Sacramento County is unique in being a county that has a large percentage of urbanized and built out land under its jurisdiction along with large areas of open space and rural development. When the Sacramento County General Plan was last updated in 1993, the focus of the update was on new growth areas. Since 1993, Sacramento County has realized that existing older communities within its unincorporated areas need to have policies addressed in the General Plan in order for these areas to remain viable places to live and work in.

Several agencies in the County have begun to take steps in addressing the issues facing mature communities. These include the Planning and Community Development Department, the Economic Development Department, and the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA). The tools and techniques used to address the concerns and issues in Mature Communities by these agencies include the following:

• Community Plan Updates for Cordova, Arden-Arcade, and Carmichael
• Establishment of Community Services Team for Cordova, Fair Oaks, Orangevale, North Highlands, and South Sacramento
• Decentralization of planning and code enforcement services
• Identification of Mather AFB, McClellan AFB, Walnut Grove, and Auburn Blvd. as redevelopment areas
• Programs offered to local communities in both commercial/business assistance and housing assistance
• Streetscape Enhancement Projects and the establishment of Property Based Business Improvement Districts (PBIDs) in commercial corridors