Barry Miller was selected by the Town of Moraga (population 17,600) to lead the Comprehensive Advanced Planning Initiative. The scope included the 2023–2031 Housing Element, General Plan Update, Program EIR (and Addendum), zoning revisions, adoption of Objective Design Standards for multifamily housing, and rezoning key properties to meet regional housing needs. The team included Rincon (CEQA), Fehr & Peers (transportation), BAE (housing and economics), and Aaron Welch.

The General Plan represents a shift in Moraga’s approach to growth. Incorporated in 1974 to protect its semi-rural character, Moraga’s earlier plans emphasized low-density development. As a result, the town experienced no multifamily development for nearly 50 years. The updated plan reframes higher-density housing as a means to enhance sustainability, resilience, and economic vitality. The resulting plan is both visionary and practical, fulfilling state housing mandates while preserving the qualities that residents value most about their town.

The Plan allows for roughly 1,800 new housing units and new commercial space, focused in two aging shopping centers. Built in 1957 and 1964 along a proposed freeway that was never constructed, both centers have high vacancy rates and underutilized areas. The Plan envisions them as mixed-use “villages” connected to neighborhoods, parks, and Saint Mary’s College.

The planning process was the most extensive in Moraga’s history, engaging over 1,000 residents through meetings, workshops, surveys, displays, articles, presentations, roundtables, and hearings. The result is a user-friendly General Plan that meets State mandates while reflecting local values and priorities. In 2025, the adopted General Plan received an Award of Merit for Comprehensive Planning from the Northern California section of the APA.