Southern California Association of Governments

The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) is the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) of six of the ten counties in Southern California, serving Imperial County, Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, and Ventura County. San Diego County's MPO is the San Diego Association of Governments, which is an unrelated agency.

Southern California Association of Governments
SCAG
Agency overview
FormedOctober 28, 1965[1]
JurisdictionRegional (Metropolitan planning organization)
Headquarters900 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1700,[2] Los Angeles, California 90017
Websitewww.scag.ca.gov

SCAG is the largest MPO in the United States, representing over 18.5 million people in an area covering over 38,000 square miles (98,000 km2). As the designated MPO, SCAG is mandated by the federal government to research and draw up plans for transportation, growth management, hazardous waste management, and air quality. Additional mandates exist at the state level [3]

Governance

SCAG's policy direction is guided by the 86-member official governing board known as the Regional Council. The Regional Council is composed of 67 Districts that include an elected representative of one or more cities of approximately equal population levels that have a geographic community of interest (except the City of Long Beach, which has two representatives). Additionally, membership in SCAG's Regional Council includes one representative from each county Board of Supervisors (except the County of Los Angeles, which has two representatives). SCAG's Regional Council also includes one representative of the Southern California Native American Tribal Governments. Finally, all members of the Los Angeles City Council are each considered members of the SCAG Regional Council, and the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles, serves as the Los Angeles City At-Large Representative.[4]

SCAG Member Cities

As of December 2014, the SCAG region consists of 191 cities, six counties, and one Tribal Government. Members include:

History

The Southern California Association of Governments was formed on October 28, 1965, with the purpose of conducting growth forecasts and regional planning. With each new federal transportation authorization and key state legislation, SCAG’s roles and responsibilities have increased and expanded beyond transportation planning.

In recent years, SCAG has taken a leadership role in goods movement activities and its impact on the Southern California region. In 2008, the California State Legislature passed SB 375, which sets a framework and target dates to achieve Green House Gas reductions. This legislation impacts transportation planning, growth and development, housing, and land use decisions. It also expands the role of SCAG in setting regional targets.

See also
  • Hal Bernson, Los Angeles City Council member, 1979–2003, former SCAG chairman

References
  1. "Southern California Association of Governments - About SCAG". Southern California Association of Governments. Archived from the original on 2014-12-23. Retrieved 2014-12-23.
  2. "Southern California Association of Governments - SCAG Offices". Southern California Association of Governments. Archived from the original on 2014-12-23. Retrieved 2014-12-23.
  3. "Southern California Association of Governments - About SCAG". Southern California Association of Governments. Archived from the original on 2014-12-23. Retrieved 2014-12-23.
  4. "Southern California Association of Governments - Governing Structure". Southern California Association of Governments. Archived from the original on 2014-12-23. Retrieved 2014-12-23.
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