ABAG Celebrates Half Century of Service to the Cities, Towns, and Counties of the Bay Area 1961 - 2011
During the ABAG 50th / MTC 40th Anniversary Gala on Friday, January 21st at the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley more than 330 guests celebrated ABAG’s half century of service to the region’s cities, towns and counties. The packed Empire Ballroom hosted elected officials from all nine Bay Area Counties, current and past ABAG and MTC Presidents and Executive Directors, and State Legislators, as well as business leaders from throughout the region. The event was sponsored by ABAG’s corporate partner Kaiser Permanente, along with sixteen table sponsors. All nine counties participated in an exhibit showcase featuring their county. This historic occasion featured a video of the history of regionalism showcasing the region’s past success and future challenges.
During the reception preceding the gala, Senator Loni Hancock presented ABAG with both Senate and Assembly Resolutions in commemoration of ABAG’s 50th Anniversary and efforts to address regional challenges and sustain and improve Bay Area quality of life. ABAG also received Special Congressional Recognition from both Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Congressman Mike Honda. Similar recognition was accorded MTC.
This monumental occasion celebrated ABAG’s achievements over the past 50 years, including adoption of a Regional Open Space Plan for the boldest open space system designed for any metropolitan area in the world with a target of 3.4 million acres of open space in 1972 and the formation of the San Francisco Estuary Partnership initiated to establish plans for sensitive estuaries in the region in 1986.
In 1961, Bay Area city, town, and county leaders recognized the need to address common issues from a regional perspective and formed ABAG -- California’s first Council of Governments. Since inception, ABAG has led innovative efforts in land use planning, environmental conservation and stewardship, water resource protection, and hazard mitigation. ABAG’s planning and service programs work to address regional economic, social, and environmental challenges.
Selected ABAG Milestones by Decade
1961: ABAG was the first Council of Governments established in California and one of the first in the nation.
1972: ABAG adopted a Regional Open Space Plan for the boldest open space system designed for any metropolitan area in the world with a target of 3.4 million acres of open space.
1986: The Bay/Delta Project, later the San Francisco Estuary Partnership, was initiated to establish plans for sensitive estuaries in the region.
1986: ABAG’s Administrative Committee approved the new Pooled Liability Assurance Network (PLAN), and the Newark City Council voted to become PLAN’s first charter member.
1990: ABAG implemented a hazardous waste management plan that all nine counties adopted.
1994: ABAG was the first Council of Governments on World Wide Web (online) and the second public agency to establish a web presence in California. In 1995, ABAG launched the online government network and online training.
2002: Smart Growth Vision called the Network of Neighborhoods Final Report: Smart Growth Strategy/Regional Livability Footprint Project—Shaping the Future of the Nine County Bay Area was developed after 18 region-wide workshops and distilled from a large number of land use scenarios and extensive community engagement.
2008: ABAG Energy Watch program enrolled 70 cities, counties and special districts to help them achieve energy and cost savings by improving energy efficiency in public facilities and creating community-wide energy savings through energy policies and programs.
2009: The Green Business Program reached milestone of certifying more than 2000 businesses and public agencies throughout the region to build a better, energy efficient Bay Area.
2009: ABAG Celebrated San Francisco Bay Trail’s 20th anniversary and the completion of nearly 300 miles of walking and biking trails surrounding the Bay.
2010: The ABAG Multi Jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation plan was approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and annexes to the plan by local jurisdictions are in progress.
2010: ABAG and regional partners are working to implement SB 375 and develop the Sustainable Communities Strategy engaging local governments, communities and regionwide stakeholders in ways to build a better Bay Area over the next 25 years.
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