A Case for Smart Growth

A CASE FOR SM ART GROWTH Deborah Curran West Coast Environmental Law – 2003 Gen ero u s fu n d in g fo r t h is p ro ject was p ro vid ed by: Th e Real Est at e Fo u n d at io n o f BC Th e Law Fo u n d at io n o f Brit ish Co lu m bia No rt h Am erican Fu n d fo r En viro n m en t al Co o p erat io n Affo rd abilit y an d Ch o ice To d ay Man y in d ivid u als assist ed in t h e p rep arat io n o f t h is Case fo r Sm art Gro wt h by reviewin g d raft s an d p ro vid in g in fo rm at io n an d o t h er assist an ce. Th an ks go t o : Ch ris Ro lfe wh o co n ceived o f t h is p ro ject an d set it in m o t io n ; Lawren ce Alexan d er fo r h is st rat egic ad vice; Alexan d ra Meln yk an d Cecilin e Go h fo r t h eir ad m in ist rat ive assist an ce; Ch ris Heald fo r keep in g t h e in t ern et co n n ect io n s fu n ct io n in g, an d fo r t h e layo u t an d d esign o f t h is p u blication ; Th e Sm art Bylaws Gu id e Ad viso ry Co m m it t ee, t h e m em bers o f wh ich p ro vid ed gu id an ce, reso u rces an d p o in t ed in t h e d irect io n o f relevan ce fo r a sm all co m m u n it y au d ien ce: a.. Eric Bo n h am (Direct o r, Mu n icip al En gin eerin g Service, Min ist ry o f Co m m u n it y, Abo rigin al an d Wom en ’s Services, Provin ce of BC); b .. Pat rick Co n d o n (Jam es Taylo r Ch air, Un iversit y o f Brit ish Co lu m bia); c.. Casey Ed ge (Execu t ive O fficer, Can ad ian Asso ciat io n o f Ho m e Bu ild ers, Vict o ria); d .. Blair Erb (Vice Presid en t , Co rio lis Co n su lt in g Co rp ., Real Est at e In st it u t e); e.. Caro l Fin n ie (Execu t ive Direct o r, Co o lAid Ho u sin g So ciet y); f.. Alliso n Habkirk, (Mayo r, Dist rict o f Cen t ral Saan ich ); g.. Harry Harker (Presid en t , Plan n in g In st it u t e o f BC; Plan n er wit h t h e Village o f Cu m berlan d ); h .. Kevin McNan ey (Co m m u n it y Assist an ce Co o rd in at o r, Sm art Gro wt h BC); i.. Martin Pau l (Project Man ager, Keen En gin eerin g); j.. Marie Po t vin (Asso ciat e, Lid st o n e Yo u n g An d erson ); k.. Ken Van ce (Po licy An alyst , Un io n o f BC Mu n icip alities). Min elle Mah tan i of IMPACS for h er com m u n ication s exp ertise; Kirst y MacKen zie fo r h er vo lu n t eer research an d co m p ilat io n o f t h e ch art o n p age 18; an d Lu is Cu rran fo r t akin g, an d p erm issio n t o u se, t h e p h o t o s o n t h e co ver an d o n p ages 11, 13, 15, 17 an d 19. Natio n al Library o f Can ada Catalo guin g in Publicatio n Cu rran , Deborah , 1968A case fo r sm art gro wt h / Debo rah Cu rran . ISBN 0-919365-23-X 1. Cit ies an d t o wn s--Gro wt h --En viro n m en t al asp ect s--Brit ish Colu m bia. 2. Lan d u se--Plan n in g--En viron m en tal asp ects--British Co lu m bia. I. West Co ast En viro n m en t al Law Research Fo u n d at io n II. Tit le. HT243.C32B75 2003 307.76'09711 C2003-905399-7 Con ten ts... EXECUTIVE SUM M ARY ............................................................. v INTRODUCTION ....................................................................... 7 HOW THE SM ART BYLAWS GUIDE WORKS ............................. 8 WHAT IS SM ART GROWTH? .................................................. 10 Prom otin g u rban revitalization an d a h ealth y lan d base by ru ral p reservation , by con tain in g u rban areas, ch an n elin g d evelop m en t in to existin g n eigh bou rh ood s an d ad op tin g in tegrated p lan n in g an d m an agem en t ap p roach es .......... 11 In corp oratin g green in frastru ctu re in to com m u n ities ...... 13 Creatin g com p act com p lete com m u n ities by m ixin g lan d u ses an d u sin g lan d m ore efficien tly ................................. 15 In creasin g tran sp ortation ch oices th rou gh lan d u se d ecision s .............................................................................. 17 Creatin g in clu sive n eigh bou rh ood s by en su rin g th at a d iversity of h ou sin g typ es are accessible to a wid e ran ge of people of differen t age groups, fam ily types an d in com es ... 18 Maxim in g th e en d u rin g ben efits of d evelop m en ts by u sin g resou rces wisely on sites an d in bu ild in gs th at are tailored to sp ecific n eigh bou rh ood con d ition s ............................... 19 Su p p ortin g m u n icip al goals th rou gh cost recovery by en su rin g th at d evelop m en t cost ch arges an d oth er taxes an d fees reflect th e true cost of differen t types of growth .... 20 Prom otin g sm art growth th rou gh ou t th e d evelop m en t p rocess by reform in g ad m in istrative p rocesses an d ad d ressin g liability issu es ............................................................... 21 BENEFITS OF SM ART GROWTH .............................................. 22 Sm art growth d ecreases d evelop m en t costs ...................... 22 Sm art growth d ecreases m u n icip al service costs ............... 24 Sm art growth d ecreases lon g-term op eratin g costs ........... 25 Sm art growth creates m ore afford able h ou sin g ................ 26 Sm art growth in creases p rop erty valu es ............................ 27 Sm art growth creates safer n eigh bou rh ood s ..................... 27 Sm art growth attracts footloose, n ew econ om y busin esses . 27 Sm art growth su p p orts local econ om ies ............................ 28 Sm art growth en h an ces th e workin g lan d base ................ 29 Sm art growth en h an ces th e existin g n atu ral an d bu ilt assets of com m u n ities ........................................................ 29 A Case for Smart Growth iii Sm art growth m akes tran sit an d oth er n on -au tom obile tran sp ortation m od es viable .............................................. 30 Sm art growth creates safer streets ...................................... 30 Sm art growth su p p orts h ealth y ch ild ren ........................... 31 Sm art growth p rotects d rin kin g water su p p lies ................ 31 Sm art growth bu ild s social cap ital ..................................... 31 Sm art growth su p p orts a h ealth y en viron m en t ................ 32 CHALLENGES OF SM ART GROWTH ....................................... 33 Sm art growth req u ires ch an ges to bylaws an d en gin eerin g stan d ard s ............................................................................. 33 Sm art growth req u ires a sh ift away from relyin g solely on th e au tom obile for tran sp ort ............................................. 34 Sm art growth m ay req u ire d ifferen t risk m an agem en t ..... 34 Sm art growth n eed s a kn owled geable d evelop m en t in d u stry, m u n icip al cu ltu re an d citizen ry .................................. 35 CONCLUSION ......................................................................... 35 ENDNOTES ............................................................................. 37 iv West Coast Environmental Law Executive Sum m ary Sm art growth is takin g off in British Colu m bia. In recogn ition of BC’s lead ersh ip role, West Coast En viron m en tal Law h as d evelop ed a Sm art Bylaws Guide to assist local govern m en ts to im p lem en t sm art growth strategies th rou gh p olicy an d bylaw ch an ges. It d escribes sm art growth p ractices, an d backs u p th e th eory with case stu d ies, tech n ical stan d ard s an d bylaws th at can be tailored to sp ecific m u n icip al circu m stan ces. Th e Guide brin gs togeth er th e best p ractices of m u n icip alities across BC, an d h igh ligh ts oth er in n ovators in th e US an d Eu rop e. Th e en tire Guide can be accessed at www.wcel.org/ issu es/ u rban / sbg. Th is Case for Sm art Growth is on e elem en t of th e Guide, an d p resen ts cred ible evid en ce an d th e econ om ic ration ale for local govern m en ts to ad op t sm art growth strategies. Th e first p art of A Case for Sm art Growth in trod u ces th e con cep t of sm art growth , an d d escribes h ow th e Sm art Bylaws Guide is organ ized . Th e secon d p art sets ou t th e eigh t p rin cip les of sm art growth an d d escribes th e strategies th at ach ieve each goal. “ Quality-of-place – particularly natural, recreational, and lifestyle am enities – is absolutely vital in attracting knowledge workers and in supporting leading-edge high technology firm s and industries. Knowledge workers essentially balance econom ic opportunity and lifestyle in selecting a place to live and work. Thus, quality-of-place factors are as im portant as traditional econom ic factors such as jobs and career opportunity in attracting knowledge workers... Given that they have a wealth of job opportunities, knowledge workers have the ability to choose cities and regions that are attractive places to live as well as work.” 1 Th e th ird p art p resen ts th e ben efits of sm art growth . By con cen tratin g d evelop m en t in alread y-serviced areas with atten tion to d esign an d creatin g a variety of h ou sin g ch oices, research sh ows th at sm art growth : • Decreases d evelop m en t costs; • Decreases m u n icip al servicin g costs; • Decreases lon g-term op eratin g costs; • Creates m ore afford able h ou sin g; • In creases p rop erty valu es; • Creates safer n eigh bou rh ood s; • Attracts footloose, n ew econ om y bu sin esses; A Case for Smart Growth v • Su p p orts local econ om ies; • En h an ces th e workin g lan d base; • En h an ces th e existin g n atu ral an d bu ilt assets of com m u n ities; • Makes tran sit an d oth er n on -au tom obile tran sp ortation m od es viable; • Creates safer streets; • Su p p orts h ealth y ch ild ren ; • Protects d rin kin g water su p p lies; • Bu ild s social cap ital; an d • Su p p orts a h ealth y en viron m en t. Th e fou rth p art d escribes som e of th e ch allen ges th at sm art growth p resen ts to d evelop ers, m u n icip alities an d citizen s. It will req u ire ch an ges to bylaws an d en gin eerin g stan d ard s, an d will req u ire d ifferen t risk m an agem en t. It will also en tail ch an gin g h ow we get arou n d in com m u n ities, an d in creasin g th e kn owled ge abou t d evelop m en t p ractices in BC com m u n ities. vi West Coast Environmental Law In troduction Sm art growth is takin g off in British Colu m bia. BC offers som e of th e best exam p les in North Am erica of sm art growth p rojects at th e region al, m u n icip al an d local scale. Lookin g arou n d ou r com m u n ities we m ay n ot recogn ize it in p ractice, bu t m an y asp ects of th e cu ltu re of d evelop m en t in BC can be labeled sm art growth . Som e m u n icip alities an d d evelop ers from BC are n ow regard ed as lead ers in th is North Am erican ap p roach to stop p in g u rban sp rawl, revitalizin g com m ercial cen tres, an d m ain tain in g a workin g lan d base. In recogn ition of ou r lead ersh ip role, West Coast En viron - ” We do not achieve the kind of residential and com m ercial m ix of land uses, and the densities, that you have in your town and city centres. Citizens in British Colum bia value their open space as m uch as they value vibrant com m ercial centres and healthy downtowns. We need to apply this lesson across the US.” 2 m en tal Law h as d evelop ed th is Sm art Bylaws Guide to assist local govern m en ts to im p lem en t sm art growth strategies th rou gh p olicy an d bylaw ch an ges. Th e Guide is ad d ressed to th e town s an d sm all cities in BC th at often d o n ot h ave th e resou rces to research an d ap p ly n ew p ractices in a com p reh en sive way. It d escribes sm art growth p ractices, an d backs u p th e th eory with case stu d ies, tech n ical stan d ard s an d bylaws th at can be tailored to sp ecific m u n icip al circu m stan ces. Th e Guide brin gs togeth er th e best p ractices of m u n icip alities across BC, an d h igh ligh ts oth er in n ovators in th e US an d Eu rop e. Th e en tire Guide can be accessed at www.wcel.org/ issu es/ u rban / sbg. Th is Case for Sm art Growth is on e elem en t of th e Guide, an d p resen ts cred ible evid en ce an d th e econ om ic ration ale for local govern m en ts to ad op t sm art growth strategies. Village Pattern – Jackie Teed and Patrick Condon with Chris Midgley, Neighbourhood Pattern Typology A Case for Smart Growth 7 How th e Sm art Bylaws Guide Works Th e Sm art Bylaws Guide is com p osed of seven in tercon n ected tools: 1. Th e Case for Sm art Growth ou tlin es wh at sm art growth is an d wh y it is of ben efit to local govern m en ts. It goes beyon d p rin cip les an d p rovid es econ om ic an d oth er d ata to p rove th at sm art growth strategies work. www.wcel.org/ issu es/ u rban / sbg/ case 2. Th is Sm art Bylaws Su m m ary d escribes th e basic elem en ts of sm art growth u sin g case stu d ies an d ran gin g from th e region al an d m u n icip al scale to site an d bu ild in g scale. It p rovid es an overview of th e en tire Guide, an d lin ks from with in th e ch ap ters take read ers to th e oth er on lin e tools d escribed below. www.wcel.org/ issu es/ u rban / sgb/ su m m ary 3. Web p ages d iscu ss each sm art growth tool in m ore d ep th an d p rovid e exam p les of case stu d ies. www.wcel.org/ issu es/ u rban / sbg/ 4. Case stu d ies d ocu m en t d evelop m en t p rojects th at exh ibit a n u m ber of sm art growth featu res, in clu d in g bylaws an d con tact in form ation . www.wcel.org/ issu es/ u rban / sbg/ casestu d ies 8 West Coast Environmental Law 5. Bylaws an d p olicies accom p an y each sm art growth strategy. Th ey are eith er workin g exam p les from local govern m en ts or h ave been d rafted to assist local govern m en ts to effectively u se sp ecific Local Governm ent Act p owers. www.wcel.org/ issu es/ u rban / sbg/ bylaws 6. Ch ecklists en able staff, cou n cil m em bers an d citizen s to evalu ate p rojects an d m u n icip al p rogram s. www.wcel.org/ issu es/ u rban / sbg/ ch ecklists 7. Resou rces p rovid e lin ks to fu rth er on lin e in form ation . www.wcel.org/ issu es/ u rban / sbg/ resou rces Th e wh ole Sm art Bylaws Guide can be fou n d at www.wcel.org/ issu es/ u rban / sbg A Case for Smart Growth 9 Wh at is Sm art Growth ? “ Sm art Growth has two prim ary features: the “ where” and the “ how” . It happens “ where” developm ent can be accom m odated with m inim al adverse im pact to the environm ent, and in places where developm ent takes m axim um advantage of public investm ents already m ade. Sm art Growth also addresses “ how” the finished developm ent will work with neighboring developm ent to restore choices that are m issing in places m arked by sprawl: such as the choice to walk or use public transit, the choice to m eet neighbors in attractive com m on spaces, or the choice to live in an apartm ent, a house, or a condom inium .” 3 Sm art growth refers to lan d u se an d d evelop m en t p ractices th at en h an ce th e q u ality of life in com m u n ities, p reserve th e n atu ral en viron m en t, an d save m on ey over tim e. Th e aim is to lim it costly u rban sp rawl, u se tax d ollars m ore efficien tly an d create m ore livable com m u n ities. Sm art growth p ractices ran ge from p rom otin g com p act com p lete com m u n ities to su p p ortin g a viable workin g lan d base. Develop m en ts th at con serve resou rces (lan d , in frastru ctu re, an d m aterials) cost less an d in crease p rop erty valu es. Sm art growth com es in m an y form s an d is essen tially a n ew n am e for variou s lan d u se p attern s an d in frastru ctu re fu n d in g m ech an ism s for wh ich p eop le con cern ed with n eigh bou rh ood s h ave ad vocated for h alf a cen tu ry. Th e n ew featu res of th is p ackage of strategies are a recogn ition th at su bu rban d evelop m en t sh ou ld n ot be su bsid ized by taxp ayers, an d th at su stain ability goes beyon d con sid eration of th e n atu ral en viron m en t an d in clu d es social con cern s like afford able h ou sin g. Sm art growth works from a region al to site an d bu ild in g scale. The Eight Principles of Smart Growth: 1. Prom oting urban revitalization and a healthy working land base by rural preservation and by containing urban areas, channeling developm ent into existing neighbourhoods and adopting integrated planning and m anagem ent approaches. 2. Incorporating green infrastructure into com m unities. 3. Creating com pact com plete com m unities by m ixing land uses and using land m ore efficiently. 4. Increasing transportation choices through land use decisions. 5. Creating inclusive neighbourhoods by ensuring that a diversity of housing types are accessible to a wide range of people of different age groups, fam ily types and incom es. 6. M axim ing the enduring benefits of developm ents by using resources wisely on sites and in buildings that are tailored to specific neighbourhood conditions. 7. Supporting m unicipal goals through cost recovery by ensuring that developm ent cost charges and other taxes and fees reflect the true cost of different types of growth. 8. Prom oting sm art growth throughout the developm ent process by reform ing adm inistrative processes and addressing liability issues. 10 West Coast Environmental Law Prom oting urban revitalization and a healthy land base by rural preservation, by containing urban areas, channeling developm ent into existing neighbourhoods and adopting integrated planning and m anagem ent approaches 1... Two gen eralization s can be m ad e abou t com m u n ities in BC. First, m ost are su rrou n d ed by a com bin ation of workin g lan d s (forested or agricu ltu ral), m ou n tain s, water, or trad ition al territories of aborigin al com m u n ities th at lim it geograp h ic exp an sion . Secon d , th e econ om ic h ealth an d com - Citizens and m unicipal council m em bers are working to stop the deterioration of the econom ic, cultural and social hub of com m unities. m u n ity focu s of town cen tres h as d eclin ed over th e p ast th irty years in favou r of sh op p in g m alls located ou tsid e town cores. Citizen s an d m u n icip al cou n cil m em bers are workin g to stop th e d eterioration of th e econ om ic, cu ltu ral an d social h u b of com m u n ities. Th ey are also begin n in g to q u estion s th e u se an d cost of in frastru ctu re, recogn izin g th at available in frastru ctu re sh ou ld be u sed before fin an cin g is m ad e available for n ew growth . Refu sin g to su bsid ize sp rawl an d su p p ortin g u rban revitalization are com p lem en tary ap p roach es to sm art growth . Th e key to d rawin g atten tion back in to th e town cen tre is th rou gh in tegrated p lan n in g (p lan n in g for th e com m u n ity as a wh ole, in clu d in g its en viron m en tal, econ om ic an d social h ealth ) an d p erm ittin g. A Case for Smart Growth 11 Sm a rt grow t h st ra t egies t ha t a chieve t his goa l includ e: • u sin g u rban con tain m en t bou n d aries to en cou rage u rban revitalization an d th e p reservation of workin g lan d s; • en su rin g every n eigh bou rh ood an d com m u n ity h as a focal p oin t an d econ om ic cen tre; • takin g a system s ap p roach to p lan n in g by in tegratin g watersh ed , road , tran sp ortation , green in frastru ctu re, com m u n ity, n eigh bou rh ood , afford able h ou sin g an d econ om ic d evelop m en t p lan s; • ad h erin g to m u n icip al p lan s; an d • u sin g p erform an ce in d icators an d m on itorin g to track p rogress. 12 West Coast Environmental Law Incorporating green infrastructure into com m unities 2... Green in frastru ctu re refers to th e ecological p rocesses, both n atu ral an d en gin eered , th at p rovid e econ om ic an d en viron m en tal ben efits in u rban areas. Trad ition ally, m u n icip alities d ism an tled green in frastru ctu re in favou r of p ip es an d m ech an ical form s of u rban en viron m en tal m an agem en t. Mu n icip alities are in creasin gly retu rn in g to th e ben efits of green in frastru ctu re becau se th ey are often less costly th an h ard in frastru ctu re, an d offer aesth etic an d social ben efits. Th e green in frastru ctu re can also in crease p rop erty valu es as it is viewed as an am en ity in n eigh bou rh ood s, an d in clu d es: • rivers, creeks, stream s an d wetlan d s th at retain an d carry storm water, im p rove water q u ality, an d p rovid e h abitat; • p arks an d green ways th at lin k h abitat an d p rovid e recreation op p ortu n ities; • workin g lan d s su ch as agricu ltu ral or forested areas; • aq u ifers an d watersh ed s th at p rovid e d rin kin g water; • op en d itch es th at are im p ortan t as h abitat an d for th e h yd rologic cycle; • en gin eered wetlan d s an d storm water d eten tion p on d s th at retain storm water an d im p rove in filtration ; an d • trees an d rooftop gard en s th at clean air an d cool u rban ized areas in th e su m m er. A Case for Smart Growth 13 Sm a rt grow t h st ra t egies t ha t a chieve t his goa l includ e: • im p lem en tin g green an d blu e sp aces strategies to acq u ire an d con n ect th e green in frastru ctu re; • p lan n in g for in tegrated storm water m an agem en t; • ach ievin g su bd ivision s th at com p lem en t th e green in frastru ctu re; • settin g p erform an ce stan d ard s for im p erm eability, in filtration , tree cover, an d ecological fu n ction in g; an d • su p p ortin g workin g lan d s th rou gh bu fferin g, zon in g an d in tegrated p lan n in g. 14 West Coast Environmental Law Creating com pact com plete com m unities by m ixing land uses and using land m ore efficiently 3... Zon in g was in ven ted to keep in com p atible lan d u ses sep arated so th at resid en ts wou ld n ot h ave to live with in d u stry in th eir back yard . It h as h elp ed to m ain tain th e viability of in d u stry becau se it is clu stered in d iscrete location s an d saved from com p lain ts abou t its op eration s, as well as in crease resid en tial p rop erty valu es. However, zon in g h as gon e too far. In m an y com m u n ities it h as been u sed to create m on ocu ltu res of sin gle u se n eigh bou rh ood s. Th ese n eigh bou r- h ood s h ave n o cen tral core or d iversity of h ou sin g an d com m ercial typ es, an d lack th e vitality th at trad ition al sm all town n eigh bou rh ood s p ossessed . Th is typ e of zon in g also su p p orts sp rawl as com m u n ities grow p rim arily ou tward s. Sm art growth aim s to create com p act com p lete com m u n ities wh ere access to services from resid en ces is a five-m in u te d istan ce on foot. Corn er stores an d n eigh bou rh ood com m ercial cen tres are su p p orted by d en sity clu stered arou n d th e com m ercial cen tres. An d d en sity m ean s som eth in g d ifferen t for every com m u n ity. For m ost town s, d en sity m ean s town h ou ses, A Case for Smart Growth 15 d u p lexes, secon d ary su ites (su ites in existin g h ou ses or accessory bu ild in gs) an d low-rise ap artm en ts. Th is creates a d iversity of h ou sin g typ es th at allows in d ivid u als to m eet th eir h ou sin g n eed s in th e sam e n eigh bou rh ood th rou gh ou t d ifferen t life stages. Sm a rt grow t h st ra t egies t ha t a chieve t his goa l includ e: • m ixin g h ou sin g, jobs an d green in frastru ctu re in n eigh bou rh ood s an d on som e sites; • sh arin g p u blic facilities; • u sin g lan d m ore efficien tly by bu ild in g in existin g n eigh bou rh ood s; • creatin g h ou sin g d iversity an d com m ercial viability th rou gh sen sitive d en sification th at d oes n ot com p rom ise th e ch aracter of th e n eigh bou rh ood ; an d • 16 sh ap in g d evelop m en t th rou gh d esign gu id elin es. West Coast Environmental Law Increasing transportation choices through land use decisions 4... Govern m en t an d p rivate sp en d in g for tran sp ortation is weigh ted overwh elm in gly in favou r of road in frastru ctu re. However, bu ild in g m ore road s d oes n ot get rid of traffic con gestion . Stu d ies con tin u e to sh ow th at wh en ad d ition al road cap acity is created , it is im m ed iately filled . 4 Th e issu e is h ow to in crease th e m obility of p eop le an d good s, an d th e accessibility of tran sp ortation . Mu n icip alities are m ovin g toward s tailorin g tran sp ortation p lan s to sp ecific n eigh bou rh ood s n eed s an d creatin g lan d u se p attern s th at m ake n on au tom obile tran sp ortation efficien t. Th is in clu d es creatin g ad eq u ate d en sities to su p p ort p u blic tran sit an d tailorin g road wid th s an d p arkin g req u irem en ts to actu al u se. It also m ean s m an agin g th e d em an d for road s by p lacin g eq u al in vestm en t in th e in frastru ctu re for n on -au tom obile tran sp ortation . Sm a rt grow t h st ra t egies t ha t a chieve t his goa l includ e: • creatin g m u ltip le-u se road ways; • lin kin g tran sp ortation m od es; • tailorin g sp eed lim its an d road wid th s to u ses; • scalin g p arkin g req u irem en ts to n eigh bou rh ood n eed s; an d • m an agin g tran sp ortation d em an d . A Case for Smart Growth 17 Creating inclusive neighbourhoods by ensuring that a diversity of housing types are accessible to a wide range of people of different age groups, fam ily types and incom es 5... Th e m ost stark exam ple of th e lack of diversity of h ousin g option s in com m un ities are th e large n um ber of elders wh o m ust m ove to a differen t n eigh bourh ood wh en th ey sell th eir sin gle fam ily h om e. Wh ile 40 percen t of BC residen ts are ren ters, 1,500,000 less th an 13 percen t of th e h ousin g stock built in th e last 20 years was 1,200,000 ren tal accom m odation .5 In tegrat- Population 65 and over in g differen t h ousin g types in to all 900,000 n eigh bourh oods creates residen t 600,000 stability an d in creases affordability. Mun icipalities also recogn ize th at 300,000 th ey can n ot rely on th e m arket to build th e full ran ge of desirable 31 20 21 20 11 20 01 20 91 19 81 19 19 71 0 Increases and projected future increases in BC's population of seniors (65+ years) h ousin g types, an d are usin g a variety of tools to create affordable m arket an d n on -m arket h ousin g. Sm a rt grow t h st ra t egies t ha t a chieve t his goa l includ e: 18 • su p p ortin g secon d ary su ites; • p rom otin g ren tal h ou sin g; • u sin g d en sity bon u ses to acq u ire afford able h ou sin g; an d • m an agin g a h ou sin g tru st fu n d . West Coast Environmental Law Maxim ing the enduring benefits of developm ents by using resources wisely on sites and in buildings that are tailored to specific neighbourhood conditions 6... Each com m u n ity, n eigh bou rh ood , an d site is u n iq u e. To reflect th is d iversity an d in corp orate th e green in frastru ctu re in to com m u n ities, m u n icip alities are tailorin g d evelop m en t stan d ard s to site-sp ecific con d ition s. Th is u n iq u e treatm en t in creases th e attractiven ess of d evelop m en ts by p rovid in g am en ities on site an d n earby, an d d ecreases lon g-term op eratin g costs for own ers an d m u n icip alities. Th is tren d is p articu larly evid en t in th e h igh p erform an ce bu ild in g field (en ergy, water an d resou rce efficien t bu ild in gs) wh ere th e u p take of green bu ild in g tech n ologies an d th e Lead ersh ip in En ergy an d En viron m en tal Design (LEED) bu ild in g ratin g stan d ard h as been exp on en tial in BC over th e p ast th ree years. Sm a rt grow t h st ra t egies t ha t a chieve t his goa l includ e: • clu sterin g d evelop m en t on sites to m ain tain th e fu n ction in g of th e green in frastru ctu re; • tailorin g d evelop m en t p erm it con d ition s to site con d ition s; • en cou ragin g th e red evelop m en t of brown field sites; • green in g in d u strial lan d s; an d • ad op tin g green bu ild in g stan d ard s. A Case for Smart Growth 19 Supporting m unicipal goals through cost recovery by ensuring that developm ent cost charges and other taxes and fees reflect the true cost of different types of growth 7... The application of developm ent cost charges and property taxes can be m ore finely tuned to reflect the actual use, based on location and building technology, that a developm ent m akes of m unicipal infrastructure. Mun icipalities m ay recover part of th e costs for roads, parks, sewer an d water in frastructure th at n ew developm en ts in cur for a m un icipality. Across BC, m ost m un icipalities ch arge th ese developm en t cost ch arges (DCC’s) on a per un it (for residen tial developm en t) or square foot (for com m ercial developm en t) basis. Th ese calculation s rarely take in to accoun t wh eth er th e developm en t can take advan tage of existin g in frastructure, or th e actual use th e developm en t will m ake of m un icipal in frastructure. Th is is also true for tax an d fee calculation s aim ed at recoverin g som e of th e cost of services. Th e costs of developm en t an d on goin g servicin g to a m un icipality are less if existin g in frastructure can be used an d if th e n ew buildin gs in corporate green tech n ologies. DCC’s an d property taxes can reflect th ese differen ces in cost, an d en courage m ore efficien t developm en t. Sm a rt grow t h st ra t egies t ha t a chieve t his goa l includ e: • ch an gin g d evelop m en t cost ch arges to reflect th e tru e cost of in fill (bu ild in g wh ere services are alread y in p lace) versu s green field d evelop m en t (bu ild in g on u n d evelop ed an d u n serviced lan d ) an d h igh p erform an ce versu s con ven tion al bu ild in gs. • en su re th at DCC’s reflect th e d eclin in g in frastru ctu re costs to a m u n icip ality as th e d en sity of d evelop m en t in creases 20 West Coast Environmental Law Prom oting sm art growth throughout the developm ent process by reform ing adm inistrative processes and addressing liability issues 8... Man y d evelop ers are relu ctan t to try in n ovative p rojects becau se com m u n ity backlash an d slower m u n icip al ap p rovals m ean s in creased p lan n in g costs an d a ch an ce th at th e p roject will be refu sed . Som e m u n icip alities are ad d ressin g th ese Som e m unicipalities are encouraging developers to consult with the com m unity before bringing an application forward. con cern s by en cou ragin g d evelop ers to con su lt with th e com m u n ity before brin gin g an ap p lication forward . Som e are takin g an in tegrated p roject m an agem en t ap p roach to m ore com p lex d evelop m en ts so th at ap p rovals can be worked ou t collaboratively. By req u irin g on goin g m on itorin g of n ew tech n ologies an d ap p roach es, m u n icip alities can bu ild u p a bod y of kn owled ge th at will d ecrease liability con cern s over th e lon g term . Sm a rt grow t h st ra t egies t ha t a chieve t his goa l includ e: • gain in g com m u n ity su p p ort for p rojects before sign ifican t in vestm en t h as been m ad e; • ad op tin g in tegrated p roject m an agem en t ap p roach es; • u sin g ad d ition al d evelop m en t in form ation to tailor p erm it con d ition s; • d evelop in g m on itorin g p artn ersh ip s; an d • clarifyin g liability issu es. A Case for Smart Growth 21 Ben efits of Sm art Growth This package of strategies that m akes up sm art growth is com prehensive and daunting. However, m ost of it is not theory – sm art growth is supported by cum ulative econom ic, social and environm ental benefits that justify changing how developm ent occurs, and investing in new approaches to build a com m unity. Sm art growth strategies to d evelop m en t are often ch eap er th an con ven tion al su bu rban d evelop m en t becau se th ey m ake u se of existin g serviced lan d an d green in frastru ctu re. Th ey also su p p ort m ore p eop le livin g in serviced areas, wh ich d ecreases th e cost of in frastru ctu re p er h ou seh old an d in creases th e viability of tran sit an d com m ercial services. At th e sam e tim e, sm art growth p rovid es m an y social an d en viron m en tal ben efits by in tegratin g afford able h ou sin g th rou gh ou t n eigh bou rh ood s an d m an agin g u rban d evelop m en t for green in frastru ctu re fu n ction s. Sm art growth decreases developm ent costs One study of the land and infrastructure needs for the Central Okanagan over the next forty years found that conventional residential developm ent would require 20,645 acres and cost $1.57 billion to service. Using a m ore com pact developm ent scenario, the total acreage needed could be cut in half, and cost $1.04 billion to service. 8 A p op u lar p ercep tion exists th at sm art growth costs m ore – it req u ires d evelop ers an d m u n icip alities to d o m ore to m ake u rban areas look n ice an d green . In m an y cases, th is is u n tru e. Sm art growth focu ses on u sin g resou rces m ore efficien tly an d ch an gin g h ow d evelop m en t takes p lace on th e site to m in im ize th e n eed for in frastru ctu re an d m axim ize th e n earby am en ities. In fact, su bu rban d evelop m en t p attern s req u ire m ore in frastru ctu re p er cap ita th an d o sm art growth ap p roach es. 6 Narrower resid en tial streets an d oth er in n ovative d evelop m en t stan d ard s can save between $4,000 an d $6,000 p er u n it, an d also red u ce storm water ru n off an d en cou rage traffic safety. 7 On e stu d y from th e Un iversity of British Colu m bia d em on strated th at in frastru ctu re in a sm art growth su bd ivision wou ld cost $12,000 p er u n it less th an in a con ven tion al su bd ivision . Likewise, th e d iversity an d clu sterin g of h ou sin g d ecreases lan d costs an d th e am ou n t of p aved su rfaces (see table below). Th e stu d y was based on th e p oten tial d evelop m en t of two sim ilar 4.25 h ectare (ten acre) sites in th e City of Su rrey 22 West Coast Environmental Law wh ere th e average in terior h om e size for both sites was th e sam e. Th e con ven tion al d esign in clu d ed 41 sin gle fam ily h om es (fou r d wellin g u n its p er acre). Th e sm art growth d esign h ad 111 u n its com p rised of 37 sin gle fam ily, 54 d u p lex, an d ten sin gle fam ily with su ites (six to ten u n its p er acre). 9 Both d evelop m en ts h ad sim ilar total im p erviou s area (50 p ercen t), bu t th e sm art growth op tion ’s effective im p erviou s area was on ly 10 p ercen t becau se of th e ran ge of in filtration strategies (p u ttin g water back in to th e grou n d ) u sed on th e site. Th is m eth od ology h as been u sed th rou gh ou t th e US to q u an tify th e in frastru ctu re costs of n ew d evelop m en ts. 1 0 Per Unit Conventional Subdivision Smart Growth Subdivision Total Difference Infrastructure $23,521 $11,006 Over $12,000 Land Cost $76,829 $28,243 Over $48,000 $220,350 $178,873 Over $40,000 2,464 square feet 660 square feet Over 1,800 s.f. Cost of Houses of Equal Size Am ount of Paving High p erform an ce bu ild in gs also d ecrease th e p er u n it load on civic in frastru ctu re by u sin g less water an d flu sh in g less d own th e sewer, th u s d elayin g rep lacem en t costs. High p erform an ce bu ild in gs can also be m ore m arketable becau se of th eir u n iq u e featu res. Th e d evelop ers of th e m ixed -u se bu ild in g 2211 West 4 th in Van cou ver relied on on -site sign age, word of m ou th an d p erson alized m arketin g, savin g an estim ated $650,000 in ad vertisin g an d $850,000 in real estate agen ts’ leasin g an d sales fees. Eigh ty-five p ercen t of th e u n its were leased or sold before th e d evelop m en t was com p leted . 1 1 A Case for Smart Growth 23 Sm art growth decreases m unicipal service costs Increased urban runoff in the Abbotsford area resulted in flooding on both residential and agricultural properties. The City approved the construction of a series of storage basins on the upper urban tributaries to Fishtrap Creek to tem porarily store excess urban run-off. The storage basins and surrounding vegetation also rem ove 60 percent of the suspended solids in the water, and the area is used as a 20 hectare park. Draining 3047 hectares of urban uplands and agricultural lowlands, the District considers the $5 m illion investm ent in the Fishtrap Creek Wetlands to be considerably lower than what flooding prevention would have cost. Com p act d evelop m en t costs less for m u n icip alities to service th an d oes con ven tion al su bu rban d evelop m en t. Sm art growth also takes ad van tage of largely u n q u an tified services p rovid ed by ecosystem s by p reservin g an d en h an cin g th e green in frastru ctu re. Mu n icip alities an d d evelop ers can take ad van tage of th ese services, often at lower costs th an h ard in frastru ctu re. Exam p les of ecosystem services an d savin g in clu d e: • Pollu tion abatem en t an d h eat atten u ation – Th e tree can op y in Portlan d , Oregon absorbs ap p roxim ately two m illion p ou n d s of p ollu tan ts from th e atm osp h ere each year. Th is service is worth an estim ated $4.8 m illion (US). Con versely, over th e p ast 25 years th e Pu get Sou n d region h as lost 37 p ercen t of its tree can op y an d h igh vegetation . Th is cover wou ld h ave rem oved ap p roxim ately 35 m illion p ou n d s of p ollu tan ts an n u ally, a valu e of $95 m illion ;12 an d • Storm water m an agem en t – Th e lost tree cover in Pu get Sou n d h as resu lted in a 29 p ercen t in crease in storm water flows d u rin g p eak even ts. Rep lacin g th e lost reten tion cap acity with reservoirs an d en gin eered solu tion s wou ld cost $2.4 billion ($2 p er cu bic foot). 13 In filtration tech n iq u es an d n atu ral storm water m an agem en t can d ecrease ru n off in u rban ized areas to on ly ten p ercen t. Sm art growth d evelop m en ts are sign ifican tly ch eap er to service th an low-d en sity d evelop m en t. A stu d y in th e Greater Toron to Area fou n d th at m ore com p act d evelop m en t cost m u n icip alities 30 p ercen t less th an a sp read ou t d evelop m en t p attern . 14 Resid en tial d evelop m en t in ru ral areas costs m ore to serve th an it gen erates in tax reven u e. Farm s gen erate $1 in reven u e for every $0.21 of services n eed ed , bu t ru ral resid en tial u ses gen erate on ly $1 for every $1.20 in services u sed . 15 24 West Coast Environmental Law Fin ally, sm art growth d evelop m en ts h ave h igh er relative valu e of h om es to th e rep lacem en t cost of in frastru ctu re th an d o con ven tion al d evelop m en ts. Th is resu lts in an in crease to th e m u n icip al tax base wh ile in frastru ctu re rep lacem en t costs rem ain th e sam e as for con ven tion al d evelop m en ts. 16 Sm art growth decreases long-term operating costs Particu larly in th e area of h igh p erform an ce bu ild in gs, sm art growth d ecreases op eratin g costs sign ifican tly by red u cin g th e en ergy, water an d resou rces u sed in th e bu ild in g. Th e win d ows in th e En gin eerin g Lab Win g at th e Un iversity of Victoria in su late 400 p ercen t m ore th an stan d ard in su latin g glass win d ows. Th is h igh in su lation valu e elim in ated th e n eed for a p erim eter h eatin g system an d m ech an ical coolin g, an d en abled a sm aller h eatin g system . Th e am ou n t of n atu ral d ayligh t h as d ecreased th e n eed for electric ligh tin g d u rin g th e d ay. Op eratin g savin gs am ou n t to $36,000 p er year (723,000 kilowatt h ou rs), an d th e p roject was com p leted $1 m illion below bu d get. 17 High p erform an ce bu ild in gs also p rovid e a m ore com fortable work en viron m en t th at in creases worker p rod u ctivity an d work q u ality, an d d ecreases absen teeism (see sid ebar). 18 A Case for Smart Growth Based on a 1990 US national survey of large office buildings, gross office-space rent cost $21 per square foot. Of that am ount, electricity costs $1.53 per square foot and accounts for 85 percent of the total energy bill. In com parison, office workers cost $130 per square foot. A sm all increase in productivity can offset a com pany’s entire annual energy cost. Corporations ranging from power to insurance com panies have realized reductions in energy costs, increases in productivity and one to two year paybacks through lighting, heating and cooling retrofits. 19 25 Sm art growth creates m ore affordable housing Num erous studies in the US and Canada have found that non-m arket housing located in single fam ily neighbourhoods do not decrease property values. A ten-year study in seven BC com m unities showed that social housing projects had no negative effect on the sale price of single fam ily detached hom es. In all cases, average sales prices increased substantially since the non-m arket hom es were constructed.22 Creatin g a ran ge of h ou sin g typ es an d ten u res en su res th at resid en ts with all in com e levels h ave h ou sin g ch oices in th eir h om e n eigh bou rh ood s th rou gh ou t d ifferen t p h ases of life. In tegrated in to existin g n eigh bou rh ood s, th is d iversity of h ou sin g is m ore afford able th an th e p red om in an t h ou sin g typ e on th e m arket, th e d etach ed sin gle fam ily d wellin g. In ad d ition , stu d ies h ave sh own th at sm art growth strategies su ch as u rban con tain m en t an d en cou ragin g in fill d o n ot in crease h ou sin g p rices. Th e p rim ary d eterm in an t of h ou sin g p rices is th e rate of p op u lation growth an d m arket d em an d from th at growth , n ot lan d con strain ts. 20 Sp rawl actu ally in creases h ou sin g p rices over tim e. Even th ou gh lan d p rices are h igh er in u rban cen tres th an at th e p erip h ery, becau se lan d is ch eap er in su bu rban location s th e lots an d h ou ses ten d to be larger. If a com m u n ity is growin g p red om in an tly th rou gh su bu rban exp an sion , bu ild in g larger h om es on larger lots at th e u rban frin ge m ean s th at th e p er u n it cost of h ou sin g in creases even th ou gh th e lan d costs are lower. 21 Th is can sway th e total h ou sin g stock in favou r of larger sin gle fam ily h om es in su bu rban location s, an d away from m ore afford able typ es su ch as ap artm en ts an d town h ou ses. Fin ally, su bu rbs red u ce th e d em an d for resid en tial an d com m ercial p rop erties in th e core of a com m u n ity. 26 West Coast Environmental Law Sm art growth increases property values Coh esive, attractive d evelop m en ts located close to a variety of am en ities in crease overall p rop erty valu es. Between 1985 an d 2001, com m ercial p rop erty valu es in th e d own town core of m u n icip alities in Californ ia th at are p articip atin g in th e Main street Program in creased by 167 p ercen t.23 Th is resu lts Studies across North Am erica and in BC have shown that proxim ity to natural green space increases property values by 15 to 30 percent.29 in an in crease in p rop erty tax reven u es flowin g to m u n icip alities. Proxim ity to green sp ace an d th e p resen ce of trees on site also m ean s h ou ses sell m ore q u ickly. 24 Sm art growth creates safer neighbourhoods A sen se of com m u n ity d ram atically red u ces crim e. Com m u n ity sp irit an d a d esire to be in volved in a n eigh bou rh ood d ecrease violen t crim e by u p to 40 p ercen t. 25 Sm art growth n eigh bou rh ood d esign s su ch as m ixin g u ses, corn er stores, p ocket p arks, com m u n ity gard en s, traffic calm in g an d fron t p orch es en cou rage resid en ts to in teract with on e an oth er an d d evelop a sh ared sen se of resp on sibility. Sm art growth attracts footloose, new econom y businesses Th e decision of wh ere to locate n ew firm s is in creasin gly depen den t on quality of life con sideration s. In deed, quality of place, particularly n atural, recreation al an d lifestyle am en ities, is crucial in attractin g kn owledge workers an d in dustries.26 Own ers an d workers desire access to vibran t com m ercial cen tres an d a h ealth y n atural en viron m en t. Firm s with in a sector ten d to be clustered in location s based on staff an d en trepre- The Okanagan-Sim ilkam een Regional District has recognized this link between quality of life and the new econom y by adopting a regional green econom ic developm ent strategy.29 n eur preferen ces, en viron m en tal factors, lan d costs an d in frastructure requirem en ts. Man y firm s prefer down town location s.27 A Case for Smart Growth 27 Case Study... Sm art growth supports local econom ies California’s M ain Street program has yielded astounding benefits to participating m unicipalities over the past 15 years. While m edian population growth in the towns since their M ain Street program was designated was 20 percent: • The net num ber of jobs increased 31 percent; • Retail sales increased 105 percent; • Com m ercial property values increased 167 percent; • Storefront vacancy rates declined 76 percent; • Retail and office rental rates increased 65 percent and 71 percent, respectively; • The value of public im provem ents (buildings and infrastructure) m ade in each com m unity was m ore than $2.2 m illion; • The value of private building im provem ents in each com m unity was nearly $3.9 m illion; • For every dollar a com m unity invested in its M ain Street program operations, $7.13 was invested in public and private im provem ents; • The num ber of local M ain Street program volunteers increased m ore than 200 percent; • The cost per job was $4,551 (total m oney spent operating a local M ain Street program divided by the num ber of net new jobs).33 28 Most d own town s in sm all an d m id -sized com m u n ities cater to sm aller locally-own ed bu sin esses. Con cen tratin g com m ercial d evelop m en t in cen tral bu sin ess d istricts allows bu sin esses to h ave access to a wid er ran ge of services an d to each oth er. Em p loyees are n ot stu ck in traffic travelin g to an d from d isp ersed m eetin g sites. Com m ercial cores also en cou rage ch an ce in teraction s an d sh arin g of id eas th at sp u r in n ovation an d n ew p artn ersh ip s. 30 Econ om ic im p act an alyses h ave d em on strated th at $100 sp en t in a locally own ed store gen erates $45 in local econ om ic retu rn wh ile $100 sp en t in a n on -locally own ed stores gen erates on ly $13 retu rn . 31 Sm art growth su p p orts th e better rate of retu rn an d th e d iversity th at locally own ed bu sin esses brin g to a com m u n ity by focu sin g on d own town revitalization an d th e d evelop m en t of n eigh bou rh ood com m ercial cen tres. Sm art growth also p rovid es an an swer to greyfield s – th e d eclin in g region al m alls an d p ower cen tres th at are glu ttin g som e com m u n ities. A 2002 m arket an alysis of th e em ergin g tren d s in real estate sh owed th at big box p owercen tres, region al m alls, an d su bu rban office sp ace h ave less d evelop m en t p oten tial th an ap artm en ts, com m u n ity sh op p in g cen tres an d d own town office sp ace. 32 Sm art growth both en cou rages th e red evelop m en t of com m ercial cores an d th e creation of m ixed -u se n eigh bou rh ood s on greyfield sites. West Coast Environmental Law Notable Quote... Sm art growth enhances the working land base By con tain in g u rban ized areas an d su p p ortin g bu ffers between workin g lan d s (agricu ltu ral, forested , an d in d u strial) an d oth er u ses, sm art growth secu res th e viability of th e workin g lan d base. Farm ers, foresters an d m an u factu rers can n ot op erate effectively d irectly ad jacen t to h ou ses. Neith er can th ey rem ain viable wh en ru ral resid en tial u ses resu lt in lan d sp ecu lation an d in h ibit n orm al activities on workin g The Agricultural Land Reserve com prises less than 5 percent of BC’s landbase. However, it supports BC’s $2 billion in annual farm receipts and prevents cities and towns from sprawling onto working lands. lan d . Sm art growth enhances the existing natural and built assets of com m unities Most in lan d town s an d cities were bu ilt becau se of th eir p roxim ity to a waterway. Th is n atu ral featu re is often th e com m ercial h u b, an d acts as th e core of th e com m u n ity. Over tim e, th e bu ilt en viron m en t in th ese old er cen tres h as also becom e th e focal p oin t of th e com m u n ity. As aesth etic featu res, an d as th e geograp h ic p laces th at an ch or a com m u n ity, n atu ral an d bu ilt h istory is in valu able. A Case for Smart Growth 29 Notable Quote... Sm art growth m akes transit and other nonautom obile transportation m odes viable “ …density tends to increase land use accessibility and transport diversity, resulting in shorter trip distances and shifts to other m odes such as walking and transit. Although streets in higher density urban areas m ay experience m ore [m axim um traffic volum es], im plying serious congestion problem s, urban residents spend less tim e delayed by congestion because they have closer destinations and better travel options. As a result, per capita (as opposed to per-vehicle trip or per-driver) congestion delay tends to be greater in lower-density, autom obiledependent areas such as Los Angeles and Houston than in higher-density areas such as New York and San Francisco, because low density areas have m ore per capita vehicle m ileage.” 38 More p eop le take th e bu s, walk an d bicycle to work wh en p roxim ity of, an d con ven ien ce to tran sit an d work is h igh . In sm art growth town s an d cities, resid en ts live close to work an d p lay, an d sp en d less th an h alf th e tim e in veh icles th an d o resid en ts wh o live in sp rawlin g com m u n ities. 34 Sm art growth d oes n ot create m ore traffic jam s. More d en se cities su ch as Portlan d , Oregon h ave less traffic con gestion th an d o sp rawlin g cities su ch as Atlan ta, Georgia. 35 Den sity d oes n ot in crease con gestion . Sm art growth creates safer streets Sm art growth in clu d es a grid street p attern with “q u eu ed ” resid en tial streets (p arkin g on both sid es wh ere au tom obiles take tu rn s d rivin g d own th e m id d le). Stu d ies h ave d em on strated th at resid en ts are fou r tim es m ore likely to be h it by a car on wid e cu rvin g su bu rban streets th an th ey are on trad ition al n arrower grid p attern resid en tial streets. Th e m ost sign ifican t factors in freq u en cy of accid en ts are street wid th an d street cu rvatu re. As street wid th wid en s, accid en ts p er kilom eter p er year in creases exp on en tially, an d th e safest resid en tial street wid th is 24 feet. 36 Th e m ost d an gerou s p laces to walk are m etrop olitan areas m arked by n ewer, lowd en sity d evelop m en ts, wh ere wid e, h igh -sp eed arterial streets offer few sid ewalks or crosswalks. 37 30 West Coast Environmental Law Notable Quote... Sm art growth supports healthy children Over th e p ast year, sign ifican t m ed ia atten tion h as been d rawn to th e in creasin g n u m bers of u n h ealth y an d in active ch ild ren in North Am erica. Sed en tary lifestyles are p artly to blam e for th is tren d , in clu d in g p aren ts d rivin g ch ild ren to sch ool an d m ost oth er activities. Sm art growth lan d u se p attern s create walkable n eigh bou rh ood s wh ere tran sp ortation in frastru ctu re caters to p ed estrian an d n on -au tom obile m od es of traffic. Neigh bou rh ood sch ools are valu ed over larger com m u n ity sch ools. With m ore crosswalks, walkin g an d bikin g rou tes, an d slower sp eed s on resid en tial streets, sm art growth ap p roach es su p p ort active ch ild ren . Sm art growth protects drinking water supplies Th e rap id in crease in th e total am ou n t of im p erviou s or n on p orou s su rfaces in u rban ized areas, su ch as h ou ses an d road s, is con tribu tin g to water q u ality an d q u an tity p roblem s. 39 Con cen tratin g growth , en h an cin g th e green in frastru ctu re, p rotectin g th e workin g lan d base, an d in creasin g th e am ou n t of water in filtrated back in to th e soil m ain tain s Researchers with the Hum an Early Learning Partnership at UBC have m apped neighbourhood risk factors for children and the location of where m ost children live in com m unities across BC.41 Their results show that fam ilies with children are concentrated in com m ercial districts and transportation zones, rather than in neighborhoods that have am enities, such as parks, that provide im portant support for early childhood developm ent. Their prim ary policy recom m endations are to integrate affordable housing into all neighbourhoods and provide greater access to transit and other am enities in lower-incom e neighbourhoods.42 n atu ral h yd rologic flows th at m u n icip alities rely u p on for d rin kin g water. Sm art growth builds social capital Th e u rban m yth th at in fill an d d en sity are th e cau se of social p roblem s an d crim e h as been d ebu n ked by m an y stu d ies. 40 In fact, resid en tial d en sities are n ow lower th an th ey were 30 years ago, an d it is low-d en sity resid en tial d evelop m en ts th at are blam ed for a red u ction in social en gagem en t an d com m u n ity coh esion . Less op p ortu n ity exists for in teractin g with n eigh bou rs becau se fewer p u blic sp aces are available to foster su ch in teraction , an d m ore tim e is sp en t on com m u tin g an d travelin g in cars. A Case for Smart Growth 31 Notable Quote... Sm art growth d esign s th at in clu d e sid ewalks, town cen tres, n arrower resid en tial streets, p arks, an d m ixed u ses, en cou rage social in teraction . Walkable sp aces an d m eetin g oth ers on th e street are key com p on en ts of bu ild in g n eigh bou rh ood relation sh ip s. 43 Fin ally, resid en ts wh o live n ear green ways live in th eir h ou ses lon ger th an resid en ts in n eigh bou rh ood s with ou t green ways. Green sp ace h elp s to p rom ote n eigh bou rh ood stability an d a greater sen se of com m u n ity. 44 Sm art growth supports a healthy environm ent In 1991, m otor vehicles were subsidized in the Lower M ainland by about $2.7 billion. Public m otorized transport was subsidized by about $360 m illion.47 En h an cin g th e green in frastru ctu re, creatin g com p act com p lete com m u n ities an d su p p ortin g th e workin g lan d base h elp s restore th e en viron m en t in m an y ways. Sm art growth p reserves h abitat by lim itin g u rban sp rawl, an d by p rotectin g n atu ral sp aces in d evelop ed areas. Sm art growth also en su res th e con tin u ed fu n ction in g of ecosystem s. Less th an 10 p ercen t im p erviou s coverage in a watersh ed h as a n egative im p act on stream h abitats, an d 30 p ercen t im p erviou s- Sm art growth neighbourhoods can achieve 90 percent infiltration of rainwater, and generate 40 percent less autom obile trips than a conventional subdivision.48 32 n ess sign ifican tly d am ages fish an d stream h abitat. 45 Decreasin g th e am ou n t of im p erviou s su rfaces su p p orts h ealth y water cycles an d fish h abitat. Fin ally, with 42 p ercen t of green h ou se gas em ission s com in g from cars an d tru cks, m ore p eop le takin g tran sit an d walkin g m ean s less air p ollu tion . 46 West Coast Environmental Law Notable Quote... Ch allen ges of Sm art Growth Th ese exam p les from BC an d North Am erican d em on strate th at creatin g m ore com p act com p lete com m u n ities n ot on ly saves taxp ayers m on ey, it brin gs m an y oth er social, econ om ic an d en viron m en tal ben efits to com m u n ities. However, m u n icip alities are still faced with th e d ifficu lt d ecision s in h eren t in m an agin g ch an ge. Th ese ch allen ges in clu d e u p d atin g bylaws an d stan d ard s, su p p ortin g n on -au tom obile tran sp ortation , ad d ressin g liability issu es, an d assistin g th e com m u n ity to acq u ire th e n eed ed kn owled geable to su p p ort sm art d evelop m en t. Sm art growth requires changes to bylaws and engineering standards Som e tech n ical stan d ard s go beyon d p rotectin g p u blic h ealth an d p rop erty. Th ey are overly exp en sive an d im p ed e green d evelop m en t. Likewise, zon in g an d oth er bylaws p reven t th e m ix of u ses an d d iversity of h ou sin g typ es th at create com p lete com m u n ities. In su m , we h ave created so m an y in flexible regu lation s an d en gin eerin g stan d ard s th at com m on sen se ap p roach es to bu ild in g com m u n ities are often illegal. Man y resou rces exist, in clu d in g th is Guide, to assist local govern m en ts with ch an gin g bylaws an d stan d ard s toward s a sm art d evelop m en t ap p roach . A Case for Smart Growth 33 Sm art growth requires a shift away from relying solely on the autom obile for transport Cars are on ly on e in gred ien t in th e tran sp ortation cocktail, bu t p u blic fu n d in g for tran sp ortation h as overwh elm in gly su p p orted th e m ovem en t of p eop le by cars. Sm art growth em p h asizes bu ild in g n on -au tom obile tran sp ortation in frastru ctu re in to lan d u ses. Th is in clu d es con n ected p ed estrian an d bikeways with en d -of-trip services, an d d ecreasin g th e d em an d for road sp ace by d ecreasin g su bsid ies to th e au tom obile an d en su rin g th at n on -au tom obile m od es h ave com p arable fu n d in g. Th e resu lt is m ore walkable, p leasan t, an d con n ected n eigh bou rh ood s. Sm art growth m ay require different risk m anagem ent Most sm art growth strategies are p roven , p articu larly th ose related to zon in g an d com m u n ity d esign . Som e th at in volve en gin eerin g stan d ard s an d green bu ild in gs are n ot as wellaccep ted . Th e m an y p rojects u n d erway in Eu rop e an d BC offer tem p lates for d ifferen t road stan d ard s, storm water m an agem en t system s, an d green bu ild in g d esign . As with all p rojects, local govern m en ts are req u ired to assess th e risks in volved in n ew d esign s an d m itigate th ose risks th rou gh p rofession al u n d ertakin gs an d m on itorin g. 34 West Coast Environmental Law Sm art growth needs a knowledgeable developm ent industry, m unicipal culture and citizenry Ch an gin g h ow d evelop m en t h ap p en s is d ifficu lt. Th e lack of p u blic kn owled ge abou t n ew tech n ologies creates u n certain ty for d evelop m en t ap p rovals an d m arket risk for d evelop ers. In som e com m u n ities, m u n icip al official an d d evelop ers p erceive th at on ly sin gle-fam ily d etach ed h ou sin g is accep table an d m arketable. Citizen s are in h eren tly ad verse to ch an ges n ext d oor, an d are u n fam iliar with good d esign th at m akes com p lete com m u n ities vibran t. Workin g togeth er m ore often , th rou gh Official Com m u n ity Plan s, ch arrette an d d evelop m en t review p rocesses will in crease th e u n d erstan d in g of wh at m akes good n eigh bou rh ood s an d facilitate th e ch an ge to sm arter growth . Con clusion Sm art growth is a com p reh en sive an d com p lex ap p roach to h ow we d evelop com m u n ities. Mu n icip alities across BC p rovid e excellen t exam p les of sm art growth in action , an d th ese strategies are su p p orted by econ om ic, social an d en viron m en tal ben efits. Access th e Sm art Bylaw Guide to exp lore th ese best p ractices, stan d ard s an d bylaws. www.wcel.org/ issu es/ u rban / sbg A Case for Smart Growth 35 Resources 1000 Frien d s of Oregon : www.frien d s.org Better En viron m en tally Sou n d Tran sp ortation : www.best.bc.ca CivicIn fo: www.civicin fo.bc.ca Fed eration of Can ad ian Mu n icip alities: www.fcm .ca In tern ation al Down town Association : www.id a-d own town .org Jam es Taylor Ch air in Lan d scap es an d Livable En viron m en ts UBC: www.su stain able-com m u n ities.agsci.u bc.ca/ abou t.h tm l New Ru ral Econ om y: www.lan d cen tre.ca/ lcfram eweb.cfm ?ID=5382 New Sch ools Better Neigh bou rh ood s: www.n sbn .org Ped estrian an d Bicycle In form ation Cen tre: www.walkin gin fo.org Project for Pu blic Sp aces: www.p p s.org Sm art Growth BC: www.sm artgrowth .bc.ca Sm art Growth Am erica: www.sm artgrowth am erica.org Sm art Growth Network: www.sm artgrowth .org Su stain able Com m u n ities Network: www.su stain able.org Th e Lan d Cen tre: www.lan d cen tre.ca US Green Bu ild in g Cou n cil: www.u sgbc.org Victoria Tran sp ort Policy In stitu te: www.vtp i.org Walkable Com m u n ities In c.: www.walkable.org West Coast En viron m en tal Law: www.wcel.org 36 West Coast Environmental Law En dn otes 1 “Rich ard Flo rid a, Co m p et in g in t h e Age o f Talen t : Q u alit y o f Place an d th e New Econ om y (2000) 2 Don Ch en , Execu tive Director, Sm art Growth Am erica 3 New Jersey Fu t u re, Pro p o sed Develo p m en t Sco recard p .1 h t t p :/ / www.n jfu t u re.o rg/ art icles/ d evelo p m en t _card .p d f 4 Pet er Hills, “W h at is In d u ced Traffic?” Transportation, Vo l. 23, No . 1 (1996). p p . 5-16; To d d Lit m an , “Gen erated Traffic; Im p lication s for Tran sp ort Plan n in g,” IT E Journal, Vo l. 71, No . 4 (2001) p p . 38-47. www.it e.o rg 5 Min ist ry o f Co m m u n it y, Abo rigin al an d Wom en ’s Affairs, Ren t al Hou sin g Plan n in g Gu id e (2002). h t t p :/ / www.m caws.go v.bc.ca/ h ou sin g/ ren tgu id e/ gu id e_2002.p d f 6 P. Blais, Th e Eco n o m ics o f Urban Fo rm : Ap p en d ix E, Great er To ro n t o , 1995. See also Fu t u re Pert h : Co st o f Urban Fo rm Wo rkin g Pap er No . 2, (2001). 7 Min ist ry o f Ho u sin g an d Min ist ry o f Mu n icip al Affairs (O n t ario ), Altern ative Develop m en t Stan d ard s: Makin g Ch oices (1995). 8 A. Ram lo , Ch an ge Man agem en t : A Fram ewo rk fo r Co m m u n it y an d Regio n al Plan n in g (2000). 9 Jam es Taylor Ch air in Lan d scap es an d Livable En viron m en ts Tech n ical Bu llet in No .2 (2000). Case St u d y: St at u s Q u o St an d ard s versu s Alt ern at ive St an d ard , East Clayt o n – t wo alt ern at ive d evelo p m en t sit e st an d ard s co m p ared . h t t p :/ / www.su stain able-com m u n ities.agsci.u bc.ca/ bu lletin s/ TB_issu e_02_ADSed it.p d f. See also h t t p :/ / www.su st ain ablecom m u n ities.agsci.u bc.ca/ p rojects/ ADS/ HTML_Files/ Ch ap terTh ree/ Com p arison _Matrix_II.h tm 10 For exam p le, Th e Cost of Provid in g Govern m en t Services to Alt ern at ive Resid en t ial Pat t ern s (1993). h t t p :/ / www.sm art gro wt h .o rg/ p d f/ Co PGSt ARP.p d f 11 D. Cu rran , Econ om ic Ben efits of Natu ral Green sp ace Protection (2001). h t t p :/ / www.sm art gro wt h .bc.ca/ d o wn lo ad s/ Econ om ic%20Ben efits%20of%20Natu ral%20Green %20Sp ace %20Protection .p d f 12 Am erican Forests, h t t p :/ / www.am erican fo rest s.o rg/ reso u rces/ rea/ 13 Am erican Fo rest s, Regio n al Eco syst em An alysis: Pu get So u n d Met ro p o lit an Area (1998). h t t p :/ / www.am erican fo rest s.o rg/ d own load s/ rea/ AF_Pu getSou n d .p d f 14 P. Blais, Th e Eco n o m ics o f Urban Fo rm : Ap p en d ix E, Great er To ro n t o (1995). See also Fu t u re Pert h : Co st o f Urban Fo rm Workin g Pap er No. 2 (2001). h t t p :/ / www.p lan n in g.wa.go v.au / p u blicat io n s/ fu t u rep ert h / wo rkin gp ap ers/ p ap er2.p d f 15 Am erican Farm lan d Tru st , Resid en t ial Gro wt h in Lo u d o u n Co u n ty Den sit y-Relat ed Pu blic Co st s (1986). A Case for Smart Growth 37 38 16 Jam es Taylor Ch air in Lan d scap es an d Livable En viron m en ts Tech n ical Bu llet in No .2 (2000). Case St u d y: St at u s Q u o St an d ard s versu s Alt ern at ive St an d ard , East Clayt o n – t wo alt ern at ive d evelo p m en t sit e st an d ard s co m p ared . h t t p :/ / www.su stain able-com m u n ities.agsci.u bc.ca/ bu lletin s/ TB_issu e_02_ADSed it.p d f 17 Perso n al co m m u n icat io n , Terry William s, William s D’Am bro sio Arch itects (1999). 18 Cit y o f Seat t le, Su st ain abilit y St u d ies, Su st ain able Bu ild in gs www.cityofseattle.n et/ ligh t/ con serve/ su stain ability/ stu d ies/ cv5_sp .h t m . 19 J. Rom m an d W. Brown in g, Green in g th e Bu ild in g an d th e Bottom Lin e: In creasin g Prod u ctivity Th rou gh En ergy-Efficien t Design (1998). h t t p :/ / www.rm i.o rg/ im ages/ o t h er/ GDS-GBBL.p d f 20 See, fo r exam p le, Art h u r Nelso n et al, Th e Lin k Bet ween Gro wt h Man agem en t an d Ho u sin g Affo rd abilit y: Th e Acad em ic Evid en ce (2002). h t t p :/ / www.bro o k.ed u / d ybd o cro o t / es/ u rban / p u blication s/ growth m an g.p d f 21 Ro bert H. Freilich & Bru ce G. Pesh o ff, Th e So cial Co st s o f Sp rawl 29 Urban Lawyer 183 (1997). 22 Min istry of Com m u n ity, Aborigin al an d Wom en ’s Services, Im pact of Non-Market Housing on Property Values (2000). www.m caws.gov.bc.ca/ h ou sin g/ 00_Jan _Prop Val.h tm l 23 Eich en field & Asso ciat es, St rat egies fo r Revit alizin g o u r Do wn t o wn s an d Neigh bo rh o o d s: Evalu at in g Califo rn ia Main Street Program s (2002). h t t p :/ / www.lgc.o rg/ freep u b/ PDF/ Lan d _Use/ rep orts/ evalu atin g_m ain _street1.p d f 24 Pet it , J. (1998), Building Greener Neighborhoods: Trees as Part of the Plan, (Wash in gton , D.C.: Am erican Forests; Hom e Bu ild ers Press, Nat io n al Asso ciat io n o f Ho m e Bu ild ers). 25 Local Govern m en t Com m ission , Lan d Use Plan n in g for Safe, Crim e-free Neigh borh ood s (2002). h t t p :/ / www.lgc.o rg/ freep u b/ PDF/ Lan d _Use/ focu s/ p lan _safe_n eigh borh ood s.p d f 26 Fed erat io n o f Can ad ian Mu n icip alit ies, Brid gin g t h e In n o vat io n Gap : Co u n t Cit ies In (2002). h t t p :/ / www.fcm .ca/ n ewfcm / Java/ gap .p d f 27 Pau l So m m er an d Dan iel Carlso n et al, Ten St ep s t o a High Tech Fu t u re: Th e New Eco n o m y in Met ro p o lit an Seat t le (2000). h t t p :/ / www.ceosforcities.org/ research / 2000/ h igh _tech _fu tu re/ h igh _tech _fu tu re.p d f 28 Deborah Cu rran , Econ om ic Ben efits of Natu ral Green Sp ace Protection (2001) h t t p :/ / www.sm art gro wt h .bc.ca/ d o wn lo ad s/ Econ om ic%20B en efits%20of%20Natu ral%20Green %20Sp ace %20Protection .p d f ; Mo u ra Q u ayle & St an ley Ham ilt o n , Corrid ors of Green an d Gold (1999). West Coast Environmental Law 29 West lan d Reso u rce Gro u p , A St rat egy t o Ach ieve Green Su st ain able Eco n o m ic Develo p m en t in t h e O kan agan an d Sim ilkam een Valleys (2003). h t t p :/ / www.rd o s.bc.ca/ p d f/ cao / gsed / GSED_Fin al_Strategy.p d f 30 E. Glaeser “Learn in g in Cit ies” Nat io n al Bu reau o f Eco n o m ic Research Workin g Pap er 6271 (1997) h tt p :/ / id eas.rep ec.org/ p / n br/ n berwo / 6271.h t m l 31 Civic Eco n o m ics, Eco n o m ic Im p act An alysis: Lo cal Merch an t s vs. Ch ain Stores (2002). h ttp :/ / www.civicecon om ics.com / Lam ar_Retail_An alysis_Execu tive_Su m m ary.p d f 32 Len d Lease Real Est at e In vest m en t s an d Price Wat erh o u se Coop ers, Em ergin g Tren d s in Real Estate (2002) (Ch ap ter 5 Prop erty Typ es in Persp ective) h t t p :/ / www.len d leaserei.co m / LLREI/ Down load s.n sf/ SW LD/ ET_2002_CHPT5/ $file/ ET2002ch ap ter5.p d f. 33 Eich en field & Asso ciat es, St rat egies fo r Revit alizin g o u r Do wn t o wn s an d Neigh bo rh o o d s: Evalu at in g Califo rn ia Main Street Program s (2002). h t t p :/ / www.lgc.o rg/ freep u b/ PDF/ Lan d _Use/ rep orts/ evalu atin g_m ain _street1.p d f 34 To d d Lit m an , Tran sp o rt at io n Co st an d Ben efit An alysis – Lan d Use Im p acts (2002). h t t p :/ / www.vt p i.o rg/ t ca/ 35 Texas Tran sp o rt at io n In st it u t e, Th e 2002 Urban Mo bilit y Rep o rt (2002) h t t p :/ / m o bilit y.t am u .ed u / u m s/ 36 Pet er Swift et al, Resid en t ial St reet Typ o lo gy an d In ju ry Accid en t Freq u en cy (1998). h ttp :/ / m em bers.aol.com / Ph swi/ Swiftst reet .h t m l 37 Su rface Tran sp o rt at io n Po licy Pro ject , Mean St reet s 2002: Ped estrian Safety, Health an d Tran sp ortation Sp en d in g h t t p :/ / www.t ran sact .o rg/ rep o rt .asp ?id =202 38 To d d Lit m an , Tran sp o rt at io n Co st an d Ben efit An alysis – Con gestion Costs (2002). h t t p :/ / www.vt p i.o rg/ t ca/ t ca0505.p d f; Su rface Tran sp o rt at io n Po licy Pro ject , Easing the Burden: A Com panion Analysis of the Texas Transportation Institute’s Congestion Study (2001). www.t ran sact .o rg 39 Am erican Rivers, NRDC, Sm art Gro wt h Am erica, Pavin g O u r Way t o Wat er Sh o rt ages: Ho w Sp rawl Aggravat es Dro u gh t (2002). h t t p :/ / www.ep a.go v/ regio n 8/ wat er/ p avin go u rway1.p d f 40 For a su m m ary of th e research , see h t t p :/ / www.frien d s.org/ issu es/ d en sit y.h t m l. 41 Clyd e Hertzm an n , Director, Hu m an Early Learn in g Partn ersh ip o f BC, Un iversit y o f Brit ish Co lu m bia. Leave No Ch ild Beh in d ! Social Exclu sion an d Ch ild Develop m en t (2002) www.earlylearn in g.u bc.ca/ resou rces_slid es_ch .h tm 42 C. Hert zm an n et al, Early Develo p m en t in Van co u ver: Rep o rt o f th e Com m u n ity Asset Map p in g Project (2002). h t t p :/ / www.earlylearn in g.u bc.ca/ p u b_m ap .h t m A Case for Smart Growth 39 40 43 Rich ard Un t erm an n an d An n e Vern ez Mo u d o n , St reet Design : Reassessin g t h e Safet y, So ciabilit y an d Eco n o m ics o f St reet s, Un iversity of Wash in gton (1989). 44 Mo u ra Q u ayle an d St an ley Ham ilt o n , Co rrid o rs o f Green an d Gold (1999). h t t p :/ / www-h eb.p ac.d fo -m p o .gc.ca/ p u blicat io n s/ p d f/ 241452.p d f 45 Min ist ry o f Wat er, Lan d an d Air Pro t ect io n & En viro n m en t Can ad a, St o rm wat er Plan n in g: A Gu id ebo o k fo r Brit ish Co lu m bia (2002). h t t p :/ / wlap www.go v.bc.ca/ ep d / ep d p a/ m p p / st o rm wat er/ st o rm wat er.h t m l 46 Min ist ry o f Wat er, Lan d an d Air Pro t ect io n , St at e o f t h e En viron m en t Rep ort (2002). h t t p :/ / wlap www.go v.bc.ca/ so erp t / p d f/ ET2002O ct221.p d f 47 Greater Van cou ver Region al District, Th e Cost of Tran sp ortin g Peop le in th e British Colu m bia Lower Main lan d (1993). 48 Pat rick Co n d o n an d Jacq u elin e Teed , wit h Ch ris Mid gley, Su st ain able Urban Lan d scap es: Neigh bo u rh o o d Pat t ern Typ o lo gy (2002). h t t p :/ / www.su st ain able-co m m u n it ies.agsci.u bc.ca/ p ro ject s/ t yp o lo gy.h t m West Coast Environmental Law