Center for Cities & Schools

California School Facilities

We provide thoughtful, objective, and empirically-driven research and policy and practice recommendations to California’s local and state leaders to ensure high quality learning environments for all children in schools that are sustainable centers of communities. Our work is greatly informed by the growing evidence that public school environments contribute to student achievement and community quality; public schools are unique and influential public infrastructure.

Connecting Sectors

Joint Use Schools Initiative

California School Facilities

Cultivating Leadership

Engaging Students & Schools

Smart Schools for Sustainable Communities: Aligning Sustainable Communities Planning and Public Education in California (Invited Policy Roundtable): CC&S partnered with the California Strategic Growth Council and the California Department of Education to host an invited roundtable, bringing together local and state leaders together to discuss promising strategies for linking public schools to the creation of healthy, sustainable communities. Topics included, integrating schools into regional Sustainable Communities Strategies and local planning activities, school siting and design, and green construction. Participants worked together to identify policy opportunities for improving educational experiences and realizing sustainable communities.; Download Roundtable Summary Report (PDF); Download California Department of Education Presentation (PPT)


Smart Schools, Smart Growth: Investing in Education Facilities and Stronger Communities: Joint Working Paper by PACE (Policy Analysis for California Education) and Center for Cities & Schools; CC&S joins PACE to explore California's historic $82 billion school construction investment opportunity to advance educational quality and lift local communities. This report contributes to a new conversation about how mindful school construction decisions can enrich metropolitan areas and sustainable forms of regional development.; Download Working Paper (PDF)

Re-Visioning School Facility Planning and Design for the 21st Century: Creating Optimal Learning Environments: Roundtable hosted by the California Department of Education (CDE) School Facilities Planning Division and facilitated by Center for Cities & Schools; October 15 and 16, 2008; In partnership with CDE, CC&S designed and facilitated a two-day roundtable, convening 75 national and state education and design leaders to explore the relationship between school design and learning and to generate recommendations for improved state policy on school design. From this “public research” event, CC&S crafted a proceedings summary with detailed state policy recommendations generated by participants. For more information on the Roundtable, visit CDE’s website.; Download Executive Summary (PDF); Download Proceedings Report (PDF)

The Complex and Multi-Faceted Nature of School Construction Costs: Factors Affecting California. A Report to the American Institute of Architects California Council: By Jeffrey M. Vincent and Deborah McKoy; Over the past ten years, public education construction has seen unprecedented growth and California is among the front runners driving this trend. Rising costs, however, are increasing rapidly, impacting school districts' ability to deliver the schools they are promising their constituents. This research report addresses the void in understanding school construction costs by addressing two key questions: What are the factors affecting school construction costs in California? In what ways do these factors compare nationally and in other states? We use interviews, focus groups, and policy and statistical analysis to compare California and seven comparison states.; Download Executive Summary (PDF); Download Report (PDF)

Partnerships for Joint Use: Expanding the Use of Public School Infrastructure to Benefit Students and Communities: Jeffrey M. Vincent; Funded by the Council of Educational Facility Planners International, this study categorizes the types of joint use used by school districts utilized in California. We discern the challenges and lessons in joint use partnerships and make policy, procedural, and research recommendations to better support the joint use of public schools throughout the country.; Download Full Report (PDF); Download Executive Summary (PDF)

Green Star Schools Pilot Program: The Green Schools Initiative and the UC Berkeley Center for Cities & Schools are awarded a UC Berkeley Chancellor's Community Partnership Fund grant to pilot the new model Green Star Schools certification program in Berkeley and engage elementary school students in a service-learning program to "green" their school by reducing waste, pollution, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. The Chancellor's Community Partnership Fund supports partnerships between local community members and University of California, Berkeley, students, faculty and staff to improve public safety, work to close the achievement gap, and help protect the environment in the city of Berkeley.; Download Press Release (PDF)


San Francisco's Public School Facilities as Public Assets: A Shared Understanding and Policy Recommendations for the Community Use of Schools: Report prepared for San Francisco Unified School District and San Francisco's Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families; This report presents research findings and policy recommendations from a year-long process involving a diverse stakeholder group to establish a more effective "joint use" strategy in San Francisco that supports students, families, schools and communities. The report includes: a) detailed descriptions and diagrams of current SFUSD facility policies and processes; b) findings on current utilization, management, policy, and budget; and c) policy recommendations to encourage a "culture" of community use of schools that prioritize partnerships with organizations that provide programs and services to SFUSD students and that are aligned with the District's goals.; Download Full Report; Download Executive Summary

School Construction Policies to Support Sustainable Communities: California's Golden Opportunity: Jeffrey M. Vincent; Testimony at the Joint Informational Hearing for the California Senate Committee on Housing and Transportation and the Senate Select Committee on State School Facilities: "Schools as Centers of Sustainable Communities: A Vision for Future School Facility Construction," December 15, 2009.; Download Testimony (PDF); Watch the Hearing; Download Hearing Agenda (PDF)

K-12 School Facility Construction: Developing a Vision for California's Infrastructure Investment.: Jeff Vincent presents on CC&S research and policy recommendations at the California Senate Select Committee on State School Facilities' Hearing (July 14, 2009).; View agenda here; View Jeff's presentation here; Watch the hearing here

Integrating Infrastructure Planning: The Role of Schools. ACCESS 33 (4): Deborah McKoy, Jeffrey M. Vincent, and Carrie Makarewicz; This article discusses the ways in which schools affect urban development and transportation, acknowledging that their location, design, and physical condition may be some of the most important determinants of neighborhood vitality. As California continues to grow and the state continues to make significant investments in public school facilities, crafting a vision and strategic supporting policies to ensure growth and prosperity becomes ever more important. The article presents three key recommendations to align school planning with broader infrastructure planning and investment.; Download Article (PDF)

Joint Use School Partnerships in California: Strategies to Enhance Schools and Communities: Tamar Cooper and Jeffrey M. Vincent; A Joint Report from Center for Cities & Schools (CC&S) and Public Health Law and Policy (PHLP); While successful joint use partnerships can be found across California and the country, lack of information, guidance, and best practices keep many localities from pursuing this collaborative strategy. CC&S partnered with Public Health Law and Policy (PHLP) to conduct initial research on joint use school facility partnerships in California. Our report looks at joint use partnerships in the California policy context, focusing on three cases: opening up existing school yards for public use in San Francisco; building new joint use gymnasiums in Rosemead; and building a joint use child development center in Clovis (appendices include formal case agreements). The report provides key lessons learned and recommended steps to crafting effective joint use partnerships.; Download Executive Summary (296 KB); Download Full Report (without Appendices. 751 KB); Download Full Report (with Appendices, [6.6 MB])

Ad-Hoc Coalition for Healthy School Siting: CC&S partnered with the Local Government Commission and other members of the Ad-Hoc Coalition for Healthy School Siting to provide school facility planning and design policy recommendations to the California Department of Education (CDE). The Ad-Hoc Coalition for Healthy School Siting is a group of five entities across California that have analyzed research and policies related to school location and design, and corresponding impacts on education, health, transportation, and community design. Our first policy memo in 2008 obtained support from 42 California-based organizations. Key aspects of “healthy school siting” include locations that are walkable, bicycle-friendly, and that are well integrated into communities and neighborhoods.; Download Policy Memo (PDF)

Building Schools, Building Communities: The Role of State Policy in California - Proceedings Paper.: CC&S and the American Architectural Foundation convened more than 40 policymakers and practitioners from across California to dialogue on the state’s massive ongoing investment in building new schools.; Download Report (PDF)