Browsing by Subject "Smart growth"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5

The contradictions of smart growth: transit-oriented development, affordable housing and community vision - the case of the Lamar/Justin Lane TOD, Austin, Texas
(2014-08) Asuncion, Kendal Kawaihonaokeamahaoke; Sletto, Bjørn
Smart Growth is a comprehensive approach to planning that aims to shape more compact and well-connected communities across the United States. Among its principles are leveraging existing infrastructure, developing around transit, providing a mix of housing types and price ranges, and increasing community participation in the planning process. However, research suggests the comprehensive approach at times obscures potential tensions between these principles, in particular when Smart Growth principles are applied to a specific property. This is the case in Austin, Texas’ Lamar/Justin Lane TOD, where the City of Austin is currently evaluating development scenarios for a publicly-owned 5.6 acre parcel located within the TOD area. How equity and access is addressed in Smart Growth comes to fore in conversations between the City and affluent, neighborhood residents. This report examines the history of Smart Growth, reviews its implementation in cities across the U.S., and considers how the City of Austin may learn from other cities.
An examination of new regionalism, smart growth, and federalism in the Denver Metropolitan Area
(2007-05) Walker, Brett Robert; Butler, Kent S.
Smart growth tools address a diverse range of specific concerns, including historic preservation, farmland protection, habitat conservation, flexible architectural design, and expedited land development. Smart growth unites the traditionally separate and competing growth promotion and growth control measures into a single growth accommodation approach. In addition to these important concepts, Henry R. Richmond posits that smart growth must now be explained within the context of “new urbanism” and “new regionalism.” What smart growth tries to accomplish is thus development with implied improvements in quality of life and environmental protection rather than mere urban growth or economic expansion per se. An important obstacle to smart growth measures is that growth problems rarely respect political boundaries. Scattered development patterns, as well as the traffic congestion, environmental degradation, fiscal stresses, and other problems that often accompany them, tend to be regional in nature, extending beyond the boundaries of any one locality. Accordingly, many growth problems are better addressed through regional solutions that federal, state and local smart growth measures my not provide. The general premise of “new regionalism” is that the economic health of the city and its outlying areas are inseparably intertwined, and that without regional planning and programs, individual jurisdictions in a single region compete with one another for limited resources and economic investment. New regionalists typically advocate from one of these three competing positions: greater economic prosperity, increased environmental protection, or improved social equity. Consequently, many politicians, advocates and activists are calling for the implementation of integrated policies that address the interrelatedness of all regional challenges, including housing, transportation, water, sewage, and other regional physical infrastructure systems. Denver evidences a suite of tensions between the promise and outcomes of planning with a wider, regional applicability. On the one hand, there is a progressiveness that embraces regional governance, growth management, economic vitality and quality infrastructure. But on the other hand, there is the reality of city sprawl, competitive local government relationships, and a convergence of interest between citizen choice and development industry behavior. This report will illustrate three issues regarding effective and efficient regional planning implementation at local, state and federal levels in the context of regional planning efforts in the Denver Metro Area. First, why does infill development and economic revitalization not only benefit the central city but the region as a whole? Secondly, how do land-use assignments and development design, like Smart Growth and New Urbanism, encourage regional planning efforts towards integrated mass transit? Finally, How does government fragmentation and overlap contribute to the lack of regional consensus and efficient planning?
Fiscal impact analysis for a smart growth zoning strategy : a study of West Campus University neighborhood overlay district
(2008-05) Cho, Kyusuk; Paterson, Robert G.
This report reviews the cost of urban sprawl and shows the fiscal impact of smart growth. The report then focuses on the West Campus University Neighborhood Overlay (UNO) District in Austin, Texas, and it analyzes and estimates the fiscal impact on the City of Austin. Through fiscal impact analysis, it examines the contribution of the UNO District to the fiscal position of the City of Austin. As a result, this report gives the City of Austin fiscal reasons for redevelopment based on the smart growth scenario. This report begins with showing the cost of urban sprawl. Then, it reviews the history,principles, and policies of smart growth. The following section demonstrates the fiscal impact of smart growth. Lastly, the case of the West Campus area is examined by fiscal impact analysis. The result after the analysis shows the fiscal impacts on the City of Austin from both sides of budget, including expenditures and revenues. The revenues received from the residents of the area increased due to the sudden jump in property value, growth population, housing constructions, and mixed-use development. However, the costs also increased due to the needs for public services.
Highland redevelopment master plan : feasibility study of achieving LEED ND certification
(2014-05) Carrillo, Julio Cesar, active 21st century; Kahn, Terry D.
This report studies the specific case of Highland Redevelopment as if would pursue a LEED ND certification. It highlights the major issues observed to fulfill compliance of LEED ND minimum requirements as it is proposed, as well as the importance of achieving this certification as a means to define a performance level of the development.
Transit-oriented development : from single node to corridor
(2008-12) Zhou, Ji, active 2008; Zhang, Ming, 1963 April 22-
As a means of promoting “smart growth” in the United States, Transit-Oriented Development has become a significant strategy for planners to solve urban problems. Most researches and studies discuss transit-oriented development on a single node level, which created some barriers during the implementation process. This report demonstrates transit-oriented development on a corridor level to optimize its benefits. Three case studies, which are in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area, San Francisco Bay Area and Dallas Region, are used to illustrate different typologies of transit-oriented development corridors and to analyze significant planning principles for transit-oriented development at a regional or sub-regional level.