Harriet Tregoning

District of Columbia Office of Planning

Local Contributions to Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions

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The Washington Metro Region: the New Eco-heros?

• The move to Green is snowballing

• Climate/Carbon is gaining currency

• Role of urbanism/settlement patterns underplayed

• Reasons to believe past behavior not a good predictor

• Concentrations of Walkable Urbanity -

– Communities of choice(s)

• Affinity

• Options

• Cachet

– Aggregators of benefits

District of ColumbiaGreen Building Act of 2006

• Initially Funded in FY’08

– District or Instrumentality; New Construction, Disposition

by Lease, Schools

• Meet LEED NC or CS, Silver

– Residential (10,000+ sf)

• Green Communities Standard

• Beginning January 1, 2009

Non-Residential (50,000+ sf)

• Submit LEED Checklist to DCRA (at time of any

permit app.)

• Beginning January 1, 2012

– All Non-Residential (50,000+ sf)

• Meet LEED NC or CS, Basic Certification

NAR Building, Washington DC; LEED Gold

LEED Projects in DC

• LEED Certified : 20 (6)

• LEED Registered: 204 (40)

• LEED ND Pilots: 8

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CO2 Emission Sources

18%21% 33%

Buildings and transportation account for 72% of US CO2 emissions

Source: EPA; INVENTORY OF U.S. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND SINKS: 1990-2005

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Buildings alone are not the answer…• The average US citizen takes about 1,500

daily trips a year.

– 45 percent of daily trips are taken for shopping

and errands

– 27 percent of daily trips are social and

recreational, such as visiting a friend

– 15 percent of daily trips are taken for

commuting

• Half the trips we make are less than three miles, 40 percent are less than two miles; 28 percent are less than one mile ; and 13.7% are less than a half mile. Yet 75 percent of trips of less than one mile are made by car.

Sources: National Household Travel Survey, 1995. 2001-2002, US FHA; National Walking and Bicycling Study, Environmental Building News, Aug 2007, Driving to Green Buildings: The

Transportation Energy Intensity of Buildings

Comparing Transportation and Operating Energy Use for an Office Building

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Attributes of a Globally Competitive City/Region

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Attributes of a Globally Competitive City/Region

10Larry Frank, University of British Columbia

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Three Policy Levers

Cleaner fuel Less CO2 produced for each gallon.

Fuel technology.

Better fuel efficiencyMore miles traveled per gallon.

Vehicle technology.

Drive lessFewer miles traveled.

Reduce travel demand. Change behavior.

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SETTING THE STAGE• ARLINGTON LOBBIED STRONGLY FOR AN UNDERGROUND ROUTE ALONG THE OLD

COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR VS ALONG THE MEDIAN OF FUTURE HIGHWAY

• Put up $300 million local money for preferred routes and more stations

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M

M

M

M

M

Lower Density ZoningLower Density Zoning

View of Rosslyn-Ballston Metro Corridor Development Patterns

Potomac River

The Capitol

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MEASURING SUCCESS

R-B CORRIDOR 1970 R-B CORRIDOR TODAY

22,000 jobs

5.5 million sf office

7,000 housing units

94,000 jobs

23.5 million sf office

24,500 housing units

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MEASURING SUCCESS

1991

ROSSLYN

• 13,637

COURT HOUSE

• 5,561

CLARENDON

• 2,964

BALLSTON

• 9,482

2004

ROSSLYN

• 30,663

COURT HOUSE

• 14,191

CLARENDON

• 6,848

BALLSTON

• 22,957

METRO RIDERSHIP (Average daily entries and exits)

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Diversifying Transportation• Biking

Paris SmartBikes

…Coming to DC in 2008

Bike Lanes – 26 miles -- > 60

• Car Sharing

– 700+ cars in 26 DC

Neighborhoods

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Growing Cooler

• What reduction in vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) is possible in the United States with compact development rather than continuing urban sprawl?

• What reduction in CO2 emissions will accompany such a reduction in VMT?

• What policy changes will be required to shift the dominant land development pattern from sprawl to compact development?

• AND DO COMMUNITIES WANT IT?

20-40% VMT Reduction for Each

Increment of Compact Development

7-10% Reduction in Total CO2 Emissions

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• Carrots – make options more viable

– Increase transit service / facilities

– Transit price incentives (passes, lower fares)

– Investments in pedestrian and cycling facilities – bike sharing services, sidewalks, crosswalks, bicycle lanes/parking

– Supportive land use changes (e.g. closer destinations, mix of uses)

• Sticks—increase costs to drive

– Taxes (gas, carbon, VMT, etc)

– Cordon Charges (London, Singapore, NYC?)

– Distance-based vehicle insurance

– Distance-based development impact fees

– Road pricing

How do we Reduce Vehicle Travel?

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ProximityProximity

Connect-Connect-ivityivity

2 KM2 KM

1 KM1 KM

Larry Frank, University of British Columbia

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•Mixed UseMixed Use•DensityDensity•Street ConnectivityStreet Connectivity•Amount of RetailAmount of Retail

Census Census Block Block

GroupsGroups

WalkabilityWalkability

Larry Frank, University of British Columbia

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Larry Frank, University of British Columbia

Walkscore.com

Multiple Choices all within a mile walk…

• Grocery

• Schools

• Parks

• Libraries

• Fitness

• Drugstores

• Hardware

• Clothing

• Restaurants

• Bars

• Theaters

777 N. Cap = 86

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Source: LUTAQH final report, King County ORTP, 2005

10

10.5

11

11.5

12

12.5

0 - 4 4 - 7 7 - 10 10 -15 15+

Net Residential Density (housing units per residential acre)

CO

2 (K

G)

-- m

ean

dai

ly p

er

per

son

10

10.5

11

11.5

12

12.5

0 - 4 4 - 7 7 - 10 10 -15 15+

Net Residential Density (housing units per residential acre)

CO

2 (K

G)

-- m

ean

dai

ly p

er

per

son

North Redmond Queen Anne

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Source: LUTAQH final report, King County ORTP, 2005

8

9

10

11

12

13

0 - 0.1 0.1 - 0.2 0.2 - 0.3 0.3 - 0.4 0.4+

Intersections per acre

CO

2 (K

G)

-- m

ean

dai

ly p

er

per

son

8

9

10

11

12

13

0 - 0.1 0.1 - 0.2 0.2 - 0.3 0.3 - 0.4 0.4+

Intersections per acre

CO

2 (K

G)

-- m

ean

dai

ly p

er

per

son

North Redmond Queen Anne

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– FuelsFuels

– Vehicle TechnologyVehicle Technology

– Demand ReductionDemand Reduction

• Pricing Strategies

– Pay as you drive Insurance

– Distance Based Impact Fee Systems

– Peak Hour Congestion Pricing

• Prioritize Funding for Energy Efficient Modes of Travel (transit, walk, bike)

• Make seamless linkages between walk, bike (local) and transit (regional)

• Put Wider Range of Housing Types and Prices Points in More Walkable Settings

• Bring Residential, Commercial/Retail, Office, Institutional, and Recreational Uses Closer Together

• Tie federal transportation dollars to projects that are consistent with an approved and enforced growth plan

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Built Environment versus Individual Preferences

People Turning 65 Annually1996-2025

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96

19

97

19

98

19

99

20

00

20

01

20

02

20

03

20

04

20

05

20

06

20

07

20

08

20

09

20

10

20

11

20

12

20

13

20

14

20

15

20

16

20

17

20

18

20

19

20

20

20

21

20

22

20

23

20

24

20

25

Y e a r

0

5 0 0

1 ,0 0 0

1 ,5 0 0

2 ,0 0 0

Th

ou

san

ds

Pe

op

le T

urn

ing

65

in Y

ea

r

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Decline in Households with Kids

Household 1960 2000 2025With Children 48% 33% 28%Without Children 52% 67% 72%

Single 13% 26% 28%

Source: Census for 1960 and 2000, 2025 adapted from Martha Farnsworth Riche, How Changes in the Nation’s Age and Household Structure Will Reshape Housing Demand in the 21st Century, HUD (2003).

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BedZed (London Borough of Sutton)

Any reason to believe behavior will change?

Residential VMT decreased 65%

Green Transport Plan

• Solid Transit Links

• ‘Pedestrian First’ Priority

• Limited Parking

• Car Sharing

• Car Pool

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Any reason to believe behavior will change?