HEALTHY DESIGN Colorado has some
of the nation’s most progressive city
designs, Most new
development, includ- ing Denver’s Central Platte Valley District
(photos and renderings these pages), includes numerous bikeways and pedestrian malls.
Colorado’s obesity rate is the lowest in the nation.
permitting processes that increase costs. ■ Community opposition to
density and affordable housing can be challenging. ■ Community outreach and
education up front can be very helpful, but also time-consuming and costly. ■ Existing single-use zoning and
suburban style parking minimums can reduce the development potential and make construction of affordable units financially infeasible. Often there aren’t many development sites to begin with
The principles of new urbanism, however,
have now percolated into the consciousness of city planners. In all but the most stubborn of U.S. cities (see “Bicycle Bashers,” page 36), planners are rethinking the auto-centric model of suburban sprawl. New master plans in many cities now consider the rights of pedestrians and bicyclists along with cars. In a few, from Portland, Ore., and Portland, Maine, the hierarchy of “right of way” has been challenged. But there’s still a long way to go.
For five years running, the Urban Land
Institute
www.uli.org has published “Emerg- ing Trends in Real Estate.” Every year, transit- oriented development has been ranked as a “best bet” for future development sites. But the fact that housing near transit
is smart, necessary, and highly desirable doesn’t mean it will automatically happen. The obstacles to private developers are huge. For example, the Center for Transit-Oriented Development notes that:
> Land prices around stations are high or
increase because of speculation when a new transit line is planned. > Affordable housing developers don’t
have the capital to acquire land before the prices go up and hold it until it’s ready to be developed. > Funding for affordable housing is lim-
ited. > Mixed-income and mixed-use projects require complex financing structures. > Sites often require land assembly and rezoning, leading to lengthy acquisition and
because neighborhoods around stations are already built up. Available parcels may be small and fragmented and require assem- blage.
The next question is why? Why bother,
if it’s so much hassle? Because demograph- ics, economics (driven by energy changes) politics, and environmental regulation are all pointing in the same direction. Build close to transit and existing infrastructure or don’t build at all. The days of the small lot develop- ments of 20 or 30 homes on the outer ring of a city are coming to an end. Cities won’t be fooled into providing sewer lines, school bus service, snow plowing, utility maintenance, or trash pickup to remote households any more.
Can Gridlock Be Good? The closer researchers look at shelter pat- terns, the better an integrated transit system that connects with nearby metropolitan area looks. Typically, master plan developments take years to permit and get under way, but
www.greenbuildermag.com
July > August 2010 GreenBuilder
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