Under the maybe not-so-catchy title of “Envision San Jose 2040“, the city of San Jose is in the process of reviewing its general plan, and it is seeking community input. In a multi-year program, Envision San Jose 2040 will attempt to set the path for future development and growth of the city over the next 30 years. The new general plan, like our current plan, will be “the policy framework for decision-making on both private development projects and City capital expenditures.”

Trying to make out what this means practically is a bit of a bore, but among other things, the general plan sets out where in the city various types of development (residential, commercial, industrial) should be allowed, how transportation should be provided between these areas, how green space should be distributed among them, and how public facilites should be sited. Our current plan contains written goals and policy statements intended to guide future development, as well as detailed land-use diagrams setting out block-by-block and lot-by-lot where specific types of development will be permitted and encouraged.

Your first chance to contribute to this process comes this week with a series of community workshops. They are being held

• Wednesday, Sept. 3, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., at the Camden Community Center, 3369 Union Ave.
• Thursday, Sept. 4, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., at the Edenvale Branch Library, 101 Branham Ln. East
• Saturday, Sept. 6, from 10:00 a.m. to noon, at the Berryessa Branch Library, 3355 Noble Ave.

San Jose is not the agricultural “Valley of Heart’s Delight” that it was 50 years ago, and within a few years it will probably not be the suburban bedroom community it is today. A more densely populated, more urban San Jose is the future, and it is something we should look forward to, both to protect the environment from sprawl, and to turn San Jose into a world-class city. If you want to influence how the city changes, these community workshops are a starting point.