The City Council decides every five years how many dollars to plow into infrastructure, Hamilton said. Officials try to spend this money strategically rather than sprinkling it on projects all over town, he said. The city staff draws up master plans for sewers, water and traffic, which help officials decide what areas can support growth and where the infrastructure needs shoring up. These upgrades themselves won't tear open the growth sluiceways, Hamilton said. But deteriorating sewer lines and a maxed-out water system can crimp development before it happens.
Good planning means more than making sure there's enough water running from taps.
People should not have to go more than a mile for a convenience store or a grassy park, Hamilton said. Populous apartment complexes should be nearer busy roads than spacious single-family developments. The city plans to use stricter zoning to encourage better land use in these areas, creating buffers between businesses and homes, and encouraging transitions between intensive land uses like warehouses and neighborhoods. Cities redevelop about 1 percent of their territory a year, he said. Hamilton and Warren agreed that Redding often works better than it looks.