Case Study: Portola Valley Town Center Portola Valley, California

By Sarah Amelar

Though just a few miles west of Silicon Valley’s urban hardscape, Portola Valley, California, has steadfastly retained its rural character, with forested hillsides, country roads and trails, walnut orchards, and meadows of wildflowers. Decades before “sustainable” became a household term, this well-to-do township of 9.2 square miles founded itself on environmental principles, incorporating in 1964 to block massive development and preserve the pristine landscape.