Roger Millar, VP with Smart Growth America, presentation from FCBR's Smart Growth event focused on creating dialog around the on-boarding of the Mason Corridor and it's likely impacts on housing and livability.

1. Improving Streets and Economic
Development
Mason and Our Housing Future
October 3, 2013

2. 1
Overview
• Introduction
• Healthy
economies
• Examples
– Roaring Fork BRT
– River District
• Questions

3. 2
Smart Growth
Smart growth means building urban,
suburban and rural communities with
housing and transportation choices
near jobs, shops and schools.
These strategies support thriving local
economies and protect the environment.

4. 3
What I hear about smart growth
Wengen, Switzerland

5. 4
Smart growth is ugly.
Riomaggiore, Italy

6. 5
Mesa Verde, CO
We have no history with it.

7. 6
Nobody would want to live there.
Aspen, CO

8. 7
It just doesn’t work here.
Pearl District, Portland, OR

9. 8
Shut up and drive!

10. 9
The way we design and build our
communities has enormous
consequences

11. 10
1. The market is changing, especially for
housing
2. The recipe for economic growth
is changing
3. We can no longer afford to use tax money to
subsidize inefficiency
We must be aware of 3 important factors
affecting the future of our communities

12. 11
THE CHANGING MARKET

13. 12
Your community is changing
and preferences and the
market are following.
THE CHANGING MARKET

14. 13
Your community is changing
• There are two demographic changes that
are driving the market and must drive your
decision making.
– The rise of the Millennials.
– The aging of the Baby Boomers.
THE CHANGING MARKET

15. 14
Demographic change and
the labor force
0
10,000,000
20,000,000
30,000,000
40,000,000
50,000,000
60,000,000
70,000,000
80,000,000
90,000,000
Greatest Generation Baby Boomers Gen X Millenials
POPULATION
LABOR FORCE
PROSPERITY

16. 15
Your community is changing
52%
67%
72%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
1960 2000 2025
households with
children
households without
children
Households with and without children, 1960-
2025
THE CHANGING MARKET

17. 16
The market: Housing
THE CHANGING MARKET

18. 17
How will your community meets the
needs of
millennials and aging
boomers in order to improve
your competitiveness?
THE CHANGING MARKET

19. 18
PROSPERITY

20. 19
The nature of the economy
is changing and so is the role of
communities in economic
growth.
PROSPERITY

21. 20
PROSPERITY

22. 21
The Network City
(city as network)
PROSPERITY

23. 22
The rise of the millennials
and the global economy
are driving the economy.
PROSPERITY

24. 23
The labor force
• Millennials choose where to live before
finding a job.
– 64% looked for a job after they chose the city
where to live. (Source: U.S. Census)
• How people want to work is changing and
where they want to work is changing.
PROSPERITY

25. 24
Businesses respond to
changing preferences
• Across the country corporations are
responding to employee preferences and
moving to the talent.
• They are choosing to relocate from
suburban offices to downtown locations.
PROSPERITY

26. 25
The labor force
From office space….
PROSPERITY

27. 26
The labor force
….to office settings.
Research Triangle Park, Raleigh, NC
Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA
PROSPERITY

28. 27
Businesses respond to
changing preferences
Zappos, Las Vegas, NV
Hillshire, Chicago, IL
PROSPERITY

29. 28
How can your community take
advantage of the
changing nature of the
economy in order to create
jobs and wealth?
FISCAL HEALTH

30. 29
FISCAL HEALTH

31. 30
How communities
develop affects
costs and revenue.
FISCAL HEALTH

32. 31
Municipal budgets
• Municipal budgets are feeling pressure
• State and federal funds are disappearing
• Costs are escalating
• Tax bases have shrunk
FISCAL HEALTH

33. 32
Municipal budgets
• A large portion of municipal budgets go to
infrastructure and services.
– building and maintaining
roads, bridges, sewer and water lines, etc
– providing fire and police services, trash
removal, paratransit, etc
FISCAL HEALTH

34. 33
Municipal budgets
• Costs are not just infrastructure related but
also operations and maintenance.
• Burden usually falls on taxpayers.
FISCAL HEALTH

35. 34
Municipal budgets
• You have to spend on these things.
• You need to ensure that you are spending
those funds in the most effective and
efficient manner.
• Budgets are not just financial documents –
they reveal are goals and what we value.
FISCAL HEALTH

36. 35
Development affects costs
• When it comes to infrastructure costs…
– Compact development development is the
best deal.
– Low-density suburban development rarely
pays for itself.
– It makes sense to reuse existing
infrastructure.
FISCAL HEALTH

37. 36
Development affects costs
FISCAL HEALTH
Building infrastructure to serve new development on the fringe can cost the city up to
three times more per acre than urban infill development.

38. 37
Development affects costs
FISCAL HEALTH
• Compact development offers efficiencies
in regards to services as well.
– Police and fire departments have less area to
cover.
– Fewer miles of road to cover for snow
removal and trash pickup.

39. 38
Development affects revenue
FISCAL HEALTH
• When it comes to revenue…
– Compact development is the best deal.
– Low-density suburban development generates
much less per acre revenue.
– You can increase your property tax base
significantly simply by bringing back areas that
already exist

40. 39
Development affects revenue
FISCAL HEALTH
• The revenue side of things is affected as
well.
Multifamily housing in near an area’s center can generate nine times more revenue
per acre than traditional large-lot, single-family housing on the fringe.

41. 40
Development affects costs
FISCAL HEALTH
Building infrastructure to serve new development on the fringe can cost the city up to
three times more per acre than urban infill development.

42. 41
Development affects revenue
FISCAL HEALTH
$0
$20,000
$40,000
$60,000
$80,000
$100,000
$120,000
Wal-Mart Single-Family
Residential
Crabtree Valley Mall 3-4 Story Residential 3 Story Office 6-Story Mixed Use
Municipal property tax yield (per acre) 2011 Raleigh, NC

43. 42
Development affects revenue
FISCAL HEALTH
Denser development can carry an entire city financially

44. 43
Can your community continue to
subsidize inefficiencies of
development patterns,
while not reaping the
potential reward?
FISCAL HEALTH

45. 44
Roaring Fork
Transit & Trail
Project

46. 45
Overview of the Roaring Fork
Transportation Authority

47. 46
BRT Service Plan
• Span of Service – at least 14 hours each weekday
• Approximately 1-hour travel time between Glenwood
Springs and Aspen
• Local valley bus service to continue every 30 minutes
• BRT service levels may be modified during the off-
season and according to demand

48. 47
Branding Characteristics
– RFTA
• Reliable
• Practical
• Hardworking
– VelociRFTA
• Fast
• Fun
• Frequent

49. 48

50. 49
Transit Priority Measures
• Transit Signal Priority
(TSP) at congested
intersections
• Queue Bypass Lanes
at congested
intersections
• Use of Existing
Bus/HOV & Exclusive
Bus lanes

51. 50
• ITS Technology
• Real Time Sign Information
• Automated Vehicle Location
• Automated passenger counters
• Automated Annunciators
• Electronic Fare Collection
• Mobile Wi-Fi service
• Route Map Integration
• System Map Integration
• Schedule Integration
• Community Information
Information Program

52. 51
BRT Station Program
• Passenger Shelters
– Ticket vending
– Enclosed waiting
and seating area
– Lighting
• Bicycle Storage
– Covered and
uncovered
• Outside Seating
• Landscaping
• Trash and Recycling
• Optional Elements
– Parking
– Restroom Facilities
Carbondale BRT Station

53. 52
Promoting walking and riding to
VelociRFTA whenever possible

54. 53
The River District

55. 54
Regional Context
• Regional growth
• Metro 2040
• Regional transit
initiatives

56. 55
The Vision Thing
• Complement rather than compete with the CBD
• Relationship to the River

57. 56
Land Use and Transportation
• People not cars
• External connections
• Internal circulation

58. 57

59. 58

60. 59

61. 60

62. 61

63. 62

64. 63

65. 64

66. 65

67. 66

68. 67
Central City Plan

69. Portland Streetcar

70. 69
Not the Standard
Engineering Solution…

71. 70
Not just another pretty face . . .

72. 71
Not Just Transportation…

73. 72
But a Powerful Tool

74. 73
For Urban Livability

75. 74
Moving People…

76. 75
Shaping Places…

77. 76
Results
• Over $4 billion in
economic
development
• 15,000 new residents
• 50% non-auto mode
split
• Affordable housing
and urban design
goals achieved

78. 77
Results

79. 78
Results

80. 79
Results

81. 80
Results

82. 81
Results

83. 82
Results

84. 83
Results

85. 84
Results

86. 85
Lessons Learned
• Leverage
infrastructure
investment to
achieve public policy
goals
• Involve business
leadership in
creating a legacy

87. 86
We have the freedom to
make
informed, humane, and
intelligent choices about
the kind of world we want
to leave for our children
and grandchildren. We
also have the freedom to
make
uninformed, selfish, and
stupid choices. Which will
it be?
- Greg Pahl

88. 87
Thank you!
rmillar@smartgrowthamerica.org
www.smartgrowthamerica.org