Home > Get Involved > Outings Program > Urban Outings

Urban Outings

Upcoming Urban Outings?
Self-Guided Urban Outings

Touring Sustainable Development Greenbelt Alliance's Urban Outings take you to see lived-in compact developments where homes and shops are near transit. The outings also help people to identify opportunities for revitalization in cities around the Bay Area.

Why Greenbelt Alliance hosts Urban Outings:

• To demonstrate positive alternatives to sprawl, including compact, pedestrian-friendly, transit-oriented development; infill housing for a range of income levels; and natural elements such as parks, paths, and creeks.

• To illustrate the integral connection between urban development and protection of the Bay Area's open space.

• To encourage grassroots participation in the debate about how and where we live.

• To influence urban development policy.

What happens on an Urban Outing?
 Urban Outings highlight real-world examples of successful development and occasionally showcase areas where simple improvements could make cities better places to live.

Greenbelt Alliance's Livable Communities Outreach Team plans Urban Outings to Bay Area communities that are undergoing revitalization around transit stations. We create walking tours (or tours by bus, bike or public transit) in small and large cities around the Bay Area. The tours predominantly highlight affordable housing, compact infill development, transit-oriented development, reuse of land, and revitalized downtowns.

Architects, planners, and developers often speak on Urban Outings to tell the inside story of development along the tour route. The tours often begin with a seminar to get people thinking and talking about growth and development. Local officials, planners, developers, activists, and community members are invited—everyone is welcome.

Urban Outings Calendar
Check the Greenbelt Alliance calendar to search for upcoming Urban Outings.

Self-Guided Urban Outings
Don't want to wait? Go on a self-guided outing in these cities:
Berkeley
Mountain View
San Francisco
San Rafael
Vallejo