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American Public Health Association Washington, DC November 9, 2004
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Transcript of American Public Health Association Washington, DC November 9, 2004
Travel and Environmental Implications of School Siting
Kevin M. Nelson, AICPUS EPA Smart Growth Program
American Public
Health Association
Washington, DC
November 9, 2004
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What’s the connection?
Communities areevaluating their
growth patterns
and
educationalinvestments.
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What’s the connection?
The School affects community growth.
The School facility is a major financial investment that the entire community bears.
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What happened to schools?
What did we have a
generation or two ago?
– Small schools (avg 127)– Schools as centers of
community– Investment in school
facilities as public places– 2/3 of all students walking
or biking
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What happened to schools?
What do we have now?
– 70% more students, 70% fewer schools
– Mega-schools (avg. 653)– 40% of HS more than 1000– Schools on 10-30+ acres of
fringe land– Mass produced, lowest-cost
construction– Less than 10% of students
walking or biking (CDC, 1999)
Lots of congestion and space used for parking!
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What happened to schools?
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What happened to schools?
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What happened to schools?
South Carolina Coastal Conservation League
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… and the environment?
School location and design DO affect the environment
Schools built close to students, in walkable neighborhoods
– Can reduce traffic– Yield 13% increase in
walking and biking– Reduce emissions 15%
Need more work on this!
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What happened to people?
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What happened to people?
Epidemic of poor health in children
– Overweight and obesity
– Asthma– High blood pressure
Educational achievement?
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Why has it happened?
Flight to suburbs (cause and effect)
Education theories Diversity goals Increasing costs of education Increasing cost and space
needs of extracurriculars Site selection rules Construction & renovation
funding
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Chance to change is now!
Converging interest in smaller schools that meet diverse goals:– Education – more personal attention, fewer dropouts, higher
achievement– Community – anchor, sign of investment, activity spot– Public health – walking, recreation– Environment – air quality, water quality
Forty thousand or more “baby boom” schools 40+ years old… AND …
1.3 million more K-12 students in next couple years– Renovate or build new? Build mega or smaller?– $100-300 BILLION will be spent
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Rules of the game: 2/3
If the cost of renovating a school exceeds some percentage of new construction costs, a new school must be built.
This policy is adopted even when renovation options could yield “like new” schools for less.
2/3 Rule2/3 Rule
60% Rule60% Rule
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Rules of the game: feasibility
Feasibility studies of new vs renovation– Costs of renovation are often
overestimated.– Renovation possibilities are often
overlooked.– Sometimes conducted by consultants who
have financial interest in building new schools.
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EPA commissioned Council of Educational Facilities Planners International (CEFPI) to do a study on state policies.
27 states have some minimum acreage requirement.
Rules of the game: acreage
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Let’s do the math for“Anyburb Senior High”
1500 students 35 acres + 15 = A minimum site size of 50
acres
Ohio- elementary = 10 acres- middle = 20 acres- high = 35 acres- plus another acre for every
100 students
Rules of the game: acreage
Have YOU seen a 50-acre walkable school and schoolyard?
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Signs of change
Gates Foundation - $1B over 5 years creating 1500 new small high schools
NYC – 60 new schools with 500 or fewer students – also Milwaukee, Raleigh, St Paul, others
KnowledgeWorks Foundation – Ohioans prefer smaller high schools by 7-1 margin (<400 vs. >1000)
Chicago study of five elementary schools– Currently: 50% drive, 38% walk or bike– Would prefer: 22% drive, 64% walk or bike
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Some solutions: state policy
Pennsylvania eliminated the 2/3, 60% rule.
Maryland’s School Construction Program favors renovating versus constructing new schools.
New Jersey School Renaissance Zone Program uses schools to catalyze redevelopment.
Maine requires the Dept. of Ed. to consider whether its decisions promote sprawl.
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Some solutions: state policy
South Carolina eliminated acreage requirements in 2003
"Creating more neighborhood schools is one of the most important avenues for advancing quality of life in South Carolina. It makes sense from a learning standpoint, an economic standpoint and it makes sense if you want to have schools that are part of a community's fabric as opposed to part of its sprawl.“- South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford (R), July 16, 2003
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Some solutions: national help
NTHP & SGA: Powerpoint online, outreach campaign
CEFPI: Revised guidelines published 2004
CEFPI & EPA: Forthcoming publication on community schools, benefits & case studies
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What might work for you?
Waivers (but … you must seek special permission to do the right thing)
Partnerships like Safe Routes
Affecting community beliefs / local political pressure
Changing state/local policies
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What else can you do?
Review your community’s school facility master plan.– Closure & consolidation– Repair, renovation, modernization– Expansion & new construction
Support the maintenance of your community’s school facilities.
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For more information...
Contact us– epa.gov/smartgrowth– [email protected]– 202-566-2842
Visit these smart web sites– www.smartgrowth.org– www.smartgrowthamerica.org– www.edfacilities.org/rl/smart_growth.cfm– www.nsbn.org– www.nationaltrust.org/issues/schools– www.cefpi.org/pdf/state_guidelines.pdf