Housing Policy is Climate Policy
Where San Diegans live, how much they drive, and how much energy their homes use are largely shaped by how—and where—housing gets built. That makes those decisions one of the most important levers for the region's climate goals
This panel brings together experts working that lever from different angles: land use and zoning, transit funding, clean energy, and the pollution burden industrial zoning places on nearby neighborhoods.
Topics include a new state law requiring more housing near transit stops, rules that let builders add more homes when they build within existing neighborhoods instead of on undeveloped land, funding for public transit, how renters can get access to solar and other clean energy, and zoning that allows industrial sites like warehouses and factories near homes.
Who's on stage
Amy Castañeda — Policy Co-Director of Land & Justice, Environmental Health Coalition
Madison Coleman — Director of Policy, Office of Council President Pro Tem Kent Lee (District 6, San Diego City Council)
Aria Grossman — Policy Manager, Circulate Planning & Policy
Serena Pelka — Senior Policy Advocate, Climate Action Campaign
Moderated by Saad Asad, Communications Manager at California YIMBY.
Format
6:00: 30 minutes mingling
6:30: 60-minute moderated panel, followed by 15 minutes of audience Q&A.
Additional Details
Cost: Free and open to the public.
Accessibility: San Diego Made Factory is ADA Accessible.
Getting there:
Transit: ~10 min walk from Blue Line (12th & Imperial), Orange Line (25th & Commercial), 5 (Market & 19th)
Car: Arrive early, street parking only
Food: Light snacks.
Detailed Bios
Amy Castañeda is the Associate Director of Policy at Environmental Health Coalition, where she focuses on land use policy and pollution burdens in frontline communities. Before EHC, she was a policy advisor at the County of San Diego addressing issues related to homelessness, public safety, and reproductive health. She also has an extensive background in organizing and political campaigns. Amy studied Public Policy & Public Health at Arizona State University.
Madison Coleman is Director of Policy for San Diego City Council President Pro Tem Kent Lee, who represents District 6 and chairs the city's Land Use and Housing Committee. She joined the office as a Policy Advisor and previously worked at Climate Action Campaign. She's a UC Davis graduate and was selected for the San Diego Leadership Alliance Institute Fellowship.
Aria Grossman is Policy Manager at Circulate Planning & Policy, working on housing and transportation policy at the state and local level. Prior to Circulate, she spent three years as a legislative staffer in the U.S. Senate on transportation and appropriations. She graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a double major in Global Studies and Finance.
Serena Pelka is a Senior Policy Advocate at Climate Action Campaign, where she fights for energy affordability, community clean energy, and electrifying our infrastructure. Her experience ranges from clean energy advocacy to zero waste consulting to climate action implementation. She is dedicated to equitable, community-focused solutions that bring people closer to each other and the Earth. She holds a Master of Development Practice degree from the University of Waterloo and is a University of Guelph graduate.