September 10, 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

≥Houston has the most serious crash problem in the state and one of the worst in the nation. This is really a pattern of aggressive driving"

- Ned Levine, Ph.D., Transportation Program Coordinator at Houston-Galveston Area Council, addressing the agencyπs Technical Advisory Committee.

≥Until we redefine growth as increasing quality instead of getting bigger, the West - and perhaps our country as well - is on a downhill slide.≤

- Thad Box, former dean of the College of Natural Resources in Salt Lake City. See story in Environment, below.

SMART GROWTH INITIATIVE

Next meeting: Houston crash problems, September 29

At the next Smart Growth meeting, Ned Levine, Ph.D., Transportation Program Coordinator at Houston-Galveston Area Council, will report on the regionπs safety record, showing Houston leading the state in the number of serious crashes. The next meeting is Wednesday, September 29, noon-1:30 pm, Houston-Galveston Area Council, 3555 Timmons, second floor. Bring your lunch. For more information call 713-523-5755. 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

At a recent Smart Growth meeting, we looked at Regional Transportation Plans from Denver, San Diego, and Atlanta with a view toward finding models for the future.  That presentation is available online along with the Gulf Coast Instituteπs draft of a document that begins to outline a basis for Houstonπs 2028 plan. http://www.gulfcoastinstitute.org.

REGIONAL NOTES

Houston crash problem worst in state

≥Aggressive driving≤ raising serious crash risk

The rate of serious auto crashes in Houston is the worst in the state and among the worst in the nation, according to Ned Levine, Ph.D., Transportation Program Coordinator at Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC). In a report on safety, H-GAC examines the frequency and cause of åserious crashesπ (defined by DPS as an accident involving death, injury, or serious property damage which led to a car being towed).  Between 1999 and 2001, 252,240 such crashes occurred locally, giving the region 26.4 percent of the stateπs serious crashes with only 22 percent of its population.  The serious crash risk (serious crashes relative to 100-million vehicle miles traveled) here was the highest in the state, 204 vs. 149.  Serious crashes increased by about 4,000 per year, and were mostly caused by aggressive driving, with nearly all caused by violations of law. Speeding was the leading cause, at 39 percent. Failure to yield caused 20 percent. Failure to stop at a signal caused 11 percent. Failure to stop at a red light caused 8 percent. DUI caused 7 percent. Teen drivers between 16-19 were in 21 percent of all crashes despite being 9 percent of the population. This rate increased for suburban counties: in Fort Bend County, for instance, teens accounted for 29 percent of all serious crashes, for example.  An interesting finding: in a map showing ≥hot spots,≤ where crashes were most frequent, the Main Street corridor shows an unusually large number of incidents – about 51 per week or more than 7 per day – years before the light rail line began operation. http://h-gac.com/safety

Houston housing is still affordable

Median-income families priced out of major cities

Of 11 studied big-city markets, only Atlanta, Philadelpia, and Houston remain affordable, according to a Fannie Mae report called Homeownership Affordability in Urban America: Past and Future. Beginning this year, in many U.S. cities, first-time homebuyers earning the median income will not be able to qualify for the median-priced home, even with a ten percent down payment. By 2007, median income homebuyers with even a twenty percent down payment will not qualify for a mortgage on a median home. Homes in Boston, San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles are already priced beyond the reach of teachers, fire fighters, nurses, and police. In these cities first-time home buyers need to make twice the areaπs median income to afford a median-priced dwelling. Chicago, Seattle, Washington D.C., and Denver are shifting to unaffordable for these professions. http://content.knowledgeplex.org/kp2/cache/kp/22736.pdf

Health and environment seminars announced

Series to be sponsored by Riceπs Shell Center for Sustainability

A series of seminars called ≥Protecting Houstonπs Health & Environment≤ will begin September 14 with one called ≥Climate Change: Magnitude of Problem and Potential Solutions.≤ The events are sponsored by the Shell Center for Sustainability at Rice University and are free and open to the public. The first event will be from 6-8 pm at Riceπs Duncan Hall, McMurtrey Auditorium. Info & Registration: http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~eesi/scs/. Subsequent seminars are Impact of Climate Change on Coastal Cities, October 4, 6-8 pm; Houston Air Quality: Ozone Standards,  (Full-day conference) October 6, 8:30 am-5 pm; and Particulate Matter: Health Impacts, Regulatory Response, November 9-10-11, 6-8 pm.

LOCAL

Architectural bike tour set

Tour des Monuments will explore the cityπs amenities

The Texas Society of Architects presents its second annual Tour des Monuments for bicyclists on October 24. Bicyclists will depart from the downtown Hilton-Americas hotel on one of three routes.  The 10-mile route will be led by an architect and will pass through downtown, the Museum District, Rice University, and other areas.  The longer routes will travel along bayous and through Memorial Park. Fees are $25 for students, $60 for individuals, and $85 for families.  Funds go toward supporting the Texas Architectural Foundation scholarship programs. http://www. texasarchitect.org. or contact Kurt Hull, AIA at 713-374-0007 or at  khull@zieglercooper.com <mailto:khull@zieglercooper.com> .  

TEXAS NOTES

Dallas approves partial moratorium on big boxes

Council wants zoning and design standards

The Dallas City Council has adopted a 60-day moratorium during which it will not approve ≥big box≤ retail projects north of Interstate 30. Supporters of the moratorium say the freeze will give the city time to address neighborhood concerns and create zoning and design standards. They expect city staff to have a list of recommendations by Oct. 27. For some moratorium backers, the resolution didn't pass soon enough. Wal-Mart officials filed for a building permit for a new Prestonwood area location a half-hour before the moratorium was authorized. "Wal-Mart clearly doesn't want to spend any extra money for their buildings," Dallas Mayor Laura Miller said. "The most successful retailer in America doesn't want to be compatible with the neighborhoods they serve." The Dallas Business Journal warns that Dallas, which has long been losing retail and economic growth to surrounding cities and suburbs, canπt afford to complicate the lives of national retailers. DBJ isnπt as worried about the ban itself as about its pro-smart growth, anti-business implications for the city. DBJ says that the measure, which is intended to keep ≥ugly≤ development out of the city, could wind up driving out dollars as well, as retailers seek the most welcoming place to do business. DBJ asks, ≥Should Dallas, which has been on the losing end of this region's growth patterns for so long, strive to be the most difficult place to do business in North Texas - or the easiest?≤ http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/dallas/stories/081204dnmetbigboxfolo.13cf1.html and http://dallas.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2004/08/23/editorial1.html <http://dallas.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2004/08/23/editorial1.html>

Streetcars in Austin

Activists push to have streetcars added to November rail initiative

Central Texasπs traffic is already terrible, and population is expected to double in the next 20 years. According to a report on News 8 Austinπs website, some citizens want to address the Austin areaπs congestion woes by adding streetcars to the Capital Metro rail initiative already on the November ballot.  A light rail proposal was defeated in 2000, but some say streetcars can succeed where light rail failed. ≥Street cars are very well scaled,≤ says Mark Yznaga of Livable City.  ≥They're small, they're thin. People like to ride streetcars."  Moreover, trolley tracks from the street car lines that ran in Austin until the 1930s still exist in various neighborhoods, so in some cases the expense of laying rail would be avoided. In fact, the proposal doesnπt call for new tax expenditures. The lines will increase connectivity, say proponents. The first line would start at the University of Texas and run south to Palmer Auditorium. The second would start at the Convention Center and run west to Lamar. http://www.news8austin.com/content/headlines/?ArID=114576&SecID=2 <http://www.news8austin.com/content/headlines/?ArID=114576&amp;SecID=2>

Heat Island Workshop announced

San Antonio event to explore urban temperature phenomenon

A Cooling Our Communities Workshop will be held  in San Antonio on October 4. Organizations and activists will meet with local government representatives from Austin, San Antonio, and Houston to discuss what local governments and others are doing to address the ≥heat island≤ effect, in which the built environment causes the temperature to rise.  Speakers will discuss how heat islands affect the health, air quality, energy bills, and quality of life of urban Texas. Local Governments for Sustainability will host the event in the Alamodome October 4 from 8 am- 4 pm. http://www.hotcities.org/workshops/sanantonio.htm.

NOTES FROM OTHER PLACES

URBANISM

Form-based codes can preserve urban character

Traditional zoning may not be the answer

Many cities have tried to limit the economic and urban impact of chains such as Wal-Mart, but these attempts often fail, according to columnist Neal Peirce.  Itπs illegal to discriminate against a business just because itπs a chain, and cities need a mixture of national and local merchants to weather economic hard times. But how to allow chains to do business without letting them warp the individual character of a neighborhood? Peter Katz, author of The New Urbanism, tells Peirce that chains can be absorbed into the urban fabric by making ≥sure they play by pretty strict town rules: No cheap economy boxes set in the middle of parking lots. No horsy plastic signs overwhelming the streetscape. No big blank walls facing the street.≤  Form-based codes can accomplish this by ≥requiring that storefronts have ample windows, come right up to the sidewalk, and allow offices or residences on their second floors.≤ Some chains will agree to compete under these restrictions, he says. ≥In many cities and towns, even big operators such as Home Depot have shown they can fit tastefully into the historic townscape.≤ http://www.postwritersgroup.com/archives/peir0823.htm

Downtown San Diego going green

City plans ambitious urban parks program

City officials have announced plans to buy or otherwise acquire the land for a series of new downtown parks and plazas. The plan calls for at least 7 new parks, at a cost of $212 million. The money will come from property taxes and proposed buildersπ fees, among other sources. The parks will be two blocks or less in size.  City councilman Michael Zucchet said he expects the plan to be approved by October.  "We have tens of thousands of people relocating downtown, so we need to look at the infrastructure, especially parks," Zucchet said.  Forecasts show downtown's population growing from 20,000 today to about 80,000 by 2025.  The city hopes to buy the properties, but does not rule out the use of eminent domain if necessary. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20040828-9999-1m28parks.html

Denver: the State of the City

Mayor foresees continued growth and redevelopment

In his State of the City address, first-term Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper looked back at the economic challenges that the Denver region faced only a year ago, and said that, thanks to regional cooperation, the work of his predecessor, and the regionπs stress on quality of life, the area is again moving forward. ≥Economic development and quality of life go hand-in-hand,≤ he said The mayor focused on urban redevelopment, transit expansion, and regional cooperation. He said that the Denver International Airport ≥made the region what it is today,≤ and that FasTracks, the newly approved 119-mile expansion of urban and commuter rail ≥will have everything to do with making us the region we can be tomorrow.≤  Hickenlooper said the cityπs business-friendly posture will lead to further redevelopment.  The newly adopted International Building Codes will allow contractors, developers, and architects to know exactly what to expect,≤ and that the permitting process will be further streamlined.  http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=4243&state=6 <http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=4243&amp;state=6>

Atlantaπs quality growth plan gains support

Skeptical Atlanta writer agrees density is needed

Should Atlanta adopt the report of the Quality Growth Task Force of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, even though it offers recommendations that make suburbanites suspicious? Yes, they should, according to an Atlanta Business Journal editorial, even though the editorial writer admits that he has ≥has long been suspicious of buzzwords such as åsmart growthπ and ånew urbanism.πππ  The writer admits that metropolitan Atlanta, with ≥2.3 million new souls≤ expected to arrive by 2025, needs to make some changes in its growth patterns. ≥We canπt keep building subdivisions all the way to Chattanooga.≤  He also likes the highly focused urbanizing proposals that he sees in the report, and is comforted when he hears a developer say, ≥If we can allow 10 percent of the metro area to densify, we can grow and improve congestion.≤ The writer agrees with the planπs call for maximizing lifestyle choices and for expanding development where infrastructure already exists. http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2004/08/23/editorial1.html?page=1

Do LEED standards encourage sprawl?

Michigan advocates urge change to Green Building certification method

Michigan is a victim of much suburban sprawl, but it is among the leading states in terms of green building, ranking 8th, according to a column from the Michigan Land Use Institute. But the column says some planners are calling for a change in the criteria by which these buildings are rated.  Current LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards, with their emphasis on green space, can actually encourage sprawl by giving buildings a higher rating if they are built in isolated green space. Smart Growth advocates say there should be a fairer way of awarding points to urban or smart projects, saying that locating such projects in places where people already live, work, shop, and play, and where roads, public transportation, and utilities are already constructed, automatically saves a great deal of energy, construction material, and green space. Kaid Benfield of the Natural Resources Defense Council says, ≥Right now itπs harder to build smart growth than it is to build sprawl. What we want to do is help level the playing field by creating some incentives and rewards for building in a smart way.≤  http://mlui.org/growthmanagement/fullarticle.asp?fileid=16735

Taming the asphalt jungle

Cities look to raise quality of life by lowering traffic speed

Australian writer David Engwicht says that for centuries, streets were a meeting place and a sociable space.  But now, thanks to traffic engineers concerned only with car speed, streets are among the most dangerous areas of any city, reports the Michigan Land Use Institute. Engwicht notes that kids cannot play in the streets anymore without adult supervision. They are reduced to watching Sesame Street, "a make-believe street where children play safely and go exploring."  The problem of speeding cars is very real: the second leading cause of death in New York for ages 5-14 is being hit by a car. Neighborhood activists throughout the U.S. are taking up the challenge of slowing traffic, and cities are listening. The best way to ≥calm≤ traffic is not to lower speed limits, but to remind drivers that theyπre sharing the street with people, Engwicht says. Cities can narrow streets, paint crosswalks, and allow on-street parking, among other measures.   Eugene, Oregon, for example, has reduced the required width of its streets from 28 feet to 20 feet. http://www.mlui.org/growthmanagement/fullarticle.asp?fileid=16739

TRANSPORTATION

Congestion still increasing in all cities

Annual mobility study says solution is complex, not just more roads

In the effort to catch up with the effects of traffic congestion, American cities are falling farther behind with each passing year, according to 20-year trends studied in the 2004 Urban Mobility Report, published by the Texas Transportation Institute. The report shows traffic congestion growing across the nation in cities of all sizes, consuming more hours of the day, and affecting more travelers and shipments of goods than ever before. The report also measures the mobility improving contributions of public transportation service and techniques to improve roadway operating efficiency and finds that a complex set of solutions is the only way to address the problem. http://mobility.tamu.edu/

ENVIRONMENT

Water shortages mean end of western growth

The current drought in the West may be a sign of things to come

A six-year drought has depleted reservoirs in the Salt Lake City area. According to a Salt Lake Tribune editorial by Thad Box, former dean of the College of Natural Resources, itπs impossible to be sure that enough rain will ever fall to fill area reservoirs to pre-drought levels.  Box writes that Utah and the West have developed beyond the capacity of the desert to sustain life, and calls empty reservoirs ≥metaphors for our propensity to live beyond our means, our tendency to use temporary surpluses as if the bounty of good years or a windfall profit is normal.≤ Box points to evidence that severe, periodic droughts are the rule rather than the exception, and says these droughts probably led to the extinction of previous desert civilizations.  Box warns that ≥our current level of development and our standard of living are not sustainable≤ and closes by saying ≥Until we redefine growth as increasing quality instead of getting bigger, the West - and perhaps our country as well - is on a downhill slide.≤ http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_2397699

Utah open space initiative on ballot

Plan would preserve green space; opponents call it a tax hike

After a protracted battle in the courts, Utahπs open space initiative will be on the November ballot. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that, if passed, the initiative will be paid for by a 1/20 of a cent increase in sales tax. Opponents, calling the measure a tax increase, say that open space measures should be pursued at the local, rather than state level. They also say that such an initiative should be left to the legislature, rather than to a citizensπ referendum. Proponents point to legislative stalling on open space issues.  Amanda Smith, president of Utahns for Clean Water, Clean Air, and Quality Growth, says the initiative option came about only after open space proponents endured a half-dozen years of rejection at the hands of lawmakers. "Anybody who's really been watching or knows the Legislature knows that this is something they weren't going to address at this or any time in the future. And they'd be the first to admit it.≤  http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_2399138

ECONOMY

Companies prosper after moving to inner cities

Apparently dangerous neighborhoods can be a safe bet for business

When the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) set out to persuade companies to consider relocating to inner cities, the non-profit found at least 7,000 that had already made the move, according to a USA Today story. Companies such as Baltimoreπs sporting-goods manufacturer 180s and Chicagoπs pizza-oven-maker CookTek say they have thrived because of their new locations (CookTek is located only blocks from the infamous Cabrini-Green housing projects), despite the neighborhoodsπ perceived—and often real—problems of crime and poverty. Moving in from the suburbs can offer a company many advantages. Inner cities are often underserved and offer more consumer-buying power per square mile. They are closer to airports and major highways. They are a source of motivated workers who are often getting paid a fair wage for the first time, and they tend to attract idealistic ≥creative class≤ professionals. ICIC identified 800 ZIP codes in the largest 100 cities where unemployment and poverty were at least 50 percent higher than in surrounding areas, and found 364 companies already working there. These companies experienced 866 percent growth between 1997-2002. http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/2004-08-31-inner-city_x.htm

PLANNING

Developers collaborate with communities

Building comes easier when the community is on the developerπs side

In Atlanta and across the country, developers are beginning to collaborate with communities, rather than imposing their plans on them, according to The Atlanta Constitution-Journal. After years of facing angry citizens at Zoning Commission hearings, developers have learned the wisdom of asking for community input on their projects at the beginning of the process, and they often attempt to address local concerns before going to the Commission. Fulton County is now expected to amend its zoning code to require developers to meet with communities before a public hearing with the Community Zoning Board.  Some suburban areas already require community participation before hearing zoning requests. In south Fulton County, community leaders spoke in favor of South Wind, a massive mixed-use project at a recent County Commission meeting. After the developer spent months meeting with neighborhood groups, no one spoke in opposition to the project. The board unanimously approved it. http://www.ajc.com/news/content/business/horizon/0804/30buildcost.html

Wisconsin requires smart growth

All counties and towns required to prepare land use plans by 2010

A law passed as part of Wisconsinπs 1999-2001 budget will require all counties and towns and cities to have comprehensive land use plans in place by 2010, according to a LaCrosse Tribune story. Any governmental action, such as incorporation, annexation, subdivision regulation and zoning ordinances, that affects land use will have to be consistent with the plan. Wisconsin is playing catch-up with other states in terms of planning, according to officials. "If [local officials] do not have a plan, they will not be able to make any land use decisions," said Jeff Bluske, La Crosse County director of zoning and land information.  Wisconsin is behind in smart growth planning, said City Planner Larry Kirch, and currently has weak land-use regulations. "Some local governments would just as soon not get involved in regulating land because of the controversy that goes with it," said Greg Flogstad, director of the Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission.  These officials feel that the strong state mandate will allow local authorities to better plan for future land use.  http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2004/08/17/news/03smart.txt

EVENTS

REGIONAL AND STATE

Neighborhood conference, Sept. 11, Houston. The City of Houston Planning Department hosts a city-wide conference for neighborhood entitled ≥πDirections & Connections: Charting a Path for Your Neighborhood≤ at the George R. Brown Convention Center. http://www.houstonplanning.com

Transportation Improvement Plan Open House, Sept. 14, Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC), 3555 Timmons, 2nd floor, conference room A from 6-8 pm.   http://www.h-gac.com/transportation or  lynn.spencer@h-gac.com

First Ring Suburbs, Sept. 23, 30, Oct. 7, Dallas. The Greater Dallas Planning Council hosts a symposium to explore first ring suburbs. http://www.txplanning.org/EdOp/GPDCsymposium.pdf

NATIONAL

Rail~Volution, Sept. 18-22, Los Angeles. The 10th annual Rail~Volution conference that will explore how regions reinvent themselves as more livable places with transit. To register, visit http://www.railvolution.com

New Partners for Smart Growth, Jan. 27-29, 2005, Miami Beach. The 4th annual conference sponsored by the Local Government Commission and Penn State.  http://www.outreach.psu.edu/C&I/SmartGrowth/

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 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 Instituteπs 1000 Friends of Houston, go to http://www.1000friendsofhouston.org