Case Study

Case Study: Portola Valley Town Center Portola Valley, California

How green is my valley: When a community founded on environmental principles had to move its civic center from an unsafe site, a highly sustainable replacement evolved.

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.

Published July 10, 2009

(2009, July 10). Case Study: Portola Valley Town Center Portola Valley, California. Retrieved from https://www.buildinggreen.com/case-study/case-study-portola-valley-town-center-portola-valley-california