Improving Streets and Economic Development

Mason and Our Housing Future

October 3, 2013

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Overview

• Introduction• Healthy

economies• Examples

– Roaring Fork BRT– River District

• Questions

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Smart Growth

Smart growth means building urban, suburban and rural communities with housing and transportation choices near jobs, shops and schools.

These strategies support thriving local economies and protect the environment.

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What I hear about smart growth

Wengen, Switzerland

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Smart growth is ugly.

Riomaggiore, Italy

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Mesa Verde, CO

We have no history with it.

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Nobody would want to live there.

Aspen, CO

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It just doesn’t work here.

Pearl District, Portland, OR

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Shut up and drive!

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The way we design and build our communities has enormous consequences

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1. The market is changing, especially for housing

2. The recipe for economic growth is changing

3. We can no longer afford to use tax money to subsidize inefficiency

We must be aware of 3 important factors affecting the future of our

communities

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THE CHANGING MARKET

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Your community is changing

and preferences and the

market are following.

THE CHANGING MARKET

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Your community is changing

• There are two demographic changes that are driving the market and must drive your decision making.– The rise of the Millennials.– The aging of the Baby Boomers.

THE CHANGING MARKET

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Demographic change and the labor force

Greatest Generation Baby Boomers Gen X Millenials0

10,000,000

20,000,000

30,000,000

40,000,000

50,000,000

60,000,000

70,000,000

80,000,000

90,000,000

POPULATIONLABOR FORCE

PROSPERITY

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Your community is changing

1960 2000 20250%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

52%

67%

72%

households with children

households without children

Households with and without children, 1960-2025

THE CHANGING MARKET

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The market: Housing

THE CHANGING MARKET

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How will your community meets the needs of

millennials and aging boomers in order to improve your

competitiveness?

THE CHANGING MARKET

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PROSPERITY

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The nature of the economy is changing and so is the role of

communities in economic growth.

PROSPERITY

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PROSPERITY

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The Network City(city as network)

PROSPERITY

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The rise of the millennials and the global economy

are driving the economy.

PROSPERITY

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The labor force

• Millennials choose where to live before finding a job.– 64% looked for a job after they chose the city

where to live. (Source: U.S. Census)

• How people want to work is changing and where they want to work is changing.

PROSPERITY

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Businesses respond to changing preferences

• Across the country corporations are responding to employee preferences and moving to the talent.

• They are choosing to relocate from suburban offices to downtown locations.

PROSPERITY

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The labor force

From office space….

PROSPERITY

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The labor force

….to office settings.

Research Triangle Park, Raleigh, NC

Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA

PROSPERITY

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Businesses respond to changing preferences

Zappos, Las Vegas, NV

Hillshire, Chicago, IL

PROSPERITY

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How can your community take advantage of the

changing nature of the economy in order to create

jobs and wealth?

FISCAL HEALTH

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FISCAL HEALTH

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How communities

develop affects

costs and revenue.

FISCAL HEALTH

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Municipal budgets

• Municipal budgets are feeling pressure• State and federal funds are disappearing• Costs are escalating• Tax bases have shrunk

FISCAL HEALTH

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Municipal budgets

• A large portion of municipal budgets go to infrastructure and services. – building and maintaining roads, bridges,

sewer and water lines, etc– providing fire and police services, trash

removal, paratransit, etc

FISCAL HEALTH

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Municipal budgets

• Costs are not just infrastructure related but also operations and maintenance.

• Burden usually falls on taxpayers.

FISCAL HEALTH

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Municipal budgets

• You have to spend on these things.

• You need to ensure that you are spending those funds in the most effective and efficient manner.

• Budgets are not just financial documents – they reveal are goals and what we value.

FISCAL HEALTH

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Development affects costs

• When it comes to infrastructure costs…– Compact development development is the

best deal.– Low-density suburban development rarely

pays for itself.– It makes sense to reuse existing

infrastructure.

FISCAL HEALTH

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Development affects costs

FISCAL HEALTH

Building infrastructure to serve new development on the fringe can cost the city up to three times more per acre than urban infill development.

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Development affects costs

FISCAL HEALTH

• Compact development offers efficiencies in regards to services as well.– Police and fire departments have less area to

cover.– Fewer miles of road to cover for snow removal

and trash pickup.

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Development affects revenue

FISCAL HEALTH

• When it comes to revenue…– Compact development is the best deal.– Low-density suburban development generates

much less per acre revenue.– You can increase your property tax base

significantly simply by bringing back areas that already exist

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Development affects revenue

FISCAL HEALTH

• The revenue side of things is affected as well.

Multifamily housing in near an area’s center can generate nine times more revenue per acre than traditional large-lot, single-family housing on the fringe.

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Development affects costs

FISCAL HEALTH

Building infrastructure to serve new development on the fringe can cost the city up to three times more per acre than urban infill development.

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Development affects revenue

FISCAL HEALTH

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

Municipal property tax yield (per acre) 2011 Raleigh, NC

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Development affects revenue

FISCAL HEALTH

Denser development can carry an entire city financially

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Can your community continue to

subsidize inefficiencies ofdevelopment patterns, while not reaping the

potential reward?

FISCAL HEALTH

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Roaring Fork Transit & Trail Project

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Overview of the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority

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BRT Service Plan• Span of Service – at least 14 hours each weekday

• Approximately 1-hour travel time between Glenwood Springs and Aspen

• Local valley bus service to continue every 30 minutes• BRT service levels may be modified during the off-

season and according to demand

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Branding Characteristics

– RFTA• Reliable• Practical• Hardworking

– VelociRFTA• Fast• Fun • Frequent

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Transit Priority Measures

• Transit Signal Priority (TSP) at congested intersections

• Queue Bypass Lanes at congested intersections

• Use of Existing Bus/HOV & Exclusive Bus lanes

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• ITS Technology• Real Time Sign Information• Automated Vehicle Location• Automated passenger counters• Automated Annunciators• Electronic Fare Collection• Mobile Wi-Fi service

• Route Map Integration• System Map Integration• Schedule Integration• Community Information

Information Program

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BRT Station Program• Passenger Shelters

– Ticket vending– Enclosed waiting and seating area– Lighting

• Bicycle Storage– Covered and uncovered

• Outside Seating• Landscaping• Trash and Recycling• Optional Elements

– Parking– Restroom Facilities

Carbondale BRT Station

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Promoting walking and riding to VelociRFTA whenever possible

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The River District

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Regional Context

• Regional growth• Metro 2040• Regional transit

initiatives

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The Vision Thing

• Complement rather than compete with the CBD• Relationship to the River

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Land Use and Transportation

• People not cars• External connections• Internal circulation

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Central City Plan

Portland Streetcar

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Not the Standard Engineering Solution…

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Not just another pretty face . . .

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Not Just Transportation…

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But a Powerful Tool

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For Urban Livability

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Moving People…

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Shaping Places…

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Results

• Over $4 billion in economic development

• 15,000 new residents• 50% non-auto mode

split• Affordable housing

and urban design goals achieved

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Results

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Results

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Results

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Results

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Results

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Results

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Results

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Results

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Lessons Learned

• Leverage infrastructure investment to achieve public policy goals

• Involve business leadership in creating a legacy

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We have the freedom to make informed, humane, and intelligent choices about the kind of world we want to leave for our children and grandchildren. We also have the freedom to make uninformed, selfish, and stupid choices. Which will it be? - Greg Pahl

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Thank you!

rmillar@smartgrowthamerica.org

www.smartgrowthamerica.org