The Romney Framework for Building Great Communities Douglas I. Foy Secretary of Commonwealth Development Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Sprawl Means... High land consumption per person and disinvestment in cities Growth in daily miles of travel, nearly constant gridlock, no alternative to driving for many Air and water pollution Loss of forests, farms, other open space Low housing production, limited to McMansions Obesity and chronic health problems Isolation of seniors – our fastest-growing cohort

Investing in Great Cities & Towns: 10 First Steps 1.Office for Commonwealth Development 2.Fix It First/Infrastructure 3.Commonwealth Capital 4.Transit-Oriented Development 5.Development-Oriented Transportation 6.Smart Growth Zoning Act 7.City and Town Center Redevelopment 8.Highway Program: Communities First 9.Environmental Policy 10.Local Capacity Building

(1) Office for Commonwealth Development “Super-secretariat” linking transportation, housing, environment and energy agencies Ensures consistent state support for growth in cities, town centers, and other walkable, infrastructure-rich areas –Infrastructure programs, other spending, regulation –Incentives for cities and towns to reform zoning

(2) Fix It First: Infrastructure MassHighway: Roads and Bridges –Priority for repair and rehabilitation of streets, roads, structurally deficient bridges –Bridge program to be doubled Dep’t of Conservation and Recreation: Parks –Merger and reform of state parks agencies –Capital budget doubled in 2004 MBTA: “State of Good Repair” program Public Housing: Introduce private investment?

Bridges: Aging Baby Boomers

(3) Commonwealth Capital Common administration of discretionary capital spending to ensure –Consistency of projects with smart growth –Alignment of municipal policies and zoning with state interest in smart growth –Coordination of agency decision-making Includes economic and community development, land protection, off-street parking, wastewater infrastructure and other programs

Commonwealth Capital Reviviendo Gateway Project, Lawrence – Governor’s Smart Growth Leadership Award Winner

(4) Transit-Oriented Development Commonwealth Development/MBTA Program –Community-based master planning -- stations with surplus MBTA property –Re-zoning by first group of communities underway Funding –New $30 M program for parking, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, housing –$40 M for infrastructure to support early projects MassHousing Priority Development Fund –$100 M, including planning grants and financing

Urban Transit-Oriented Development Maverick Gardens Hope VI Mixed- Income Redevelopment, East Boston – Governor’s Smart Growth Leadership Award Winner

Suburban Town Center Transit-Oriented Development Summer Street, Manchester – Governor’s Smart Growth Leadership Award Winner

(5) Development-Oriented Transportation “Fix it First” doesn’t mean “fix it only” – near- term transit and highway improvements support city- and town-center growth –Boston: Silver Line Phase III –Worcester: Route 146 –Pittsfield: East Street Future transit and highway corridor projects will be conditioned on smart growth land-use plans and zoning

(6) Smart Growth Zoning Act (Chapter 40R) Incentives to create “smart growth zoning districts” in –City, town, village centers/commercial districts –Around transit stations –Other “smart growth” locations Criteria = infrastructure + walkability Must have 8-20 units/acre, affordable units, housing or mixed use Incentives: State $ for re-zoning and issuing building permits, priority in grant programs

(7) City and Town Center Redevelopment State Historic Preservation Tax Credit signed into law –Focus on smart growth, affordable housing –Current cap: $15 million/year Upper-story downtown redevelopment -- Housing Development Support Program (CDBG) funding doubled “Rebirth of Older Industrial Cities” project with NAIOP, Northeastern University, 12 cities –Addressing barriers to urban economic development

Revitalizing Historic Downtowns Amesbury – Governor’s Smart Growth Leadership Award Winner

(8) Highway Program: Communities First New Highway Project Development and Design Manual to incorporate principles of –Context-sensitive design –Accommodation of all modes (inc. peds, bikes, transit) –Traffic calming Being produced through open, collaborative process Goal: most progressive manual in nation

(9) Environmental Policy Environmental review and permitting –Fast track for smart growth projects State Revolving Fund (water infrastructure) –Reforms to facilitate sewering for town center growth and get tougher on sewer extensions to outlying areas Brownfields redevelopment –State support targeted to cities and town centers

Smart Brownfields Redevelopment Heywood Memorial Library, Gardner – Governor’s Smart Growth Leadership Award Winner

(10) Local Capacity Building Technical assistance grants to cities and towns –Priority Development Fund (Dep’t of Housing and Community Development/MassHousing) –Smart Growth Grants (Environmental Affairs) Commonwealth Development agency staff support –mass.gov/ocd Governor’s Awards for Smart Growth

Places to Watch: Lowell

Brockton

Haverhill

“Redevelop First” – The first of Massachusetts’s ten Sustainable Development Principles