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Building a Region That Works: Aligning Jobs, Infrastructure, and Opportunity

When the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) released its newest Blueprint in January 2025, it did more than set a long-term direction for growth – it reinforced a practical truth the Capital Region has been proving for years: Our region’s future success depends on aligning transportation, housing, and land use with the growth of good jobs and community investments – so both urban and rural economic centers are connected, accessible, and positioned to thrive.

At Valley Vision, that alignment has been at the heart of our work with SACOG for more than two decades. Since partnering to engage the community around the region’s first Blueprint in 2004, Valley Vision and SACOG have worked side by side to advance shared economic, environmental, and equity goals – staying engaged not just in planning, but in how those plans are implemented on the ground. That collaboration deepened in 2016 with the launch of the Prosperity Partnership, a formal collaboration between SACOG, Valley Vision, the Greater Sacramento Economic Council, the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, and the Sacramento Asian Chamber of Commerce. The Partnership was created to intentionally align transportation and housing investments with economic growth, workforce needs, and environmental outcomes – ensuring that regional growth translates into opportunity and improved quality of life across communities.

The Prosperity Partnership ushered in a major investment from the state of California through CA Jobs First, which resulted in We Prosper Together, our region’s roadmap for economic growth. Together, The Blueprint and We Prosper Together plans are aligned so that economic growth doesn’t happen in isolation, but in places where people can actually access opportunity.

On January 29, 2026, CapRadio Insight host Vicki Gonzalez was joined by Valley Vision’s Evan Schmidt and SACOG’s James Corless to discuss how the 2025 Blueprint is helping the region plan for the next 25 years of growth, and how aligned initiatives like We Prosper Together are ensuring that good-paying jobs are part of the solution.

Growing the Right Industries in the Right Places

The Capital Region is diversifying its economy around sectors where we already have strong assets – and where growth translates into good-paying jobs.

One of the clearest examples is advanced and precision manufacturing, particularly semiconductors. The region’s semiconductor activity is growing at a rate 26 times more concentrated than the national average, supported by firms like Bosch in Roseville and Solidigm in Rancho Cordova. These companies are anchoring economic centers that depend on access to training and talent, reliable and modern transportation infrastructure, and nearby housing – exactly the conditions the Blueprint is designed to support.

Biotechnology is another cornerstone. The Capital Region’s unique blend of agricultural abundance and research excellence has positioned it as a hub for biotech innovation—from food and agriculture to medicine and medical technologies. Anchored by University of California, Davis and UC Davis Health, and strengthened by assets like Aggie Square, this sector is translating research into real-world applications, startups, and jobs.

In both cases, our community colleges and universities, in partnership with municipalities and workforce partners, are building industry-aligned pipelines so residents – especially those historically excluded from the innovation economy – can access these careers.

Our region’s future success depends on aligning transportation, housing, and land use with the growth of good jobs and community investments.

Measurable Results

Both We Prosper Together and the SACOG Blueprint are delivering results. For example, 12,500 housing units were completed in the region in 2024, representing a near two-decade high in new housing construction. This annual level surpasses the near-term growth projection in the 2025 Blueprint plan. In fact, when adjusting for population, the SACOG region has led California in housing production not just this year, but for eight years in a row (SACOG Regional Progress Report). 

We Prosper Together is also showing promising results. Through We Prosper Together, the region has already secured and awarded $9 million across 22 projects, leveraging an additional $6.7 million and delivering concrete outcomes:

  • 12 new workforce training programs
  • 826 underserved residents connected to workforce pipelines
  • 170 organizations with increased capacity to deliver results
  • Stronger economic centers in manufacturing, biotech, healthcare, food systems, and clean energy

Together these outcomes reinforce the importance of aligned strategy:  creating job and training opportunities, housing near job centers, transportation options that expand access, and land use strategies that support infill and reduce congestion.

Valley Vision CEO Evan Schmidt provided remarks at SACOG’s Blueprint adoption event on January 27, 2026.

Looking to the Future

Looking ahead to 2050, success means a Capital Region with multiple vibrant job centers connected by safe roads, efficient transit and trails; revitalized commercial districts; and a diversified economy anchored in biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and sustainable food systems. It means rural communities that are economically strong and climate-resilient, and an innovation economy that more people can participate in. Valley Vision is proud to work alongside SACOG and many civic, business, and community partners to ensure that alignment continues – so that growth translates into opportunity, and plans translate into results.

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Evan Schmidt is Valley Vision’s Chief Executive Officer.