Communities by Design

Communities by Influencing Your Community’s Quality of Life The bedrock of community livability is community design – design that takes into account and deliberately reflects the aspirations and goals of the community for life, work, learning, play, and growth. Defined thus, “design” is far more than a “product.” It’s both a way of looking at challenges and problems and discovering opportunities. John Anderson, FAIA, 2001 AIA President You have to drive everywhere, whether it’s to pick up a newspaper or to take your children to their weekend activities. Your town is slowly losing the unique character and historic buildings that gave it a distinct identity, and the new buildings going up are characterless, unattractive, or unwelcoming. Your commute to work seems to keep getting longer and more congested. Robert Lawton Jones, FAIA The Embarcadero / ROMA Design Group Do any of these problems sound familiar? John Crandell The downtown area in your city becomes a ghost town after 6:00 p.m., with shops and cafes shuttered and the few people on the streets nervous about their safety. 3rd Street Promenade / Santa Monica, Calif. / ROMA Design Group I t seems like the things that attracted you to your neighborhood in the first place—open fields, historic places, attractive shopping areas, safe and Portner’s Landing, Alexandria, Va. / Torti Gallas and Partners CHK / ©Cameron Davidson inviting streets, or a lively cultural scene—just aren’t there anymore. Whatever it is that concerns you, you want to change it. And you can. People like you are banding together and taking action to improve their quality of life. The grove of trees behind your house is being cut down to make way for more houses. All of these problems arise from a lack of good planning and design. That’s where architects come in. We want you to know that AIA-member architects are working all over the country with people like you to make America’s communities and regions more livable. Architects can serve as a resource to your community on design issues. They listen to your goals and work with you to design Housing that would be more convenient to your workplace is too expensive. Communities by DESIGN The American Institute of Architects places that fulfill your needs. This guide will help you build on your visions of community and show you what’s possible when design matters. 1 Architecture lives again as it has ever lived—the great final proof of quality in any civilization whatsoever. Frank Lloyd Wright ssss ssss ssss ssss 2 Saltonstall Elementary School / Salem, Mass. / Flansburgh Associates / ©Nick Wheeler We want our grandchildren and their friends to enjoy the opportunities we have had. We want them to have a place to work, but also a place to play. We want them to breathe the freedom from excessive government regulation, but we also want them to inhale clean air. And while we want them to achieve the American dream, we hope it’s a beautiful place still worthy of their dreams. New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman (R) I want, and I believe we all want Smart Growth that creates flourishing cities and towns where families and children thrive, downtowns that are alive with activity; preserved parks, farmland, and forests for all to enjoy; and clean air and water for our children and our grandchildren. Maryland Governor Parris Glendening (D) Main Street Program 3 Executive Summary Designing Better Communities Tap into your community’s potential Talk to architects about livability South End Community Health Center / Boston / Rothman Partners Good design makes economic sense “Livability” has captured the public’s imagination, the media’s attention, and the vision of policymakers. We all want communities that serve a variety of needs and interests, balance the use of land and space, allow efficient movement from place to place, invite interaction of people at all times of the day, and generate a sense of shared civic responsibility and pride among all their members. Architects have always known how to create places like this. And architects can put plans and dreams into visual form so that you can see your community’s options. 4 With their unique training and creative approach to design challenges, architects work to complement and enhance many facets of communities. They are civic minded. In addition to their paid work, architects often volunteer in local government, community-planning workshops, or disaster-relief efforts. The AIA can help you find an architect who specializes in livability issues. Sorg Architects & Engineers Design excellence is the foundation for a successful building and for a livable community. An attractive locality draws more residents and visitors, bringing commerce and tax revenue into the community. Architects can help design districts that provide services for these people at the lowest possible cost and allow them to move around efficiently. State Street / Chicago / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP Before After Suisun City Comes Back from the Brink Suisun City, Calif., a town of 26,000 people east of San Francisco, was voted the worst place to live in the Bay Area in a 1988 survey of almost 100 municipalities. Its historic downtown was dying, its waterfront was dilapidated, its waterways were clogged, a nearby residential neighborhood was crimeinfested, and a mothballed oil refinery in the heart of town was decaying. In the late 1980s, Suisun City launched a major effort to reinvent itself. The town hired ROMA Design Group, an architecture/urban design firm, to work with the community to redesign public spaces and create a physical vision for the town that would reconnect it with its roots. It built a new city hall along Suisun Channel to demonstrate government commitment to the clean-up and enacted an aggressive long-term redevelopment strategy to clear the way for small-business growth. Today, Suisun City, an old gold-rush community once written off as dead, is again vibrant. Suisun City / ROMA Design Group At its best, architecture is art that builds walls and tears them down, creating space that sets a community apart as it pulls its people together. Indianapolis Star Back from the Brink: Saving America’s Cities by Design, American Architectural Foundation, 1996 ssss ssss ssss ssss Suisun City / ROMA Design Group 5 Your Community—Your Identity Historic Preservation Equals Economic Development Good design makes good economic sense. That’s why communities across the country are bringing their traditional centers of community back to life through redesign and adaptive reuse. From 1980–1999, in more than 1,500 communities that have renovated their historic commercial areas: s An average of $38.34 has been reinvested for every $1 spent. s There has been $12.88 billion of public and private reinvestment. s 51,000 net new businesses and 193,000 net new jobs have been created. s 62,000 buildings have been restored. Main Street Program Fact Sheet Orchard Gardens / Boston / Domenech Hicks & Krockmalnic / ©Peter Vanderwarker 6 Main Street Wisconsin / Chris Eberle What makes some communities more desirable places to live than others? Many different elements go into enhancing a community and establishing a sense of civic pride and identity for its inhabitants, and everyone has a different idea of what these factors are. Perhaps you were drawn to your residence by the historic buildings preserved in your neighborhood, linking its present to its heritage. Your neighbor might place a higher value on living near a bustling commercial district. Someone else might want a locality where he or she can walk or bike along greenways and trails. Everyone has a different idea of community. The aspects they value most depend on their individual preferences. Port Townsend / Main Street Program ssss ssss ssss ssss The factor that ties all these elements together is identity. A community with a clear identity is distinctive; you always know where you are. This identity is communicated through the general urban plan, the layout of the streets, the physical design of the buildings, and the preservation of historical assets. An enhanced community is a place that people are proud to call home. Port Townsend, Washington Historic structures, returned to their former glory or converted into useful business facilities, help add to the aesthetic diversity of cities and towns across the nation. Renewing a work of architecture can make a city’s residents proud, connect a locality to its heritage, and bring in tourism revenue. Historic renovation helps bring declining or marginal communities back to life and enhances the quality of life for all. In Port Townsend, Wash., a group of community leaders developed a Main Street program that used the town’s National Historic Landmark District of Victorian buildings to revitalize the downtown economy. The downtown neighborhood now boasts 100 percent occupancy of street-level retail shops. Sales tax revenue doubled from 1984 to 1998. As the National Main Street Center said when Port Townsend won its 2000 Great American Main Street Award, “you can dine in one of 23 restaurants, stay in a historic bed & breakfast, take a college course, rent a kayak, listen to great jazz, buy an antique car, or watch for eagles flying overhead—all within walking distance of downtown.” 7 The intention is not to stop growth or even to slow growth, What Makes a Community Livable? The problems that touch people’s everyday lives are the ones they complain about most to their elected representatives. Traffic congestion, a daily annoyance for many, has been the most serious problem for local policymakers, followed closely by urban sprawl. Also high on the list of concerns are but rather to foster more sensible, planned growth. The goal is a decision-making process that is more comprehensive, encourages E.F. Zuschlag the quality of educational facilities, the air and water quality, the availability of attractive and affordable housing, and the preservation of parks, farmland, and other open spaces. growth, and addresses the needs and circumstances of each community. National Governors’ Association Principles for Better Land Use 8 © Compared to other political and economic issues facing their communities, how do state and local officials rate the importance of “livable community” concerns? s Don’t know 1% s Not so important 3% s Somewhat important 18% s Very important 49% s One of the most important 29% AIA Survey of State and Local Officials on Livable Communities The New Economy—The New Community 3rd Street Promenade / Santa Monica, Calif. / ROMA Design Group The New Economy is changing how and where people live, shop, and work. As telecommuting and online shopping become more popular, people will look to their immediate surroundings for the sense of community they would otherwise get at an office or store. They will want public spaces to meet in and shops and services within easy reach of their homes. This mix of homes, offices, stores, and other uses creates an “around-the-clock location,” active all the time, as opposed to an area populated entirely by offices that becomes a ghost town on nights and weekends. High-tech companies have few or no geographic constraints on where to place their offices, so they base their locational decisions mostly on qualityof-life issues, unlike traditional industry, which often had to be near a natural resource or a transportation hub. As M. David Lee, FAIA, an adjunct professor of urban planning and design at Harvard University, noted, “While the automobile highway created a kind of sameness all over America, the electronic highway is going to reverse that trend. Because if you can live anywhere, why not live in a place that’s fun, beautiful, exciting, and that has the best quality of life?” The high-tech industry can be extremely valuable to a municipality; it brings with it high-paying jobs, a highly educated workforce, and relatively little direct environmental impact. Once they move into a region, high-tech companies often take the lead in maintaining its character and mitigating the undesirable effects of sprawl. For example, Silicon Valley has a consortium of regional groups that work to keep the valley livable through transportation, urban growth, and land use policies (Larson). Oakland, Calif., has turned itself around, thanks largely to the influx of high-tech companies. With these companies come jobs (5,000 in a single year) and new residents (Philadelphia Daily News). Gordon R. Smith, president and CEO of Pacific Gas and Electric Company, calls Oakland “a great place to do business,” noting that companies “benefit from healthy neighborhoods and a thriving economy” and a “renaissance of culture, community, and economic prosperity” (Oakland Business Review). 9 We were very much a rural county that was experiencing growth and, boy, that was great—a few more people to shop in our stores, new kids in our schools. All of a sudden—whoa, what’s happening here? You go to some area and they tear down all the trees and that’s not what we came out here for. David Loch, Administrator, Sherburne County, Minn. Affordable housing is an issue not just for the homeless but for many, many of the economic tiers in America. Middle-class people in Silicon Valley who are homeless. Single people who are moving back home with their parents South Riding, Va. / Torti Gallas and Partners CHK / ©Cameron Davidson because they can’t afford rent. Young couples who expected to be homeowners by now but can’t afford to buy. There’s clearly not enough Diggs Town / Norfolk, Va. / Urban Design Associates commitment to housing. Mary Ann Gleason, National Coalition for the Homeless 10 Do Your Homework If you believe that some part of your community needs improvement, back up your claim with hard data to prove it. The following questions are examples of issues you might want to research to measure your community’s progress toward livability and hold accountable everyone involved in planning an enhanced community, including elected officials, community groups, and other parties. Once you have these data, you can present them to a zoning board, a city council, a public-interest group, or anyone else who can help solve the problem. s Traffic congestion How much time do commuters spend in traffic and how many miles do they travel? How much has that increased or decreased over the past 10 years? How many people use public transit or walk or bike to their destinations? s Urban sprawl Where is the population growing in your area—the city or the suburbs? Where are most new jobs located? What is the population density in different neighborhoods? s Housing development Does your community have a range of housing types in different locations that are affordable to various income groups? s Parks and open space How many parks does your region have, and how much acreage do they cover? Is it easy to get to them? Can people with disabilities use them? Are they well maintained? s Quality of educational and government buildings and facilities Are schools and government buildings safe and in good condition? Can the whole community use these buildings? s Air and water quality How often does your community issue warnings about hazardous air quality or water contamination? s Planning for government services What is the cost of extending public infrastructure and services to new developments versus maintaining existing infrastructure? What is the average response time for 911 calls in various neighborhoods? Good design helps to create more compact, human-scale communities and is more cost effective than sprawling development. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that “road costs are 25 to 33 percent higher and utility costs are 18 to 25 percent higher in communities marked by sprawl than in sprawl-free communities. Municipal and school district operating costs are 3 to 11 percent higher in sprawling developments.” The State of the Cities 1999 © Jae C. Kauh, AIA 11 Architects not only work with communities, they sometimes lead them. For example, Jeff Kagermeier, AIA, successfully ran for mayor in Mankato, Minn., because he wanted to help the town deal with its rapid growth. Leaders from both the Democratic and Republican parties recruited him, in part because of his architectural and problem-solving experience. Involve Architects in the Earliest Stages Silver Spring Transit Center / Silver Spring, Md. / Torti Gallas and Partners CHK / ©Torti Gallas Architects are trained problem solvers and team builders Architects have long taken an active role in designing the environments where you live, play, learn, and work. They are often hired for communityimprovement projects. You’ll also find them volunteering in their communities, on planning and building boards, on regional design teams, in disasterrecovery efforts, and in many other public-service After Silver Spring Transit Center / Silver Spring, Md. efforts. Their rigorous and comprehensive education encompasses both the technical and qualitative aspects of design. This training gives architects the unique skills needed at all levels of community building, from single-family homes to urban centers. Before 12 Building on Your Vision It can be difficult to translate the dry words of a strateThe AIA’s Regional/Urban Design Assistance Teams Offered to communities as a public service of the AIA, the Regional/Urban Design Assistance Team (R/UDAT) program has helped over 130 communities across the country since it began in 1967. A R/UDAT is a grassroots approach to community development issues. The program combines local resources with the expertise of a multidisciplinary team of nationally recognized professionals to identify ways to encourage desirable change in a community. The team conducts an intensive four-day workshop on-site and then returns within the year to advise on implementation strategies. The process is fast-paced, exciting, and energizing. This approach—which can address social, economic, political, and physical issues— offers communities a tool that mobilizes local support and fosters new levels of cooperation. A R/UDAT can help you respond to the many stresses that arise from community change, develop a vision for a better future for your community, and implement a strategy that will produce results. Because the R/UDAT process is highly flexible, it is effective in communities as small as villages and urban neighborhoods and as large as metropolitan regions. Planning Your Community’s Future: A Guide to the Regional/Urban Design Assistance Team Program, The American Institute of Architects, 2001 ssss ssss ssss ssss gic growth plan for your community into an actual vision of what that community might look like. That is why an architect’s illustrations of the various alternatives for your locality’s growth can help you see the possibilities instead of just imagining them. Architects listen to your community’s needs and help you figure out various ways to meet them. They give you the big picture, showing how a building fits into a neighborhood, a neighborhood into a city, a city into a region. Because the design process at its best is intensely collaborative, it is itself an engine To make the improvements you want in your community, you will have to work with a team of professionals and interested laypeople who will have a variety of skills—and goals. Architects are involved with many facets of community improvement. Their for building community. John Anderson, FAIA, 2001 AIA President and building codes and the technical concerns of safety, health, and building materials. They also understand the economics of the project, the needs and resources of the community, the aesthetics of the built and the natural environments, and many other areas. Architects’ training as team builders and problem solvers makes them skilled at reaching consensus and helping diverse groups work together to reach a common goal. Diggs Town / Norfolk, Va. / Urban Design Associates experience includes the regulatory issues of zoning 13 How Can You Improve Your Community? Encourage Mixed-Use Development A “sense of place” gives neighborhoods and communities stability and an identity that residents can take pride in. Conserve the Open Landscape Orchard Gardens / Boston / Domenech Hicks & Krockmalnic Create a Neighborhood Identity Ensuring plenty of open space, agricultural land, and wildlife habitat is important for environmental, recreational, and aesthetic reasons. Culturally, we feel a deep connection to our heritage of “amber waves of grain,” to the vast lands pioneers crossed, and to battlefields where Americans fought. Court Avenue Farmer’s Market / Des Moines / Debra Smith Integrating different land uses and building types creates a vibrant blend of household types and socioeconomic groups and makes communities more pedestrian friendly. © Richard Bergmann, FAIA People want a variety of housing, shopping, recreation, transportation, and employment options. Variety also accommodates residents in different stages of their lives and adds stability. Portland, Ore. / Main Street Program Plan on a Human Scale Appropriately dense, more compact communities allow residents to walk to shops, services, cultural resources, and jobs and can reduce traffic congestion. Diggs Town / Norfolk, Va. / Urban Design Associates Provide Choices 14 What’s really important is how human beings feel walking past buildings in their town. If you build, make it beautiful. There’s no excuse to do anything else. Joseph P. Riley, Jr., Mayor, Charleston, S.C. A well-designed blend of nature and development is not only aesthetically pleasing, it can also protect waterways from contamination, preserve ecologically valuable land, reduce air pollution from traffic congestion, and improve property values. Preserve Urban Centers © John J. Moore, III Conserving, restoring, revitalizing, and infilling urban centers and towns use existing services instead of building new infrastructure, preserve open space on the fringe of the city, and promote a sense of stability and identity for city residents. Preserving urban areas makes environmental sense. Design Matters Hough Beck & Baird, Inc Protect Environmental Resources All the other principles flow from this one. Design excellence is the foundation of a building and a community. An interconnected network of streets, alleys, paths, greenways, and waterways where people can walk or bicycle will reduce traffic congestion and encourage social interaction. Reliable and widespread public transit is also important to give residents an alternative to cars. O’Hare Airport / United Airlines Terminal / Helmut Jahn, FAIA / Murphy Jahn Associates / ©Stephanie Bothwell Strengthen the Public Realm Flansburgh Associates, Inc. / Salem Mass. / Collins Middle School / ©Nick Wheeler Citizens need dignified, physically defined places, including schools, courthouses, libraries, and other civic buildings to stimulate face-to-face interaction, citizen participation, public/community art, and civic pride. Vary Transportation Options 15 Good Design Is an Investment Well-designed communities attract businesses, residents, and visitors Arlington Courthouse Plaza / Arlington, Va. / Torti Gallas and Partners CHK / ©Torti Gallas attractively designed. If a new development is attractive and designed to preserve environmental features, it will increase property values and draw new businesses and residents to the area. Good design is an investment in a community’s future. Low-density, sprawling development is expensive to municipalities and taxpayers. These places require new sewers, roads, gas lines, police stations, schools, and all the other services communities need. Developers of new, low-density developments often pay far less than the true cost of providing these services. The shortfall comes out of municipal tax revenues. Taxpayers who live in areas that already have infrastructure have to bear the cost of this subsidy. Local, state, and federal policymakers are working to reverse this trend by creating incentives for developers to build in places that already have infrastructure. A well-designed community not only avoids inefficient development; it can also actively attract investment. The 2000 edition of PricewaterhouseCoopers’ and Lend Lease Real Estate Investments’ Emerging Trends in Real Estate notes that “24-hour cities,” which offer convenience and community, will be the prime magnets for people and businesses. Underused properties in and around these bustling areas will be especially attractive because they will be cheaper to develop. The report notes that suburbs Of course, most people would not want to live in tightly packed housing developments unless they are will still be popular, but investment will be safest in areas with established infrastructure like sidewalks, good schools, mass transit, and parks. 16 The Economic Benefits of Conserving Landscapes s s s s s Small businesses ranked open space/parks/recreation as the number one factor in choosing a new business location. In 1980, 16 percent of Denver residents said they would pay more to live near a greenbelt or park. By 1990, 48 percent said so. Properties near San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park increased in value by $500 million to $1 billion, generating additional property taxes of $5 million to $10 million. Land adjacent to a greenbelt in Salem, Ore., was worth $1,200 more per acre than land only 1,000 feet away. In Seattle, houses on a walking and biking trail sold for 6 percent more than other houses of similar size. Design Adds Value A Comparison of Average Single-Family Home Prices Well-Designed Community $300,000 $250,000 $200,000 $150,000 $100,000 $50,000 $0 Kentlands, Md. Harbor Town, Tenn. Laguna West, Calif. Area Surrounding The Economic Benefits of Parks and Open Space Northwest Landing, Wash. Southern Village, N.C. Celebration, Fla. One study estimates that houses located in developments that incorporate good design principles—including walkability, green space, a feeling of community, and a human scale— command a premium of anywhere from 4 to 25 percent of the home’s value, compared to houses in surrounding areas. Valuing the New Urbanism 17 A strong economy, good schools, cultural and recreational opportunities, and safety—on the streets, in the air, and in the drinking water. Money magazine’s summary of what makes a “Best Place to Live” Every year, Money magazine ranks the “Best Places to Live” based on several varied factors. For the 2000 edition, about a third of the 63 factors taken into consideration are directly related to sprawl. These include: s Environmental issues—clean air and water, an environmental health index, the number of nearby parks and forests s Educational concerns—student-toteacher ratios and spending per pupil s Average commute times and mass transit use s Cultural opportunities—museums, theaters, symphonies, operas, and dance companies s Economic indicators—the cost of living and sales, income, and property taxes s Job growth and projected job growth s Home prices and appreciation s New home starts s Utility costs Tennessee Bicentennial Capitol Mall / Tuck Hinton Architects Tying It All Together The Bicentennial Capitol Mall in Nashville brings together historical, cultural, ecological, and aesthetic elements to embody Nashville’s role as the state capital. The open space and wide vistas of the mall are enhanced by a historic railway trestle, a giant granite map of Tennessee, a set of fountains representing the state’s 31 major waterways, a “Walkway of the Counties” that mimics the topography of each county, a 95-bell carillon, and memorials to World War II veterans and the Civilian Conservation Corps. On one side of the park is the Wall of History, marking important events of the past two centuries. An amphitheater in the center of the park creates a space for special events. Adjacent to the park is a new site for a farmers’ market. The mall, designed by the architecture firm Tuck Hinton, has quickly become a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. ssss ssss ssss ssss Tennessee Bicentennial Capitol Mall / Tuck Hinton Architects 18 Governing for Livability Los Angeles High Speed Bus / Martha Welborne The Local Level In many cases, local communities are finding themmuch cheaper and easier than having to extend these services outside city limits to a brand-new development. selves overwhelmed by growth. The more attractive a community is, the more people want to live there; but the more people who live there, the harder it becomes to maintain the community’s character. One of the biggest problems for local governments is infrastructure: water and sewer lines, roads, emergency services, and other government services that are essential and expensive. Growth management is a major part of controlling infrastructure costs. If a community encourages new building or redevelopment on lands inside a city boundary, where these services are already established, it is This notion of building more in existing urban areas makes some people nervous. They do not always have a positive image of dense developments. Architects can illustrate various options for denser development and mitigate people’s fears by showing them how attractive a well-designed, compact community can be. High density does not have to mean “crowded”; it can mean building on a human scale. Famous for its traffic problems, the city of Los Angeles is trying to run its bus system more efficiently and quickly. Leading this effort is an architect, Martha Welborne, FAIA. With a team of public officials and the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Welborne has studied a similar, successful transit system in Curitiba, Brazil, and analyzed ways to make it work in Los Angeles. Two demonstration routes currently in operation have been very successful. On the East Coast, the architecture firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill is working with community leaders and New Jersey Transit to integrate landuse planning with improved public transportation systems. Communities must plan for a variety of uses and income levels. As Carl Guardino, president and CEO of the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group, says, “Why do we care about housing as high-tech employers? If teachers, firefighters, peace officers, retail or restaurant workers can’t live here, then we’re going to fail.” 19 The Economic Benefits of Downtown Revitalization The local economy of Spartanburg, S.C., got a tremendous boost, to the tune of $250 million in investment, when a major company decided to build a new corporate plaza, including a park with green space and walkways, in the city’s downtown. From 1983, when the project started, to 1993, property values in the downtown area rose by 325 percent. Retail sales grew, in some cases doubling. Residential rents also doubled. The Economic Benefits of Parks and Open Space ssss ssss ssss ssss Results of a 1999 U.S. Conference of Mayors Survey of Mayors from 174 Cities, Asking How Great a Challenge Each of These Issues Presents Meeting the Need for Infrastructure Limiting Negative Effects of Sprawl on the Community s Major challenge 57% s Minor challenge 25% s Not a challenge 18% s Major challenge 49% s Minor challenge 32% s Not a challenge 19% Protecting the Environment as the Community Grows Cutting Traffic Congestion on Roads and Highways s Major challenge 40% s Minor challenge 42% s Not a challenge 18% s Major challenge 52% s Minor challenge 34% s Not a challenge 14% People are concerned about managing development and preserving open landscapes in their communities. In a February 2000 poll, when asked to name the most important problem facing their community, 18 percent of respondents said development issues. The level of concern varies by region; for example, in Denver, 60 percent said growth management was the most pressing issue (Pew Center for Civic Journalism). Across the country, citizens are letting their legislators know about their concerns. In 1999, for example, some 1,000 land-use reform bills were introduced in state legislatures. Over 200 of them passed (USA Today, July 11, 2000). Nationwide, the number of ballot initiatives and referenda on community enhancement almost doubled from 1996 to 1998, reflecting interest in smart growth, planning, and land conservation. In 1998 the approved initiatives collectively triggered $7.5 billion in state and local spending for open spaces, historic preservation, and brownfield cleanup (The Brookings Institution, 1999). In 2000 the number of state and local ballot measures addressing livability concerns increased even more, giving 56 percent of the nation’s voters an opportunity to vote on some aspect of livable communities. This batch of ballot initiatives saw a much wider range of issues being addressed—not just open space, but also transportation, growth management, and economic development (The Brookings Institution, 2000). 20 In a 2000 U.S. General Accounting Office survey of 2,000 cities and metropolitan counties, 53 percent of the counties and 35 percent of the cities said that sprawl was a high or very high concern. Community Development: Local Growth Issues—Federal Opportunities and Challenges The Regional Level Communities often encompass not just one town, but an entire region that might include portions of several states. With so many different governments to deal with—states and various municipal or county jurisdictions—community planners might find it difficult to come up with a strategy that is both effective and Scott Young agreeable to all the governments involved. To make this tricky negotiation easier, many areas are setting up regional councils to coordinate plans. The U.S. General Accounting Office estimates that at least 45 states have some kind of regional governance structures set up to deal with economic development, transportation, environmental protection, and housing. Sometimes these councils are entirely contained within one state, like those based in Cleveland and Minneapolis, or they can reach across several states, as in the Chesapeake Jae C. Kauh, AIA An Erie Canal Corridor redevelopment initiative is estimated to bring 57 communities in upstate New York over $700 million in new economic activity annually. It will generate 17,000 new jobs in tourism and 10,600 in manufacturing and business services. Office of Community Planning and Development, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Bay region or the New York City metropolitan area. 21 Gaylord H.S. / Gaylord, Mich. / Fanning/Howey / ©Emery Photography ssss ssss ssss ssss Gaylord, Michigan Schools that are designed to be centers of the community will encourage greater investment and commitment from their citizens. More important, schools that incorporate the needs of the entire community, including childless households, represent a better use of resources for all. Gaylord, a town of 3,800, followed this philosophy to build a new high school that has become a focal point for its community. The architecture and engineering firm of Fanning/Howey Associates designed this shared resource that binds the town in ways that were impossible before. Gaylord High School fosters the connections between people that are the heart of community strength. Its auditorium, athletic facilities, and classrooms are designed to be used day and night. The entire community has a stake in the facility, which was reflected in the efforts to pass the $19.8 million bond issue that financed it and the citizen involvement in the process that created it. Becoming Good Neighbors: Enriching America’s Communities by Design, American Architectural Foundation, 1998 22 Ferryway School / Malden, Mass. / Flansburgh Associates / ©Steve Rosenthal The Federal Level A uniform federal policy on growth management simply won’t work because every neighborhood, town, or region has different priorities and goals. The federal government, however, is a rich source of technical assistance and funding for localities. Working together, local communities, state governments, and regional coordinators can get the most out of the many federal programs created to let communities implement their visions. Brownfields Redevelopment All across the nation, abandoned, former industrial sites have become stadiums and arenas, parks, office buildings, and affordable housing developments. Nearly every city in America has several of these vacant sites, known as brownfields, but cities often find them hard to redevelop because of real or perceived environmental concerns. With funding and technical support from the federal government, communities can turn these sites into exciting, useful resources. A 2000 U.S. Conference of Mayors survey of over 200 cities found that they had more than 21,000 brownfields sites, constituting more than 80,000 acres of land going to waste. If these brownfields were redeveloped, cities estimated, they could create 550,000 new jobs and bring in an extra $878 million to $2.4 billion in tax revenue. For example, the city of Wichita was faced with a large area of brownfields near its downtown that threatened to halt the city’s ambitious revitalization plans. Through public-private partnerships, negotiation with state and federal agencies, and actively getting its citizens involved in the plan, the city managed to clean up the environmental contamination and redevelop the area. Now known as Old Town Wichita, the formerly brownfield-ridden district has become a vibrant, family-oriented area, with restaurants, retail stores, professional offices, hotels, a year-round farmers’ market, and apartments in converted lofts and warehouses in a beautiful, brick-clad environment. About 70 percent of the 60 buildings in the neighborhood have been renovated and put to new use, and the remaining 30 percent will soon undergo renovation. Design controls, lighting, and landscaping combine to make the district inviting and pedestrian friendly. The U.S. population is expected to reach nearly 300 million by 2010. Threequarters of that growth will occur in just 16 states. About 1.5 to 1.7 million new housing units will be needed each year to cover expected growth (Housing Policy for the 21st Century). Giving these new people and households safe, healthy, and pleasant communities will require good design, smart planning, and vision. Beebe School / Malden, Mass. / Flansburgh Associates, Inc. / ©Steve Rosenthal 23 We can either be victims of change or we can plan for it, shape it, and emerge stronger from it. The choice is ours. Jim Howe, Ed McMahon, and Luther Propst, Balancing Nature and Commerce in Gateway Communities Conclusion Every community has the potential to be better, but community improvement requires the commitment of concerned citizens like you. The time to act is now. Share this publication with your friends, neighbors, coworkers, and community. You will find that many of them care about the same issues that you care about, and together you can change your community for the better. Architects are willing and able to help you tap into your community’s potential. 24 Sorg & Associates, P.C. ssss ssss ssss ssss Now What Do I Do? Here are some suggestions for how you can get the ball rolling in your neighborhood or town. s Contact your local AIA chapter to find out what initiatives architects in your area are involved in. s Attend meetings of zoning boards, planning commissions, and other public forums that deal with the issues that concern you most. s Contact a local neighborhood association or public-interest group to find out what it is doing about livability and how you can get involved. s Write or call your government officials, including mayors, city council members, state legislators, governors, and congressional delegations to tell them your concerns and find out what actions they are taking. s The Mayors’ Institute on City Design, managed by The American Architectural Foundation, provides opportunities for mayors to learn about innovative design solutions to community problems. s Contact the AIA. Our Center for Livable Communities has many resources to help you, including Regional/Urban Design Assistance Teams of architects who volunteer to work with individual communities to craft revitalization strategies. If you sit back you will get the landscape of corporate no place. If we come together we can shape our communities. Join us. John H. Hooker, AIA, Mayor, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, N.M. Join Us The AIA and its local components offer valuable resources and services to help you achieve your goal of a desirable, healthy, high-quality-of-life community. Contact your local AIA component for more information. To find the AIA Component nearest you: s s Call AIA’s Information Central at 1-800-242-3837 Go to the Architect Finder in the public section of www.aia.org s Check your local Yellow Pages under “Architect” Whitehall Community Development Plan / Summitt, Del. / Killinger Alberto / ©Killinger Alberto 25 AIA RESOURCES All AIA resources available at www.aia.org. AIArchitect, “Architects Balance Profession and Public Service,” May 2000, p. 9. The American Institute of Architects’ public policy on urban design and livable communities. The American Institute of Architects’ Survey of State and Local Officials on Livable Communities, July 1999. Ronald L. Skaggs, FAIA, “Designs for ‘Livability’: Building on the Vitality of America’s New—and Old—Communities,” speech delivered April 13, 2000. The American Institute of Architects, Planning Your Community’s Future: A Guide to the Regional/Urban Design Assistance Team Program, 2001. OTHER MATERIALS CITED American Bankers Association, America’s Community Bankers, Mortgage Bankers Association of America, National Association of Home Builders, and National Association of Realtors, “Housing Policy for the 21st Century,” joint policy statement, May 2000. Harvard Magazine, “Cities and Suburbs: A Harvard Magazine Roundtable,” January-February 2000. Haya El Nasser, “Development Bursting Seams of Sprawl Laws,” USA Today, July 11, 2000. Mark J. Eppli and Charles C. Tu, Valuing the New Urbanism: The Impact of the New Urbanism on Prices of Single-Family Homes, Urban Land Institute, 1999. Governor Parris Glendening, “Our First Steps into Maryland’s 21st Century” (State of the State 2000), speech delivered January 19, 2000. Joel Hirschhorn, “Growing Pains: Quality of Life in the New Economy,” National Governors’ Association, 2000. John H. Hooker, “A Village of the 21st Century,” Albuquerque Tribune, June 17, 2000. Jim Howe, Ed McMahon, and Luther Propst, Balancing Nature and Commerce in Gateway Communities, The Conservation Fund and the Sonoran Institute, Island Press, 1997. Greg Larson, “Smart Growth in Silicon Valley,” The New Democrat, March/April 1999, p. 15. Lend Lease Real Estate Investments, Inc., and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2000, October 1999, p. 10. Steve Lerner and William Poole, “The Economic Benefits of Parks and Open Space,” Trust for Public Land, 1999. Lydia McDonnell, “A No-Win Formula,” Minneapolis Pioneer Press, November 21, 1996. Money Best Places to Live 2000, accessed at www.money.com/money/depts/real_estate/bestplaces /index.html, July 18, 2000. Phyllis Myers, State Resources Strategies, “Livability at the Ballot Box: State and Local Referenda on Parks, Conservation, and Smarter Growth, Election Day 1998,” The Brookings Institution Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy, January 1999. Phyllis Myers, State Resources Strategies, “Growth at the Ballot Box: Electing the Shape of Communities in November 2000,” The Brookings Institution Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy, November 2000. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, The Main Street Program, “Historic Preservation Equals Economic Development: The Main Street Program’s Success,” fact sheet, 1999, accessed at www.mainst.org/about/numbers.htm, July 11, 2000. Arthur C. Nelson, “Effects of Urban Containment on Housing Prices and Landowner Behavior,” Land Lines, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, May 2000. Neil Peirce, “Mindless Growth vs. Smart Growth: A Tale of Two High-Tech Regions,” syndicated column, September 19, 1999. Pew Center for Civic Journalism, “Straight Talk from Americans—2000,” survey conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates, February 15, 2000. U.S. Conference of Mayors, “Seizing Economic Opportunities in the New Millennium,” 1999. U.S. Conference of Mayors, “Recycling America’s Land: A National Report on Brownfields Redevelopment,” February 2000. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, “The State of the Cities 1999,” June 1999. U.S. General Accounting Office, “Community Development: Local Growth Issues—Federal Opportunities and Challenges,” GAO/RCED-00-178, September 2000. Juliet B. Vong, “Recovering the Waterfront,” The Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce, March 31, 1998. Martha Welborne, personal communication, August 24, 2000. Governor Christine Todd Whitman, Remarks to the Partners for Smart Growth Conference, Austin, Texas, delivered December 15, 1998. Frank Lloyd Wright, The Living City, Horizon Press, New York, 1958. Reprinted in Frank Lloyd Wright: Collected Writings Vol. 5 1949-1959, Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer, ed., Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, 1995. Resources The American Institute of Architects, TEA-21 Online Guide, 1999. CASE STUDIES AND EXAMPLES Gaylord, Mich.: Becoming Good Neighbors: Enriching America’s Communities by Design, video, The American Architectural Foundation, 1998. For a copy, contact The American Architectural Foundation, 1735 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20006, phone 202-626-7500, fax 202-626-7420, e-mail aaf@aia.org. Nashville, Tenn.: Personal communication with Kem Hinton, AIA, Tuck Hinton Architects, August 21, 2000. See also www.state.tn.us/environment/parks/bicenmal/ Oakland, Calif.: Michael Hinkelman, “Case Study: Oakland,” Philadelphia Daily News special report, “The Future of the City,” August 1, 2000. See also Gordon R. Smith, “Oakland’s Renaissance Means Good News for Business,” Oakland Business Review, Oakland Chamber of Commerce, July 2000. Port Townsend, Wash.: The Main Street Program, www.mainst.org/conferences/ptownsend.htm, accessed August 28, 2000. Suisun City, Calif.: Back from the Brink: Saving America’s Cities by Design, video, The American Architectural Foundation, 1996. For a copy, contact The American Architectural Foundation, 1735 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20006, phone 202-626-7500, fax 202-626-7420, e-mail aaf@aia.org. Wichita, Kan.: Civic Environmentalism: A Field Guide to Regional and Local Initiatives, Progressive Policy Institute, 1998. See also www.oldtownwichita.com. 26 27 We would like to thank Presidents of the AIA Livable Communities Committee Howard S. Decker, FAIA Washington, D.C. John P. Franzen, AIA Southport, Conn. J. Richard Kremer, FAIA Louisville, Ken. Michael K. Medick, AIA Baltimore, Md. Bruce A. Race, FAIA Berkeley, Calif. Michael J. Stanton, FAIA San Francisco, Calif. Amy Weinstein, FAIA Washington, D.C. Jonathan J. Woodman, AIA Newburyport, Mass. Regional/Urban Design Assistance Team Task Group James Christopher, FAIA Salt Lake City, Utah Mark Maves, AIA Washington, D.C. Joe Champeaux, FAIA Lake Charles, La. John P. Clarke, FAIA Trenton, N.J. Jerome R. Ernst, FAIA, AICP Seattle, Wash. William A. Gilchrist, AIA Birmingham, Ala. Charles F. Harper, FAIA Wichita Falls, Tex. Ronald B. Kull, AIA Cincinnati, Ohio Alan Mallach, AICP Roosevelt, N.J. Lawrence P. Melillo, FAIA Louisville, Ky. James Moore, AIA, Ph.D. Tampa, Fla. Jim Murray, Ph.D. Denver, Colo. Elizabeth Padjen, FAIA Marblehead, Mass. Chuck Redmon, FAIA Cambridge, Mass. Ronald A. Straka, FAIA Denver, Colo. Michael Willis, FAIA San Francisco, Calif. Charles B. Zucker Takoma Park, Md. Regional and Urban Design PIA Members Howard S. Decker, FAIA Washington, D.C. Philip J. Enquist, AIA Chicago, Ill. Kathrin Moore, Assoc. AIA San Francisco, Calif. Eli Naor, AIA Oakland, Calif. Stephen Quick, AIA Pittsburgh, Pa. Debra L. Smith, AIA Des Moines, Ia. Michael E. Willis, FAIA San Francisco, Calif. Housing PIA Members Michael J. Stanton, FAIA (1999) Ronald L. Skaggs, FAIA (2000) John Anderson, FAIA (2001) Gordon Chong, FAIA (2002) Ralph Bennett, AIA Takoma Park, Md. Morton Frank, AIA Redwood City, Calif. Diane Georgopulos, AIA Boston, Mass. John Klockeman, AIA Brooklyn Center, Minn. William H. Kreager, AIA Seattle, Wash. Michael K. Medick, AIA Baltimore, Md. Mark R. Scheurer, AIA Newport Beach, Calif. John K. Spear, AIA Houston, Tex. Melanie Taylor, AIA New Haven, Conn. The AIA’s Center for Livable Communities, Government and Industry Affairs: Stephanie Bothwell, director Megan Susman, program manager (project manager) Cassandra Matthews, program manager Many thanks also to our AIA colleagues who helped with all aspects of this publication: Norman Koonce, FAIA, AIA EVP/CEO; Jim Dinegar; Mary Hilton; Lisa Blackwell; Phil Simon; Ray Rhinehart, Hon. AIA; Doug Gordon, Hon. AIA; Mike Janes; Chuck Hamlin; Pam del Canto; Janet Rumbarger; Dan Wilson; Stan Bowman; Christy Agner; and Sabrina Coleman. Design by Paras Productions, Inc. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is the premier organization representing the value of architects and their contributions to society. Founded in 1857, the AIA offers a variety of services to its members and the public at large with the goal to enhance communities, cities, and regions across the country and internationally. Through education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach activities, the AIA and its 66,500 members work to achieve a more humane built environment and a higher standard of professionalism for architects. The AIA’s Center for Livable Communities provides information, develops policy, and assists in advocacy efforts for architects in more than 300 chapters across the country. By developing resources, creating partnerships, and offering guidance, the AIA’s Center for Livable Communities enhances the quality of life in the nation’s communities. Copyright 2001 The American Institute of Architects All rights reserved The American Institute of Architects 1735 New York Ave., NW Washington, DC 20006-5292 202-626-7300 www.aia.org govaffs@aia.org Cover collage: Suisun City / ROMA Design Group Kansas City Power & Light / The Jerde Partnership Sorg and Associates Good design is an investment. The residents of a community need to decide where and how to make that investment. The AIA and its member architects are ready to help citizens turn their vision of their community into reality. Communities by Design is the first in a series of AIA publications addressing livable communities from the architect's point of view. s Good design makes economic sense — an attractive com- munity will draw new residents, jobs, and investment. s Architects are a valuable resource to communities seeking to improve their quality of life. s Architects listen to a community's needs and translate them into tangible alternatives. s Good design can help solve problems that diminish a commu- nity's quality of life, such as traffic congestion, unattractive buildings, housing shortages, and deserted downtowns. s Working together, community members can create a vision of what they want their community to be and then implement it. Order no. W900 The American Institute of Architects 1735 New York Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20006-5292 202-626-7300 www.aia.org 29