Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan

Planning and Development Review Department

What We Will CoverPart 1 Presentation:

•Phase 1 and 2 Recap•Working Group Process •Roles•Strategic Directions and Actions

Strategic Directions Exercise

Part 2 Presentation:•Defining Development Types

Development Types Exercise

Phase 1Project Kick-Off

Completed October 2009

Phase 2Vision & Plan Framework Development

CompletedMarch 2011

Phase 3Comprehensive Plan

Working Groups start now!

Imagine Austin Process

Compact development over sprawl

Redevelopment over greenfield

Preserving land that supports Edwards Aquifer recharge

Protecting floodplains, particularly in the eastern ETJ

Preserving neighborhood character

Mixed over separated uses

A complete transportation system over either/or choices

What the public has told us consistently

Moving Forward

Strategic Directions

Preferred Growth Scenario

Plan Framework

Prioritized actions

Growth Concept Map

Comprehensive Plan

Working GroupsMarch – July 2011

Draft Chapter

s

Brainstorm

Prioritize

Draft Plan

Compile Results

Pros and Challenges

Working Group Process

Role of Staff and Consultants

• Facilitate• Provide resources

and expertise• Record and

synthesize results• Communicate to

and between Building Blocks

Ground Rules

• Build on what we’ve heard from the public already

• Write it down• Passion and

expertise should be balanced

• All viewpoints should be respected

Task Force

Planning Commissio

n

Working

Groups

Public Forums

City Council

Implement the Plan

After the Working Groups

Questions

• A reflection of community values and aspirations

• A citywide framework defining how all plans, initiatives, investments, etc. fit together to support a common direction for Austin’s future

• A guide for decision-making

• The City’s “To-Do” list

Purpose of a Comprehensive or

General Plan

Level of Detail in a Comprehensive Plan

• Citywide vision statement for 20 to 30 years

• Organizes goals and strategies by planning elements and systems on a citywide basis

• Provides a general timeline for short to long-term implementation strategies

• Provides a framework to guide decisions about capital improvement projects, policy changes, and regulatory changes

City of Austin and ETJ

• Multi-municipal plan with 3 Boroughs and 10 Townships

• Vision and Framework for the Future, Comprehensive Plan Elements, and Partnerships for Implementation

Comprehensive Plan Example: Union County, PA

Comprehensive Plan Example: Define Vision and Goals

VisionUnion County will be a prosperous and beautiful valley by protecting its precious natural resources and agriculture, supporting sustainable economic growth and viable towns, and promoting its unique town and country lifestyle. Union County’s western, central and eastern planning areas will contribute their special strengths to achieving these goals.

Comprehensive Plan Example: Define Strategies

Comprehensive Plan Example: Define Actions

Action Agenda: Specify Responsibilities + Timeline = Accountability

Comprehensive Plan Example: San Diego General Plan

• Ten elements provide a comprehensive “blueprint” for the City of San Diego’s growth over the next twenty plus years.

Comprehensive Plan Example: Define Vision and Goals

VisionWe are stewards of a remarkable resource, a City on the Pacific of great cultural and physical diversity. In the 21st century, San Diego must continue to evolve in harmony with its exceptional natural environment, always treasuring the unique character of its neighborhoods, striving for equity, and celebrating the rich mosaic that is San Diego.

City of Villages

Goal: Mixed-use villages located throughout the City and connected by high-quality transit.

General Plan Land Use Categories

Goal: Land use categories and designations that remain consistent with the General Plan as community plans are updated and/or amended.

Comprehensive Plan Example: Define Strategies

City of Villages – Types and Locations

POLICY LU-A-1. Designate a hierarchy of village sites for citywide implementation:

• Affirm the position of Downtown San Diego as the regional hub by maintaining and enhancing its role as the major business center in and encouraging its development as a major urban residential center with the largest concentration of high-density multifamily housing in the region.

• Encourage further intensification of employment uses throughout Subregional Employment Districts. Where appropriate, consider co-locating medium- to high- density residential uses with employment uses (see also Economic Prosperity Element).

Comprehensive Plan Example: Define Actions

Imagine Austin Vision

Vision ThemesAustin is LivableAustin is Natural and

SustainableAustin is Mobile and

InterconnectedAustin is ProsperousAustin Values and Respects its

PeopleAustin is CreativeAustin is Educated

• Vision Statement endorsed by City Council in Aug. 2010 and developed with input from thousands of residents

• What Austin aspires to be in 30 years

• Guides the development of the Comprehensive Plan goals, strategies, and actions

The Preferred Growth Scenario and Plan

Framework• Preferred Growth Strategy: Overall concept for the direction of growth and preservation over the next 30 years

• Plan Framework: A set of topical building blocks that identify strategic directions to achieve the Vision Statement and Preferred Growth Scenario

Building Blocks:

1. Land Use and Transportation

2. Housing and Neighborhoods

3. Economy

4. Conservation and Environmental Resources

5. City Facilities and Services

6. Society

7. Culture

Next Step: From Strategic Directions to Actions

What is a Strategic Direction?

A general statement of guidance concerning the goals expressed for each Building Block in the Plan Framework. Strategic directions are visionary statements that outline how the goals should be addressed in an ideal and broad sense.

• What is an Action?

Expresses a specific policy, regulatory, or capital improvement directive that will ultimately lead to achieving what is envisioned within the strategic directions.Today, the Working Groups will brainstorm ideas for

actions to implement the Plan Framework Strategic Directions

Sample Actions

Sample Action: • Adopt Transit Oriented Development (TOD) zoning and

design guidelines to promote compact, mixed use development around transit hubs and along transit corridors.

• Engage the private sector to collaborate on TOD development projects.

Building Block # 1: Land Use and Transportation

Strategic Direction LUT 3: Promote development in compact centers, communities, or along corridors that are connected by transit service, are designed to encourage walking and bicycling, and reduce housing and transportation costs.

Sample Actions

Implemented Action: Transit Oriented Development

Rockville Town Center– Rockville, Maryland

• Partnership between the city and a private developer.

• Addresses a shortage of multi-family housing and the lack of an appealing town center environment.

• Design guidelines emphasized the importance of addressing the character of the surrounding neighborhoods.

Sample Actions

Sample Action: • Adopt a complete streets policy with tailored design

standards for arterials, collectors, and local streets.

Building Block # 1: Land Use and Transportation

Strategic Direction LUT 10: Promote complete street design throughout Austin (traffic calming, crosswalks, pedestrian, bicycle, transit access).

Sample Actions

Implemented Action: Complete Streets

Urban Street Design GuidelinesCharlotte, North Carolina

• Promotes development patterns and streets for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and motorists.

• Planning Dept. and DOT updating local ordinances to reflect the adopted USDG policy.

• awarded the National Award for Smart Growth Achievement in Policies and Regulations by the U.S. EPA.

Sample Actions

Sample Action: • Establish public-private partnerships between the City of

Austin, the Housing Authority of the City of Austin, the Austin Housing Finance Corporation, CAPCOG, private developers, financial institutions, educational institutions, and other private or non-profit organizations with an interest in affordable housing to participate in financing low-income and mixed-income housing projects.

Building Block # 2: Housing and Neighborhoods

Strategic Direction H 3: Increase the availability of affordable housing, including housing for very low-income persons, through new and innovative funding mechanisms (e.g., public/private partnerships).

Sample ActionsImplemented Action: Mixed Income Redevelopment

Rollins Square – Boston, Massachusetts

•Mixed-use development with mixed-income condominiums and rental apartments, as well as ground level commercial space.

•184 households, including 37 low-income tenants and 15 units designated for persons who were formerly homeless.

Sample Actions

Sample Action: • Establish a taskforce of existing small businesses,

entrepreneurs, city representatives and real estate representatives to identify opportunities to clarify, streamline and improve the regulatory process.

Building Block # 3: Economy

Strategic Direction ECO: Implement policies that create, nurture, and retain small businesses.

Sample Actions

Small Business Task Force – Alexandria, Virginia

Implemented Action: Small Business Task Force

• Created to review issues related to how the city government interacts with small businesses.

• Streamlined procedures for permitting, paying fees and meeting other requirements that face new businesses.

Sample Actions

Sample Action: • Form an industry‐workforce development

coalition to map the requirements of entry and advancement at successive levels in fields in select target industry sectors.

Building Block # 3: Economy

Strategic Direction ECO: Expand the educational offerings and establish cooperative partnerships between Austin Community College, the University of Texas, and other institutions of higher learning to support target industries’ education and training requirements.

Sample Actions

Career and Technology Education Program – Austin High SchoolHouston, Texas

Implemented Action: Small Business Task Force

Offers students an opportunity to learn skills they may use in high school, in a career after graduation, and /or as a financial means to help pursue higher education.

Sample Actions

Sample Action: • Develop a tree planting and maintenance program that

utilizes volunteer services in partnership with universities, public schools, community garden groups, and neighborhood groups.

Building Block # 4: Conservation and Environmental Resources

Strategic Direction CER 4: Maintain and increase Austin’s urban forest as a key component of the green infrastructure network.

Sample ActionsImplemented Action: Volunteer Initiatives

Ithaca Tree Works and Citizen Pruners Program – Ithaca, New York

•Volunteer-based tree planting initiative.

•Cooperative effort between the City of Ithaca, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and Cornell University.

•Volunteers commit about 6 hours a month for at least one growing season.

Sample Actions

Sample Action: • Develop a green infrastructure plan that sets targets for

reductions in impervious surfaces and stormwater runoff.

• Establish a “toolbox” and design guidelines for green infrastructures techniques ( green streets, permeable pavers, green roofs, bioswales, riparian buffers, tree plantings, etc.) that can be implemented to achieve the targets.

Building Block # 5: City Facilities and Services

Strategic Direction WPD 8: Reduce existing and future pollutant loads in all creeks from stormwater runoff, overflow, and other non-point sources.

Sample ActionsImplemented Action: Green Infrastructure Planning

NYC Green Infrastructure Plan – New York, New York

Replaces the existing approach for sewer overflow control with a mix of green and traditional infrastructure measures, including rain barrels, porous parking lots, and sidewalks planted with strips of greenery to absorb rainwater.

Green Stormwater Infrastructure – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

•Adopted a green infrastructure policy that includes demonstration and restoration projects, a new stormwater fee system, and a new stormwater management ordinance.

•Also includes a best practices manual and guidelines for techniques such as bioswales, green roofs, filtration strips, and porous pavement, etc.

Sample Actions

Sample Action: • Incentivize energy-efficiency and renewable energy

technologies in construction and rehabilitation projects:• Density / FAR bonuses for green building design

• Tax rebates to replace old appliances with energy efficient ones

• Require green building design in publicly funded projects

• Adopt energy-efficient building code standards

Building Block # 5: City Facilities and Services

Strategic Direction EN 2: Reduce per capita energy use through conservation and improvements that make buildings more energy efficient.

Sample ActionsImplemented Action: Green Building Incentives and Programs

Sustainable Development Policy – Chicago, Illinois

•Mandates that projects receiving financial or zoning assistance from the city include green elements such as green roofs, LEED certification, or innovative stormwater management.

• Green Permit Program allows developers to save time and money on the building permit process if they incorporate some of 12 sustainable design features.

Arlington County Green Building Incentive Program – Arlington County, Virginia

•Allows for increased density and/or height bonuses for developers of large office, high-rise residential, and mixed use projects in exchange for applying green building techniques.

•Uses the US Green Building Council’s LEED green building rating system as a standard of measurement.

One Potomac Yard Chicago Center for Green Technology

Sample Actions

Sample Action: • Develop citywide active design guidelines that

promote development patterns that support pedestrian mobility and an active lifestyle.

Building Block # 6: Society

Strategic Direction HHS 3: Encourage more active lifestyles through development patterns that support walking and biking. Locate retail, services, and public facilities in or near neighborhoods to reduce traffic congestion and contribute to an improved sense of community.

Sample ActionsImplemented Action: Active Design Guidelines

New York City Active Design Guidelines – New York, New York

•Provides strategies for healthier buildings, streets, and urban spaces.

•Includes:

•Providing access to parks and open space

•Designing plazas to support recreation

•Designing buildings to promote active living

Sample Actions

Sample Action: • Implement an artist housing program to maintain

affordability and retain local artists.

Building Block # 7: Culture

Strategic Direction ACC 8: Expand access to affordable and functional studio, exhibition, performance space, and office space for arts and culture organizations, artists, and creative industries business.

Sample ActionsImplemented Action: Artist Housing

The Artist Space Initiative – Boston, Massachusetts

•Provides opportunities for displaced and emerging artists.

•Modified city zoning to allow artist housing in industrial zones.

•Enabled live/work developments in industrial, residential, and commercial areas.

Today’s Exercise

•Build on the Strategic Directions

•Develop a list of actions at an appropriate level of detail

•Balance aspirations with practicality for implementation

Instructions

• Icebreaker• Brainstorm ideas• Different

starting points• Discuss• Keep going• Please print

clearly

Next Steps

• Results will be posted by Wednesday

• Review and add new actions

• Think about the pros and challenges

• Come to the next meeting

Transitioning to Exercise #2

• Sign orange sheets• Clear personal items• Staff will pick up

orange sheets and distribute new material

• Sit down

Questions

Moving Forward

Strategic Directions

Preferred Growth Scenario

Plan Framework

Prioritized actions

Growth Concept Map

Comprehensive Plan

Working GroupsMarch – July 2011

Populationand Employment

Preferred

Growth Scenario

Today: Defining Development Types

By “Development Type,” we mean the seven different kinds of places where people live, work and play that are used in the Preferred Growth Scenario.

Regional CentersTown CentersNeighborhood CentersMixed Use Corridors

Industrial Job CentersInfill ResidentialGreenfield Residential

All Activity Centers

RC — Regional Center

RC — Regional Center

Regional Centers

Lakeline

Robinson Ranch

North Burnet/Gateway

Highland Mall

Downtown

Southside

As defined in the Building Blocks Working Paper Draft

Regional

Centers

TC — Town Center

TC — Town Center

Town Centers

As defined in the GIS layers we were sent

Town Centers

NC — Neighborhood Center

NC — Neighborhood Center

MC — Mixed Use Corridor

MC — Mixed Use Corridor

NeighborhoodCenters and Mixed Use Corridors

Alternate version:

All new population and employment with neighborhood centers and mixed-use corridors highlighted

Neighborhood Centers

&Mixed Use

Corridors

IJ — Industrial Jobs

Job Centers

Mixed-use centers plus concentrations of single-use jobs

Industrial Jobs

IR — Infill Residential

IR — Infill Residential

GR — Greenfield Residential

Infill and GreenfieldDevelopmentInfill and

Greenfield Residenti

al

Development Types & the Building Blocks

What does each Development Type mean for your Building Block?

How does your Building Block contribute to the character of each Development Type?

Walking around one of these places, what do you see that relates to your Building Block?

Defining Development Types

1. Review the current descriptions of the 7 Development Types.

2. Start with the guiding questions3. Record your ideas on sticky notes

Next StepsStaff & consultants will revise the descriptions of the Development Types, reporting on any conflicting input

Some or all of the Working Groups will review the Preferred Growth Scenario in light of the revised Development Types and identify areas that need further work.

Questions