Making the Case for Active
Communities
Reaching out to potential partners in government,
business and civic organizations
Building Active Communities Initiative
January 8, 2014
Making the Case for Active
Communities
Reaching out to potential partners in government,
business and civic organizations
Building Active Communities Initiative
January 8, 2014
Webinar Agenda
•
•
•
•
•
Trends
Why Plan?
Complete Streets
Your Audience
Organizing and
Outreach
2
Smart Growth
Smart growth means building urban,
suburban and rural communities with
housing and transportation choices
near jobs, shops and schools.
These strategies support thriving local
economies and protect the environment.
3
Trends
Riomaggiore, Italy
4
The “silver tsunami”
Projected Montana Pop. by Age Groupings
280,000
260,000
247,769
240,000
220,000
215,351
215,516
191,309
192,115
200,000
0-17
18-33
180,000
34-49
50-64
160,909
160,000
65+
140,000
129,243
120,000
'0
4
'0
5
'0
6
'0
7
'0
8
'0
9
'1
0
'1
1
'1
2
'1
3
'1
4
'1
5
'1
6
'1
7
'1
8
'1
9
'2
0
'2
1
'2
2
'2
3
'2
4
'2
5
'2
6
'2
7
'2
8
'2
9
'3
0
100,000
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2005
Graph courtesy of Dr. Larry Swanson, O’Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West, U. of Montana
5
The “silver tsunami”
Cost per fixed route ride (FY 2010)
• Bozeman: $2.27
• Helena: $5.50
• Butte: $5.00
Cost per demand-response ride (FY
2010)
• Bozeman: $15.46
• Peer group: $26
6
U.S. Housing Projections
Household
1960
2000
2025
With children
48%
33
28
Without children 52
67
72
Single
26
28
13
U.S. as a whole
Supply 2003
Change needed
2025
Attached
27 million
26 million more
Small Lot
22 million
30 million more
Large Lot (>7000 sq. ft.)
57 million
22 million less
Nelson, Arthur “Where Will Everybody Live?” EPA White Paper, Virginia Tech 2007
7
Share of growth 2010-2030
• Households with
children - 14%
• Households w/o
children - 86%
– Singles – 32%
Source: Arthur C. Nelson, Presidential Professor & Director, Metropolitan Research Center, University of Utah
.
Bozeman, MT
8
Obesity Trends* Among US Adults
9
Obesity Trends Among US Adults
• Obese men rack up an additional $1,152 a
year in medical spending, especially for
hospitalizations and prescription drugs
• Obese women account for an extra $3,613 a
year
• Among the uninsured: annual medical
spending for an obese person was $3,271
compared with $512 for the non-obese
Source: Cawley and Chad Meyerhoefer, Lehigh University, Journal of
Health Economics
10
Housing affordability
$200,000 or more
$150,000 to $199,999
$100,000 to $149,999
$75,000 to $99,999
$50,000 to $74,999
$35,000 to $49,999
$25,000 to $34,999
$15,000 to $24,999
$10,000 to $14,999
Less than $10,000
0.00%
5.00%
About 2/3 of Missoula
families can’t afford to
buy median priced
home
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
American Community Survey
11
What is our children’s inheritance?
•
•
•
•
Old?
Fat?
Broke?
Alone?
12
Some recent, more hopeful trends
– The younger generation sees cars as a burden
not a ticket to freedom
– Aging baby boomers want a more active and less
isolated lifestyle
– Large lot housing in suburban areas is overbuilt
– Other housing choices in all price brackets are
under-built
– People are willing to trade house size for
proximity to key destinations
13
Why Plan?
Old City Hall, Bellevue, ID
14
Trend is not destiny.
-Lewis Mumford
15
Why plan?
“By failing to prepare,
you are preparing to
fail.”
-Benjamin Franklin
16
Why plan?
“Have a plan. Follow the
plan and you’ll be surprised
how successful you can be.
Most people don’t have a
plan. That’s why it is easy to
beat most folks.”
- Paul “Bear” Bryant
17
Why plan?
• Respond to an evolving
market
• Provide housing and
transportation choice
• Make efficient use of
infrastructure
• Preserve open space
• Protect critical
environmental areas and
sensitive land
• Reduce urban runoff
• Reduce vehicle miles
traveled
18
The way we design and build our
communities has enormous
consequences
19
We must be aware of 3 important factors
affecting the future of our communities
1. The market is changing, especially for
housing
2. The recipe for economic growth
is changing
3. We can no longer afford to use tax money to
subsidize inefficiency
20
THE CHANGING MARKET
21
THE CHANGING MARKET
Your community is changing
and preferences and the
market are following.
22
THE CHANGING MARKET
Your community is changing
• There are two demographic changes that
are driving the market and must drive your
decision making.
– The rise of the Millenials.
– The aging of the Baby Boomers.
23
PROSPERITY
Demographic change and
the labor force
90,000,000
80,000,000
70,000,000
60,000,000
50,000,000
POPULATION
40,000,000
LABOR FORCE
30,000,000
20,000,000
10,000,000
0
Greatest Generation
Baby Boomers
Gen X
Millenials
24
THE CHANGING MARKET
Your community is changing
80%
Households with and without children, 19602025
72%
70%
67%
60%
52%
50%
40%
households with
children
30%
20%
households without
children
10%
0%
1960
2000
2025
25
THE CHANGING MARKET
The market: Housing
26
THE CHANGING MARKET
How will your community meets the
needs of
millennials and aging
boomers in order to improve
your competitiveness?
27
PROSPERITY
28
PROSPERITY
The nature of the economy
is changing and so is the role of
communities in economic
growth.
29
PROSPERITY
30
PROSPERITY
The Network City
(city as network)
31
PROSPERITY
The rise of the millennials
and the global economy
are driving the economy.
32
PROSPERITY
The labor force
• Millenials choose where to live before
finding a job.
– 64% looked for a job after they chose the city
where to live. (Source: U.S. Census)
• How people want to work is changing and
where they want to work is changing.
33
PROSPERITY
The labor force
From office space….
34
PROSPERITY
The labor force
….to office settings.
Research Triangle Park, Raleigh, NC
Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA
35
PROSPERITY
Businesses respond to
changing preferences
• Across the country corporations are
responding to employee preferences and
moving to the talent.
• They are choosing to relocate from
suburban offices to downtown locations.
36
PROSPERITY
Businesses respond to
changing preferences
Zappos, Las Vegas, NV
Hillshire, Chicago, IL
37
FISCAL HEALTH
How can your community take
advantage of the
changing nature of the
economy in order to create
jobs and wealth?
38
FISCAL HEALTH
39
FISCAL HEALTH
How communities
develop affects
costs and revenue.
40
FISCAL HEALTH
Municipal budgets
• Municipal budgets are feeling pressure
• State and federal funds are disappearing
• Costs are escalating
• Tax bases have shrunk
41
FISCAL HEALTH
Municipal budgets
• A large portion of municipal budgets go to
infrastructure and services.
– building and maintaining roads, bridges,
sewer and water lines, etc
– providing fire and police services, trash
removal, paratransit, etc
42
FISCAL HEALTH
Municipal budgets
• Costs are not just infrastructure related but
also operations and maintenance.
• Burden usually falls on taxpayers.
43
FISCAL HEALTH
Municipal budgets
• You have to spend on these things.
• You need to ensure that you are spending
those funds in the most effective and
efficient manner.
• Budgets are not just financial documents –
they reveal our goals and what we value.
44
FISCAL HEALTH
Development affects costs
• When it comes to infrastructure costs…
– Compact development development is the
best deal.
– Low-density suburban development rarely
pays for itself.
– It makes sense to reuse existing
infrastructure.
45
FISCAL HEALTH
Development affects 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.
46
FISCAL HEALTH
Development affects costs
• Compact development
offers efficiencies in
regards to services as
well.
– Police and fire
departments have less
area to cover.
– Fewer miles of road to
cover for snow removal
and trash pickup.
Aspen, CO (photo courtesy City of Aspen)
47
FISCAL HEALTH
Development affects revenue
• When it comes to revenue…
– Compact development is the best deal.
– Low-density suburban development generates
much less per acre revenue.
– You can increase your property tax base
significantly simply by bringing back areas that
already exist
48
FISCAL HEALTH
Development affects revenue
• The revenue side of things is affected as
well.
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.
49
FISCAL HEALTH
Development affects 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.
50
FISCAL HEALTH
Development affects revenue
Municipal property tax yield (per acre) 2011 Raleigh, NC
$120,000
$100,000
$80,000
$60,000
$40,000
$20,000
$0
Wal-Mart
Single-Family
Residential
Crabtree Valley Mall 3-4 Story Residential
3 Story Office
6-Story Mixed Use
51
FISCAL HEALTH
Development affects revenue
Denser development can carry an entire city financially
52
FISCAL HEALTH
Can your community continue to
subsidize inefficiencies of
development patterns,
while not reaping the
potential reward?
53
Complete Streets
Wilkinsburg, PA
54
We know how to build right
55
We know how to build right
56
Yet too many roads
still turn out like this:
57
or this:
58
or this:
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The Solution:
Complete Streets Policies
Smart Growth America is the only national organization dedicated to researching,
advocating for and leading coalitions to bring smart growth practices to more
communities nationwide.
www.smartgrowthamerica.org
1707 L St. NW Suite 1050, Washington, DC 20036 | 202-207-3355
60
Complete Streets policies
A Complete Streets
policy ensures that the
entire right of way is
planned, designed,
operated and maintained
to provide safe access
for all users.
61
Many Types: Rural to Urban
62
Policy adoption accelerates
400
300
200
total
100
new
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
63
Policies adopted in all types of
communities
64
State Complete Streets policies
www.completestreets.org/atlas
65
Streets Can Benefit Communities
•
•
•
•
Improve safety
Provide choices
Better health
Support economic dev.
•
•
•
•
Reduce costs
Manage congestion
Smarter growth
Conserve resources
66
Complete Streets means:
• A policy approach
• A change to the
everyday decisionmaking processes
and systems
• Long-term
changes to built
environment
N. Higgins, Missoula, MT (photo courtesy WGM Group)
67
Complete Streets doesn’t mean:
• One ‘special’ street project
• A design prescription
• A mandate for immediate retrofit
• A silver bullet; other issues must be
addressed:
– Land use (proximity, mixed-use)
– Environmental concerns
– Transportation Demand Management
68
What about funding?
• Complete streets is about using existing
resources differently
• While retrofit funding is important, it is not
necessary to get started
• Additional funding is not needed
69
Think Ahead, Think Smart
• Complete Streets can
save money
• Narrower travel lanes
require less land, less
pavement
• Provide more options =
reduce need for
widening some
intersections
• Do it right the first time,
not when forced to later
– at a higher price
70
Complete Streets Resources
• Fact sheets, photos, brochures
• Policy tracking & examples
• Information on technical
assistance & workshops
• Complete Streets blog and
monthly newsletter
• Links to research & publications
• Complete Streets Best Practices
71
71
Your Audience
Mesa Verde, CO
72
There are three kinds of people
when it comes to sustainable
communities
• The friendly people who agree with you
and want to work with you
• The undecided who can be and need to be
persuaded
• The hardcore opponents who will never
agree with you and are trying to derail you
73
The undecided
• The people in the middle.
• The people you need to focus on with your
message.
• They may be elected officials or engaged
community members
• You need to be talking with them, calming any
fears they have and responding to their questions.
• Get your message to the undecideds FIRST
before the third type of person (hardcore
opposition) has a chance to.
74
Some people will pick apart the
project if it appears predetermined
• Organized groups show up at meetings and
make themselves heard.
• They are calm people with legitimate
sounding concerns.
• As long as people want to have a
constructive conversation about their
concerns, they ABSOLUTELY should be
listened to and addressed
• These people are in the middle – they need
to be persuaded
75
The role of “fear” in today’s
discourse
• Be prepared to hear some opposition that
includes fears and being afraid of change.
• RESPECT people’s fears, don’t disregard
them.
• Offer solutions to allay those fears, and
reassure people that they are in charge of
their own community
76
Messaging Vulnerabilities
• Indications of a predetermined outcome or
preference
• Outsiders/federal government
77
Positive Messaging: the talking
points YOU WANT to deliver
Be proactive.
You want to consistently reinforce: “This is a
community driven process in which we
decide what our future should look like.”
78
Positive Messaging: the talking
points YOU WANT to deliver
Role of Government
• “The government is going to spend my tax
dollars no matter what, I’m here to get a
say in how they’re spent.”
• “This is a democratic process, driven by
the community, so we can decide what we
want our future to look like.”
79
Positive Messaging: the talking
points YOU WANT to deliver
Property Rights
• “When you make decisions that increase
congestion, raise my taxes, and increase
the school load, then you impact my
property rights.”
• “We have always been a land of rights
AND responsibilities.”
80
Positive Messaging: the talking
points YOU WANT to deliver
Community’s Future
• “A community that fails to plan will face more
congestion, traffic and higher taxes.”
• “I want my children and grandchildren to
be able to live here.”
• “Making our community attractive and
preparing for growth allows businesses to
know what to expect and plan for their
future.”
81
Positive Messaging: the talking
points YOU WANT to deliver
Personal Stories
• Why you love your town/city/area
• Why sustainability is important to you
82
What is the opposition to
Sustainable Communities?
• Organized opposition
–
–
–
–
American Policy Center
John Birch Society
The Antiplanner
Freedom 21
• Agenda 21 conspiracy
– UN
– ICLEA
• Against
–
–
–
–
–
–
Planning
Anything “green”
Facilitated meetings
Conservation easements
Preservation
Consensus
83
Opposition’s Messaging
– United Nation’s Agenda 21, New World
Order,
– The three “E”s: Environment, Equity,
Economy
– “Sustainability”, climate change is a hoax
– Federal government coming in and taking
your land away
– Social engineering designed to make us all
live in dense city apartments, get rid of cars
84
Why the attacks?
• Primary Reasons:
– Audience is very skeptical of government and
is responsive to an anti-smart growth
message
– Organizational and messaging failures by
coalitions
85
Anticipating the Opposition
Them on Them
Their main message.
You on Them
Your response to get
back to your message.
Them on You
Their criticism.
You on You
Your main message.
86
Opposition Messaging
• “I’m here to stick up for my property
rights and to maintain my freedoms.”
• “I want to be able to live the lifestyle I
want without anyone coming and telling
me how to change to meet their ideals.”
Them on Them
Them on You
You on Them
You on You
87
Opposition Messaging
• “You want to change the zoning to take away
my property rights so it will be impossible for
me to sell my land later.”
• “Government has no place in making
decisions like this.”
• “This is an illegitimate process, driven by
socialists at the U.N.”
Them on Them
Them on You
You on Them
You on You
88
Opposition Messaging
• “We can use this process to make decisions to
protect our property rights and control our
destiny.”
• “This will help our businesses and our
economy.”
• “Disrupting this process means that others don’t
get the freedom to participate in our local
process.”
Them on Them
Them on You
You on Them
You on You
89
Opposition Messaging
• “This is our community’s planning process,
and we all deserve the right to be heard.”
• “We need to plan for our future. This is an
opportunity for everyone to share their ideas
and priorities for our community.”
• “I want to be a part of this to make sure my
great community is there for my kids and
grandkids.”
Them on Them
Them on You
You on Them
You on You
90
Organizing and Outreach
91
Organizational Failures
• Lack of friendly audience participants
• No strong moderator
• Weak coalition
92
Organizing and Outreach
• Develop working groups for your project
• Meet regularly with closest partners
• Offer resources, ideas, materials to
partners (don’t always ask, offer as well)
• Have ONE point of contact
93
Before the meeting…
What is the
Format?
Who are the
Participants?
What is the
Venue?
Possible
Questions?
94
Planning for conflict
Prepare
Learn
Align
Negotiate
95
Planning for conflict
Prepare
Learn
Align
Negotiate
Prepare appropriately
Lean about attendees and listen for potential conflicts
Align with others
Negotiate with those who might raise concerns or
surface conflicts
96
Planning for conflict
• Break into groups
• Have people write down thoughts
individually
• Tell people they can have host their own
meeting if they do not want to participate
productively in yours
97
Next steps and practical application
• Make your websites and public documents
in plain language, not planner or engineer
industry terms.
• If you received a funding grant from the
federal gov’t, don’t just post the grant docs
and think that equals outreach.
• KNOW if opposition is organizing
• Plan ahead to anticipate challenges
98
Webinar Agenda
•
•
•
•
Trends
Complete Streets
Your audience
Organizing and
outreach
99
We have the freedom to
make informed, humane,
and intelligent choices
about the kind of world
we want to leave for our
children and
grandchildren. We also
have the freedom to
make uninformed,
selfish, and stupid
choices. Which will it be?
- Greg Pahl
100
Thank you!
rmillar@smartgrowthamerica.org
www.smartgrowthamerica.org
101