January 28, 2020: Commercial corridors in the Sacramento region  have been hit hard by changing consumer preferences, a lack of diverse housing options, and the rise of auto-oriented uses. Many of our region’s commercial corridors struggle with vacant or underutilized lots and lack the density or mix of residential and commercial uses that support a sense of place that can attract more people. While commercial corridors face significant challenges, they also offer a huge opportunity for revitalization.  

SACOG’s Civic Lab accelerator programs are bringing these opportunities to light. Last year, teams from across the region focused on addressing barriers to infill development, placemaking, and private investment on 12 commercial corridors in the Sacramento region, from Main Street in the City of Isleton to Upper Broadway in the City of Placerville to Del Paso Boulevard in the City of Sacramento. The 12 project teams are now developing pilot projects to test ideas aimed at spurring activity on the corridors.  

Because of these challenges and opportunities, the SACOG Board of Directors created a year-long Commercial Corridor Task Force to address these challenges in 2020. The Task Force will serve both to support the implementation phase of Civic Lab Year 2 and build board awareness of the local policy and funding opportunities that can help catalyze activity on commercial corridors throughout the region.  

The task force will address issues like innovations and best practices in zoning, policies to facilitate infill housing production, approaches to raise or attract state investment and/or funding for pilot projects in the region, approaches to reduce business and resident displacement, placemaking strategies to increase walking, biking, and transit access; and more. 

Members of the Task Force include SACOG board members who represent Civic Lab corridors, and other public and private representatives from housing, commercial real estate, finance, development, transportation, and other relevant sectors. Quarterly meetings begin on January 28 and information about each meeting will be available on the SACOG website.