Growing Cooler The Evidence on

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Growing Cooler The Evidence on Urban
Development and Climate Change
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The three-legged stool
Vehicle Miles Travelled
Fuelcarboncontent
MPG
We need progress on all 3 legs, but climate
policy discussions have mostly ignored VMT
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VMT growing faster than population
Growth of VMT, vehicle registrations, and
population in the United States relative to 1980
values
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Why do we drive so much?
Does it look like we have any other choice?
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If Trends Continue

• The total amount of miles we drive will grow 59
  percent
• From 2005-2030
• Source U.S. Dept. of Energy

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Bottom line of the research

• Compact, walkable neighborhoods cut VMT
• by an average of
• 30 percent
• (With higher ranges possible)

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Compact Development Reduces Driving
Driving vs. Residential Density
35000
30000
25000
IOn, Mount Pleasant SC
SF
Miles Driven per Household
20000
- - - - LA
--single-family
--- - - Chicago
15000
--townhouses
-- mid-rise condos
10000
--high-rises
5000
0
50
100
150
200
Households/Acre
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People in walkable neighborhoods drive less

• People who live in neighborhoods with the lowest
  walkability drive
• 39 miles more per person each weekday
• 30 more than those with the highest walk-
  ability.
• On weekends, those in most walkable drive 40
  less
• SMARTRAQ report, 2007

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Projected 2030 Savings from Compact Development

• Shifting 60 of new growth to compact
• patterns
• 85 million metric tons of CO2 in 2030
• Would be equal to a 28 increase in CAFE
  standards to 32 mpg in 2020 (but benefits extend
  well beyond)
• Fuel cost savings in 2030 24 billion
• Cumulative 250 billion

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Growing Cooler What it means

• Meeting the growing demand for
• conveniently located homes in
• walkable neighborhoods could
• significantly reduce the growth
• in the number of miles
• Americans drive, shrinking the
• nations carbon footprint while
• giving people more housing
• choices

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The 5D Variables

• Density
• Diversity (of land use mix)
• Design
• Destination (accessibility)
• Distance (to transit)

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Is there a market for walkable neighborhoods?

• Survey
• 6 in 10 prospective homebuyers chose walkable
  neighborhoods with less time spent driving
• African-Americans and Hispanics even more likely
  to prefer compact neighborhoods
• Source 2004 poll by National Association of
  Realtors and Smart Growth America

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Balancing Our Budget

• Compact development reduces infrastructure costs
  and saves money.
• Average annual cost to service a new family of
  four (police, fire, highway, schools and sewer)
• Compact suburban Shelby County, KY 88.27
• Sprawling Pendleton County, KY 1,222.39
• Sources Brookings Institution

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5 Metro Stations in Arlington, VA
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5 Metro Stations in Arlington, VA
Undisturbed
Undisturbed
Undisturbed
Undisturbed
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Outcomes in Arlington

• 73.3 of patrons walk to transit over 58,000
  trips daily
• 38 of residents near stations take transit to
  work
• 12 of Arlington County households dont own
  cars--triple the regional average
• Corridor produces 32.8 of the Countys real
  estate tax revenue from 7.6 of its land area
• Arlington has the lowest property tax of any
  major jurisdiction in Northern Virginia
• Source
• Reconnecting America, Hidden in Plain Sight, 2005

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Priority Inventment Areas

• Affordable housing
• Purchase costs no more than 28 and rental costs
  no more than 30 of - 80 of area median income
• Traditional neighborhood design design and
  appearance so that functions like traditional
  neighborhood or town.
• Reasonably high densities
• Mixture of residential and commercial uses
• Range of single and multi family housing types
• Street connectivity within development and
  surrounding

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PIA Definitions

• Market-based incentives encourage private
  developers to meet goals. Includes
• Density bonuses
• Relaxed regulations
• Reduced or waived fees
• Fast-track permitting
• Design flexibility

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Codes/Zoning

• Smart Neighborhoods model overlay ordinances
  designed to help local governments encourage
  mixed-use and compact development within the
  framework of conventional zoning.
• Maryland Smart Neighborhoods and Infill
  Development Models
• LEED-ND
• Mixed-Use Zoning Districts
• Mixed-use overlay aimed at encouraging
  market-driven, mixed-use development and
  higher-density residential projects. (ex City of
  Anaheim, CA).
• Overlay Zones
• Help to establish template for high-density,
  mixed-use while retaining existing zoning
• For established single-use areas with
  predominately commercial, office, and retail uses
  to add housing element while maintaining code
  requirements
• Incentive-base Zoning (University Neighborhood
  Overlay in Austin, TX)
• Small-lot Subdivision Ordinance
• Streamlines subdivision and entitlement process
  to encourage infill development (City of Los
  Angeles)

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SMART-CODERural-Urban Transect The zones
within the SmartCode are designed to create
complete human habitats ranging from the very
rural to the very urban. Where conventional
zoning categories are based on different land
uses, SmartCode zoning categories are based on
their rural-urban character. All categories
within the SmartCode allow some mix of uses.
SmartCode zoning categories ensure that a
community offers a full diversity of building
types, thoroughfare types, andcivic space types,
and that each has appropriate characteristics for
its location.
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Central PetalumaSmartCode

• Citys vision system for ensuring that the
  design of the public realm and the design of
  private buildings are rigorously coordinated, and
  are focused on the pedestrian experience.
• Pedestrian-oriented public-streets, plazas,
  squares and riverfront walks, lined with
  mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented buildings.

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Central PetalumaSmartCode

• To develop new, mixed-use neighborhoods with the
  following characteristics
• 5-minute walking distance from edge to center
• Mixture of land uses includes shops, workplaces,
  residences, and civic buildings in proximity.
• Variety of thoroughfares that serve the needs of
  pedestrians, cyclists and automobiles equitably
• Public open spaces that provide places for
  informal social activity and recreation and
• Building frontage that define the public space of
  each street.
• http//cityofpetaluma.net/cdd/cpsp.html

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Smart Neighborhoods

• Relatively self-contained new communities with
  a compact mix of residential, commercial,
  employment/office, and civic land uses and range
  of housing choices, with a design that fosters
  pedestrian and bicycle activity, public safety,
  environmental protection, long-term investment,
  efficient use of infrastructure, and efficient
  provision of public services.
• Large infill and greenfield sites, located
  within priority funding areas.

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Smart Neighborhoods

• Efficient use of infrastructure
• 2. Socioeconomic diversity
• 3. Transportation choice
• 4. Environmental quality
• 5. Sustained economic health
• 6. Sense of community
• 7. Logical extension and integration of
  communities

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Density Tools

• Development Rating Systems
• score-cards, decision-making tool
• - Livable Communities Coalition in Atlanta
• - Smart Growth Criteria Matrix in Austin. TX
• Financial Incentives
• Mixed-use projects carry the dual burdens of
  decreased certainty of approval and perceived
  increase in risk. In order to encourage mixed-use
  development, jurisdictions need to provide
  developers with increased certainty of approval,
  incentives, or a reduced share of the costs of
  public amenities.

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INCENTIVES FOR DEVELOPERS

• 1. Property tax abatements
• 2. Grants
• 3. Low interest loans
• 4. Preferential fee structuring
• 5. Rebate or payback programs to ensure
  contiguous development.
• 6. Priority status for development review
• 7. Align capital improvement program (CIP) to
  ensure the provision of adequate public
  facilities in smart neighborhood areas.

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EDUCATION

• See 2030
• November 19 Brownfield Redevelopment