Mixed Use Development

For those in the multifamily, urban and/or transit-oriented development arenas, I thought you might be interested in the articles listed below (click on titles to go to articles) that I’ve authored recently on the impact on the multifamily housing industry of the anticipated growth in the population of our major cities over the next 20-30 years, the expansion of our mass transit systems and changing demographics.

I would welcome the opportunity to discuss these topics with you.

Transit Efficiency: New Orientation for Real Estate Development

Multifamily Development’s Future: Factors — Both Local and National — Are Forcing Changes in Apartment Development

The Aftermath of the Crisis: How It Will Affect the Way We Develop

Managing Texas’ Growth: Mixed-Use and Density

An Affordable Responsibility: True Transit-Oriented Developments Require Adequate Low-income Housing in Order to Thrive

The Perfect Platform for Affordable Housing: Adding Affordable Units in Transit-oriented Development Promotes “Transit Equity”

New Urbanism News 8-10-10

Bob Voelker — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 12:57:59 +0000

Almost 45% of electricity in Portugal’s grid to come from renewable sources this yr, up from 17% just 5 yrs ago

The Case for Using the Power of Eminent Domain for Blighted Property

Innovation for the urban environment: introducing the bladeless micro-wind Fuller Wind Turbine.

Be more like Manhattan to save the earth, and don’t go halfway — interview with Green Metropolis author David Owen

Gas tax hike would pump up the job market, help close deficit

Chalk up a win for Smart Growth… for now

Transit-oriented Development Around Old Train Station Brings New Life to Distressed Long Island Community

Adam Smith’s Economic Principles Reduce San Francisco Parking Congestion

Is America ready for high-speed rail?

Fedl grants will fund new approaches to congestion: 7 states get $9.7 m.

Lose 142 Pounds (of Carbon) a Week

We should be more life Copenhagen

Resetting the American Family

In 1973, the US imported 30% of its oil. Now it imports 68%. Taking into acct inflation, the gas tax is 50% less than in 1973. solution?

User Fee Model Obsolete, But No Solution on the Horizon

States turn to tolls to fund roads

Are parts of Suburban Fringe “Downtown Adjacent?“

What we want in our homes … is changing

Urban or Suburban? Perspectives on this much discussed topic

Density Means Less Driving

Location-efficient mortgages

12 Steps to a Sustainable Community

Environmentalism can never address climate change

Urban Forms Present Opportunities, Challenges

Rethinking cap and trade

Score one for livability

Texas Joins Challengers to EPA’s Greenhouse Gas ‘Tailoring’ Rule

Boomers drive shift toward urban living

Gourmet Food Trucks Struggle to Get on the Road in Dallas They roam cool cities across the country. Why not here?

Less Green is More Green???

Bob Voelker — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 14:11:45 +0000

There are very few major league baseball players capable of consistently hitting home runs. In fact, if you hit 300 and every hit is a single, you’re a hero. Throw in a 20 mph wind out of the outfield and a really good pitcher, and home run percentages drop even more.

The recent failure of Congress to hit a home run and pass climate change legislation is disappointing — but the outcome was fairly well assured given the headwinds — Congress had just (barely and with significant partisan politics) passed health care legislation, making it much harder to get another major initiative approved. Mid-term elections are coming in November and the economy continues to be problematic at best — making it realistically impossible to focus on anything as complicated and dramatic as cap and trade, etc. But we have to ask — is it going to be any better after the mid-term elections, where it is anticipated that the Republican party will gain strength? And, do we really want a whole new set of regulations that will make it more uncertain and difficult to revive the economy and create jobs?

Is there a simpler way?

I’m not sure of the background, but sometime in the last two years we quietly placed an end date on the sale of incandescent light bulbs in the US. I have to believe that the energy savings and environmental impact of this one simple act is huge. There was no political wrangling and the light bulb manufacturing industry/lobby barely whimpered. This was such a small change that it flew under the radar. We need more of these easy wins — in baseball terms, singles, and less climate legislation that is swinging for the fences in the midst of huge headwinds and great opposition.

What are some simple wins?

Here are three potential easy steps that could significantly benefit the environment and should not be politically controversial:

1. Forget Cash for Clunkers & the CAFE Standards — instead, enact Credit for Guzzlers, a tax credit for trading up to a new vehicle that gets at least 50% better gas mileage than the trade-in. This would let consumers directly know and experience that our country is supporting fuel efficiency (versus the CAFE mpg standards that often do not affect light trucks and SUVs and are not directly felt by the car purchaser). If we want to discourage gas guzzlers, put a guzzler tax on all cars that get less then X mpg city/highway. A bonus will be that the car companies will make better small cars as sales swing in that direction.

2. Gas Powered Lawn Mowers No More

According to the EPA, one traditional gas powered lawn mower produces as much air pollution as 43 new cars each driven 12,000 miles. Electric or battery-powered lawn mowers create no exhaust emissions and run much cleaner than their gas-powered counterparts. The non-profit Electric Power Research Institute reports that replacing half of the 1.3 million gas mowers in the U.S. with electric models would save the equivalent amount of emissions of taking two million cars off the road. Surely if we can phase out incandescent light bulbs, we can phase out gas powered mowers, edgers and trimmers.

3. Gas Tax – and Use the Money to Weatherize Homes & Put People to Work: OK, this one would be more controversial, and requires some balancing of equities, but hear me out. If gas prices were never allowed to drop below $3.50/gallon (the difference between what the oil companies charge and $3.50 would be the tax), consumers would begin to shift their car buying habits and car companies could be fully engaged long-term in making smaller, more efficient, but quality cars. Granted, a gas tax is highly regressive (hits lower income people hardest) — BUT car ownership/operation/ maintenance, which runs $6,500 – $9,000/car/year, is even more regressive. In our car centric built environment, it would be very hard to not have a car in most places, but being a 50% mass transit commuter, I have determined that even driving a short distance to the park-and-ride and taking the bus is far less expensive than driving to work every day. And a gas tax credit and/or transit subsidy for lower income people would offset the regressive nature of the tax. However, to complete the circle, the extra revenue should be used for three purposes that would help the economy and the environment — to repair our aging infrastructure, and support mass transit expansion and employ out of work Americans to do home weatherization (and to offset the costs to homeowners with a tax credit). The gas tax should lower energy use, and using the tax revenue to weatherize homes would further reduce energy use — all while supporting mass transit and decreasing the unemployment rate.

So, what are your simple ideas to cut US carbon emissions?

MyUrbanist

Bob Voelker — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 14:09:45 +0000

For another great blog on new urbanism, check out Chuck Wolfe’s myurbanist

New Urbanism News 8-5-10

Bob Voelker — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 15:40:30 +0000

States turn to tolls to fund roads

Looking forward to speaking @Natl Assoc of Local Housing Fin Agency mtg NY on transit oriented dev & affordable housing

Revitalizing Downtown in Small and Mid-Sized Cities

Change is inevitable, but the destruction of community character and identity is not

Streetfilm on Copenhagen’s car-free streets and slow-speed zones

FTA gives environmental approval for Houston’s controversial University line light rail project

San Francisco Parking Battle Shows Limits Of Smart Planning

The Demographic Transformation of the US: What are the implications for land use?

Decentralized Relocalization from CarFreeinBigD– a reply to Joel Kotkin

Urban Lifestyle Preference On The Rise

Atlanta: transportation choices attract young

Will Los Angeles Revolutionize U.S. Urban Transit Funding?

When cities build transit, home prices can skyrocket. Responsible livability agenda needs affordability

Sustainable solution for the environment & economy is finding ways so people can drive less

ABC news: Smart $ on Smart Growth

More evidence that walkability is marketable

Livable Communities Act passed Sen Banking Committee. What this is and why it matters.

New Urbanism News 8/1/10

Bob Voelker — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 19:23:00 +0000

USA Today view on gas tax: Price holds key to ending nation’s addiction to oil http://bit.ly/91s26N

Environmentalists, Transportation Reformers Brace for Scaled-Back Energy Bill http://bit.ly/a9ZQFE

Los Angeles leading the charge on public transit? Leveraging federal $ w/ local $ http://bit.ly/cORB4D

Land use and real estate bubbles http://bit.ly/cNmhyH

Congress’ failure to enact climate legislation makes transportation reform more important than ever http://bit.ly/9Mk1gp

Taking mass transit as a workout http://bit.ly/bjrSvE

Funding transit – recommendations for US policy http://bit.ly/bfTzlC

Who needs a car in LA? http://bit.ly/aY58W3

Apt rentals surge in US on foreclosures & jobs http://bit.ly/aa4NeN

Locating homeless housing difficult http://bit.ly/aKXzce

Poorest 1/5th spends 31% of income on transit, versus 21% for second-poorest 1/5; 10% for richest 1/5th.

Target will open a store in downtown Seattle http://cot.ag/bvGKrx

Los Angeles Pushing To Become Nation’s Mass Transit Leader http://bit.ly/aXZoK8

Beyond Cars: A Global Perspective on Rail & Public Space http://cli.gs/dyypmR

5 Simple Steps to Make Dallas More Livable

Bob Voelker — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:05:42 +0000

Downtown Dallas has incredible momentum [Click on Pictures for a Larger Image]:

* Largest urban arts district in the US (68 acres, 19 blocks)

* The Spire Project adjacent to the Arts District

* Museum Tower in the Arts District

* Calatrava bridge

* Woodall Rodgers deck park under construction

* 1,000 room convention center hotel under construction

* 130 million First Baptist Church redevelopment underway

* Main Street Park opened this year

* Continental pedestrian bridge is being planned

* Dallas Museum of Natural History under construction.

I could go on and on ….. Dallas has always been a place for iconic projects. Big is just big in Big D. And all of these efforts have helped renew a focus on what a great place Dallas is — but more importantly has engendered visions of an even-greater place Downtown Dallas can be.

Our challenge now is not in making more “statements” at the multi-million dollar level, but focusing on the little things that can make Dallas more livable and therefore more vibrant. 24/7/365 vibrancy does not arise from the suburban trek to major arts or sporting events in the city, or from visitors to conventions. What we need are more livable or complete streets, that make downtown the kind of outdoor place you want to enjoy whether walking from one office building to another, jogging or riding a bike, sitting outside to eat or read, coming downtown to eat, shop and walk around, etc.

In a word, Downtown Dallas streets need to be more inviting — less about awe-inspiring buildings and moving cars, and more about being great places to interact with people. Here is a list of small changes Dallas should consider:

- Reduce Street Size & Speed: In the urban core (all of the streets between Ross and Commerce and between Pearl and Griffin), reduce the number of car lanes from 4 to 2 and reduce the speed limit to 15 miles per hour (one big “school zone” for downtown workers & residents). In the 2 lanes outside lanes, allow parallel parking between large islands — put landscaping and benches or tables in the islands.

- Recreate Sidewalks: Remove all of the concrete sidewalks and make them brick. Create a visible separation between places for cars and places for people.

- More Trees: Plant 1,000 more trees in downtown. In the hotter months in particular, pedestrians are forced to “chase shade” to walk 2 or 3 blocks. This would also soften the hard surfaces of buildings and roads with a green canopy and create more of a boulevard effect view down the streets.

- Connecting the Arts District: The arts district buildings lack connectedness. The arts patrons should hire a landscape architect / land planner to take this area beyond a collection of buildings and more of destination where people want to hang out and enjoy the arts in all its forms. An outdoor performance/exhibition area with events both during the week (“Friday Lunch with the Arts”) and on Saturdays would help make this area (and the adjoining deck park once it is completed) the “Central Park” of Dallas.

- Free Wireless Internet: Starbucks & McDonalds are now doing it. Why not make Downtown Dallas one big “hotspot” (in more ways than one)?

The idea is simple – activate and enliven each block, while softening the street and creating a sense of place for people and not just a place for structures (buildings) and function (moving cars efficiently). A small expense and effort could make a huge difference in the look and fell of downtown, enhancing downtown residential living, and creating a desirable business, recreational, restaurant and entertainment destination.

Large Downtown Dallas Mixed Use Project

Bob Voelker — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:03:09 +0000

Spire Realty is working on an exciting new development in Downtown Dallas, to be built on almost 12 acres bounded by Ross, North Central Expressway and Leonard Street.

“We are going to try and be an extension of the Arts District and provide a new neighborhood,” said Spire senior vice president Jon Ruff.

The real estate firm has decided to start marketing a five-building mixed-use development on the property. The complex will be called the Spire.

You can download the development plans here.

Dallas Morning News Story // Globe Street Story