General Plan New Environmental Justice Element and Disaster Preparedness and Safety Element Update

The proposed project consists of a focused update to the City of Berkeley General Plan to update the Disaster Preparedness and Safety Element and add a new Environmental Justice (EJ) Element. The purpose of the Disaster Preparedness and Safety Element is to protect Berkeley’s residents, businesses, and natural environment from the impacts of natural and human-caused hazards while building long-term resilience to climate change. It establishes a clear framework for reducing risk, safeguarding critical infrastructure, and ensuring that emergency preparedness and recovery efforts are equitable and effective. The proposed project involves updating the Disaster Preparedness and Safety Element to incorporate new data, hazard mapping, scientific findings, and community priorities. The purpose of the EJ Element is to fulfill the City’s obligation under Senate Bill 1000 and to incorporate EJ goals, policies, and programs into the General Plan. The EJ Element identifies six focus areas necessary for reducing the unique or compounded health risks in disadvantaged communities: pollution exposure and air quality, public facilities, food access, housing stability, physical activity and active transportation, and civic and community engagement. The proposed project is a policy-level action that establishes goals, policies, and implementation measures. Adoption of, or updates to, these elements would not approve or commit the City to specific physical development, infrastructure projects, or land use changes. Rather, the elements provide a framework that may inform or influence future discretionary actions. Future activities undertaken to implement these policies would be subject to separate environmental review under CEQA, as applicable.