May 27, 2004

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

≥The Houston area will gain 1.5 million or 2 million people by 2025. Huge investments in transportation will be needed. However, even a casual glance at the Regional Transportation Plan shows it places too much emphasis on pouring concrete and not enough on improving Houstonians' quality of life.≤

-The Houston Chronicle editorial on the 2025 Regional Transportation Plan currently under review by public officials. Nearly three-quarters of its ground transportation expenditures ($47 of $65 billion total) are for roadways. The plan would expand existing roadways by 60 percent.

≥Itπs a bitch to get these things financed.≤

-Christopher Leinberger, New Urbanism real estate developer, speaking at the Density by Design Conference on the complexity of financing long-term, urban projects that donπt fit the short-term, suburban model of projects today.

≥The pattern of development is the single most important part of preserving our natural environmentäAdding two million [of future population growth] inside the Loop 610 would be a great generator of wealth and creativity and save 500 [square miles]. ≤

-John Jacobs, director of the Texas Coastal Watershed Program, speaking at the Density by Design Conference.

≥Weπre swimming in space now. Doubling [the amount of people inside Loop 610] would do nothing. What we need to do is stop all the cars going in there.≤

-Robert Litke, director of City of Houston Planning and Development, speaking at the Density by Design Conference.

≥Where is it going to go?≤

-Dr. Arthur C. Nelson, professor of urban affairs and planning at Virginia Tech, at the Density by Design Conference, asking about where all the new development will go. He said that the combination of expected population and employment growth and aging development in Houston will lead to a need for about five billion square feet of new homes and workspaces to be built or rebuilt by 2035. He added that Up to 65% of development seen in 2035 will be built between now and then.

≥David Crossley has done more single-handedly to let us reflect about this [growth of a city]. Letπs support the Gulf Coast Institute.≤

-James Calaway, CEO of the Center for Houstonπs Future, at the Density by Design conference, speaking about David Crossley, President of the Gulf Coast Institute and one of the conferenceπs organizers.

LIVABLE HOUSTON / SMART GROWTH INITIATIVE

Houstonπs land assemblage program

The City of Houston is working to make thousands of tax-delinquent properties valuable again, according to Stephen Tinnermon, Special Assistant to the Mayor for Neighborhoods. Speaking at this weekπs Livable Houston meeting, Tinnermon said the City has 29,000 tax-delinquent properties, 9,000 of which are within the Loop 610. The city has started a program called the Land Assemblage and Redevelopment Authority (LARA) that will first focus on properties inside the Loop, turning them from blighted lots to greenspaces, affordable housing, or other redevelopment. Their first pilot program is already under way in the 3rd and 5th Wards where the city plans to turn around about 215 properties.

REGIONAL NOTES

The City of Houston transportation decision

Mayor White and City Council are delving slowly but surely into the Regional Transportation Plan that will go to a vote by public officials across the region on June 25th. Alan Clark of the Houston-Galveston Area Council (the agency that develops the plan) and Dr. Carol Lewis of the H-GAC Technical Advisory Committee and Texas Southern University presented information about the $77 billion road, transit, port and airport plan to City Council and Mayor White on Wednesday. Both presenters stressed the planπs flexibility to be modified over the coming months and years. The plan is updated every three years. The public has been calling for Council to remove several road expansion projects before the RTP vote this June. Over $13 billion of road widenings, construction, and reconstruction have been added to the plan this year by H-GAC, which has asked public officials for input on its projects. A group called the Citizensπ Transportation Coalition (see story below) put forth alternative proposals that would call for a modified passage of the plan. Though acknowledging problems in the plan, Council Members and the Mayor appear hesitant to modify anything in fear of losing out on federal funds. However, Peter Tyler, Harris County director for Congressman Lampson, who sits on the Transportation Committee in the House of Representatives, said ≥just because you have projects on a list, doesnπt mean youπre going to get federal funding and any removal of projects doesnπt mean youπre going to lose federal funding.≤ Tyler, who has been closely following the RTP process, elaborated on the Cityπs role, ≥This is an opportunity for the City of Houston to figure out its priorities ≠ to separate the good from the bad projects.≤ Members will hold another meeting on the 10th to further delve into the facts surrounding the plan.

Density by Design Conference

National and regional planning and development experts gathered together last week at the Density by Design Conference in downtown Houstonπs Rice Hotel to talk about future growth and its effects on quality of life. Dr. Arthur C. Nelson, a professor in urban affairs and planning at Virginia Tech, communicated the big picture to attendees saying that in 30 years, Houston will be completely transformed with 80 percent of what we see now changed due to new growth in offices, homes, and aging development. Other speakers talked about how Houston could capitalize on the new growth while improving quality of life with smarter growth. More summary information about the conference is forthcoming.

Public agency responds to public comments

The Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC), the regional government agency that coordinates transportation planning, has responded to complaints about its public outreach by changing its public involvement process. Among its changes are a new public involvement website, a court reporter to transcribe public meeting comments, and an annual report that will show a summary of public comment and any resulting changes. The Gulf Coast Institute reported in past newsletters that summaries and reporting of public comment by H-GAC to public officials had been inaccurate. The Institute researched transcripts and written comment regarding one plan, the Transportation Public Involvement Plan, that went out for public comment and found that verbal comments expressed at the one public meeting were not reported and that written comments were incorrectly summarized. H-GAC said these changes were made in part because of the Instituteπs and other comments about their public outreach process. The public involvement website can be found http://www.h-gac.com/HGAC/Departments/Transportation/Public_Involvement/default.htm

Citizen Transportation Coalition forms

With transportation as the number one focus of Houstonians for several years running, it was probably just a matter of time until a transportation citizen coalition formed. Now, a group has formed the ≥Citizens Transportation Coalition≤ to influence future transportation systems in the entire region. The coalition grew out of concerns about the Regional Transportation Plan that public officials will vote on at the end of June. The group plans to continue well pass passage of that plan this June. The beginnings of the group dates back to when the Gulf Coast Institute organized meetings in early spring to analyze the Regional Transportation Plan. That study group focused on understanding the technical aspects and quality of life consequences of the plan. However, as knowledge and concern about the RTP spread, the group increased in size until it took a life of its own, lobbying Mayor White, City Council, and others for changes in the plan. Individuals within that group became increasingly convinced that for anything to change, an active citizen coalition needed to form to lobby government for a fundamental shift in transportation public policy and planning. The newly spun group meets every Thursday morning at 8:30 am in the 2nd Floor Conference Room in 3015 Richmond Avenue. For more information, contact Robin Holzer at holzer@mindspring.com

Local monorail company sells a project overseas

Aerobus, a Houston company that has patents on a suspended monorail system, recently signed on to its first big project in Shanghai, China, according to the Houston Business Journal. The group ≥is poised to bank nearly $34 million on its first major deal to put rail cars in the sky,≤ said the paper. The project involves installing a transit system across a bay to connect Shanghai to a neighboring island. The technology has had no prior track record in an urban environment, said the article. Source: Houston Business Journal, April 16-22, 2004. The company also announced recently that the city of Weihai has chosen Aerobus China Development Co., Inc. (a subsidiary of Aerobus International) to provide the transportation solution to to connect Liugong Island to the downtown section of Weihai, across Weihai Bay. On the local front, Upper Kirby District has expressed interest in the Aerobus system for that area of the city. Source: http://www.aerobus.com

Synergy Awards 2004

The Citizensπ Environmental Coalition (CEC) is accepting applications for the

2004 Synergy Awards. Each year, CEC acknowledges individuals and groups who are working hard to make a difference in the Houston area. CEC seeks nominations for the eight award categories including awards in the areas of conservation,

community activism, corporate awareness, environmental education, media,

government, sustainable planning, and lifetime achievement. The 2004 Synergy Awards ceremony will be held on October 12. Please email synergy@cechouston.org for details and applications. Application deadline is July 30, 2004.

Mosquito time

If you are interested in learning more about ways to protect yourself from mosquitoes in time for the summer, visit the new website at http://www.mosquitozone.com <http://www.mosquitozone.com/> . It contains several items including a fact versus fiction sight about mosquito protection.

NOTES FROM OTHER PLACES

PLANNING

Popularity returned to the planner

The past two decades have not exactly been the high points in US history for city planning but things may be turning around, said an article in Governing magazine. After years of dwindling budgets and staffs, planning departments in growing cities are picking up with Washington DCπs department leading the way. The article follows the district planning departmentπs transformation from ≥paper pushers≤ to actual planners with increasing power. http://www.governing.com/archive/2004/may/planners.txt <http://www.governing.com/archive/2004/may/planners.txt>

METROPOLITAN ECONOMICS

Cities scramble for immigrants

Entrepreneurship, energy, and globalization are all some of the beneficial factors cities seek by increasing immigrant populations, says Neal Peirce in his recent column entitled ≥Cities Scramble for Immigrants.≤ Peirce asks if immigration is ≥a real elixir for faltering urban economies≤ He says activists in low-immigration cities including Pittsburgh, Philadephia, Cleveland, and Baltimore say it is and are looking for more immigrants. Houston is one area that doesnπt have to worry much about immigration, with all of its growth in recent years being foreign immigrants. According to Texas Economic & Demographic Association, there was more international migration into Harris County than domestic migration (moving from one US county to another) from April 2000 to July 2003. In fact, Harris County actually had negative domestic migration during that time span. http://www.postwritersgroup.com/archives/peir0510.htm

MOBILITY

Federal transportation decision

US Congress members continue to debate over spending levels as any final agreement for federal transportation legislation continues to be delayed. The ≥TEA-21≤ legislation will guide federal dollars for highway, bus, rail, and other transportation projects for a six-year time frame. Before adjourning for the Memorial Day recess, the US Senate gave its approval to the appointment of 21 Senators who will negotiate with the House transportation leaders over the renewal legislation. The two houses and the White House stand billions of dollars apart on funding levels and have failed to come up with a compromise since the initial deadline in September 2003. The newly revised deadline is June 30, however there is speculation that members might postpone finalizing the legislation until after elections this November. For more information, visit http://www.transact.org/transfer/trans04/5_21.asp

A lot of pork but no solution

The pork barreling and concrete mixing going on in Washington DC in the federal transportation bill will do ≥precious little to ameliorate the transportation problems of the modern metropolis,≤ says Robert Puentes of the Brookings Institution. In an essay titled ≥Cement and Pork Donπt Mix≤, he says not only will the billions spent on transportation do little to solve problems, but that "a growing body of research based on actual investments clearly shows that major highway projects do not necessarily create new jobs or spur economic growth so much as shift economic activity around a metropolitan area. The result is that cities and older suburbs frequently look on helplessly as commercial strips decline and infrastructure crumbles as growth follows new public investments out to the suburban fringe." http://www.brookings.edu/urban/20040510_metroview.htm

HOUSING

Could San Diegoπs high-rise condo boom lead the way out of Californiaπs housing crisis?

San Diegoπs high-rise condo boom could serve as a promising example of how to mitigate Californiaπs housing and sprawl crisis without ruining its quality of life, according to an article in the SF Weekly. San Diego has seen a surge in downtown condo units ≠ with 13,000 built in the past four years and another 9,000 under construction or permitted and ready to build. Housing supply is trying to keep up with the seemingly insatiable demand for downtown living. However, that San Diego can be used as any kind of clear-cut benchmark is far from true, says the paper, as existing tax collection systems and further sprawl continue to complicate the picture. http://www.sfweekly.com/issues/2004-05-05/smith.html/1/index.html <http://www.sfweekly.com/issues/2004-05-05/smith.html/1/index.html>

EDUCATION

Brown vs. Board of Education and the need for more choice

Brown vs. Board of Education, the historic ruling that marked ≥the beginning of the civil rights revolution,≤ declared separate is not equal in Americaπs public schools, and that black children should be given the same opportunity as white ones. However, as the Economist magazine reported in a recent article, public schools have been resegregating and poor black parents donπt have much choice when it comes to educating their children. The article talks about introducing more competition into the public school arena by allowing poor parents to use vouchers that would allow them to choose their childrenπs schools. The article cites that Blacks and Latinos support the idea by large margins while conservative white suburbanites and Democratic politicians oppose it. Source: The Economist, May 22, 2004.

EVENTS

REGIONAL

Transportation Policy Council Meeting, May 28, Houston. The council of public officials that vote on transportation plans including the Regional Transportation Plan will meet at 9:30 am in H-GACπs offices, Greenway Plaza, 3555 Timmons http://www.h-gac.com/HGAC/home/Default.htm

Houston Audubon Societyπs Field Trip on the Katy Prairie, May 29, Houston. Bob Honig to narrarate Katy Prairie natural history during a late afternoon/early evening field trip. http://www.houstonaudubon.org/

Urban Harvest Classes, June, Houston. Urban Harvet will hold several classes throughout the month of June on everything from growing Latino vegetables to constructing nature ponds. http://www.urbanharvest.org/classes/classesevents.html

The Nashville Experience, June 8, Houston. Blueprint Houston hosts Rick Bernhardt, Director of Planning for Naashville, to talk about the cityπs General Plan. 11:30 am at 3015 Richmond in downstairs conference room. For more information and to RSVP, call Callie Bluemer at 713-522-0590 or email hsweetnam@blueprinthouston.org

State of the City, June 8, Houston. Mayor Bill White presents the ≥State of our city≤ to the ULI Houston District Council luncheon. At the Four Seasons Hotel on 1300 Lamar St., 11:30 am ≠ 1:30 pm. To register and for more information, call 713-935-0440.

Note to readers: If you have news to share, have reports from events, or would like to add subscriber names, please let us know at issues@gulfcoastideas.org.

Prepared by Catherine Rentz Pernot

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.gulfcoastideas.org. To join the Instituteπs 1000 Friends of Houston, go to http://www.1000friendsofhouston.org