The Bay Area’s newest conservation community offers a fresh approach to living in harmony with nature.

A well-designed conservation community aims to minimize its impact on the land. For Curt Johansen, a developer with over 35 years of experience creating award-winning commercial and residential projects, his vision for a conservation community is now taking shape in the Bay Area at Lagoon Valley. It’s a live/work/play community that seeks to balance environmental integration, walkability, and sustainability—demonstrating how these principles can coexist while preserving approximately 85% of the area as open space and recreation. This approach suggests that development may not always come at the expense of the environment.

Located in Vacaville and conveniently connected to Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco, Walnut Creek, Sacramento, and Silicon Valley, Lagoon Valley challenges conventional ideas of the typical American neighborhood. Rather than neglecting the natural environment, placing homes far from open spaces, relying heavily on cars for access to services and recreation, and lacking sustainable resource designs for conservation, Lagoon Valley proposes an alternative model. It aims to embody the principles of community biodiversity—emphasizing smart planning, environmental stewardship, and a strong sense of community.

Photo: Pexels.com

While conservation communities are more common in Asia and Europe, they are still relatively new in the United States. Johansen, Lagoon Valley’s Development Director, has spent the past 22 years researching and planning this distinctive community, focusing on five principles to encourage harmony between human activity and the natural world.

“People in Northern California often appreciate how to balance sustainable principles and a high quality of life while minimizing trade-offs,” says Johansen. “Well-integrated live-work-play communities can include all the amenities—residential, commercial, and open space—along with features that enhance the quality of life.”

Lagoon Valley Was Designed Around Five Conservation Community Principles

• Preserve and Connect to Open Spaces – The 14 largely walkable and bike-friendly neighborhoods are designed to connect with trails that provide access to adjoining villages, the Town Center, the Farm, numerous neighborhood parks and open spaces, recreational facilities, and a Community Event Center. Approximately 85% of the area has been allocated to open space and recreation, with a focus on preserving natural ecosystems while minimizing disruption. Restorative ecological practices, such as reclaiming undernourished land, aim to support diverse natural ecosystems.
• Support Local Organic Agriculture – The 5-acre Farm is intended to serve as both an educational resource and a practical amenity for the Lagoon Valley community and the wider Vacaville region. Residents may enjoy fresh, organic produce, cooking classes, and the opportunity to farm a personal plot. The Farm plans to offer weekly produce boxes available for pickup at the Farm Stand. Local school tours could help educate children about the importance of organic and locally grown food.
• Conserve Energy and Water Resources – The homes and commercial buildings are built to exceed California’s Title-24 requirements for energy conservation, featuring options like solar photovoltaic and battery storage systems. Some homes may also include greywater recycling systems, potentially reducing potable water consumption by up to 50%. With over 122 acres of biological preservation areas, Lagoon Valley strives to be a model of conservation.
• Safety-First Design for Fire and Flood Resilience – Lagoon Valley’s 7,000+ yard golf course was designed to act as a buffer between neighborhoods and the hillside open space. The golf course includes 156 acre-feet of stormwater detention basins, which are expected to help mitigate community and downstream flooding. Emergency vehicle access provides multiple first responder routes in and out of the valley—and the recent opening of a 24/7 full-service Fire Station, centrally located off Conservancy Trail, aims to enhance safety.
• Foster Residential Diversity and Placemaking – Neighborhoods feature homes in a range of sizes and price points, alongside affordable housing and age-qualified homes to promote multi-generational living. The Event Center/Golf Clubhouse includes amenities such as tennis, pickleball, swimming, fitness, and restaurant/banquet facilities for events of varying sizes, as well as pedestrian access to the Town Center and Farm and Gardens. The Town Center is planned to offer centrally located neighborhood shops with goods and services tailored to Lagoon Valley residents.

Photo Courtesy: Lagoon Valley

Explore Lagoon Valley at the Visitors Center, located at 200 Mount Royal Road in Vacaville, open 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, Wednesday through Sunday. Visitors can tour models of new home neighborhoods, Lilac Ridge by Lennar and Rosemary Grove by Taylor Morrison. For all updates, go to Lagoon-Valley.com.

Published by Jeremy S.