The Charrette RFP: Growing Market Demand and the Public Participation Workshop Ilana Preuss Director, Technical Assistance Program Smart Growth Division U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

2 Changing household makeup Households With Children 33% 28% Without Children 67% 72% –Single person households 26% 28% Source: EPA White Paper: Where Will Everybody Live? Arthur C. “Chris” Nelson, Virginia Tech “These changes will affect housing demand, and thus, the development pattern that has served households in previous generations.” Chris Nelson, Virginia Tech

3 Consumer surveys – 1/3 of homebuyers want an SG product - now 1.8 million houses built each year Smart growth and infill about 2 – 5 percent of this production Demand for about 510,000 SG houses per year – before the change in demographics! Source: US EPA White Paper; Chris Leinberger, High Production Builders Conference, Jan 2007 Consumer Demand

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5 What is in the way? Local codes need to allow SG and encourage infill Few High Production builders have SG production models Local communities need to support different development models What does this all need? Public Support

6 Public Opinion – NAR and SGA 2007 Growth and Transportation Survey More than 60% think that their community is not handling new growth and development well 80% prefer that communities redevelop older urban and suburban areas than build new suburbs on the edge

7 How do we build public support? Charrette 7-10 days Public Workshop – 3-5 days Get people engaged Get people excited Come up with feasible short and long term solutions

8 EPA’s Role Provide technical assistance to local, regional, and state governments who want to make smart growth happen –Environmental benefits –Health benefits –Fiscal, community, business competitiveness benefits Education and outreach

9 Smart Growth Implementation Assistance program Bring together government officials, local citizens, business leaders, developers Address major development hurdle for SG Topics: –Site design –Zoning codes –TOD –Corridor redevelopment –Transportation screening tool

10 SGIA Program Goals 1. Support communities who want to implement smart growth policies; 2. Create regional examples of smart growth that can catalyze similar projects in the area; 3. Identify common barriers and opportunities for smart growth development and create new tools that other communities can use.

Recipients Atlanta Regional Commission California Department of Transportation Denver, Colorado Greensboro, North Carolina Phoenix/Mesa/Valley Metro Transit, Arizona Sanitation District No. 1, Kentucky More than 20 projects to date

12 Public Process Invite public to share opportunities and challenges to development in the area Express vision for redevelopment Educate public and local leaders about market demand and comparable products Engage diverse groups on development alternatives Feedback loops to vet design or policy proposals Present feasible option for development –Financially –Politically

13 New transit line – unknown commodity for development sector Public vision for transit station areas unknown Demand for TOD unknown How to institute TOD in Houston – policy changes without zoning – definitely unknown! Wild West Example: Houston

14 Wild West Example: Houston

15 Wild West Example: Houston

16 What do you get in the End? 21 project sites – Public support: –McCall, ID: SGIA report adopted in toto as amendment to comp plan –Cheyenne, WY: Report included as appendix to PlanCheyenne –College Park, MD: City funding FBC for parcel studied –Laconia, NH: Key land owners redeveloping gateway parcel for urban downtown –Spokane, WA: Considering realignment of downtown grid –Houston, TX: METRO and DPW considering developer partnerships on TOD sites

17 Houston: Transit Authority assembling land for the first time at a LRT station for TOD Developer: Public participation workshop creates the good will that eases a project through approval What do you get in the End?

18 Other Resources: EPA Smart Growth Division Smart Growth Network Ilana Preuss Smart Growth Division