Priority Conservation Areas

On May 2, 2025, the City of Redwood City submitted nominations to the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) for three geographic areas within its jurisdictional boundaries to be newly designated as Priority Conservation Areas (PCAs). In September 2025, ABAG accepted Redwood City's nominated PCAs and officially adopted them as part of the PCA Program. To view Redwood City's PCAs within the regional context, see ABAG's PCA Mapping Viewer here.

This page provides information about the PCA program and is intended to answer the following questions: 

• What is a PCA?

• What are the benefits of adopting PCAs for local jurisdictions? 

• Do PCAs impact local development rights or change how property owners can use their land? 

• What are the areas nominated as PCAs in Redwood City and why were they selected?

What is a PCA?

A PCA is a geographic area that can include one or more of the following attributes: natural habitats, farms and ranchlands, recreation areas, urban green spaces, and locations that can help fight the effects of climate change. PCAs are intended to be used by local jurisdictions to identify where planning, policy, and implementation activities are needed to make improvements that support local jurisdictions’ goals such as creating better access to recreation opportunities, reducing the urban heat island effect, and supporting climate resilience. PCAs may be categorized by one or more of these five designations simultaneously:

1. Natural Lands: Areas critical to the functioning of wildlife and plant habitats, aquatic ecosystems and the region’s water supply and quality.
2. Agricultural & Working Lands: Farmland, grazing land and timberland that support the region’s agricultural economy and provide additional benefits such as habitat protection and carbon capture.
3. Urban Greening: Existing and potential green spaces in cities that improve community health, capture carbon emissions, address stormwater, and enhance the public realm.
4. Recreation: Existing and potential parks, trails, and other publicly accessible recreation facilities that support community wellbeing.
5. Climate Adaptation (must be co-designated with one of the other four): Areas that will accommodate habitat range shifts and will buffer climate impacts to enhance ecosystem and community resilience.

Due to the wide range of designation categories, a PCA can be located in a natural area such as a coastal wetland or an urbanized area such as Downtown Redwood City as long as it meets certain criteria established by AGAG/MTC. To learn more about the objectives behind the five PCA designations, see the ABAG/MTC resource document here. 

PCA Benefits

The primary benefit of adopting a PCA is that it makes local jurisdictions eligible for ABAG/MTC funding through the One Bay Area Grant (OBAG) program. Grants may be used for planning and capital improvement projects that advance the goals of the local jurisdictions and the PCA program within the adopted PCA areas. The grant allocation process for PCAs is competitive among all jurisdictions that have an ABAG-adopted PCA. PCA Grant applications require documentation of community engagement efforts with key stakeholders such as property owners in and adjacent to proposed project areas. 

Since 2013, a total of $38 million in grants have been invested in PCAs. In 2024, ABAG/MTC awarded a total of $8.5 million to 13 Bay Area organizations for investments in PCAs and released another PCA Grant Program Call for Projects of $8 million in late 2025. 

PCAs and Development Rights 

A PCA is not a land use designation and a PCA designation does not in any way change the land use status of a piece of property. Local jurisdictions maintain planning and permitting authority over all property in an adopted PCA, and private property owners fully maintain their development rights. Additionally, if a property owner wants to make improvements to their property and it is within a PCA, a PCA designation does not add any requirements to the approval process beyond what is already required by applicable jurisdictions at the time an application is submitted. In summary, PCAs do not impact local development rights or change how property owners can use their land.  

Redwood City’s PCAs

The City of Redwood City has three separate, non-overlapping geographic areas that were adopted as PCAs by ABAG/MTC as described below and noted on the maps below. 

Click here to view the full size overview map of all three PCA geographies.

Greater Downtown & Southeast Redwood City 

The Greater Downtown & Southeast Redwood City PCA mostly urbanized and identified by ABAG/MTC as a regional priority area for urban greening and recreation. The City has identified these areas as lacking sufficient parks and open space to serve residents and as deficient in urban street tree canopy as compared to other parts of Redwood City. Additionally, these areas regularly experience flooding events due to sea level rise and storm water. Portions of these areas are also designated as Equity Priority Communities in ABAG/MTC’s Plan Bay Area. The Greater Downtown & Southeast Redwood City PCA was adopted by ABAG under the urban greening, recreation, and climate adaptation designations. 

Click here to view the full size map of the Greater Downtown & Southeast Redwood City PCA geography.

Redwood Shores 

The Redwood Shores PCA primarily includes coastal recreational and open spaces identified by ABAG/MTC as regional priorities for climate adaptation and recreation. The City recognizes these areas as highly valued outdoor recreation resources for local residents and visitors and as playing a critical role in the City’s long-term strategy for maintaining and improving Redwood City’s climate resilience. The Redwood Shores PCA was adopted by ABAG under the recreation and climate adaptation designations.  

Click here to view the full size map of the Redwood Shores PCA geography.

Bair Island & Westpoint Slough 

The Bair Island & Westpoint Slough PCA includes primarily coastal recreational and open spaces identified by ABAG/MTC as regional priorities for climate adaptation and recreation. The City recognizes these areas as highly valued outdoor recreation resources for local residents and visitors and as playing a critical role in the City’s long-term strategy for maintaining and improving Redwood City’s climate resilience. The Bair Island & Westpoint Slough PCA was adopted by ABAG under the recreation and climate adaptation designations.

Click here to view the full size map of the Bair Island & Westpoint Slough PCA geography.

Additional Resources 

The ABAG/MTC website includes the following information about PCAs:

Questions on PCAs

For questions on Redwood City’s PCAs that are not answered above, please connect with Planning Division staff at planning@redwoodcity.org.