Increasing urban green space can mean adding new parks and natural areas, but it also means integrating native habitat in urban design. Google’s North Bayshore Master Plan, approved in June by the Mountain View City Council, is a stellar example of how to create urban ecology that benefits both wildlife and people.

A Decade of Effort

In 2012, Green Foothills and other organizations including the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society, the Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter, Citizens Committee to Complete the Refuge, and the California Native Plant Society, began meeting with Google’s real estate team to discuss the company’s plans for expanding its campus in the North Bayshore neighborhood of Mountain View.

At the time, Google (like every other company) did not give much thought to enhancing and restoring habitat and ecology in its development plans. But when our organizations pointed out the unique ecological qualities of North Bayshore – the proximity of the Bay wetlands and tidal ponds, the two riparian corridors of Stevens and Permanente Creek, the potential for habitat restoration in the wetland area of the Charleston Retention Basin, and the naturally occuring egret rookery right in the middle of Google’s existing campus – the Google team realized the amazing opportunity in front of them. That led to an ongoing partnership and a commitment to ecology that has made its way into every subsequent Google development project in our region.

There were many delays along the way, but finally on June 13 the Mountain View City Council approved the North Bayshore Master Plan, making possible a vision for urban ecology in this area.

Creating an “Eco Gem” of Natural Habitat in Place of a Suburban Office Park

The North Bayshore Master Plan achieves on a neighborhood scale the type of climate-resilient growth we need to see on a regional scale. Google’s plan pulls development back from the wetlands, riparian areas and the Bay, and increases density along the busy corridor of Shoreline Boulevard. In this way, Google will be able to add 7,000 new housing units in addition to its office space, while also increasing the amount of open space and parkland in the plan area. Protecting and restoring open space and wildlife habitat while focusing growth in infill areas is exactly what is needed for climate resilience.

The increase in open space includes the “Eco Gem” and “Shorebird Wilds.” The “Eco Gem” will be created by removing over 10 acres of office buildings and parking lots in order to restore willow groves and other habitat on that land. Its location next to the Charleston Basin wetland (where Google previously removed invasive species and planted native wetland species) will result in 20 acres of urban green space. The part of Shorebird Way that is home to the egret rookery will become “Shorebird Wilds,” replacing what today is a city street with a 4.5-acre natural park. In addition, Google’s commitment to landscaping with native plants, including milkweed and flower gardens to support monarch butterflies, will create pockets and corridors of habitat for pollinating insects and migratory and local birds throughout the new development.

Unprecedented Commitment to Urban Ecology Earns Uncommon Support

The North Bayshore Master Plan isn’t perfect – for example, many trees will be removed and it will be years before newly planted trees can recreate the urban tree canopy – but it is unprecedented in its commitment to urban ecology. Green Foothills rarely actively supports development plans, but we were proud to speak out in favor of this plan together with our partner environmental organizations.

We extend our thanks and appreciation to everyone at Google and its partners who worked hard for so long to bring this plan to fruition, and we hope that every other developer and company in our region will take this plan as a model.