Regional and Neighborhood Development: Planning the Evolution of Our Suburbs

1. Regional and Neighborhood Development: Planning the Evolution of Our Suburbs A Special Presentation to the USGBC Fox Valley Chapter Mahender Vasandani Chairman. Education and Outreach Committee, CNU-Illinois August 27, 2009

2. What I Will Talk About: • Where Are We Today in Terms of Regional Growth? • What Are the Implications of the “Big Challenges” for Evolution of Suburbs? • Why the Suburbs May Need to Evolve? • Are There Any Preferred Growth Options? • What Can We Learn from the Cities? • New Urbanism Offers Some Key Answers • Specific NU Examples Suitable For Suburbs • Overview of Form-Based Codes/A NU Implementation Tool • Q & A

3. Far Chicago Suburbs

4. Where Are We Today? • Acknowledgement: Ours Is A Suburban Nation • (In A Capitalist Democracy) • From 1950 to 2000: 90% of metropolitan growth in the Suburbs • By 2000: • 60% of metro jobs in the Suburbs • Suburb-to-Suburb job commutes 2X Suburb-City commutes • From 1970 to 2000: • Total Housing Units Increased 9% • Suburban Housing Units Increased Almost 100% • Questions: • Is This All Good? All Bad? Or, Are There Pros And Cons? • What Are the Implications for Future Regional Growth?

5. The “Leinbergers” vs. The “Kotkins” Implications for the Future… Response Depends on One’s Perspective on the Age-Old Debate: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-op-kotkin6-2008jul06,0,1038461.story

6. Implications for the Future… • My view: To survive/thrive in the future: • Suburban regions will need to: • Provide for all transportation options: Cars, Trains, Buses, Bicycles and Pedestrian-ways • Extend Existing Commuter Service to Outlying Suburbs • Start the new Metra “STAR” Line • Suburbs will need to: • Allow mixing of uses • Allow diversity of housing options/housing types • Allow moderately higher densities • Allow street connectivity • Allow multi-functional streets/boulevards • Create compact and walkable neighborhoods • Create great places • ……Become More Urban (“New Urban”)

7. Why Do the Suburbs Need to Evolve? • I. Economic Challenges: • Housing Over-Supply • Commercial Oversupply • Implications: • Limited/Slow Short-term Growth Potential; Extended Growth Time-lines • II. Energy Security/Climate-Change Challenges: • Over-dependence on high-carbon fossil fuels/GHG Emissions • Over-dependence on cars as sole form of mobility • Implications/Policy Questions: • ”Re-Order” Growth Patterns? • Reduce Total Car Travel? • New Mobility Technologies? • III. Community Character Challenge: • Little Attention to the Public Realm/Urban Form Implication: • Better Character and Quality of Life Can Provide Key Market Advantages

8. Chicago Metro: Over 100 Years of Growth • “Re-Order” Growth Patterns 2020 2030 2040 2010 Source: Climate Change: “Re-Order” Regional Growth Patterns • Recommendations from • the Past and other States: • Create Growth Boundaries/ • Stop Suburbanization • Limit Infrastructure Spending • In Chicago Metro Area: • “Re-ordering” Virtually • Impossible for Historical • and Political Reasons • Most Strategies and • Benefits Possible at • Local Level • LEED-ND

9. Reduce Total Travel Miles 2020 2030 2040 2010 Climate Change: Reduce Total Vehicle Miles Travelled Typical Recommendations: 1. Reduce Total Miles of Travel, 2. Encourage Higher Density Living 3. Encourage Live-Work Units 4. Encourage People to Live Close to Work 5. Build TODs 6. Avoid Car Trips • Trip-length shortening • not as beneficial as • cutting down on number of trips • -- Joe Cortright, Impresa Consulting for “CEOs for Cities” • California SB 375 Example • STAR LINE and TODs will cut down on auto trips • By increasing walkability New Urbanism will help achieve Trip Avoidance.

10. Climate Change: New Mobility Technology New Alternate Zero-Emission Fuels and Alternate Vehicle Technologies* (*”Since VMT are not projected to decrease significantly in the near or long-term in the Chicago region, CMAP’s strategies to promote alternative fuels are important to help save energy and mitigate GHG and criteria pollutions” – Volpe Center, U.S. DOT -- October 2008 Action Strategy Paper on Climate Change and Energy) My Crystal Ball ???!!! Image source: www.discoveryresources.com • In Another Generation: • NMT use wide-spread • Less serious concern with GHG • emissions/pollution • 3. Little change in locational decisions • 4. More cars on limited capacity roads • MORE TRAFFIC CONGESTION • MORE NEED FOR WALKABLE,MIXED-USE COMMUNITIES with • TRANSIT OPTIONS NMT Evolution! Toyota FCHV in 2015 “Shockingly Low Price” -Toyota Motors www.autobloggreen.com July 20, 2009 article Honda FCX Clarity: 2009 2020 2030 2040 2010 • New Mobility Technology

11. Suburban Evolution with New Urbanism • New Urbanism: A 20+ year old Planning and Urban Design Discipline • NU learns from the virtues of existing and past cities. • NU helps create: • Compact, Connected, Walkable, Diverse Neighborhoods with Mixed-Uses • Quality Public Realm and High Quality of Life • Distinct Transportation Solutions • New Codes and Tools for Implementation Examples from City of Chicago: Neighborhoods and Boulevards

12. NU Design Principles for Suburban Neighborhoods • Create Inter-connected Street Network Between Neighborhoods • Create Neighborhoods with Centers with Mixed-Uses within Walking Distance of Most Residents • Locate Neighborhood Centers with Exposure and Access to Major Arterials • Allow A Variety of Residential Types • Allow Moderately High Densities • Focus on Urban Design along with concerns with land-use, transportation, finances and services • Help Create Quality Places/Stay competitive in market place • Evolve as a Suburban Community…Become More Urban – “New Urban”

13. Key NU Design Principles Adopt not just a tax-revenue-based land-use policy… But also an Urban Design Policy...Allow Boulevards with Multiple Transportation Modes, Mixed-Uses and/or Multiple Residential Types (maybe not this dense) along Boulevards

14. Key NU Design Principles For better traffic circulation and less traffic congestion, avoid/minimize cul-de-sacs and dead-end streets as they promote greater car dependence Instead, allow well-connected network of streets that may or may not be in rectilinear grids

15. Suburban Evolution with New Urbanism: Example 1 Harbor Town, Memphis, TN: Variety of Residential Types Mixed-Uses Connected Neighborhoods Boulevard System Strong Sense of Place

16. Suburban Evolution with New Urbanism: Example 2 New Town at St. Charles, MO: Innovative Variety of Residential Types Mixed-Use Center/Civic Center Integrated/Creative Stormwater System High-quality Public Realm/Sense of Place

17. Suburban Evolution with New Urbanism: Example 3 Legacy Center, Plano, Texas Town Center on street grid Commercial, Office, Hotel, Restaurants, Townhomes, Condominiums/Apartments Central Civic Space/Sense of Place

18. Suburban Evolution with New Urbanism: Example 4 Addison Circle, Addison, Texas: Close to suburban train station Primarily Residential with Townhomes and Apartments Major Open Space Central to Plan Moderately High Density High Quality of Space/Strong Sense of Place

19. Suburban Evolution with New Urbanism: Example 5 Southlake Center, Southlake, Texas: Central Civic Space: Foreground to Village Hall Surrounded by Mixed-Use Shopping + Offices, Entertainment, Restaurants and Townhomes Major Innovation from Single-Use Shopping Center (as initially proposed) Highly Successful Community Destination/Community Pride

20. Suburban Evolution with New Urbanism: Example 6 Plano TOD, Texas: New downtown/TOD at a DART station Moderately dense Neighborhoods with Mixed-Use Shopping Economic Development/Transit Ridership Increase/Sustainable Model

21. Public Support for Transit Maintain/Repair Existing Roads, Highways, Bridges: 50% Build Walkable Communities: 25% Improve Public Transportation: 47% Improve Transit: 31% Not Sure: 8% Expand/Improve Roads: 16% Build New Roads: 20% Not Sure: 3% 1 2 Not Sure: 5% • Survey Questions*: • Transportation Priorities of Federal Government • Best Long-Term Solutions to Reduce Congestion • Transportation Approach to Accommodate Growth • *January 2009 Growth and Transportation Survey by Hart Assoc. • As reported in “Common Ground” Summer 2009, • Published by National Association of Realtors Build highways and freeways: 20% Build commuter rail, light rail and subways: 75% 3

22. Federal Legislative Initiatives: Livable Communities Act • August 6, 2009: Senator Christopher Dodd introduced a • Livable Communities Act that will help communities: • Mitigate traffic congestion • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions • Cut down on fuel consumption • Protect open space • Build affordable housing • Revitalize existing main streets and urban centers • The Livable Communities Act will: • Create competitive planning grants to create long-term plans • Create challenge grants that towns and regions can use to implement these long-term plans • Establish a federal Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities at the HUD and oversee the Livable Communities grant programs; • Establish a federal Interagency Council on Sustainable Communities to coordinate federal • sustainable development policies.

23. New Urbanism Regulations: Form-Based Codes • Relatively New Regulation Tool in Illinois • Based on A Community Vision • Focus is the Public Realm (Form and Quality of the Outside Built Environment) • Place-specific to Retain Existing Character • Several Urban Standards • Graphic/More Comprehensible • Predictable Urban Form and Character • Different from Conventional Zoning Regulations • FBCs more concerned with Urban Form, Less with Use • FBCs facilitate mixing of uses • Not concerned with F.A.R.s, Densities and Lot Coverages • Allow administrative approval of projects

24. Form-Based Codes/Regulations • Focus on Quality of the Built Environment for Public Realm Public realm influenced by the architecture of buildings; the proportions of the size of public places to building heights and the amenities in the public places Project Credit: Dover Kohl & Partners

25. Form-Based Codes/Regulations • Predictable Placement and Bulk of Buildings • PREDICTABILITY of massing • and bulk of future projects • Less public concern about • bulk and other impacts • Potential benefit: • Streamlined project review • process • Good for developers too Project Credit: Dover Kohl & Partners

26. An Integrated Code with Standards for: Thoroughfares, Frontages, Building Types, Public Spaces, Landscaping – All Linked to a Regulating Plan • Typically Easier to Comprehend and Administer Form-Based Codes/Regulations

27. Form-Based Codes/Regulations

28. Closing Remarks • Future of Suburbs: Assumed to Evolve Given Economic, Energy and Climate Challenges • Evolution Will be Essential for Survival/Revival/”Thrival” • New Urbanism Offers Key Answers for Suburban Evolution • NU Design Principles Should be Part of a Suburban Community’s Policy • Quality Places and Quality of Life Will be Market Advantages • Form-Based Codes/Regulations Provide an Effective Tool • to Create Mixed-Use Centers and Achieve Community Vision

29. Thank You! Mahender Vasandani Chairman, Education and Outreach Committee CNU-Illinois President M Square | Urban Design Phone: 630.845.1202 Email: mgv@msqre.com