Lunch Plenary: Geoff Anderson, Executive Director, Smart Growth America

1. Regional
Redevelopment
Summit
Geoff Anderson
Smart Growth America
March 7, 2008

2. Changes in Washington
• Rise of Issues Significant for Redevelopment
– Climate
– Transportation
– Infrastructure
– Foreclosure
– Economic Stimulus
– Energy
• Change in Administration, Changes in Congress

3. Growing Cooler:
The Evidence on Urban Development and
Climate Change
Smart Growth America, The Urban Land Institute

4. Transportation Greenhouse Gases:
Three Legs of a Stool
Vehicle Efficiency (mpg)
Fuel Greenhouse Gas content (Fuel GHG)
Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT)
Need progress on all three, but climate policy
discussions have ignored VMT

5. US VMT Growth Projected to Outpace
Vehicle & Fuel Improvements
170%
160% VMT
150%
CO2
140%
2005 = 100%
130%
120%
MPG
110%
100% Fuel GHG
90%
80% 1990 CO2
70%
2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030
Source: EIA AEO 2007

6. Senate CAFE (35 mpg) + CA Fuel Standards (-
10%): 40% above 1990 Levels in 2030
170%
VMT
160%
150%
140%
2005 = 100%
130% MPG
120%
110%
CO2
100%
Fuel GHG
90%
80% 1990 CO2
70%
2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030
Sources: VM T: EIA wit h 10%rebound M PG: US Senat e, Fuels: CARB

7. The 3 Questions Answered in
Growing Cooler
• What reduction in vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) is
possible in the United States with compact
development rather than continuing urban sprawl?
• What reduction in CO2 emissions will accompany
such a reduction in VMT?
• What policy changes will be required to shift the
dominant land development pattern from sprawl to
compact development?
– Does the U.S. want compact development?

8. Four Literatures – Core of ULI
Book
• Aggregate travel studies
• Disaggregate travel studies
• Regional simulation studies
• Project simulation studies

9. 25% Less VMT with Compact
Development
30
27
Avg. Daily Vehicle Miles Traveled per Capita
25
21
20
15
10
5
0
Ten Most Compact Metros Ten Least Sprawling Metros

10. Atlantic Station vs. Henry County

11. Regional Accessibility Accounts
for Savings of 1/3 VMT
600,000
Cobb/Fulton Henry County
500,000
Sandy Springs
400,000
Atlantic
Daily VMT
Station
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
1

12. 20-40% VMT Reduction for Each
Increment of Compact
Development

13. 7-10% Reduction in Total CO2
Emissions in 2050
Only Land Development Effects
Only Transportation Sector
And Essentially Permanent

14. What Growing Cooler
Does Not Include: Revitalization
• According to NTHP:
– a 50,000 sq ft office
building= 640,000 gals
of gas
– Bldg new is like driving
2.8 million miles
– New EE bldg takes 65
yrs to break even

16. Transportation
• Interstate Era (1956) --- things start to get
bumpy, especially for cities and the poor
– Boston, Portland, New Orleans
• ISTEA (1991) – bringing in other modes, clean
air, and planning
• TEA-21/SAFETEA-LU (1998, 2005) – stay
the course,
• 2009 - $286 billion and what have we got?

17. What if…
• $286 Billion was directed towards:
– Reinvesting in existing communities and maintaining our
past investments
– Redeveloping and revitalizing communities because these
activities are both a transportation and a climate solution
– Giving metro areas a fair share
– Bringing balance to transportation systems within existing
communities so that biking, walking and public
transportation are attractive options rather than the last
resort.
• Transportation would become an engine for
Redevelopment rather than an engine of
disinvestment

18. What’s different this time?
• Transportation Fiscal Crisis Actually, A Lot
– Robbing from Peter (transit) to pay Paul (hwy)
– Recession and stimulus
– Crisis in the states
• Political change in leadership
– House and Senate dynamics
– In the White House and at US DOT
• Trends and Voices for Change
– More at stake: economy, climate, population growth and demographic
changes, energy costs
• Agreement that it’s broke

19. A National Wake-Up Call
– Safety and security
– Energy security and oil dependency
– Growing traffic congestion
– Rising energy costs
– Global climate change crisis

20. Affordability: Where the Rubber Meets the Road

21. Evidence of Change
Transportation Ballot Measures
2006 - 2007
Statewide
Local Measure(s)
Source: Center for
Transportation Statewide & Local Measures
Excellence
Almost 70% of State & Local Transportation Measures Approved

22. Taking ait to the Streets
Over 18000 schools now have Safe
Routes to School program. 43 states are
making investments to support these
programs.
Source: Thunderbird Alliance

23. Local Climate for Change
Cities that have Signed USCM
Climate Protection Agreement
States with Climate Action Plans
Source: Pew Center for Climate Change (state map),
US Conference of Mayors (cities map)

24. How Do We Make the Most of
the Opportunities?

25. Articulating a Vision: Greensboro, NC--
Southside Neighborhood
Annual tax base in this area went from
$400K before redevelopment (1995) to over
$10 million after redevelopment (2003).
Southside benefited
from a general
downtown renaissance,
but also helped to give
momentum to that
turnaround.

26. Articulating a Vision
• Clear contrasts
between building
styles

27. Doing the Analysis
More networking
• Arterial spacing < 1 mile (fewer lanes per
street?)

28. Development Patterns affect
Quality of Life
• Public is beginning to link development patterns to
quality of life
• Different
patterns of
development
may help
save on
school
transportation
costs

29. Explanation of Existing Conditions
Low Density Development
Single use
district
Above ground
utilities
No parking in rear
Narrow
Auto-oriented Sidewalks
development
WIDE STREETS
Source: www.urban-advantage.co

30. Development Techniques to Fix It
Street Trees
High Density
Development
Below-
ground utilities
Pedestrian-friendly
area
Mixed-Use
(Residential
and Commercial)
TOD District
Median for
light rail
Bike Lanes
Source: www.urban-advantage.co

31. Outreach & Education

32. …And Still More Outreach

33. National Vacant Properties
Conference
• Educational Forum
attended by 600
people

34. Privacy in front, zero-
step entry at rear

35. Taking Stock
• Our issues now frame the debate
in many parts of the country.
• There is a coherent message and a
well articulated set of design and
policy techniques.
• A great deal of public education
has occurred.
• An increasing # of example
projects on the ground.
• An increasing # policy examples
“on the ground.”

36. Taking Stock (cont.)
• There is increasing acceptance
in the private sector.
• There is wide agreement that
the market for SG is at least 1/3
and likely to rise.
• We can count a number of
relatively new supporters:
health advocates, environmental
groups, alt transportation
advocates, local leaders,
developers, architects, housing
organizations, realtors, state
level groups, and others.

41. But…Are We Prepared for Our
Success?
• As a result of our work, and macro-trends which
puts the wind at our back, big opportunities exist
now that didn’t ten years ago.
• We need to do a different kind of work to take
advantage of them.
• We need to create, and focus political will on a
specific change agenda.

42. We Need to Create, and Focus
Political Will on a Specific
Change Agenda.

43. Concern
• Health Impact Assessments
• New Rehab Rules
• Reform Transportation and Parking Rules
• Brownfield Tax Credits
• Change State Investment Patterns
• Stream Buffers
• Affordable Housing Fund

44. Outreach & Education

45. …And Still More Outreach

46. National Vacant Properties
Conference
• Educational Forum
attended by 600
people

47. Another Concern
• Health Impact Assessments
• New Rehab Rules
• Reform Transportation and Parking Rules
• Brownfield Tax Credits
• Change State Investment Patterns
• Stream Buffers
• Affordable Housing Fund
• Green Jobs and Green Buildings

48. New Transit

49. Exporting OR’s Measure 37
• Kelo-Plus strategy
• “Capitalize on the
tremendous public and
political momentum
generated in the aftermath
of the Kelo ruling…”

50. Takings Initiatives States

51. Transportation for America; for its people,
communities, environment and economies

52. T4America
Making Transportation Work for the America in the 21st Century
• Launching a new national reform campaign
• Goal of Re-energizing, Re-building, Re-
engaging the Progressive Transportation
Advocacy Movement to Influence Federal
Policy
• Build and support state and local efforts

53. Inform the Debate
• 2008 – let the games begin
– Recommendations from Federal Study commissions
– Bankruptcy of Highway Trust Fund
– Administration position revealed
– Congressional Hearings and Action
– Presidential and Congressional Elections
• 2009 – new leadership
– SAFETEA-LU Bill expires
– New Congress and New Administration

54. What is success?
• Re-envision purpose and outcomes:
– The role of transportation investments is to reduce our nation’s
dependency on oil, to lower household transportation costs, to provide
mobility options to all, to reduce our carbon footprint VS. just reduce
congestion
• Double transit ridership,
• Reduce VMT growth by 50%,
• Restructure and empower metropolitan decision making,
• Create a national intermodal program for large scale investments,
• Explicitly allow transportation funding for land use and community
development programs

55. Make Our Voices Heard
The system is broken, and broke
• Reform from below: strengthen and support state,
local, and metro efforts
• Reform from above:
– At the Congressional level: Identify and grow our allies,
legislative proposals, and messengers
– New Administration: Full plate – will transportation reform
be on it?
• Reform from within: draw connections

56. Where we want to be tomorrow
• Engage with you to make reform a reality; in your
communities, states, and in Congress
T4America.org

57. Thank You
Geoffrey Anderson
ganderson@smartgrowthamerica.org
www.smartgrowthamerica.org