Dorothy Erskine, founder
In 1958, Dorothy Erskine, Jack Kent and colleagues founded Citizens for Regional Recreation and Parks (CRRP), an organization of environmentally concerned individuals and groups that would later become Greenbelt Alliance. CRRP was created to protect parks and recreational areas in the Bay Area. Two of the first campaigns CRRP focused on were establishing a regional government and saving San Francisco Bay from landfill and development. During the 1960s, CRRP raised awareness of these issues through their publication Regional Exchange and helped save Bay Area spaces such as Fort Funston and Point Reyes.
People for Open SpaceAny parcelA lot, or contiguous group of lots, in single ownership or under single control, usually considered a unit for purposes of development. or area of land or water that is essentially unimproved and devoted to an open space use for the purposes of (1) the preservation of natural resources, (2) the managed production of resources, (3) outdoor recreation, or (4) public health and safety.
In 1969, CRRP was renamed People for Open SpaceAny parcelA lot, or contiguous group of lots, in single ownership or under single control, usually considered a unit for purposes of development. or area of land or water that is essentially unimproved and devoted to an open space use for the purposes of (1) the preservation of natural resources, (2) the managed production of resources, (3) outdoor recreation, or (4) public health and safety. to reflect the group’s new commitment to preserving additional spaces such as ranch lands, agricultural lands, and wildlife preserves. POS continued the campaign for open spaceAny parcelA lot, or contiguous group of lots, in single ownership or under single control, usually considered a unit for purposes of development. or area of land or water that is essentially unimproved and devoted to an open space use for the purposes of (1) the preservation of natural resources, (2) the managed production of resources, (3) outdoor recreation, or (4) public health and safety. throughout the seventies, helping to establish the Mid-Peninsula Open SpaceAny parcelA lot, or contiguous group of lots, in single ownership or under single control, usually considered a unit for purposes of development. or area of land or water that is essentially unimproved and devoted to an open space use for the purposes of (1) the preservation of natural resources, (2) the managed production of resources, (3) outdoor recreation, or (4) public health and safety. District (1972) and Suisun Marsh (1974). POS was also involved in campaigning for a regional government to protect the environmental and economic quality of the Bay Area, taking the campaign to Sacramento to be defeated by one vote. In 1976, POS added the goal of establishing a permanent regional greenbelt to the agenda. POS established Greenbelt Congress in 1984 as a parallel group that fought for open spaceAny parcelA lot, or contiguous group of lots, in single ownership or under single control, usually considered a unit for purposes of development. or area of land or water that is essentially unimproved and devoted to an open space use for the purposes of (1) the preservation of natural resources, (2) the managed production of resources, (3) outdoor recreation, or (4) public health and safety. through activism and grassroots organizing.
Greenbelt Alliance
After three years of parallel work, Greenbelt Congress and POS merged to become Greenbelt Alliance—establishing the organization’s dual focus of grassroots activism and policy research. During this decade, Greenbelt Alliance published reports on Bay Area farming and affordable housingHousing that can be purchased or rented by a household with moderate, low, or very low income, based on a household's ability to make monthly payments necessary to obtain housing. Housing is considered affordable when a household pays less than 30 percent of its gross monthly income (GMI) for housing, including utilities. issues. In 1987, after seven years of researching the effects of affordable housingHousing that can be purchased or rented by a household with moderate, low, or very low income, based on a household's ability to make monthly payments necessary to obtain housing. Housing is considered affordable when a household pays less than 30 percent of its gross monthly income (GMI) for housing, including utilities. on preserving open spaceAny parcelA lot, or contiguous group of lots, in single ownership or under single control, usually considered a unit for purposes of development. or area of land or water that is essentially unimproved and devoted to an open space use for the purposes of (1) the preservation of natural resources, (2) the managed production of resources, (3) outdoor recreation, or (4) public health and safety., Greenbelt Alliance began endorsing affordable compact development housing projects.
“Greenbelt Alliance has played a pivotal role in the greening of the Bay Area, because of its longevity, its regional scope, and its inspired leadership.”
—Richard Walker, author of The Country in the City: The Greening of the San Francisco Bay Area
Greenbelt Alliance began building its presence in the nine Bay counties, starting with the opening of the first field office in the South Bay in 1988. The East Bay and Sonoma-Marin offices officially opened their doors in 1995. In 2001, the Solano-Napa office was opened in response to growth along the Interstate 80 corridor, and in 2008 a Marin office was opened to promote affordable housingHousing that can be purchased or rented by a household with moderate, low, or very low income, based on a household's ability to make monthly payments necessary to obtain housing. Housing is considered affordable when a household pays less than 30 percent of its gross monthly income (GMI) for housing, including utilities. there.
With the help of field representatives, since 1996, Greenbelt Alliance has been successful in securing 26 urban growth boundaries in the nine-county region. Greenbelt Alliance remains instrumental in preserving open spaceAny parcelA lot, or contiguous group of lots, in single ownership or under single control, usually considered a unit for purposes of development. or area of land or water that is essentially unimproved and devoted to an open space use for the purposes of (1) the preservation of natural resources, (2) the managed production of resources, (3) outdoor recreation, or (4) public health and safety. and protecting the quality of lifeQuality of life is not a tangible thing, and so cannot be measured directly. It consists of both physical and psychological components. The physical includes such aspects as health, diet, and protection against pain and disease. The psychological includes stress, worry, pleasure, and other positive or negative emotional states. in the Bay Area. In 1993, Pleasanton Ridge was saved after a twenty-year campaign (13,000 acres). The Santa Clara Open SpaceAny parcelA lot, or contiguous group of lots, in single ownership or under single control, usually considered a unit for purposes of development. or area of land or water that is essentially unimproved and devoted to an open space use for the purposes of (1) the preservation of natural resources, (2) the managed production of resources, (3) outdoor recreation, or (4) public health and safety. Authority was created in 1994. 1995 brought a defeat for the Mid-State Toll Road. In 1999 Bear Creek Redwoods was preserved followed by Cowell Ranch in Contra Costa County in 2002.
Today, Greenbelt Alliance continues to protect open spaces and create vibrant places through cutting-edge policy research and local advocacy.
