Land Use and Transportation Element

About the Land Use and Transportation Element

The Land Use and Transportation Element (LUTE) is part of the Sunnyvale General Plan. The LUTE is an important document that establishes the goals and policies for the physical development and appearance of the city as well as for the transportation system. Everything you see built around you is affected by the LUTE — from the roadways and sidewalks to the smallest or largest building in Sunnyvale.

The 2007 Sunnyvale Community Vision: A Guiding Framework for General Planning will guide the update process and the development of the LUTE document. The updated document is expected to provide guidance relating to economic development, incorporation of smart growth concepts, green technology and principles, and preservation and enhancement of existing neighborhoods. In addition, the LUTE update will include an effective series of focused land use and transportation policies, and action strategies to address the City’s desire to be a regional leader in environmental sustainability.

The LUTE and CAP Relationship

The LUTE focuses on land use, transportation, and related impacts within Sunnyvale, while the Climate Action Plan (CAP) is an overarching document focusing on other sectors of sustainable development in addition to transportation and land use. The transportation and land use portion of the CAP will include the applicable goals and policies of the LUTE that affect the CAP. The LUTE will include policies from the CAP that affect land use and transportation. The CAP will have chapters for energy use and renewable energy policies, waste reduction policies, and water conservation policies in addition to transportation and land use. Lastly, the CAP will also include a quantitative analysis of the GHG reduction benefit and estimated monetary cost of each goal and policy.

The Environmental Impact Report

The LUTE and CAP Environmental Impact Report (EIR) will analyze the potential environmental impacts of LUTE and CAP policies and will mitigate those impacts to a less than significant level, if feasible. The EIR will help bring the City’s General Plan into compliance with recent state legislation. The EIR will also streamline the review of potential development projects under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) when those proposed projects are consistent with applicable policy documents.