Keys to a smart transit-oriented project

Urban cluster projects have a delicate chemistry. With so many variables, players, financial formulas, and expectations involved, it's easy to end up on the wrong side of the track before the first shovel of dirt is even turned.

“From a city's point of view, these transit nodes will become a gateway to the city, and everybody has high expectations of what that gateway should look like,” says designer Chek Tang, principal of Oakland, Calif.-based McLarand Vasquez Emsiek & Partners, which specializes in transportation-oriented developments (TODs). Hence, laying the early groundwork for the TOD is every bit as important as its execution, says Tang.

“City governments have an entrenched lack of familiarity in TOD projects,” adds Austin City Councilman Brewster McCracken, the city's point person for two planned transit villages along its future light-rail line. “So, it's absolutely critical to be transparent from the very beginning and to have shared information and shared goals.”

That's a message that Marilee Utter, a Denver-based national transit consultant for Citiventure Associates, routinely carries to cities, architects and developers. Over the years, Utter has compiled a list of five crucial steps cities should take with developers in the early-planning process of a transit-oriented project:

Map out the objective: Cities should aggressively determine the project's initial vision, instead of the developer, urges Utter. “Who better to know the city's culture than the people who hold office there?” Conversely, communities should cede decisions on design elements such as pedestrian-flow patterns to the architects and developers.

Optimize land usage: Cities should commit to studying and understanding a TOD's requirement for higher-density development and less-than-standard parking ratios. Cities should assist developers with land assembly from the beginning of the project, Utter stresses.

Listen to your neighbors: Nearby residents are the most likely to resist plans for a transit village. Their concerns should be prioritized in TOD master plans, tenant mix and traffic flow.

Use quality materials: Construction materials should be top-of-the-line and help make a statement about the project's staying power, Utter says. Additionally, cities should insist on exemplary street designs, but not demand that every enclave or street have retail.

Understand your customer: Project architects and developers should strongly link the development's access points to its design and theme to further create continuity. “Always think about the consumer,” emphasizes Utter.

Sustainable co-op supermarket?

from cool town studios

Good neighborhood supermarkets are hard to come by. Trader Joe's and Whole Foods are the de facto choices by the downtown crowd, though the former has a limited selection and the latter caters to an upper class income. The most progressive neighborhoods in forward-thinking cities like Madison WI, Burlington VT, Cambridge MA and Ann Arbor MI have it figured out - co-op supermarkets.

As you can see (above), co-ops have evolved - they're organized via grassroots efforts, but don't look like grassroots efforts. In fact, they're sharp-looking, well-managed, and price competitive because they follow the mass customization/crowdsourcing/beta community model of future patrons organizing to design and develop the grocery they want. In fact, as a result, most of them have built-in cafes (right) and community bulletin boards.

The question then becomes, how does one start a co-op supermarket? The answer is with the Food Co-op 500 (perhaps a play on the Fortune 500), cooperative effort to help establish a total of 500 co-op supermarkets in 10 years (there are 300 today).

The outline of the development guide can be found here, based on:

1. Four organizing principles:The 'Four Cornerstones' of Vision, Talent, Capital and Systems.
2. Three stages of development:Organizing, Feasibility and Planning, and Implementation.
3. Two sources of funding:- $10,000 matching Seed Fund grant for the first stage of development.- $25,000 matching Sprout Fund loan for the second and third stages of development.

Finally, you can 'find a co-op supermarket near you' with the Cooperative Grocer Directory... and if there isn't one, you now have an idea of how to solve that!

In Praise of Smaller Developments

by Trisha Riggs E-mail: priggs@uli.org

ULI’s Place Making Conference Explores Fundamentals of Designing and Building for Change

Conference panelists discussed the benefits of building smaller developments. The smaller the town center development, the more necessary it is to link with the surrounding neighborhoods, resulting in ample points of connection. Conversely, while larger developments have more capability to be self-sustaining, this can lead to isolation, participants noted. “Going small forces you to connect to what is around you, because you are not big enough to do things on your own,” said Richard E. Heapes, principal of Street-Works in White Plains, N.Y.

According to John E. Felton, principal and director of community design at Cline Design Associates in Raleigh, N.C., there are several steps that can be taken upfront to help smoothen the process of developing small, mixed-use projects, including conducting a full analysis of the entire site’s potential and the timing of the development of each use; developing a clear strategy for integrating each use; using a simple, efficient design; understanding that parking for each use is critical; and planning for the creation of an engaging place that draws people back for repeat visits.

Felton advised conference attendees to “go to where the people are” to find promising sites for smaller projects—including downtown infill locations, sites near transit, places close to universities or cultural centers, and old shopping centers. Many of these sites represent lucrative opportunities for adaptive reuse, he said.

Katherine Kelley, president of Green Street Properties in Atlanta, shared four key lessons learned in developing small-scale projects: 1) Be externally focused—build to the perimeter of the project so it connects to the external infrastructure. “This is beneficial to the surrounding community as well—each can enjoy the benefits of the other.” 2) Anchor the project with great restaurants. “They (restaurants) are a primary channel for the public, and they draw people to the adjacent retail.” 3) To the extent possible, arrange the project’s components horizontally. “If you have to layer vertically, make each building easily walkable to the next.” 4) Realize that something has to give to make the numbers work. “If you don’t have high density (which is sometimes a challenge to achieve in smaller projects) you have to look elsewhere for a sufficient revenue stream.”

The place making trend, said Terry Shook, president of Shook Kelley in Charlotte, N.C., has resulted in a “new breed” of community developers who are catering to rising consumer demand for convenient living environments that save time by offering a variety of development uses close together. Town center development provides an opportunity to reclaim areas with no sense of community—particularly in suburban settings—by “turning the ordinary into the special, until we reach a point at which the special becomes the ordinary,” he said.

New Urban Home by David Baker + Partners

by Jetson Green

I wanted to talk about David Baker + Partners' (DBP) new design for a development called Blue Star Corner. The design is called the New Urban Home. The New Urban Home philosophy blends loft and condominium attitudes, with a modern feel that tends to build up--not out. This philosophy was brought to the Blue Star Corner development to create a sustainable (LEED for Homes), modern, urban design for the historic Park Avenue District in the Bay Area. All the appliances will be Energy Star, all the plumbing will be water efficient, and the site is located near mass transit. Blue Star Corner is planned for completion in mid-2007.

Green Features:
The developer, Holliday Development, and DBP hope to achieve LEED for Homes certification on this project. Here's some of what they're going to do: will use recycled and non-toxic building materials, non-endangered woods, galvanized metal, bamboo flooring, and environmentally-fabricated CaesarStone quartz countertops; will try to source materials locally as much as possible (keeps money in local economy + eliminates the transportation/gas premium); open spaces will feature sustainable landscaping by Conger Moss Guillard Landscape; appliances will be energy-efficient with Duravit, Kohler, and Bosch brands; and much more.

Other Amenities:
Units will include also Ann Sacks bathtubs, Sub-zero + Jenn-Air refrigerators, Bisazza tiles, Benjamin Moore paint, in-unit iPod docking stations, and personal garages with fold-up work stations. This is all going in with the general setup with a master bedroom, living room, kitchen, and flex room. To add to that, homes will be unique--they won't all have identical features, colors, or design. It's important to cater to individuality.

Extra Links:New Urban Home at Blue Star Corner [Generalized Case Study]David Baker + Partners Provide Design for "Green" Amsterdam-Inspired Townhouses [MHN]

Retail or Gallery??

Excerpts from Superfuture

Amsterdam...
Do you ever get that ' why-haven't-i-discovered-this-place-before' feeling? it just happened to me when visiting this interesting streetsmart store [hilariously, brian jensen of copenhagen's wood wood knew ALL about it and first informed me of this spot]. see an unexpectedly varied and hot range of streetwear, sneakers, watches, cosmetics of dr. hauschka [yo!] and in the near future an increased selection of magazines, books and CDs too. sneakers can be customized to the max, rendering them one of a kind trophies. as with all the other items, goods are carefully selected in order to offer exclusivity and quality. an added value element here are the regular art exhibitions of both emerging and established street artists plus other product related events.

Clientele:
International to say the least but also a wide local following. even some sort of cult status in japan since appearing in brutus magazine in 2002. they're all metric groupies...

Service:
Friendly and personal: leave that to bright-eyed, soft-spoken and globetrotting owner ido who's laid-back and knowledgeable ways add personality to this store.

Interior:
With a name like this it ain't hard to figure out the size but it also gives you a clue about its sobre look which in turn proves to be the proper context for 90 sqm.'s funky merchandise and art display.

The "Branding" of Your Neighborhood

by Frank A. Mills

For the most part traditional urban planning has failed our urban neighborhoods. Rather than being driven by practical considerations and a real understanding of urban decline, much of what passes for urban planning is driven more by wishful thinking than anything else. Ultimately such planning is destined for failure.

If traditional urban planning is not working, let's get rid of it. It's time for a new approach.I hesitate to mention this word, its full of capitalistic connotations at best, greed, at worse, and in between, blind spin-doctoring.

The word is branding.There, I've said it. Before you shut down the blog let me at least tell you what I am talking about.

Think about what made made our urban neighborhoods a place that people wanted to live in, in the first place. I know that when I was a kid, my parents moved to Baltimore's Windsor Hills neighborhood because it had the reputation of being a nice place to live and raise a family. Now, isn't that a form of branding?

Here in Cleveland, many of the older, and not so old, residents of Glenville remember when that neighborhood was known as Cleveland's "Gold Coast" because of its many upscale boutiques, and before that, "Cleveland's Garden Basket" from its many truck farms. Branding, again.But what makes this particular branding significant, is that most of the current residents who mention this, didn't live in Glenville when it was the Gold Coast, and certainly not when it was "Cleveland's Garden Basket."

Although Glenville is in serious decline, the Brand remains.So much so, that some of Glenville's residents want to revive the "garden" part and have Glenville become known as the "Western Entrance" to the International Gardens and Rockefeller Park.

Okay, so where am I going with this?

Do we not buy a particular brand of car because of what it offers in quality and safety, price, and amenities? Do we not buy into the brand – its quality of life and affordability – of a neighborhood when we make decisions about where we are going to live?When we think about revitalizing urban neighborhoods this is where we need to begin, with the neighborhood's brand, with its negative and positive connotations. I suggest that before any plans are made that we articulate the spirit, the qualitative essence, of place. This is the unarticulated brand.

Just as we take cars for test drives before we purchase, we need to walk the neighborhood, to talk to the people, to eat in the restaurants, and to drink in the pubs. We need to learn to feel what made, and makes, the neighborhood a neighborhood — before we create plans.

We need to think of neighborhoods as a "her" – an ever-evolving living organism – not an "it" devoid of life.

We need to understand why she is in decline (if she is), not from the perspective of urban experts, but by hearing, seeing, and feeling her story. We need to see her through the lenses of the camera. We need to see her inside out, through the windows of her homes, stores, places of work, and cafás and the lives of her residents.We need to become part of her life, just as we must make her part of our life. We need to feel her embedded poetry. And when we do, we will discover her essence, and be able to articulate it, to "brand" it.

The brand is not the neighborhood's essence; rather the brand proclaims her essence. When we realize her essence, we have something we can latch hold of, something that we can "sell"— an urban neighborhood where people that want to visit and to live in. Done correctly, an amazing phenomena will take place: residents will begin to demand all that the brand promises (just like they expect and demand certain qualities from commercial brands): good schools,livable homes, retail amenities; everything that makes a neighborhood home. The seeds to stop decline are sown, and the neighborhood begin to experience, once again, the realization of her vital essence through development that truly builds upon who she really is.

Let's throw away the master plans. Let's start spending our energy in discovering, and experiencing, the embed poetry, the essence, of our urbanneighborhoods. Then, and only then, do we have that hitherto elusive essential quantity necessary for the revitalize our urban neighborhoods

Bohemian today, high-rent tomorrow

Excerpts from BusinessWeek online By Maya Roney

Want to know where a great place to invest in real estate will be five or 10 years from now? Look at where artists are living now.

Sociologists and policymakers have long been touting art and culture as the cure-all to economically depressed neighborhoods, cities, and regions. The reason? It has been proven that artists—defined as self-employed visual artists, actors, musicians, writers, etc.—can stimulate local economies in a number of ways.

Artists are often an early sign of neighborhood gentrification. "Artists are the advance guard of what's hip and cool," says Bert Sperling, founder and president of Portland (Ore.)-based Sperling's Best Places and compiler of BusinessWeek.com's list of the Best Places for Artists in America.

Creativity Leads to Growth
Artists, because of their typically lower incomes, usually need to seek out less expensive, developing neighborhoods where they can afford the rent. But because of their creativity they are able to fix up these areas, eventually attracting hip boutiques, galleries, and restaurants. Not all artists are starving. While some are able to achieve success writing, acting, painting, or dancing, others get tired of scraping by as waiters or bartenders and sometimes apply their abilities in more entrepreneurial ways.

Anne Markusen, an economist and professor at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs and a leading researcher on the effects of the arts on regional economics, once profiled an abstract painter whose work is now displayed on ceilings and in MRI machines in hospitals across the country. In Markusen's research, artists have also been found to stimulate innovation on the part of their suppliers. A painter may need a certain type of frame that is not manufactured, forcing the frame maker to create a new design that happens to also work well for other artists.

But Markusen also maintains that artists bring more than culture to a community. "Businesses don't often understand the extent to which art affects them," Markusen says. "[Artists] are just as important as science and technology companies."

Nonarts businesses also use artist contractors to improve product design, help with marketing, or even use dramatic theory to solve employee relationship issues. Being a cultural center also helps local businesses attract employees who want to be able to regularly go to the ballet or the theater, hear authors read from their latest books, or attend art gallery openings.

Follow the Money
Due to the individual nature and economics of their work, artists are also some of the most itinerant professionals out there. When relocating, they often look for cities and towns that already have high concentrations of artists and a young, racially and ethnically diverse population. The presence of a nurturing art community in the form of art societies and centers is also essential, especially to young artists.

A low cost of living is important, but many artists make financial sacrifices to live near an art-rich urban center or live in a cheaper neighborhood. Few struggling artists can afford to live in neighborhoods like New York's SoHo and Greenwich Village, or even Williamsburg, which once were artistic havens before attracting wealthier residents. Now you are more likely to find New York-based artists in the Bronx, Brooklyn, or even Philadelphia.

In addition to the presence of like-minded individuals, proximity to wealth is also important. The fact of the matter is that artists can seldom earn a living, let alone become rich, selling to other artists. They need wealthy benefactors to buy their paintings or support their local symphony, which explains why each of the places in the U.S. that we found to be the best for artists are in or located near centers of wealth. Los Angeles, No. 1 on our list, is most commonly associated with the film industry. While the city provides great opportunities for actors and directors, there are equally rich prospects for musicians, artists, writers, and dancers. Of course, the majority of these people can't afford to live in Beverly Hills—at least not until they get their big break—and instead opt for more affordable digs in areas like Echo Park.

Role of arts in urban revitalization

Below is an excerpt of a talk given at The Peabody Institute Forum. Speakers included Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Dr. William Brody, President of Johns Hopkins University,Adam Gordon, Editor-in-chief of The Next American City.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg:
We’re here to consider the role of arts in urban revitalization. Probably can’t have a better example of that than the Peabody campus. It’s right in the middle of Baltimore. It’s not quite as famous as Camden Yards, but it is getting there.

Arts and arts organizations seriously are a vital component of a city’s cultural life, particularly for the diverse communities that live there. They are also magnets for people that come from outside: tourists, of course, but also talented and ambitious dreamers.

Art defines our lives. Art pumps us up and makes us complete and gives us something to put a smile on our faces about, as well as gets the brain cells to keep going. When you talk about the pulse of the city, in many ways you really are talking about the artists that live there and the artists that work there. Art is one of the ways in which ethnic communities express themselves. Not everybody has had the kind of education that lets them write well. There are people who just instinctively have the ability to communicate in other ways. I think that great cities recognize this.

Art is about economics as well. I don’t think there’s any question why New York City’s tourism is the way it is. I was with a very well known clothes designer last night at dinner, and he had a friend coming to town who said, “Can you get me a hotel room?” He said both he and his secretary dialed for an hour before they finally found one room. New York City is full, and the reason the hotels are full, the reason the tourists come there, is because they want to see the museums, the performing arts centers–the tiny museums and not just the big ones. Art brings in millions and millions of dollars to any city. It transforms whole neighborhoods.

One of the great challenges we have is to bring artists into communities that are down on their heels and have the artists transform the communities–and that works–but as Mayor O’Malley knows, the great challenge is how do you keep it so the artists are able to live there as these neighborhoods become magnets and more and more people want to move in and drive the starving artists out. There’s no easy answer to that. What is clear is that culture changes neighborhoods, and that all of these things take money to do. There’s no question the arts have to be supported. They have to be supported by private philanthropy as well as public philanthropy. Public philanthropy is great, but it’s private philanthropy that really lets people be totally creative. If we didn’t have private philanthropy we’d be back in the old masters days. We certainly never would have had something as blasphemous as impressionism. Medicine–the same thing is true: you would never try anything new because the public’s money can’t do that.

I think the stakes are very high. If you falter in your community or in your city and you walk away from the arts, it can be generations before you can turn that around. Once it becomes unfashionable to go someplace it stays unfashionable for a long time. It is also a very competitive world. Mayor O’Malley has got to get people to move here; Mayor Bloomberg’s got to get people to move to New York. People have choices today that they never had before.

Net Zero Energy Building

by Jetson Green

I just thought I would blog about this real quick because it caught my attention in the latest edition of BusinessWeek. There was a full page ad saying, "Imagine that. You can do well in the world without hurting it." Pictured in the ad is a pretty neat looking building (above), which is interactive at www.utc.com/curious. Go give it a look...United Technologies' (NYSE: UTX) green building page has information on electrochromic glazing, 100% recycled structural steel, vertical axis wind power turbines, photovoltaic solar power arrays, zero VOC paints, green roofs with an integrated reclamation systems, conserving energy, fuel cell power plants, and combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP) systems. Maybe someone should actually build the structure that's in this rendering.

Sustainable Building Checklist

workinproperty.com 06 March 2007

A checklist has been prepared by Checklist South East to help all parties in the development process consider the true impact of any project.

The checklist is intended for the use of developers to ensure that they have tackled the critical issues in their proposal. Similarly it is adopted by planners when considering an application.
The Checklist takes into account industry standards such as BREEAM, Ecohomes, Urban Design Compendium, National Standards Framework.

The Checklist is divided into sub sections, as taken from their website:

• Climate Change and Energy To ensure that new developments are appropriately adapted to the impacts of present and future climate change and to minimise their own impact on greenhouse gases, flooding, heat gain, water resources and water quality.
• Community
  To ensure that the development supports a vibrant, diverse and inclusive community which integrates with surrounding communities.
• Place Making To ensure that the most sustainable sites are used for development and that the design process, layout structure and form provide a development that is appropriate to the local context and supports a sustainable community.
• Transport and Movement To ensure people can reach facilities they need by appropriate transport modes, encouraging walking and public transport use and reducing the use of private cars for shorter journeys.
• Ecology To ensure that the ecological value of the site is conserved and enhanced maintaining biodiversity and protecting existing natural habitats which can contribute to and enhance the amenity of the area.
• Resources To promote the sustainable use of resources, including the reduction and re-use of wastes, related to both the construction and operation of new developments.
• Business To ensure that the development contributes to the sustainable economic vitality of the local area and region.
• Buildings To ensure that the design of individual buildings does not undermine the sustainability of the overall development.
  Checklist South East allows the various parties to answer the numerous questions on-line, providing policy guidance as well as the relative importance of each question.

An important tool in an ever changing (planning) climate..

TOD...Why Now?

From Reconnecting America

Housing Preferences Are Changing:

Demand is changing dramatically because of profound demographic shifts, including the aging of baby boomers, the number of new immigrants, and the fact that younger adults prefer urban, mixed-use environments. While two-thirds of demand is still for large single-family dwellings, a third is for smaller housing choices, including apartments, townhomes, live-work spaces, and bungalows. The market isn’t meeting this demand, and the increasing competition for units in denser, mixed-use neighborhoods has caused a cycle of price increases, displacement and gentrification. There is an urgent need to increase this housing stock in order to meet market demand and protect and grow the affordable housing inventory.

Workers and Firms Prefer "24-Hour Neighborhoods":

In the past companies have preferred suburban campus environments near freeways, and regions have lured employers without regard to bigger picture development goals. But other issues are coming into play, including the rise of the "creative class," and the increasing importance of talent, technology and tolerance in a region’s economic development strategy. Because firms are chasing talent, which is choosing to locate in diverse, lively urban regions, firms now prefer these locations. A recent Jones Lang LaSalle survey found access to mass transit is very important to 70 percent of New Economy companies. And, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers' respected Emerging Trends publication, 24-Hour places are the best real estate investment locations.

Rail and Bus Systems Are In A Building Boom:

More regions are developing mass transit and more consumers are choosing mass transit over driving on congested roadways. Whereas public transit had existed primarily in older Northeastern cities, new systems have begun service in cities like Dallas, Denver, Salt Lake City, Sacramento, Charlotte, San Diego, Portland and San Jose. In fact, new rail or rapid bus systems are planned or under construction in all but three of the top 30 metropolitan areas.
At the convergence of these three trends is an opportunity to create the armature for a new growth and development strategy that meets the demand for location-efficient mixed-use places, supports regional economic growth strategies, and increases housing affordability — by increasing supply in neighborhoods with lower transportation costs. TOD occurs within a half mile radius of rail or rapid bus stations, encourages walking and cycling, has a mix of retail, commercial and residential uses, and a diversity of housing types suited to a mix of generations and incomes. It is the one strategy that promises to simultaneously meet these seemingly disparate goals.

Indeed, transit-oriented development has been touted as the palliative to traffic congestion and air quality problems, the high cost of housing, and Americans’ need for physical activity. But analysts have looked at projects on the ground nationwide and found few that deliver on this promise, and they’ve concluded TOD offers few advantages. In fact, the truth lies somewhere in between. Most so-called transit-oriented projects are simply conventional development located adjacent to transit, and cannot live up to the potential of truly effective transit-oriented development.

TOD or Transit-Adjacent Development

by Patrick Siegman, in Tumlin and Millard-Ball


What’s the difference between a true transit-oriented development, which will deliver
promised social and economic benefits, and a transit-adjacent development? A true TOD will include most of the following:

• The transit-oriented development lies within a five-minute walk of the transit stop, or about a quarter-mile from stop to edge. For major stations offering access to frequent high-speed service this catchment area may be extended to the measure of a 10-minute walk.

• A balanced mix of uses generates 24-hour ridership. There are places to work, to live, to learn, to relax and to shop for daily needs.

• A place-based zoning code generates buildings that shape and define memorable streets, squares, and plazas, while allowing uses to change easily over time.

• The average block perimeter is limited to no more than 1,350 feet. This generates a fine-grained network of streets, dispersing traffic and allowing for the creation of quiet and intimate thoroughfares.

• Minimum parking requirements are abolished.

• Maximum parking requirements are instituted: For every 1,000 workers, no more than 500 spaces and as few as 10 spaces are provided.

• Parking costs are “unbundled,” and full market rates are charged for all parking spaces. The exception may be validated parking for shoppers.

• Major stops provide BikeStations, offering free attended bicycle parking, repairs, and rentals. At minor stops, secure and fully enclosed bicycle parking is provided.

• Transit service is fast, frequent, reliable, and comfortable, with a headway of 15 minutes or less.

• Roadway space is allocated and traffic signals timed primarily for the convenience of walkers and cyclists.

• Automobile level-of-service standards are met through congestion pricing measures, or disregarded entirely.

• Traffic is calmed, with roads designed to limit speed to 30 mph on major streets and 20 mph on lesser streets.

Form-Based Codes

by Planning & Design Institute

Regulations known as "form–based codes" offer an approach that favors walkable neighborhoods, a variety of housing choices, and mixed use developments. Unlike conventional zoning, form–based codes make it easier to find a balance between maintaining a community's local character and, at the same time facilitating high–quality development projects.

The codes can be applied to new growth ares, existing neighborhoods, special districts, as well as entire communities.

The regulations focus on the size, form, and placement of buildings and parking locations. With form–based codes, there is flexibility in combining residential commercial uses on property, and less emphasis on specific densities. A land owner or developer will have more options in offering single–family homes, apartments, offices, or retail as long as the building form conforms to the community's vision reflected in the form–based codes. Overall, form–based codes give a community the opportunity to respond to market demands in a manner that follows the principles of smart growth planning.

Key elements in form–based code may include:

• A Regulating Plan which may include a map of the study area that specify where specific building forms apply
• Standards for building forms
• Standards for street and sidewalks
• Design Guidelines which address architecture and landscaping
• Clearly defined processes for application and review
• Definitions of technical terms

In addition, form–based codes are typically written to be user–friendly, and often supplement regulatory text with graphics to help illustrate specific regulations, such as minimum and maximum heights of buildings.

Creating Walkable Neighborhoods

by smartgrowth.org

Walkable communities are desirable places to live, work, learn, worship and play, and therefore a key component of smart growth. Their desirability comes from two factors. First, walkable communities locate within an easy and safe walk goods (such as housing, offices, and retail) and services (such as transportation, schools, libraries) that a community resident or employee needs on a regular basis. Second, by definition, walkable communities make pedestrian activity possible, thus expanding transportation options, and creating a streetscape that better serves a range of users -- pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and automobiles. To foster walkability, communities must mix land uses and build compactly, and ensure safe and inviting pedestrian corridors.



Walkable communities are nothing new. Outside of the last half-century communities worldwide have created neighborhoods, communities, towns and cities premised on pedestrian access. Within the last fifty years public and private actions often present created obstacles to walkable communities. Conventional land use regulation often prohibits the mixing of land uses, thus lengthening trips and making walking a less viable alternative to other forms of travel. This regulatory bias against mixed-use development is reinforced by private financing policies that view mixed-use development as riskier than single-use development. Many communities -- particularly those that are dispersed and largely auto-dependent -- employ street and development design practices that reduce pedestrian activity.



As the personal and societal benefits of pedestrian friendly communities are realized – benefits which include lower transportation costs, greater social interaction, improved personal and environmental health, and expanded consumer choice -- many are calling upon the public and private sector to facilitate the development of walkable places. Land use and community design plays a pivotal role in encouraging pedestrian environments. By building places with multiple destinations within close proximity, where the streets and sidewalks balance all forms of transportation, communities have the basic framework for encouraging walkability.

Urban Redevelopment Do’s & Don’ts

By Michael S. Weiner

The last 50 years of real estate development have often been innovative, but also, in many cases, downright dreadful in the approach to redeveloping downtown areas. Today, city fathers struggle with breaking from the past trends of urban sprawl and walled communities to redevelop urban areas that will increase downtown real estate values, attract businesses and residents, and enhance cultural and civic activities.

The success or failure of these endeavors will have lasting economic impact on those cities in competition to become regional destinations, capturing discretionary spending or seeking to exponentially increase their current tax base. Failure to create an economically sound downtown can ruin a city. Finding the right formula can catapult a city into the national limelight, creating a trickle down effect that results in higher-priced real estate, a strong retail and business environment, and a reputation that draws people to the area.

Do enter a third generation of thought. Before World War II, neighborhoods in urban areas seemed to evolve organically. Many times neighborhoods were organized along ethnic lines. This was immediately followed by the era of urban sprawl, massive malls, and the introduction of walled communities. At that time, there was an aversion to urban areas and people were fleeing to the perceived safety of the suburbs.

Don’t think this is suburbia. Many cities cannot resist the temptation to create suburban centers in urban pockets. Large areas are leveled to create a contrived center that is nothing more than an outdoor mall. The problem with this strategy is that cities are not capitalizing on the already existing local flavor, history, and charm to create vibrant, dynamic areas to which crowds will flock. They tend to have a “walled-in” feeling, one that excludes the urban environment rather than invites.

Do encourage jaywalking. Though this may sound a bit unusual, urban areas actually lend themselves to this type of civil disobedience, given the greater pedestrian density in vital urban areas. Consequently, it’s important to have no more than two lanes of road traffic, and to discourage car speeds of more than 30 mph through the use of traffic circles, speed bumps, and stop signs. Parallel parking also slows everyone down.

Don’t fall for the fallacy of mixed use. Too many developers cling to a belief that an apartment building with a few thousand square feet of retail thrown in on the ground floor constitutes “mixed use.” This is usually a formula for disaster simply because the limited number of tenants cannot support these small retailers. These small mixed-use projects have limited parking and residents tend to get angered by others using their space. These projects are clearly not a new urban environment and usually fail. A watchword for redevelopment should be “sustainability,” retail survives only with enough households conveniently located using its services and buying its goods.

Do capitalize on history. Successful downtown redevelopments reflect their cities’ history and personality. They build on their roots and successfully market their new “old” images. As a result, people know what they’re getting when they decide to live, dine or visit. It’s that “branding” thing that advertising firms love so much.

The world is sprinkled with examples of locations that have become attractions based on the authenticity of their culture. Pamplona has the running of the bulls. Sedona, AZ has capitalized on its rock formations and Indian art. Aspen, CO carved an initial reputation on its classical music festival. People flock to different neighborhoods of New York City for different experiences--to Tribeca, Chelsea, Greenwich Village, the Upper East Side, and Central Park West, to name just a few. But these experiences did not just happen; they evolved, becoming unique to their districts and locales.
There’s no question that the concept of New Urbanism will continue. It is up to the real estate community to create the proper, and profitable, destinations.

The BOHO Philosophy

BOHO Developments seek to offer a compelling alternative for those who are dissatisfied with the choices provided by conventional development. Conventional development emphasizes the private realm, auto dependency, single use pods, privacy, exclusivity, and bigger and bigger private residences. BOHO Developments emphasize the public realm, walkability, mixed uses, community, diversity, and quality over quantity.

A Walkable Community
BOHO Developments pragmatically accommodates cars, but are be designed for people. They are to be very walkable. Cars travel slowly, and sidewalk and street designs emphasize pedestrian comfort and safety. There are plenty of interesting things to walk to, because of the fine-grained mix of uses. Walks won’t be too long, because the development is relatively compact. And the walks are safe, because there are plenty of eyes on the street at all times.

Environmental Considerations
BOHO Developments site plan, as well as construction and management procedures, emphasize resource efficiency, environmental protection and restoration. Developments incorporate elements of nature in the neighborhood and make them part of people’s daily experience. Street trees are especially important.

A Place for Commerce
The commercial center of a BOHO Development have retail stores that serve the practical everyday needs of the BOHO Development residents and its surrounding neighborhoods – needs that are currently not well served. And because of its unique character, rare good urbanism, and easy access, they also attract businesses that are a destination for citizens of the entire metro areas and beyond.

A Place to Live
The residential elements of A BOHO center cover the entire spectrum from small loft apartments above shops to larger live/work condominiums. Developments aspire to keep the scale of individual buildings rather small, which will enhance the ability to have an attractive mix of housing types throughout the neighborhood.

A Place to Work
BOHO Developments feature a traditional fine-grained mix of different residential types as well as retail stores, office space, civic buildings, people-friendly streets, squares, and recreational facilities. Live-workloftsandtraditionaloffices are pivitol the neighborhood, as the daytime occupants and visitors they draw to the neighborhood will be very helpful in maintaining a vibrant, active, daytime environment.

A Place to Gather
BOHO Developments incorporate civic gathering places, which include public green spaces, pedestrian-oriented streets, recreational facilities, shops and restaurants. These civic places reinforce a sense of neighborhood and help provide the glue that holds the people of the community together.

Austin Independent's Links Developers With Local Businesses

by David Grogan

The Austin (Texas) Independent Business Alliance (AIBA) recently launched an online database of commercial properties whose owners or developers are seeking community-based businesses to fill vacant retail spaces. The database, the newest phase of AIBA's program Connecting & Linking Independents With Commercial Development (CLIC), helps locally owned businesses identify available properties in which to open or expand.



Steve Bercu, owner of BookPeople and president of AIBA, told BTW that the organization has been "relatively successful in getting the city to promote local businesses to developers." But, he added, "There were a lot of developers looking for local businesses, and they didn't have a clue [where] to look... so our idea was to figure out a way to get them together."



Toward that end, in May 2006, AIBA debuted its first annual CLIC Trade Show, which it modeled on trade shows for large developers held yearly in Las Vegas. The CLIC show seeks to link local businesses with commercial developers and to provide local business owners with information and tools to grow their business. In addition, AIBA incorporated workshops that provide business owners with information about municipal resources and legal considerations pertaining to expansion. For developers, the show includes sessions that introduce them to the needs of small businesses. The second annual trade show is scheduled for May 15, 2007.



"The trade show was one idea," said Bercu, "and now we've put together the online database.... Businesses can go there and developers can go there ... and see who is interested." The database, the CLIC Commercial Vacancies, is accessible via AIBA's website, www.ibuyaustin.com.



Noting that Austin has many neighborhood associations, and these organizations are now seeking to bring in independent retail, Bercu added, "There is nothing more rewarding than to see the neighborhood associations asking for local businesses." Most of the associations are "very active ... and having them in support of local business is very good."



The CLIC program is just one of AIBA's economic initiatives. Through its Independent Business Investment Zones (IBIZ) program, AIBA works with city officials, neighborhood groups, and representatives of commercial districts within Austin to identify unique independent commercial districts. AIBA then helps coordinate the enhancement of those districts to increase appeal to existing and potential independent businesses and to customers and clients and promotes the area and facilitates events. AIBA has amassed a database of local entertainers and vendors and compiled information about local ordinances affecting the events and media contacts for use by IBIZ district businesses. AIBA now has four IBIZ districts and, with the help of city funding, has hired an IBIZ program coordinator

Importance of Independents

by David Grogan



Over the past few years, a number of economic studies -- including two conducted by Civic Economics, a leader in the field of progressive economic development -- have consistently calculated that locally owned businesses contribute more than three times as much economic value to a community than do chain retailers. So when the San Francisco Locally Owned Merchants Alliance (SFLOMA) asked Civic Economics to conduct a similar economic study of San Francisco, the firm's partners told SFLOMA that they weren't interested.


They wanted to do something more.


Matt Cunningham, who founded Civic Economics with business partner Dan Houston, told BTW, "We wanted to advance the research. We thought it would be interesting to see something else out there."


The new economic study, which got underway about three weeks ago, will analyze a number of factors.


First, the study will seek to determine locally owned merchants' total market share in San Francisco. Second, incorporating data from Civic Economics' previous studies, "Economic Impact Analysis -- A Case Study: Local Merchants vs. Chain Retailers" and "The Andersonville Study of Retail Economics," the new report will analyze the impact of an "x-percent" increase in local shopping and then determine what exactly happens to the extra money going back to the community.


"We don't think [a study like this] has been done," Cunningham said.


Significantly, a large portion of the money that was raised to fund the study is from the bookselling community, said Hut Landon, executive director for the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association (NCIBA) and SFLOMA's project coordinator for the study. In addition to NCIBA, among the study's other supporters are the American Booksellers Association, the Great Lake Booksellers Association, the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, the Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association, and individual booksellers.


"We think this study will be great for locally owned merchants. It will give us some talking points with consumers," Landon said. Noting that past research indicates that consumers who buy an average of 10 books per year buy only four of those books from their local bookstores, he added, "This will give them some other reasons to shop at their local independent bookstore. If they shift their spending habits ... look at what happens to the local economy. This report will quantify that."


In addition, since there are few municipalities that are not seeking additional revenue, independent retailers around the country will be able to take this study to their local lawmakers to show them one simple solution to their monetary woes -- supporting locally owned businesses, Landon said.


Similar to the Austin and Andersonville reports, the San Francisco economic study, which as yet does not have a projected release date, will be relevant to all communities. "This study can be used by everybody," Landon said. "We are happy to share this information."

Ten Principles for Creating Successful Squares

by Project for Public Space PPS

The Small details add up to great places.

Squares have been a core focus of PPS beginning with our first project 30 years ago--Rockefeller Center's Channel Gardens. We've honed the ten principles below based on the hundreds of squares--the good and the bad--that we've analyzed and observed since then. What stands out most is that design is only a small fraction of what goes into making a great square. To really succeed, a square must take into account a host of factors that extend beyond its physical dimensions.
1. Image and Identity
A popular square in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Historically, squares were the center of communities, and they traditionally helped shape the identity of entire cities. Sometimes a fountain was used to give the square a strong image: Think of the majestic Trevi Fountain in Rome or the Swann Fountain in Philadelphia's Logan Circle. The image of many squares was closely tied to the great civic buildings located nearby, such as cathedrals, city halls, or libraries. Today, creating a square that becomes the most significant place in a city--that gives identity to whole communities--is a huge challenge, but meeting this challenge is absolutely necessary if great civic squares are to return.

2. Attractions and Destinations
Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco.

Any great square has a variety of smaller "places" within it to appeal to various people. These can include outdoor cafés, fountains, sculpture, or a bandshell for performances. These attractions don't need to be big to make the square a success. In fact, some of the best civic squares have numerous small attractions such as a vendor cart or playground that, when put together, draw people throughout the day. We often use the idea of "The Power of Ten" to set goals for destinations within a square. Creating ten good places, each with ten things to do, offers a full program for a successful square.
3. Amenities
Circular benches provide a comfortable place to sit in Rockefeller Center, New York City.

A square should feature amenities that make it comfortable for people to use. A bench or waste receptacle in just the right location can make a big difference in how people choose to use a place. Lighting can strengthen a square's identity while highlighting specific activities, entrances, or pathways. Public art can be a great magnet for children of all ages to come together. Whether temporary or permanent, a good amenity will help establish a convivial setting for social interaction.
4. Flexible Design
Tennis on the square, Copenhagen.

The use of a square changes during the course of the day, week, and year. To respond to these natural fluctuations, flexibility needs to be built in. Instead of a permanent stage, for example, a retractable or temporary stage could be used. Likewise, it is important to have on-site storage for movable chairs, tables, umbrellas, and games so they can be used at a moment's notice.

5. Seasonal Strategy
The holiday market in New York's Union Square.

A successful square can't flourish with just one design or management strategy. Great squares such as Bryant Park, the plazas of Rockefeller Center, and Detroit's new Campus Martius change with the seasons. Skating rinks, outdoor cafés, markets, horticulture displays, art and sculpture help adapt our use of the space from one season to the next.

6. Access
A short pedestrian crossing at Plaza Santa Ana in Madrid, Spain.

To be successful, a square needs to be easy to get to. The best squares are always easily accessible by foot: Surrounding streets are narrow; crosswalks are well marked; lights are timed for pedestrians, not vehicles; traffic moves slowly; and transit stops are located nearby. A square surrounded by lanes of fast-moving traffic will be cut off from pedestrians and deprived of its most essential element: people.

7. The Inner Square & the Outer Square
Ground floor retail rings the edge of this square in Verona, Italy.

Visionary park planner Frederick Law Olmsted's idea of the "inner park" and the "outer park" is just as relevant today as it was over 100 years ago. The streets and sidewalks around a square greatly affect its accessibility and use, as do the buildings that surround it. Imagine a square fronted on each side by 15-foot blank walls -- that is the worst-case scenario for the outer square. Then imagine that same square situated next to a public library: the library doors open right onto the square; people sit outside and read on the steps; maybe the children's reading room has an outdoor space right on the square, or even a bookstore and cafe. An active, welcoming outer square is essential to the well-being of the inner square.

8. Reaching Out Like an Octopus
A great square reaches out into the surrounding neighborhood, like Piazza Maggiore in Bologna, Italy.

Just as important as the edge of a square is the way that streets, sidewalks and ground floors of adjacent buildings lead into it. Like the tentacles of an octopus extending into the surrounding neighborhood, the influence of a good square (such as Union Square in New York) starts at least a block away. Vehicles slow down, walking becomes more enjoyable, and pedestrian traffic increases. Elements within the square are visible from a distance, and the ground floor activity of buildings entices pedestrians to move toward the square.

9. The Central Role of Management
Attentive maintenance is an essential part of good management in St. Stephen's Green, Dublin.

The best places are ones that people return to time and time again. The only way to achieve this is through a management plan that understands and promotes ways of keeping the square safe and lively. For example, a good manager understands existing and potential users and gears events to both types of people. Good managers become so familiar with the patterns of how people use the park that waste receptacles get emptied at just the right time and refreshment stands are open when people most want them. Good managers create a feeling of comfort and safety in a square, fixing and maintaining it so that people feel assured that someone is in charge.
10. Diverse Funding Sources
Sponsorships can help fund events like Festa Italiana in Portland's Pioneer Courthouse Square.

A well-managed square is generally beyond the scope of the average city parks or public works department, which is why partnerships have been established to operate most of the best squares in the United States. These partnerships seek to supplement what the city can provide with funding from diverse sources, including--but not limited to--rent from cafés, markets or other small commercial uses on the site; taxes on adjacent properties; film shoots; and benefit fundraisers.

Mixed-Use Summit

by Jetson Green

12/18/06

Never mind the fact that I'm supposed to be finishing a final for intellectual property, I spent the day at Victory Park and the new Dallas W Hotel, attending the Mixed Use Summit, presented by Commercial Property News and Multi-Housing News. I found the seminar extremely enlightening and educational; I wanted to pass on some nuggets of green development wisdom. If you could provide a nugget, a quote of sorts, on green building and the future of sustainability, what would it be? Comments are open.

On Sustainability:

"If you're not thinking about sustainability, you're missing the boat. TODs, urban development, LEED, etc. There are four reasons you should be thinking about it: (1) it's the right thing to do, (2) your competition's doing it, (3) it adds value to the project, and (4) it speeds up the process." - Ken Ryan, Principal of EDAW Inc.

On LEED:

• "This is where the future is going and groups are getting staffed up with LEED Accredited Professionals, they're getting everyone certified."
• "It's sort of a best practices thing."
• "It's easier to sell LEED to corporate tenants, rather than human tenants, but we're starting to get there..."
• "If you have a project and people are worried about the bottom line, it's tough to go LEED, especially the contractors--they're hard to get on board, but the sales appeal is very big. Developers know the appeal is big and they're trying to figure it out..."
• "In a place like Chicago, with all the requirements they have, you're about 3/4 the way to LEED, so you might as well take the plunge and go all the way."

This conference had many of the best developers and architects from around the country in one room, strategizing and talking about the future of land use, specifically urban development + smart growth, in the US.