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La Valentina North is a unique infill housing development located near the La Valentina Station, a Sacramento Regional Transit light rail station, in downtown Sacramento, California. The near-Net Zero project consists of four three-story townhouse style buildings designed with energy efficiency and environmental stewardship at the core. La Valentina also aims to promote pedestrian activity, encourage light rail ridership, and reduce blight within the area. 2 SMUD HOMES OF THE FUTURE LA VALENTINA NORTH CASE STUDY
The La Valentina North site is located in the Alkali Flat neighborhood, the oldest residential neighborhood in Sacramento, with several century-old buildings dating as far back as 1853. The site is surrounded <strong>by</strong> existing urban uses and old infrastructure. In the 1950s the area became the focus of redevelopment efforts, although the area continued to suffer from blight, crime, and high retail vacancies along the 12 th Street corridor into the heart of downtown. The three lots that were merged for the site had been vacant for 18 years, and both civic leaders and neighborhood group were eager to see it developed. The La Valentina project was awarded entitlements after a robust 18-month community outreach process that included over 20 public meetings. The project received overwhelming support from the Planning Commission, Design Review, the Mayor, and City Council, and is widely endorsed <strong>by</strong> community stakeholders and the Sacramento Area Council of Governments. The project contributes to a shared vision that promotes compact, mixed-use development and more transportation choices. Not only does La Valentina North serve to provide much-needed affordable housing for local families, but it sets a very high standard of sustainable design to ensure continued affordability with respect to energy costs. The project’s beneficial features started with locating adjacent to existing public transit and services to reduce car dependency. Next, the selected site was a brownfield that required extensive remediation of pre-existing toxic waste, taking a blighted property and turning it into a healthy one. Then, the new buildings were constructed to be highly energy efficient in order to conserve resources, lower operating costs, and ensure user comfort. Finally, photovoltaic panels were added to provide clean on-site energy production, also relieving pressure on the existing electrical grid. SMUD HOMES OF THE FUTURE LA VALENTINA NORTH CASE STUDY 3
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Case study by Domus

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