Developing for Fiscal, Economic and Social Health

We’re a little confused

Richard Drudl

Photo: Michael Tobis University of Chicago

Things we do to increase tax base are often a bad deal

Road serving a low-density neighborhood Rural, dead-end road Serves a subdivision of 5-acre lots Half of cost is assessed to property owners, other half is paid for by city Payback: 37 years Based on taxes being paid by the property owners Not including additional maintenance and potential reconstruction Case study by

Road serving a set of high-value, shoreline properties Property owners want city to improve their access road and have maintenance taken over by the public Road serves the properties only Proposal: property owners will cover construction costs if city takes over maintenance Is this a good deal? Long term-maintenance cost (1 life cycle): $154,000 Long-term revenue collected by city for maintenance: $79,000 Case study by To cover these costs within the road’s life cycle, the local tax rate would need to go up 25% with 3% annual increase for next 25 years.

A sewer system for a small municipality Small city had sanitary sewer system built with federal government support in 1960s It has now deteriorated to the point where it needs to be completely replaced. Cost to replace the system: $3.3M Cost per household: $27,000 City’s median household income: $27,000 Case study by Public health is now threatened by the deterioration of the sewer system. This city is now in a position where it cannot maintain basic infrastructure.

The chickens are coming home to roost

Low Density Development Case study by

Using Peter’s money to pay Paul by

We don’t fix the infrastructure

SMART GROWTH BENEFITS PUBLIC BUDGETS Lower infrastructure costs Growth scenarios in 14 regions found that more compact development almost universally resulted in infrastructure cost savings. In some cases, these strategies would cut costs in half.

Rhode Island: Smart Growth Saves Money on Infrastructure and Schools SprawlCore GrowthNet Cost of Sprawl Local Roads$182,000,000 (228 miles new roads) $104,000,000 (130 miles new roads) $78,000,000 Schools$123,000,000 (new construction) $92,000,000 (new construction and expansion) $31,000,000 Utilities (water, sewer, gas, phone, electricity lines) $306,000,000 (306 miles new line) $173,000,000 (172 miles new line) $133,000,000 Total:$611,000,000$369,000,000$242,000,000 Net savings of 40% over 30 years. 16

Rhode Island: Smart Growth Saves Money on Operations Estimated Operations and Maintenance Savings Local Roads:$14 million (43%) Schools:$19 million (24%) Pupil Transport:$6 million (15%) Public Sewer:$142 million (43%) 17

SMART GROWTH BENEFITS PUBLIC BUDGETS: LOWER COSTS Lower infrastructure costs Building infrastructure to serve new development on the fringe can cost the city up to three times more per acre than urban infill development.

Things we won’t do to increase tax base are often actually a good deal

SMART GROWTH BENEFITS PUBLIC BUDGETS: HIGHER REVENUES Higher revenues per acre Multifamily housing in near an area’s center can generate nine times more revenue per acre than traditional large-lot, single-family housing on the fringe.

Sarasota County, FL Fiscal Impact Case Study A Comparison of Tax Revenue per Acre Generated by Different Uses and Densities Source: Public Interest Projects, Inc., J. Patrick Whalen and Joseph Minicozzi, AICP. 21

Sarasota County: Mixed-use Downtown Earns 35 Times More per Acre than the Suburban Mall. 22

Sarasota County: Smart Growth Means Much Less Land Yields Much More Revenue 23

Sarasota County: Examples of Tax Yields per Acre 24

Sarasota County : Smart Growth Offers Higher Return on Infrastructure Investments 25

Sarasota County: Smart Growth Pays For Itself 14 Times Faster 26

Sarasota County: Smart Growth Benefits Apply to Low-rise Mixed- use, Too. 27

Smart Growth Benefits Public Budgets: Higher Revenues Case Study: Central Falls, RI Historic Preservation Increases Municipal Tax Bases Elizabeth Webbing

Smart Growth Benefits Public Budgets: Higher Revenues Case Study: Pawtucket, RI Historic Preservation Increases Municipal Tax Bases Riverfront Lofts

Cleveland: Same Population 1950: 1,389, : 1,393,978 Cuyahoga Co Land Use Maps – Cuyahoga Co Planning Commission 30 Source: TTI % peak VMT congested1028 % of land miles w/ congestion1023 Number of rush hours35 Freeway and arterial miles

SMART GROWTH BENEFITS PUBLIC BUDGETS: COST VS. REVENUES Case study: Arlington County, VA Between 1970 and 2000, Arlington County added 15 million square feet of office and 15,000 units of housing on two square miles along its Metro rail corridor. These investments now generate 33% of the county’s real estate tax revenue - on just 7.6% of its land. Arlington residents make 58,000 trips each day on Metro, with 47% of residents along the corridor using transit to get to work. Average daily car traffic along the corridor has fallen, down from 19,785 cars per day in 1990 to 18,873 in 2000.

SMART GROWTH BENEFITS PUBLIC BUDGETS: COST VS. REVENUES Advocating Smart Growth Policy in RI

SMART GROWTH BENEFITS PUBLIC BUDGETS: COST VS. REVENUES Advocating Smart Growth Policy in RI Reinstate State Historic Tax Credit Properly fund and enhance the state’s mass transit system Give municipalities ability & incentive to invest in their infrastructure Develop an Aggressive Asset-Based Economic Development Strategy

SMART GROWTH BENEFITS PUBLIC BUDGETS: COST VS. REVENUES Advocating Smart Growth Policy in RI

SMART GROWTH BENEFITS PUBLIC BUDGETS: COST VS. REVENUES Advocating Smart Growth Policy in RI Monthly e-newsletter

SMART GROWTH BENEFITS PUBLIC BUDGETS: COST VS. REVENUES Advocating Smart Growth Policy in RI

SMART GROWTH BENEFITS PUBLIC BUDGETS: COST VS. REVENUES Advocating Smart Growth Policy in RI

The economy: you can attract it, and you can grow it

Attracting new residents LOCATION AND FORM MATTER: WHO MOVES THERE Young professionals 64% of college- educated 25- to 34- year-olds looked for a job after they chose the city where they wanted to live. - U.S. Census

Attracting new residents LOCATION AND FORM MATTER: WHO MOVES THERE Three qualities attach people to a place: Social offerings: entertainment and places to meet; How welcoming a place is; Physical beauty and green spaces. Gallup poll of 43,000 people in 26 communities

Attracting new residents LOCATION AND FORM MATTER: WHO MOVES THERE Talented workers

Oklahoma City LOCATION AND FORM MATTER: WHO MOVES THERE Had the best incentives but lost the firm Embarked on major program including: entertainment district, ball park, waterfront improvements Mayor believes jobs will move to where people want to live

Smart Growth Draws Businesses Blockbuster Entertainment Dallas Transit a major factor in locating in central business district near Akard Station Brought 1,000 employees downtown. Software company Fast Enterprises Chose Denver over 36 other cities. Sought location near transit stop with coffee shops and restaurants nearby. Began hiring software engineers at an average salary of $82,

Case Study: Lodi, CA Walkability Attracts and Sustains Small Business Town of 60,000 launched $4.5M pedestrian- oriented project Sidewalks widened, intersection curb bulb- outs, street trees, lighting, benches Helped attract 60 new businesses, decrease vacancy rate from 18% to 6% and increase downtown sales tax revenue 30% 44

Main Street USA, Disneyworld

Burlington, Vermont

235 Promenade Street, #550 Providence, RI , Ext. 5