February 24, 2005
G U L F  C O A S T  G R O W T H  N E W S
A publication of the Gulf Coast Institute

NOTABLE QUOTES
"We're damn close [to the peak in conventional oil production]. I think we're there."
- T. Boone Pickens, quoted in a Chronicle article.

"Alternative energy technology  of the future will be developed outside the US because of a lack of interest in the US."
- Jeffrey Immelt, Chairman and CEO of General Electric, speaking a Cambridge Energy Research Associates conference in Houston. LINK

LIVABLE HOUSTON INITIATIVE
The next meeting is Wednesday, March 23, noon-1:30 pm, Houston-Galveston Area Council, 3555 Timmons, second floor. Topic to  be announced. Bring your lunch. For more information call 713-523-5757. The Gulf Coast Institute and the Houston-Galveston Area Council host Livable Houston/Smart Growth bring-your-own-lunch meetings that are open to the public on the fourth Wednesday of every month. http://www.gulfcoastinstitute.org

REGIONAL NOTES
Taking on the toll roads
Citizen group lobbying for changes to law
The Citizens Transportation Coalition (CTC) is lobbying State Representative Martha Wong and State Senator Kyle Janek to press for changes to state law regarding the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA). According to a CTC news release, current law doesn't give any municipality, including Houston, authority to block or even propose changes to HCTRA toll roads, of which over a dozen are currently planned. CTC wants to see several changes to the law, including having all toll roads be approved by affected municipalities, and requiring state certification that all toll roads have passed "robust" citizen review before being approved.  Rep. Wong has indicated she will support CTC, which has also begun to urge representatives statewide to consider the changes. Examiner link and CTC

Watershed group to work on coastal land use
EPA, NOAA partnership focuses on water quality impact of growth
The Texas Coastal Watershed Program (TCWP), a Texas A&M initiative, will work with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to ensure that growth within 50 miles of the nation's coasts, where 55 percent of the US population lives, benefits the economy, public health, and the environment. Announced at the 4th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference in Miami, an EPA-NOAA Memorandum of Understanding on Coastal Community Development is offering ''training for local government staff and officials; outreach and education on successful policies, ordinances, and initiatives; and assessment of local development rules and policies.'' EPA and NOAA officials said this will help coastal watershed communities redevelop vacant land, provide more housing and transportation choices, preserve crucial natural areas, limit air and water pollution, and enhance overall quality of life. The TCWP is involved locally teaching municipal officials about the linkages between land use and water quality. "We believe land use is the single most important issue in terms of predicting future water quality in Galveston Bay and its contributing watersheds," said John Jacob, Team Leader of the program. "The extension land grant model - developed over 100 years ago to address agricultural productivity - of community-based county agents linked to public universities might provide the best model of how to engage our modern university resources in the problem of massive urbanization along the coast. We envision Ôcity agents' who are part of an Ôurban grant'. This MOA is just the first step in that direction."  http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=4524&state=52

Environmental Leadership Conference announced
Clean energy is focus of March 5 event
The 2nd Annual Texas Environmental Leadership Conference will be held at the University of Houston Downtown campus on Saturday, March 5. The event, which will focus on "The Promise of Clean Energy," is sponsored by the TexPIRG Education Fund, in conjunction with Texas Impact and the University of Houston Downtown Scholars Academy. http://www.texpirg.org

TEXAS NOTES
Transit-oriented development in Austin
Change is coming fast
Following voter approval of passenger rail extending from downtown to the northeastern suburbs, Austin City Council has moved very fast to draft a "transit-oriented development (TOD) ordinance." According to the Austin Chronicle, some think city council has moved too fast. The ordinance will create 7 TOD zones. They will have some differing characteristics, depending on how far from downtown they are, but all will create multi-story apartment buildings within walking or bicycling distance of stations, and all will ban pedestrian-unfriendly businesses, such as storage centers. "This is where I think you have a real intersection of the city and Capital Metro's goals," says the principal planner in the city's Transportation, Planning, and Sustainability Department. "We're trying to tie the land-use patterns and the transportation – in this case, transit – together." Some of the changes will be extensive, converting neighborhoods of one-story detached homes into zones of dense urbanism.  Some Austinites think such radical change is coming too fast. Some property owners that will be directly affected by the ordinance only learned of its existence a week before council debated it.  The Urban Transportation Commission has urged city council to slow down and allow for more citizen input. http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2005-01-28/pols_feature.html

5 Texas cities make 50 hottest list for relocation and expansion
Houston ranked 34th
Expansion Magazine, a business monthly for executives looking to relocate or expand their businesses, published its annual list of the 50 cities most attractive to their readers. According to an Expansion press release, cities were ranked based on business climate, work force quality, operating costs, incentives, and other factors. The top ten cities were 1) Nashville 2) Atlanta 3) Kansas City 4) Charlotte 5) Indianapolis 6) Phoenix 7) Albuquerque 8) Oklahoma City 9) Dallas-Fort Worth and 10) Jacksonville. Other ranked Texas cities include San Antonio (11), Longview/Marshall (32), Houston (34), and Austin-San Marcos (43). http://www.expansionmanagement.com/smo/articleviewer/default.asp?cmd=articledetail&articleid=16323&st=5

Health symposium announced
Event will explore health impacts of planning and design
"Designing for Health: The Future of Texas City-Regions" will be held in Austin March 3. The symposium will bring together architects, planners, health professionals, and business and community leaders to examine the impact that current planning and design practices are having on the health and well-being of our communities.  The organizers hope to bring attention to high obesity rates nationwide and skyrocketing health care costs. The even will be held in the Four Seasons Hotel from 8 am-2 pm., Austin Texas.  http://web.austin.utexas.edu/architecture/health/index.html.

NOTES FROM OTHER PLACES
URBANISM
Advice for mayors
10 commandments for city building
Jeff Speck, Director of Design at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), suggests ten steps mayors can take to improve their cities. Writing in Planetizen, Speck refers to the NEA's Mayors' Institute on City Design, which puts city heads looking for urban innovation together with design experts. Ten concrete proposals have come out of the nearly-20-year-old program: 1) design streets for people, not cars; 2) overrule the experts (because of the narrowness of their focus, "the specialist is the enemy of the city") 3) mix uses (combine housing with retail) 4) hide parking lots 5) think small (limit block and building size) 6) preserve old buildings 7) build attractive, affordable housing 8) build green 9) implement "form-based" design guidelines and 10) choose beautiful design over the lowest bid. http://www.planetizen.com/oped/item.php?id=141

Suburban expansion vs. infill in SF Bay
Attitudes are changing
The housing market in the 9-county San Francisco Bay area is changing, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. According to a recent survey, almost 50 percent of residents favor building homes close to jobs, rather than in the suburbs. Many first-time buyers expressed interest in multi-family homes near shopping and entertainment. This is not a theoretical trend. Infill projects account for one-third of KB Builders' new construction, while 10 years ago KB was an almost exclusively suburban builder. But not everyone has given up the suburban dream. Forty-two percent of those surveyed said that the detached, single-family home should continue to be built, even if that means more sprawl. Fifty-two percent said that they favored the creation of a regional housing authority that would facilitate the process of infill development. Plans for Oakland and BART's mixed-use Fruitvale Village took over 10 years to develop and involved numerous local agencies and 30 different funding sources. But officials are skeptical that local authorities would give up control. One developer said, "There are too many jurisdictions that say they support housing, but when you get down to it, it's a political issue and their constituents don't want it." http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/01/14/BUGH7AQ2GQ1.DTL

TOD in Phoenix
Shrewd planning can lead to "new American Dream"
In an Arizona Republic editorial, Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) administrator Jennifer L. Dorn says that Phoenix's recently approved mass transit system can lead to a greatly enhanced quality of life. Dorn notes that Phoenix has been the second-fastest growing city in the country in recent years, but she points out the downsides of the boom, notably in traffic congestion. Area residents now spend 28 hours per week in traffic, as opposed to 7 hours in 1982. She also notes that 22 percent of the average family budget goes to transportation costs. But mass transit and TOD can show the way to a less stressful and costly future. Dorn says that with careful planning, "Phoenix and surrounding communities have the opportunity to be at the vanguard of a trend throughout the country to plan transportation systems that maintain open spaces, catalyze community and economic development, and help to resuscitate communities around transit hubs."  She refers to an FTA report which predicts that within 25 years, one-fourth of all households "could be looking for housing" within one-half mile of a transit station. This change can lead to a "new American Dream" because "transit-oriented development supports the timeless essence of the American dream of owning a home, of living in an attractive, vital community, of setting down roots and feeling part of a community."  http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/0124dorn24.html

TRANSPORTATION
ÔInner Loop' recommended for Atlanta
MARTA finds rail proposal feasible
A study commissioned by the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority has found that a proposed 22-mile "inner loop" rail line circling inner city Atlanta is feasible, and recommends it be built as a means of increasing mobility and encouraging dense urban development. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, participants in upcoming public hearings will get a look at four potential routes. One is the proposed route that was the focus of the Trust for Public Land's December "Emerald Necklace" study which recommended expanding Atlanta's park system and connecting it by pathways and transit. The second is a proposed line that runs from south DeKalb County into southeast Atlanta before looping through a variety of "intown" destinations such as Zoo Atlanta, CNN Center, Georgia Tech, and Emory University. The other two routes are blended versions of the first two. http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/0205/12marta.html

There has to be a better way
Cato says traffic light system doesn't work, should be replaced
Our traffic-light system of traffic control doesn't work, and traffic lights should be replaced with roundabouts, according to a report by the Cato Institute. The report states that in the early days of car travel, traffic lights were put into place on the basis of guesswork, not science. The results have not been good. Traffic lights are dangerous, because they encourage drivers to speed, and they cause congestion because they don't control the flow of traffic efficiently. About 40 percent of vehicle delays in urban areas are due to traffic signal inefficiencies. According to the author, "The systemÉcauses needless stops and needless delays, reduces capacity and provokes accidents. Traffic control inefficiencies cost the US motoring public an estimated $123 billion annually in lost time, wasted fuel and other vehicle operation costs." The report recommends that cities replace traffic lights with roundabouts and four-way stops wherever possible. http://www.cato.org/pubs/regulation/regv27n3/v27n3-brieflynoted.pdf

Electric cars catch on in China
Government pushing to clean urban air
The plug-in electric car and bicycle have caught on in a big way in China, according to Emagazine. At a recent green car exhibition, Chinese automakers showcased electric scooters and bikes that are already widely used. As many as 1 million Chinese are using such vehicles rather than gasoline-burning cars in polluted areas. In Beijing, the government plans to replace thousands of diesel-burning buses with electrically charged ones in time for the 2008 Olympics. Some environmentalists are pleased that the Chinese are taking the smog levels in their cities seriously, but the push for plug-in cars will not affect global warming. The necessary electricity will be generated in fossil-fuel-burning plants. http://www.emagazine.com/view/?2230

HOUSING
HUD funding in jeopardy
White House intends to cut funding for block grants
The White House plans to slash community development funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and also for rural housing and economic development programs, according to the Washington Post.  President Bush also intends to transfer "redundant" programs to other agencies such as Commerce and Labor. Rep. Barney Frank, the ranking Democrat on the Financial Services Committee, said, "Clearly they're using consolidation as a shield for substantial budget reductions." One of HUD's most important programs, the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), could lose up to half of its $4.7 billion funding. "If this is a backdoor way of eliminating a program like CDBG, it would have a profoundly negative impact on cities," said Jim Hunt of the National League of Cities. Some suggest that eliminating programs and funding at HUD will benefit the president's second-term agenda. "HUD is the place where mayors and urban interests can put up the strongest fight," Congressman Frank said. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7862-2005Jan13.html

METROPOLITAN ECONOMICS
ÔThe power of density'
Survey finds ample buying power in inner cities
The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) has recently conducted the first-ever survey on the buying power of inner cities.  According to MSNBC, they found surprising results. Basing their results on the 2000 census, ICIC found that inner cities do indeed have a lower percentage of rich and a higher percentage of poor residents than the suburbs, but that the percentage of middle-income families is roughly the same. But, because of population density, inner cities have 8 times more spending power than their surrounding neighborhoods. According to Anne Habiby of ICIC, "If you're in a supermarket, for example, and you're in suburban New York City, you need a 20-mile radius to capture the same amount of spending as you would in 10 blocks in Harlem. That's the power of density." Some big-box retailers, notably Home Depot, have already discovered as much, and begun opening urban stores. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6821925/

ENERGY
Fields of competition
Growth in China, India has countries on energy collision course with US
The booming economies of India and China have led those countries to greatly increase their oil consumption.  According to In These Times, China is already the second largest consumer of oil after the US, with 6.5 million barrels-per-day (bpd). India currently consumes 2.2 million bpd. By 2030, China will have more cars than the US, and oil consumption will rise accordingly, while India will consume 5.3 million bpd. The growth in these 2 economies alone could cause global demand to exceed supply, and drive up prices accordingly. This would be a severe problem for poor, oil-importing countries, the article says. According to the International Energy Agency, every $1 rise in oil prices costs the world economy $25 billion. China and India are becoming increasingly aggressive in seeking new oil sources. China is believed to be contemplating the creation of a China-India-Russia axis, which would cooperate with Iran in energy matters. Optimists believe that shrinking oil supplies will lead to increased cooperation between the US and its competitors, while others see shortages leading to conflict.  http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/1909/

ENVIRONMENT
End-time anti-environmentalism
Bill Moyers fears apocalyptic prophecies will lead to environmental disaster
Journalist Bill Moyers finds that his natural optimism is becoming harder to maintain. In a speech that was reprinted in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Moyers says that "ideology and theology" have a frightening grip on national policy, especially when it comes to war-making and environmental policy. Millions of Americans believe that the worse things get on earth, the closer Christ is to returning. They find signs of his coming in Middle Eastern wars, and also in the destruction of the environment. Moyers remembers when James Watts, President Reagan's first secretary of the interior, told Congress that "'protecting natural resources was unimportant in light of the imminent return of Jesus Christ.'" People laughed at Watts then, but his fellow believers have only grown stronger. "Nearly half the U.S. Congress before the recent electionÉ[was] backed by the religious right," Moyers says. This fact greatly disturbs him. "Once upon a time I agreed that people will protect the natural environment when they realize its importance to their health and to the health and lives of their children. Now I am not so sure." He quotes from a high school history book: "While many secularists view the world as overpopulated, Christians know that God has made the earth sufficiently large with plenty of resources to accommodate all of the people." Such views and the anti-environmental policies they lead to cause Moyers to think about his grandchildren and say "We are stealing their future. Betraying their trust. Despoiling their world." http://www.startribune.com/stories/1519/5211218.html

EVENTS
REGIONAL
Rice Design Alliance lecture, April 20, Houston. Lauro Cavalcanti, Director and Chief-Curator of the Paco Imperial Center for Landmarks and Contemporary Arts in Rio de Janeiro, and Professor in the School of Industrial Design at the University of Rio de Janeiro, will speak as part of the RDA Built in Brazil series. 7 pm. Brown Auditorium, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Single tickets on sale the night of the lecture: $10, RDA and MFA members $7, Students $3. http://www.rice.edu/projects/RDA/programs/2002-2003/builtinbrazil.html.

AIA Houston – Gulf Coast Green symposium, April 29, Houston. The conference will feature a range of speakers on the subject of environmentally friendly building, including Houston Mayor Bill White speaking on the City's green efforts. The morning session features the keynote address and breakout sessions on commercial and home green buildings. The Construction Specification Institute will host a Construction Technology Expo with an emphasis on green building. April 29. 8:30 am – 6:30 pm. George R. Brown Convention Center. http://www.gulfcoastgreen.org .

NATIONAL
APA National Planning Conference, San Francisco, Mar 19-23. http://www.planning.org/2005conference/

SmartCodes conference, Apr 6-9, Atlanta. SmartCodes is a method of planning that combines visioning and planning with regulation, resulting in site-specific plans. The Atlanta Conference will feature Andres Duany speaking on the rural-to-urban Transect and on form-based planning principles. Sessions will include talks on the "Illegality of Great Places," or laws that actually make successful place-making illegal in Atlanta and elsewhere. http://www.placemakers.com or contact Hazel Borys at hazel@PlaceMakers.com.  

Advancing Regional Equity: The Second National Summit on Equitable Development, Social Justice, and Smart Growth, May 23-25, Philadelphia. Sponsored by Policy Link and the Funder's Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities. http://policylink.org/Summit2005/

Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) XIII∏ June 9-12, Pasadena, CA. The participants in the 13th Congress for the New Urbanism will show that the trends of the last 50 years—placeless sprawl, environmental deterioration, increasing separation by income and race—are not our destiny. http://www.cnu.org/

Rail~Volution 11, Salt Lake City, Sept 8-11. This year's conference will focus on the importance of partnerships across multiple fronts in shaping livable communities. http://www.railvolution.com.

Prepared by David Theis

Gulf Coast Growth News is a publication of the Gulf Coast Institute. The Gulf Coast Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in Houston. To support the Institute, go to http://www.gulfcoastinstitute.org. To join the Institute's 1000 Friends of Houston, go to http://www.1000friendsofhouston.org