The Northern California Megaregion

Housing is foundational to the California Dream, yet it has become one of the primary obstacles to livability in nearly every region of the state. From rising costs that push millions into poverty and result in longer commute times to new home production challenges, the inability of California to solve its housing crisis is negatively impacting opportunities to prosper, especially during a pandemic fueled recession that has crippled the financial security of millions of Californians and their communities. Released by CA FWD with support from Wells Fargo, “Regions Build Together – A Housing Agenda for All California” provides a regions-up housing agenda consisting of 14 practical actions that can relieve the state’s persistent housing crisis. The report looks at the state through nine regional housing markets to identify the current state of affordability, distinct challenges, and opportunities that can be replicated or scaled up at a state level.

As the population of Northern California continues to grow, challenges in housing, land use, jobs, transportation, and the environment have crossed regional boundaries and are linking cities, counties, and regions together across wider geographies. These issues make planning at a megaregional scale increasingly necessary to achieve a broader footprint of economic prosperity and for California to reach its carbon reduction goals.

This report examines the unique value the Tri-Valley brings to the Bay Area economy and how it is changing. The report addresses the following questions:
How is the Tri-Valley economy changing?
How are the region's innovation assets developing?
How is the region linked to Silicon Valley and the broader Bay Area?
How is the Tri-Valley's transportation infrastructure enabling sustained economic growth?
How is the region positioning itself for the future?