The vision was recommended in the 2018 second edition of the Tri-Valley Rising report that identified the key advantages this area holds over the rest of the Bay Area. Obviously, one is location: a counter commute for professionals in the rest of the Bay Area plus access to the skilled labor force in the San Joaquin Valley for manufacturers.
The others are quality k-12 school districts, the most educated workforce in the Bay Area, an enviable quality of life and a robust economy with a $42 billion GDP (about the same as the Raleigh-Durham triangle in North Carolina).
About 80 people convened in November to start the process with a half-day meeting that was facilitated by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute. The council, an arm of the Bay Area Council, will drive the process in partnership with the Innovation Tri-Valley Leadership Group. It calls for four half-day meetings focused on key areas such as transportation and housing as well as envisioning what life will be like in 20 years. For instance, self-driving cars will be common—Baby Boomers will have died or be in the last stages of their lives and the millennials would be in or approaching middle age.
The meetings also will ask how to maintain and enhance the family-oriented communities that have thrived here for decades. It’s been an advantage to attract people looking for a great place to raise children.
A press release after the November meeting quoted Innovation chair Steve Lanza, “"With the continued economic growth in the Tri-Valley, it is critical that we protect the social and economic environment we are part of. Key to this is the development of a holistic strategy and plan to support the amazing quality of life we have, the immense educational advantage our workforce has and the economic engine that exists, all while supporting those who struggle with the lack of adequate infrastructure."
After the economic council finishes the four workshops, it will develop a series of recommendations and convene a smaller group for a summit to settle on the Vision 2040 and the plan to implement it.
Innovation Tri-Valley welcomes public participation. You can volunteer by emailing info@innovationtrivalley.org
