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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-10-16 Susan Karnes1 Adrienne Weatherly From:Chris Johnson Sent:Wednesday, October 16, 2019 2:32 PM To:Adrienne Weatherly Subject:FW: Comp Plan public testimony Attachments:ULI Idaho - the Case for Open Space.pdf Will you please add this to the record? Thank you. Chris From: Susan M. Karnes <susankarnes@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2019 2:23 PM To: Chris Johnson <cjohnson@meridiancity.org> Cc: Brian McClure <bmcclure@meridiancity.org> Subject: Comp Plan public testimony Hi, Chris, I’d like to request that this ULI presentation be submitted as public testimony for the draft Comprehensive Plan. In my opinion, this presentation substantiates the need for specific UDC amendments attached to the new Comp Plan to provide more open space, pathways connectivity, amenities scaled to density, and a distinct identity for Meridian. Thank you, Susan The Case for Open Space © Ed McMahon Caldwell, Idaho June 26, 2019 Idaho is a Special Place! No Place Will Stay Special By Accident! There two kinds of change: •Planned change •Unplanned change “The best way to predict the future is to create it yourself” Abraham Lincoln What is changing? •National and global economy •Demographics and population •Technology •Consumer attitudes & market trends •Energy sources & prices •Transportation options & choices •The weather Growth is About Choices Should we design for cars? Should we design for people? Should we grow more compactly? Should we spread out? Should we encourage infill & redevelopment? Should we encourage greenfield development? “Communities and regions are in a global competition to attract and retain a talented workforce. Increasingly these talented workers are choosing where they want to live first and figuring out their job situations later.” CEO’s for Cities, Segmentation Study, 2006 Economic Development 20th Century Model •Public sector leadership •Shotgun recruitment strategy •Low cost positioning •Cheap labor •Focus on what you don’t have •Quality of life unimportant •Driven by transactions •Key Infrastructure = Roads 21st Century Model •Public/Private Partnerships •Laser recruitment strategy •High value positioning •Highly trained talent •Focus on what you do have •Quality of life critical •Driven by an overall vision •Key Infrastructure = Education Economic Vitals –Dimensions of Success •Talent –Smart People •Innovation -Ability to generate new ideas & turn them into commercial realities •Connectivity –Places where people and ideas can easily connect •Distinctiveness/Place –Unique characteristics, a great place Successful Communities Are Distinctive Communities Distinctiveness has value! •“If you can’t differentiate your community, you will have no competitive advantage.” •“Sameness is a minus, not a plus, in today’s world.” Distinctive = Having a Special Quality Synonyms •Cool •Extraordinary •Offbeat •Original •Special Source: Thesarus.com Antonyms •Common •Ordinary •Regular •Standard •Usual The Distinctive City “The unique characteristics of place may be the only truly defensible source of competitive advantage for cities & towns.” Joe Cortright, CEO’s for Cities Community Character Matters! •“We take stock of a city like we take stock of a man. The clothes or appearance are the externals by which we judge.” •Mark Twain COMMUNITY IMAGE IS CRITICAL TO ECONOMIC VITALITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE The Official 2000 Travel Guide Oregon Oregon: Things Look Different Here In Today’s Economy –Place Matters Traditional Economy •Product Driven •Cost Sensitive •Market Driven •Making the sneakers Today’s Economy •Knowledge Driven •Value Sensitive •Place Driven •Designing the sneakers Place Matters! •“New investment is increasingly seeking locations based on quality of place rather than utility of location”. Steve McKnight, Vice President Fourth Economy Consultants Business Owner Survey •People are willing to sacrifice salary for the ideal community •Jobs follow people •Community quality is a top priority for businesses & residents •People on the move are looking for great places Survey of 1000 business owners in Rocky Mtn. states by non-profit Sonoran Institute, October 2015 “The Place is becoming more important than the product” -NAR Placemaking = Economic Development “Economic development is really the result of creating places where people want to be.” Mick Cornett, Mayor, Oklahoma City, OK Town Square -Wausau, WI Bricktown –Oklahoma City, OK Soul of the Community Study •“Communities with the highest levels of attachment to place also have the strongest economies.” •Source: Knight Foundation. 2010 What attaches people to community? •Social offerings –such as, recreation venues & places to meet •Openness –how welcoming a community is to newcomers •Community Aesthetics – physical beauty and green spaces Dimensions of Uniqueness •Anchor institutions •A healthy downtown •Historic buildings •Walkable neighborhoods •Parks and green space •Arts and Culture •Local shops and restaurants The Patterns of Development •Where you put development •How you arrange development •What development looks like Some Places are Better for Development than Other Places Coastal areas Steep slopes Flood plains Prime Ag Land Antietam Battlefield -Maryland Chancellorsville Battlefield -Virginia “Every community needs a long range green space plan, just like it needs a long range transportation plan.” Boulder, Colorado –Greenbelt Neighborhood Park –San Diego Green Space Plans •Provide Predictability and Certainty •For Developers •For Conservationists •For Local Government •For the Public Green Space Shapes Communities •Regional Scale •Local Scale •Neighborhood scale Parks & Green Space are Popular Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve Red & Blue Voters Both Support Green •In the last 20 years voters have approved over 2000 ballot measures authorizing either taxes or bonds to pay for parks and open space. •76% of all ballot measures have been approved authorizing more than $185 billion for parks and open space. •Park ballots have been approved in every region of the country. •Source: TPL Land Vote Database, 2018 “A connected system of parks and greenways is manifestly more beneficial and complete than a series of isolated parks.” –Frederick Law Olmstead, 1903 Green Space Creates Value •Reduces the cost of public services •Increases the value of real estate •Generates jobs and revenue for business. •Attracts tourists •Helps foster economic development •Contributes to improved public health Providing Ecological Services •Storm Water Management –lands preserved for flood storage have an 8:1 dollar savings over manmade flood control structures •Supplying Drinking Water –105 of the world’s biggest cities rely on protected forests for drinking water. New York City Watershed •Cost to buy watershed lands to protect drinking water supplies -$1.5 billion •Cost to build water filtration plants if watershed lands developed -$6 billion Protecting this Cost less than building this Watershed Lands Water Filtration Plant Reduces Flood Damage •80 % of all US natural disasters involve flooding. •Flood damage is largely preventable through thoughtful community planning. Grand Forks, ND After -Red River Flood Grand Forks, ND Today River Revival = Economic Success Green Space Creates Real Estate Value •“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 New York? National Association of Realtors & the National Homebuilders Association - residential properties realize a 10 to 25% gain in value the closer they are located to greenspace Green Space and Value Value of Green Space •Developers built golf courses because golf courses sold real estate at premium prices •Very expensive to design, build & maintain golf courses •Parks and green spaces also sell real estate at premium prices at lower costs to create and maintain Conservation Development •Saves land •Increases value •Reduces infrastructure •Puts children in nature Conservation Communities Serenbe, Georgia Jackson Meadow, MN South Village, Vermont Hidden Springs, ID Agrihoods •Agrihoods are residential developments designed around working farms. •Urban agriculture is about more than growing food. It is also about growing community. •The fastest selling suburban development in Metro DC is an agrihood: Willowsford in Loudoun County. Parks Create Value and Vitality Parks are a key to community revitalization in both big cities and small towns. Downtown Fort Worth -Before Downtown Fort Worth -After Cincinnati -Before Cincinnati -After Most Polluted City Model for Community Revitalization Tennessee River Park •“The initial segment of the Tennessee River Park 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 park has generated almost $1 Billion in private development adjacent to the trail.” •Source: City of Chattanooga Sulphur Springs, TX -Before Sulphur Springs, TX -After Sulphur Springs –Empty Lot to Park •The square features a splash pad, game tables, bistro area, public restrooms, landscaping, lawn chairs, a giant chess set. •Town Square hosts 300 events a year •Activities and events include: movies, concerts, farmers market, car shows, weddings, bike rallies, beer & wine festivals, relays, fun runs, exercise classes, Christmas activities, quilt shows, birthday parties, health fairs, etc. •Named “Most Improved Small Town in Texas” Sulphur Springs –Movie Night Sulphur Springs –Outdoor Chess Set Green Space Provide Health Benefits •Reduce obesity •Increase physical activity •Controls hypertension •Reduce arthritis pain •Improve symptoms of depression & anxiety •Prevents osteoporosis •Builds community Walkability = Low Cost Health Care •“Walking is a miracle drug” •US Surgeon General has asked communities to build parks & trails. •President’s Council on Physical Fitness –“build more trails.” 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 Walking is the Most Popular form of Outdoor Recreation Community Amenities Sought by Homebuyers ▪Walking trails/bike paths -36% ▪Parks/natural areas -26% ▪Playgrounds -21% ▪Daycare -14% ▪Soccer Fields -9% ▪Golf Course -6% -April 2004 National Association of Realtors National Assn. of Homebuilders Walkability Boosts Value •Walk Score is a walkability index assigned to a particular address. •Carol Coletta, CEO’s for Cities says” each additional Walk Score point increases housing prices $600 to $3000”. •CDC says “each 10 point increase in Walk Score results in 16 minutes per day more walking”. Green Space attracts Tourists San Antonio Riverwalk Chicago, Millennium Park-Before Chicago, Millennium Park -After Millennium Park attracts 4 million tourists a year &has increased hotel, restaurant and entertainment sales $190 million a year Eyesore or Opportunity? Highline –New York High Bridge -Before High Bridge -After Bicycling & Tourism •Bicycle facilities encourage tourism & boost the economy. •Bicycle facilities extend vacations and encourage return visits. •The economic impact of bicycle facilities outweighs their costs Source: Institute for Transportation Research & Education, NC State University, 2012 Bike-Friendly Vacation Destinations •Cape Cod/Martha’s Vineyard •Rehoboth Beach, DE •Hilton Head, SC •Outer Banks, NC •St. Simon’s Island, GA •Sanibel, FL •Vail, CO •Bend, OR •Santa Barbara, CA •Jackson, WY Map of Off Road Bike Paths –Hilton Head, SC Bike Path System –Hilton Head, SC Typical Bike Path –Hilton Head, SC Trail-Based Tourism “ Studies show that the longer a trail is, the further people will travel to visit it, the longer they will stay and the more money they will spend.” Source: Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection, 2015 Pinellas Trail -Florida •A 47 mile trail from St. Petersburg to Tarpon Springs, FL. •The first 6 mile section opened in 1990. •Today over 150,000 people use the trail each month. •“Where can I bicycle in Florida”, is now one of the most frequently asked questions at Florida Welcome Centers Source: Florida Office of Greenways & Trails Virginia Capital Trail •A 55 mile, paved multi-use trail that stretches from Richmond to Williamsburg. •“The trail provides more than a safe place to walk, ride and run. •It is quietly improving quality of life and the economies of urban & rural communities it passes through.” Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch, 2016 Cowboy Trail -Nebraska •The Cowboy Trail runs 195 miles across Northern Nebraska. •Nebraska trails attract both residents and tourists who use the trails for both recreation and transportation. •The number of multi-purpose trails in Omaha has grown from “0” in 1987 to more than 49 today, spanning 355 miles. Green Space gets Children into Nature “I like playing indoors because that is where all the electric plugs are.” –a 4th Grader in San Diego, California Source: Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv, 2005 Is this better for children ? Or is this ? “An active student is a better learner” Wellness Coordinator Jefferson County, CO Public Schools Green Space Provides Locations for New Development Investments in roads and highways led to Auto-Oriented Development. Investments in public transportation led to Transit-Oriented Development Investment in Bicycle Infrastructure is now leading to Trail-Oriented Development Flats at Bethesda Row –Bethesda, MD Prairie Line Trail, Tacoma, WA Atlanta Beltline, Eastside Trail •Connects 45 neighborhoods •40% increase in Atlanta parkland •22% of population lives in planning area •Will include trails and transit Atlanta Beltline Eastside Trail –Before Eastside Trail -After 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 Midtown Greenway -Minneapolis •Called America’s 1st Bicycle Freeway •5.5 miles in length. Cost $36 million •Separate lanes for cyclists and pedestrians. •Usage –Up to 5,380 cyclists per day. •Has rest stops, repair stations and trailside cafes. •13 new multi-family projects built adjacent to trail. Indianapolis Cultural Trail Trail Facts •8 miles in length •6 Cultural Districts Connected •$63 million Cost •$27.5 in private funding •$35.5 in public funding •$864 million estimated economic impact •11,372 jobs created •Property values within one block of trail rose 148% in six years, since opening in 2008 •Source: City of Indianapolis What is a Bicycle-Friendly Building? •Bicycle Parking •Bike Storage •Easy Access •Wider Hallways •Repair Station (tools, air pump and bike stand) •Showers & lockers (in commercial buildings) •Community gathering spaces •Bike share station Bicycle Infrastructure Provides More Bang for the Buck •Bicycle infrastructure is relatively inexpensive. •Portland, OR has developed a 300 mile network of bike trails, bike lanes and bike boulevards for about the same cost as 1 mile of urban freeway). •Investments in bicycle infrastructure have high levels of return on investment. •Dare County, NC (i.e. the Outer Banks) says that a one-time investment of $6.7 million on bike infrastructure has resulted in a 9-to-1 annual return. Parking & Bikes •There are an estimated 1 billion parking spaces in the US •Parking spaces in the US account for 15-30% of urban land •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 $1500 •A developer could provide 100 free bicycles for less cost than 2 structured parking spaces. •12 Bicycles could be parked in the same space as one car. •Bicycle infrastructure costs a small fraction of vehicle infrastructure. •Some cities are reducing parking requirements in exchange for bike infrastructure Silver Moon Lodge –Albuquerque •Silver Moon Lodge has 154 apartment units, but only 23 car parking spaces. •It was able to reduce construction costs associated with car parking by providing bike parking, an on - site car share facility & access to transit. •100% of units are occupied because the building is in a walkable and bike-friendly neighborhood. Green Space Creates Places People Want to Be Place Making Dividend People stay longer, come back more often and spend more money in places that attract their affection. Retail Trends •E-commerce is growing •Malls and big box retail struggling •Bricks & mortar stores survive but get smaller and emphasize experiences •Town centers & mixed use development displace strip centers and single use projects. As we grow our communities we must simultaneously green them Minneapolis Park System Metro St. Louis Greenway Plan Density Demands Compensating Amenities. Sidewalks Neighborhood Parks Play Areas Bicycle Paths Where do you find green space in urban & suburban areas? •Suburban Town Centers & Redevelopment areas •Abandoned lots = community gardens •Old landfills = public parks •Abandoned rail lines = rail trails •Rooftops = Gardens •Decking Highways = New green space •Daylighting streams •Removing parking •Sharing School yards Suburban Development Silver Spring, MD Reston, VA Stapleton, CO Scottsdale, AZ Mall to Place –Lakewood, CO Abandoned Lots Abandoned lot, Philadelphia, PA Community garden, Philadelphia Abandoned lot, Detroit, MI Community garden, Detroit Urban Agriculture Agricultural Can Add Value to Development •“As a developer it’s been humbling to see how such a simple thing and such an inexpensive thing as a small garden can be a development’s most loved amenity.” •Brent Herrington, DMB Associates Removing Parking Savannah’s Ellis Square –Before Savannah’s Ellis Square -After Providence Riverwalk –Before Providence Riverwalk -After Before Post Office Square Boston, MA After Post Office Square Boston, MA Before Downtown Parking Lot Rapid City, SD After Downtown Park Rapid City, SD Decking Highways Sculpture Park, Seattle Rose Kennedy Greenway, Boston Riverwalk Plaza, Hartford Freeway Park, Dallas Birmingham -Today Birmingham -Tomorrow Urban & Suburban Rail Trails Capital Crescent Trail, Bethesda, MD Bicycle Freeway, Minneapolis, MN Burke Gilman Trail, Bellevue, WABow River Bike Path, Calgary, AB Stream Daylighting Seoul, Korea –Before Seoul, Korea -After Yonkers, NY Before After Rooftop Parks & Gardens Vancouver, BC Chicago, IL Urban River Restoration Los Angeles River –Today Los Angeles River -Tomorrow Columbus, GA -Before Columbus, GA -After Charleston Waterfront -Before Charleston Waterfront -After “You give the best of the city to everyone.” Joe Riley –Mayor, Charleston, SC Landfills Mt. Trashmore Park, Virginia BeachLandfill, Virginia Beach, VA Urban Parks Create Value High Line, New York Millennium Park -Chicago Klyde Warren Park –Dallas Railroad Park -Birmingham Before Downtown, Dallas, TX After Downtown Dallas, TX Klyde Warren Park Features •A 3 block long deck over Woodall-Rogers Freeway •5.2 acres, active and passive spaces •Children's playground, great lawn, restaurant, performance stage, fountains, dog park, jogging trail, games area •Over 500 events per year Financing •$20 million, City of Dallas •$20 million, Texas DOT •$50 million, Private Donors •$16 million Federal Stimulus •Park managed by a Non- profit Foundation Parks & Value Creation Value Creation •Lease rates on properties near the park increased by 32% to 64%. •Huge property valuation increases. •The park stimulated 3 new office towers and a more than a dozen new multi-family projects. •Streetcar ridership increased by 61%. Downtown population rose by 10% •The park generated $312 million in economic benefit for local businesses and $12.7 million in tax revenue Neighborhood Preservation •Always seek local input and consider ways to protect existing residents before park construction. •Use “value capture” strategies to increase public sector returns and reinvest in community institutions. •Seek to maximize benefits while minimizing burdens. •Explore tools to minimize displacement, commercial gentrification and other negative impacts The Public Realm is the Physical Manifestation of the Public Good Thank You! Ed McMahon Urban Land Institute emcmahon@uli.org