will also research possible funding opportunities that align with anticipated sustainability and climate measures for the Sustainability Master Plan, including various federal, regional, and state funding sources such as CDBG-DR, California Strategic Growth Council Urban Greening or Climate Adaptation and Resilience Planning grants, and green bonds. Findings from this task will be summarized into a memorandum, which will inform the development of the Sustainability Master Plan and shared with City staff during a recap meeting.

3.2 Confirm analysis framework and data needs with
City staff
The Buro Happold Team will work with City staff to evaluate and select the appropriate framework (or combination of frameworks) to set organizational language, inform prioritization criteria, and guide the outline and content for the SMP . This evaluation will include the frameworks utilized by peer municipalities such as Los Angeles County’s Sustainability Plan, as well as third-party frameworks such as LEED for Cities and Communities.

3.3 Data collection from City departments, partner
agencies, and other sources
Data collection will be completed with the support of City departments, partner agencies, and other sources to establish a baseline and understand historical trends for the requisite metrics.

The ideal data are collected citywide, easily obtainable, quantifiable, updated on at least an annual basis, and are published by the city, relevant departments or agencies, local academic institutions or universities, or other non-profit organizations.

Potential data sources are described for each of the proposed categories below. Emphasis will be placed on using and integrating existing data sources where possible. The Team expects to provide the City with a comprehensive data request at the kick-off meeting (Task 1) in order to meet project deadlines. Buro Happold will lead data collection and analysis around the categories of Energy, Water, Waste, and Transportation, and sub-consultant partner Raimi + Associates will lead for the Quality of Life category.

3.3.1 Energy (and Emissions)
Under this category, the team would collect pertinent data for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that would be measured in tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per year per person, which would be categorized and aggregated in terms of both municipal emissions and community-wide emissions. Emissions can be measured and disaggregated based on the categorical delineations in the city’s 2017 General Plan Update, including by Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. 50 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH 51

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONSUL TING SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY PLAN

3.3.4 Transportation
The Transportation category, which will cover Land Use and Transportation for the City, will require data to calculate distance traveled in individual vehicles daily as measured in distance per day per person. We expect that some transportation data on the municipal side will be provided by the City directly or can be inferred based on available fuel or charging data (as available). Otherwise, data for this category will primarily be collected, inferred, or informed by the United States Census, the Highway Performance Monitoring System, the California Household Travel Survey, SCAG’s regional travel model, and other pertinent land use, mode shift, vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and transit use data as available from the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) and Caltrans.

3.3.5 Quality of Life
The Quality of Life category will cover multiple sub-categories, but will encompass many of the remaining focus areas for the City of Huntington Beach - including air quality; recreation; public health and well-being; economy and workforce development; and housing.

Education
Under the Education sub-category, the Team will evaluate the levels of population with (at least) a high school degree, as well as with (at least) a Bachelor’s degree - both measures as percentages of the population aged 25 or older. We will primarily collect this data from the most recent U.S. census.

Equitability
The Equitability sub-category measures median gross rent as a % of household income, as well as the city’s Gini coefficient - which will provide a measure of the distribution of income across the Huntington Beach population. Data sources will be the US Census, American Community Survey, and data from the US Department of Labor Statistics.

Prosperity
This section will examine the potential to increase economic security and wealth generation. R+A will work with the City to identify opportunities to support and cultivate green industries and jobs that produce goods and provide services that benefit the environment or that involve making production processes more environmentally friendly. Drawing from available datasets and the resources identified in the LEED for Cities rating system, R+A will examine to potential to:
•
I
ncrease economic security, a cornerstone of community
resilience and climate adaption;
•
P
rioritize local hiring, small businesses, and living wage employment;
•
I
nvest in youth and historically marginalized communities to match City residents’ education resources with high- quality employment opportunities; and
•
P
rioritize purchasing that advances environmental, social, and economic sustainability.

Additional resources for analyzing the opportunities to increase prosperity in the economy and increase local workforce
development included median household income and
unemployment rate. These data will also primarily be collected from U.S. census databases.

Health, Safety, and Well Being

The Health & Safety category measures the Median Air Quality Index (AQI) of Huntington Beach, as well as the number of Air Quality Days Unhealthy for Sensitive groups. This data will be collected from the EPA’s AirData database and reports. In addition, this sub-category measures violent crime per capita per year, which can be collected from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the California Department of Justice.

Qualitative measures related to well-being, including level of trust in institutions, sense of belonging to a larger community, ability to participate in and influence decisions, and a desire to engage in the future development of the City will also be collected through the community engagement efforts.

Parks and Recreation

The Quality of Life category also includes an assessment of community assets including parks and recreation facilities.

Quantitative and qualitative analyses and measurements for this particular focus area will be performed and indicators will be discussed and agreed upon with the City prior to data collection.

The team will build on the information and policies in the City’s Open Space and Conservations Elements. Established metrics for access of parks, such as within a quarter mile walk distance, will be established and applied to identify potential disparities among neighborhoods.

3.3.6 Integrative Process
Under the LEED for Cities and Communities framework, an ecological assessment is a prerequisite under Integrated Design. The focus areas of open space, recreation, habitat, and biodiversity will be addressed under this prerequisite.

Open Space, Habitat, Biodiversity
This effort will identify the City’s environmental policies and programs that protect, enhance, and restore the diversity and size of ecosystems and habitats in and adjacent to the City. Open space is a critical component in addressing climate-related issues including increased heat, flood mitigation, habitat conservation, and carbon sequestration. An objective will be to identify the potential for connected network of parks, open spaces and trails between the City’s protected natural, cultural, historic, and scenic resources for recreation and to support ecological function including ground water recharge, microwater sheds, and aquatic and ocean resources.

T
he team will build on the information and policies in the City’s Open Space and Conservations Elements. Unique species and areas of significant habitat that should be preserved, restored, or expanded will be identified using NatureServe data from the State Department of Fish and Wildlife.

3.4 Data normalization, analysis, and synthesis
After all indicators have been agreed upon and available data has been collected, the Team will proceed with its review and analysis of the data. As is the case with many municipalities, the data collected will vary by quality, frequency of measurement, and spatiality. The Team will manipulate and clean datasets and normalize to a base year as agreed upon with the City so that the City can not only measure its progress, but also benchmark its performance against other cities in Orange County and across the region. All data limitations will be noted and identified, and the Team will assemble recommendations for future data gathering and monitoring to improve future analyses.

3.5 Confirm indicators and develop targets
While our team recommends LEED for Cities and Communities as the primary framework of key performance indicators for the City of Huntington Beach, we will coordinate with the City prior to and throughout Task 3 to discuss and confirm indicators across all of the identified focus areas. We recognize that the City may prefer to select indicators that align with other City planning documents for consistency (i.e., the 2017 General Plan Update), so we welcome and prioritize conversations with the City to select the indicators that best enable the City to evaluate historic trends, establish baselines, and measure future progress. The data collection process may also inform and modify the selection of indicators, as useful indicators will rely upon easily obtainable, quantifiable, and reputable data (which may not always be available).

Upon confirming the key performance indicators, the Team will review the data findings and develop an initial set of Targets based on the indicators. While the City may have specific preferences around the timeframe of goals and targets based on achievability, resources, and alignment with city plans and strategies, our aim will be to develop targets for the City’s approval that can be achieved within 5- to 10-year timeframes as well as by 2040 (in alignment with the community vision laid out in the City’s General Plan Update) and be successfully tracked and measured annually.

3.6 Data Summary and Indicator Draft and Summary
Memo
We will develop and deliver a Summary Memo that clearly documents the sources for all data, steps taken to clean the data, manipulations performed on the data, and any critical data gaps.

The Memo will also include a description of the method(s) used to determine the recommended metrics and targets, and the suggested indicators for use in the City of Huntington Beach’s Sustainability Master Plan. It will conclude with recommendations to mitigate gaps or limitations with pertinent data.
52 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH 53

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONSUL TING SERVICES SUSTAINABILITY PLAN Task 4. Prepare Sustainability Master
Plan
The Sustainability Master Plan will provide Huntington Beach with an opportunity to highlight and build upon successful efforts, communicate what the City plans to implement, and identify which new strategies are needed to meet and exceed the targets defined in this Plan. The Plan will include background information, as well as short-, medium-, and long-term strategies with accompanying actions for implementation.

4.1 Develop detailed Plan outline and structure
The Buro Happold Team will revise and update all materials delivered to date, as appropriate, and use these as the basis for a Detailed Plan Outline. We anticipate that this Outline will be presented earlier in the project and be revised or tweaked throughout the course of the project to reflect the findings of the stakeholder engagement and data analysis tasks. Graphic designers on the Buro Happold Team will help create mockups of the print report to communicate the look and feel of the report in alignment with branding and style guidelines provided by the City.

4.2 Develop sustainability strategies to meet City
targets
The Buro Happold Team will work with the City of Huntington Beach to develop a Sustainability Master Plan that will serve as a strategic framework for measuring, planning, and improving the sustainability of the City and its practices, as well as for reducing the environmental and climate impacts on the Huntington Beach community - particularly those who may be most vulnerable. Building upon the identification of targets in Task 3, the Team will assist the City in developing a roadmap to direct local efforts to meet its sustainability goals.

4.3 Prepare an Implementation Plan
Buro Happold will work with the City to develop an implementation plan that identifies lead City agencies, supporting City agencies, rough order-of-magnitude costs (and savings, where applicable), timeframes for initiation and completion, and potential funding sources that could be used to implement each recommended strategy. The team will also analyze current, past, and future staffing patterns within the City to determine the capacity to carry out the Sustainability Master Plan and estimate needs for additional resourcing. The Implementation Plan, including staffing needs, will be vetted with City staff.

4.4 Draft and Final Sustainability Master Plan
The Team will assemble the outputs of the aforementioned tasks into a Draft Sustainability Master Plan by July 2022, which will describe the needs, impacts, actions, and costs needed for implementation. There will be opportunities for internal and external review and input on the organization, content, narrative, imagery, and graphics throughout this process. Notably, we are recommending a public review period between the Revised Draft and Final Draft phases for transparency - as well as an opportunity to engage the community and build momentum for the implementation of the Sustainability Master Plan.

The Final Sustainability Master Plan will be completed by the end of 2022.

Task 5. Performance Tracking and
Dashboard
In our experience, an effective Monitoring Tool is one that is organized and simple for ease-of-use and periodic data updates by multiple staff. The Buro Happold team has experience in developing dashboards for clients to track, measure, and communicate progress.

Our team has created several visualization tools and dashboards for clients. The team will review the key performance indicators for each of the quantifiable mitigation and adaptation strategies and work with the City to develop a monitoring system. If needed, the Team can create a secure dashboard and a publicly accessible dashboard for security and quality management purposes.

Task 6. Message Development and
Communications Strategy

6.1 Message development
To create an effective call to action around the Sustainability Master Plan that resonates with constituent audiences, it is critical to understand what messaging aligns with the needs, wants, and values of the decision makers and community members across the City of Huntington Beach. The Buro Happold team will build off of the stakeholder engagement outcomes in Task 2 to pinpoint: (1) effective cross-cultural messaging that appeals to diverse audiences; (2) what communication methods and channels used by the City are most effective and (3) the appropriate combination of communication channels, messaging, and timing to enhance reach for behavioral change and adoption.

In developing and evaluating messaging for the City of Huntington Beach around its Sustainability Master Plan, the Team will consider at least the following questions:
•
Ho
w do constituent audiences perceive, think, and talk about the issues highlighted in the Sustainability Master Plan? •
W
hat are the potential benefits and/or emotional hot buttons that resonate most?
•
W
hat language or words trigger positive or negative reactions? •
Ho
w do constituent audiences consume daily information?
•
W
hat are the most effective outreach channels and/or strategies to implement and gain traction?

6.2 Prepare communication materials
After identifying the messaging for the Sustainability Master Plan in Task 6.1, the Team will proceed with preparing the communication materials for the City of Huntington Beach around the Sustainability Master Plan. These include messaging templates that are appropriate to different stages of the project and that can be disseminated through the City’s website, its social media accounts, or via e-mail to interested or involved constituents and stakeholders. The message materials will consist of: 1) a tag line such as “join us in shaping a sustainable future,” 2) a tweet-length narrative, 3) a narrative description of 1-2 paragraphs outlining the potential for community engagement or input, 4) links to relevant materials or the community survey, 5) two-three potential images that are either related to the plan (solar panels, water management, biking or walking, composting) or are reflective of sustainability actions in the City. The materials are expected to be used with social media posts on the City’s website, social media, and City Hall email blasts. The messaging materials will be prepared for review on behalf of City project management and marketing staff before it is delivered.

Optional Additional Services
• C ost-Benefit Analyses
o T
he team will perform and incorporate cost benefit
analyses to inform the prioritization of each strategy, and it will determine the staff resourcing needed to carry out the Plan by conducting desktop research on similar initiatives in peer cities.
•
Sp
anish translations, glossary of terms
o I
f requested, our team can develop a bilingual document, with both English and Spanish versions, and can include a glossary of terms within the Plan.
•
P
roject website
o T
o support the promotion and dissemination of the
Sustainability Master Plan, the Team will assist City staff and IT professionals with the branding and development
of a project website for the Sustainability Master Plan. A distinct site can be created with information about the Plan that can be updated to accommodate review periods
and final publication, as well as link to the Monitoring Tool developed under Task 5.

Total Project Labor Price by Task and Firm
Task
Project Administration
Stakeholder Engagement
Data Collection and Analysis
Prepare Sustainability Master Plan
Performance Tracking and Dashboard
Message Development and Communications Strategy
Labor Total
Additional Included Expenses
Expense
Engagement Participation Stipends
Cost-Benefit Analysis and Prioritization Criteria
Optional Services
Expense
Translation Services and Term Glossary
Project Website
Project Price Proposal Totals
Expense
Labor
Additional Included Expenses
Initial Proposed Price
Optional Services
All-In Proposed Price
City of Huntington Beach Sustainability Master Plan
Updated Price Proposal - March 2022
Buro Happold Raimi & Associates Toole Design Total
$18,040 $26,000 $2,956 $46,996
$18,300 $4,500 $1,880 $24,680
$48,000 $10,380 $9,220 $67,600
$26,100 $19,820 $5,944 $51,864
$12,705 $0 $0 $12,705
$6,000 $9,700 $0 $15,700
$219,545
Provide gift cards or other minor compensation for community participation in SMP engagement $5,000
Expense Description Total
$129,145 $70,400 $20,000
Expense Description Total
Development of Cost-Benefit Analyses and Prioritization Criteria for all strategies identified $25,000
Create bilingual (English/Spanish) version of Sustainability Master Plan and bi- lingual supplement with accessible Glossary of Terms for readers $15,000 Assist with creation of branding and development of Sustainability Master Plan project website $27,000
Total
$42,000
$291,545
$219,545
$30,000
$249,545

Hourly Rates By Firm and Position
Firm and Team Members
Buro Happold
Chris Rhie
Louis Spanias
Sarah Smyth
Sabrina Bornstein
Kathleen Hetrick
Eden Axelrad
Raimi & Associates
Walker Wells
Jim Bergdoll
Sami Taylor
Paige Kruza
Lilly Nie
Toole Design
Roger Pelayo
Adam Vest
Malia Schilling
Labor Total
$256.00 16 $4,096
$7,400
$24,000
Subject Matter Expert
Project Staff
$185.00
$125.00
40 192
City of Huntington Beach Sustainability Master Plan
Updated Rate Summary - March 2022
Position Hourly Rate Hours Proposed Labor Cost
808 $129,145
Project Director $250.00 103 $25,750
Project Manager $150.00 204 $30,600
Project Staff $125.00 240 $30,000
Subject Matter Expert $250.00 51 $12,750
Subject Matter Expert $125.00 141 $17,625
Subject Matter Expert $180.00 69 $12,420
428 $70,400
Principal/Subject Matter Expert $250.00 56 $14,000
Subject Matter Expert $200.00 40 $8,000
Subject Matter Expert $170.00 100 $17,000
Subject Matter Expert
118 $20,000
1,354 $219,545
$126.00 74 $9,324
Subject Matter Expert $235.00 28 $6,580
Subject Matter Expert

www.burohappold.com
Contact
Christopher Rhie, Associate Principal
310-912-1002
[email protected]

City Council/Public Financing AuthorityApril 5, 2022

City Council/Public Financing Authority
April 5, 2022