Neighborhood Vibrancy: Think Small in a Big Way Ed McMahon Urban Land Institute September 17, 2015
Walkability? Walkability is the degree to which we find it pleasurable to walk in particular locales. Walkability focuses on factors that make walking easy and enjoyable. Walkability focuses on giving people good places to walk to and to meet others, which fosters a civil and creative society
Density alone does not necessarily encourage either walkability or neighborhood vitality.
Keys to Walkability Destinations A variety of places (commercial, recreational, civic, etc.) to walk to. Connections a fine grained network of sidewalks & footpaths with plenty of intersections. Tissue Great architecture with human sized buildings, not big boxes. Density & Diversity of housing and population. Streetscape well designed streets with wide sidewalks, safe crossings and plenty of places to sit. Green networks Lots of street trees, small parks and green spaces. Source: Made for Walking: Density and Urban Form, Julie Campoli, Lincoln Land Institute, 2013
Buying & Selling Walkability Walkable Neighborhoods Promote Health the average resident weighs 6-10 lbs. less than residents of car dependent neighborhoods. Save Money Transportation is the 2 nd largest household expense. Foster Connection Studies show that every 10 minutes spent in a car commute reduces time spent in community activities by 10% Increases Value Every one point increase in Walk Score equates to a $700 to $3000 increase in home value. Provides Commercial Premiums A new study by Real Capital Analytics (RCA) shows significantly greater appreciation for commercial properties in highly walkable locations over car dependent locations (125% appreciation vs. 22%).
Bicycling is Booming!
Bikes Are Outselling Cars
Top US Cities for Bicycle Commuting 1. Davis, CA 22.1% 2. Boulder, CO 12.5% 3. Palo Alto, CA 9.5% 4. Eugene, OR 8.9% 5. Cambridge, MA 8.5% 6. Ft. Collins, CO 7.9% 7. Berkley, CA 7.6% 8. Santa Barbara, CA 6.9% 9. Madison WI 6.2% 10. Missoula, MT 6.2%
Top Big Cities for Bicycle Commuting 1. Portland, OR 6.1% 2. Minneapolis, MN 4.8% 3. Washington, DC 4.2% 4. Seattle 4.1% 5. San Francisco 3.9% 6. Denver 2.8% 7. Tucson 2.7% 8. Oakland 2.6% 9. New Orleans 2.4% 10. Philadelphia 2.3% US Average 0.6% 53% of Americans say they would like to ride bikes more often, but they worry about being hit by a car.
The Biking Boom Biking is booming because cities, states and the federal government are investing in bicycle infrastructure.
Trail Oriented Development
The Carolina s Health Care System located its headquarters complex adjacent to Charlotte s Little Sugar Creek Greenway so that employees would have a place to run, walk or cycle
Atlanta Beltline The Atlanta Beltline has become a magnet for new bicycle and pedestrian oriented development. Ponce City Market has a bike valet and 400 bicycle parking spaces
Minneapolis Bicycle Freeway
Trail Oriented Development There are 13 new trail oriented apartment buildings located adjacent to the Midtown Greenway in Minneapolis. The Bikeway has rest-stops, repair stations and trail side cafes
VIA 6 Bicycle Friendly Building 24 story, 650 unit apartment Bike shop with valet & repair service Secure bicycle storage Bike club with lockers & showers
Via 6 - Results 100% leased in less than a year, despite small unit size and increased rental supply in Seattle market. Rental premiums - $1,175 to $4,285 Rents currently average $3 per sq. ft. 70% of residents do not own a car (Parking spaces being converted to bike storage) The design was started with the objective of building a community rather than an apartment building Matt Griffin, Pine Street Group, LLC
Parking & Bikes There are over 800 million parking spaces in the US Parking spaces take up 160 billion square feet Surface parking spaces cost $3000 to $4000 per space Structured parking spaces cost $15,000 to $20,000 per space Underground parking can cost up to $50,000 per space Typical new bicycles cost $300 to $1000 A developer could provide 100 free bicycles for less cost than 2 structured parking spaces. 10-12 bicycles could be parked in the same space as one car. Bicycle infrastructure costs a small fraction of vehicle infrastructure.
Great Parks Shape Great Cities Washington Paris London Vancouver
Trinity River Forest
Washington Park - Before
Washington Park - After
Green Space & Property Values The relationship between rising property values and green spaces is well documented. Some studies find as much as a 15 to 30 % increase in the value of properties adjacent to parks and open space.
Where is the most valuable land in NY?
Arts and Culture Museums Theatres & Playhouses Concert Halls Art Galleries Festivals Murals and public art Public squares Taverns and coffee houses
The Arts Foster Vitality
Des Moines Art Park 4 large companies either expanded their offices or relocated to new offices adjacent to the Art Park
Lowertown Arts District Paducah, KY A crime infested 25 square block neighborhood was revitalized by providing artists with a place to live, work and sell their art
Restaurants, Lodging & Food Ratio of ethnic restaurants to fast food restaurants in metro area. Ratio of B&B s, small inns and boutique hotels to chain hotels in metro area. Ratio of neighborhood shopping areas to enclosed malls.
The Value of Healthy Food The renovated Ferry Terminal Market in San Francisco is one of the city s top 5 visitor destinations. It attracts more than 1 million visitors a year and generates $1,250 per sq. ft. in food sales. Ferry Terminal Market, San Francisco, CA
Union Market Washington, DC Union Market in Washington, DC is the heart and soul of a broader district bringing renewed spirit and economic activity to a once blighted neighborhood. Union Market - Before The market district currently has more than 100 businesses employing 1,500 people. Union Market After
Urban Agriculture
National Malls Neighborhood Shopping Areas
Secrets of Successful Communities 1. Develop a shared vision for the future 2. Inventory local and regional assets 3. Build plans around the enhancement of assets 4. Use education, incentives, partnerships, and voluntary initiatives, not just regulation 5. Pick and choose among development proposals 6. Cooperate with neighbors for mutual benefit 7. Protect community character as well as ecology and economics 8. Have strong leaders and committed citizens
Most Polluted City
Model for Community Revitalization
Tennessee River Gorge
Tennessee River Park The initial segment of the Tennessee River Park near the C.B. Robinson Bridge has become the most loved and used park in Hamilton County. More than 1 million people of all ages, races and economic status use the park annually. The 13 mile river walk has generated more than $1 Billion in private development adjacent to the trail. Source: City of Chattanooga
Suisun City, CA
Inventory Assets Natural Resources Cultural Resources Human Resources Economic Resources Educational Resources
Sometimes the Assets are Obvious
Sometimes They Are Not Obvious
WWII Torpedo Factory
Torpedo Factory Arts Center
Columbus Riverfront - Before
Columbus Riverfront - After
Flood Wall Before
Flood Wall Murals
Rapid City, SD - Before
Rapid City, SD - After
Poughkeepsie High Bridge - Before
Poughkeepsie High Bridge - After
Explore Beyond Regulation Education Incentives Partnerships Voluntary Initiatives
Why Do We Educate?
Why Should We Use Incentives?
Yazoo City - Before
Yazoo City - After
Successful communities cooperate with their neighbors for mutual benefit.
SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITIES PICK AND CHOOSE AMONG DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS
Hometown Heroes Never doubt that a small group of committed individuals can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has -Margaret Mead
It s Not Always Easy
Leadership is important But often unappreciated Apart from sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, roads, irrigation, public health and a freshwater system, what have the Romans ever done for us? Monty Python s, Life of Brian
A Final Thought Vision counts, but implementation is priceless! Thank You!
Thank You Ed McMahon Urban Land Institute emcmahon@uli.org