TA Webinar 2012 - Smart Growth America · •Sarah Bowman, Walkable and Livable Communities ......

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SMART GROWTH AMERICA TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WEBINAR

DIAL-IN NUMBER: 866.740.1260

ACCESS CODE: 3355141

September 27, 2012 September 27, 2012

ROGER MILLAR, DIRECTOR OF SMART GROWTH AMERICA’S LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

OVERVIEW OF SMART GROWTH AMERICA TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Smart Growth America’s Leadership Institute assists

states and communities seeking to implement smart growth, supports leaders with training programs and resources, helps state and local governments develop smart growth implementation strategies, and provides them with the necessary tools and technical assistance to help move their communities from visions to plans to execution. http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/leadership-institute

Technical Assistance from Smart Growth America’s Leadership Institute

This technical assistance program is funded under a grant from US EPA's Office of Sustainable Communities through their Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities Program http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/buildingblocks.htm

Support from US EPA’s Office of Sustainable Communities

Smart Growth America providing free technical assistance §  As a national leader in the field, Smart Growth America has

accumulated extensive experience working with communities across the nation.

§  We are now offering free technical assistance to local communities interested in building stronger local economies and realizing fiscal cost savings while protecting human health and the environment.

§  This assistance will help local leaders in urban, suburban and rural communities create local smart growth strategies that make sense for your community.

Technical Assistance ready to go through 12 smart growth tools

12 Smart Growth Tools Implementing Smart Growth 101 Planning for economic and fiscal health

Regional planning for small communities Sustainable land use code audit

Smart growth zoning codes for small cities

Complete streets

Walkability workshop/audit Transportation performance measurement

Parking audit Implementing transit-oriented development 101

Cool planning: local strategies to slow climate change

Using LEED-ND to accelerate the development of sustainable communities

Who is eligible for SGA technical assistance?

Smart Growth America Technical Assistance is available to any unit or subdivision of:

¨  Local government ¨  Regional government ¨  Indian tribe

What makes an application competitive?

¨  Interest in smart growth solutions

¨  Need for technical assistance

¨  Involvement of key community leaders

¨  Readiness to implement

¨  Public involvement

¨  Geographic diversity ¨  Equity

¨  Past receipt of assistance

Primary selection criteria Secondary criteria

• Roger Millar, Smart Growth America and National Complete Streets Coalition

• Jim Charlier, Charlier Associates, Inc

• Chris Duerksen, Clarion Associates

• Eliot Allen, Criterion Planners

• Mandi Roberts, Otak, Inc • Dena Belzar, Strategic Economics

• Sarah Bowman, Walkable and Livable Communities Institute

12 smart growth tools presented by the Technical Assistance Team

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Technical Assistance Team: Smart Growth America Leadership Institute

Implementing Smart Growth 101

Implementing Smart Growth 101 ¨  The Implementing Smart

Growth 101 workshop draws on SGA’s national expertise to provide actionable steps that the community can use to overcome the barriers to smart growth and build stronger economies now and for generations to come.

The workshop:

¨  provides best practices to local leaders in urban, suburban and rural communities working to create housing and transportation choices near jobs, shops and schools

¨  provides the resources to refine and implement local priorities with smart growth strategies that make sense for your community

Implementing Smart Growth 101

¨  set smart growth goals

¨  develop an action plan for implementation using a foundational community planning document

¨  shift funding allocations and economic development plans

¨  craft new policy

¨  amend core planning documents

Local Leaders will learn how to:


Planning for Economic and Fiscal Health

Planning for Fiscal and Economic Health

Smart growth policy can help communities save money now, reduce their liabilities for the future and use targeted investment to spur economic development. The planning for fiscal and economic health workshop helps local leaders foster communities that cost their taxpayers less to build, run and maintain.

The first half of the workshop focuses on ways smart growth helps communities save money by:

¨  increasing tax revenues and reducing tax burdens

¨  attracting new businesses ¨  increasing the efficiency of the labor

market ¨  providing greater stability in times of

uncertainty and rising energy costs ¨  investing public funds to stimulate

private investment ¨  increasing local capital circulation ¨  providing a foundation for long term

fiscal and economic health and competitiveness

Planning for Fiscal and Economic Health

¨  a lack of understanding of the relationship between development and municipal costs and revenues

¨  the importance of growing small and mid-size businesses

¨  the role of adjacency to value creation

¨  Analyze economic development plan

¨  Evaluate how current situation compares to smart growth principles

¨  Create specific changes to strategy

¨  Identify next steps

Participants will learn how to overcome serious barriers including:

Workshop concludes with applied planning session to:


Regional Planning for Small Communities

Regional planning for small communities ¨  Regional planning for

small communities is a one-day workshop to help small communities understand how to plan for and manage growth in a regional context.

The workshop: ¨  helps regions develop the

capacity to identify where growth is most likely to occur

¨  creates strategies for managing growth that preserve community character while enhancing economic competitiveness and quality of life.

Regional planning for small communities

¨  data collection ¨  scenario development ¨  development suitability

analysis ¨  policy development ¨  public engagement

¨  Preserve open space ¨  Protect critical environmental

areas and sensitive land ¨  Reduce urban runoff ¨  Reduce VMT ¨  Respond to an evolving

market ¨  Provide housing choice ¨  Make efficient use of

infrastructure

Topics to be explored: Communities will learn how to:

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Technical Assistance Team: Smart Growth America and the National Complete Streets Coalition

Complete Streets

Complete Streets

¨  Laying the Foundation for Complete Streets

¨  Policy Development ¨  Policy Implementation

¨  help communities set new priorities for transportation investments

¨  craft a CS policy ¨  tackle implementation

challenges

Three distinct workshops These workshops will

Complete Streets

¨  highly interactive

¨  builds local capacity

¨  strengthens relationships between transportation practitioners, community stakeholders, and elected officials

¨  Two nationally-recognized instructors bring planning & engineering expertise

¨  clear, appropriate, and strategic next steps: ¤  Adoption planning ¤  Draft policy language or

¤  Implementation steps

¨  Stronger ties among practitioners

¨  follow-up to provide assistance and maintain momentum

Workshop highlights Outcomes:

Technical Assistance Team: Smart Growth America and Charlier Associates, Inc

Transportation Performance Measurement

Transportation Performance Measurement ¨  Through this workshop, communities

can establish objectives-driven planning, programming and design processes coupled with monitoring and reporting methods that improve the accountability and effectiveness of their transportation programs and systems.

¨  Rather than telling citizens what they “need,” this workshop empowers communities to take control of their transportation programs – streets, transit, pedestrian and bicycle – and deploy them as strategic tools for achieving the community’s objectives.

Materials covered: ¨  Public involvement and

empowerment techniques; ¨  How to translate land use objectives

into transportation performance criteria;

¨  Techniques for integrating the modes into a common vocabulary and measurement system;

¨  Data sources and low-cost measurement systems for tracking transportation performance;

¨  The use of benchmarks and indicators;

¨  Design of monitoring and reporting systems; and,

¨  Examples of performance measures used successfully by communities and regions

Transportation Performance Measurement

Outcomes of workshop include:

¨  Examples of transportation performance measures and their use to guide public investment;

¨  Answers to specific technical questions and problems; ¨  Suggestions for low-cost data and reporting systems; ¨  Community members build a common vocabulary,

debunk common myths, focus on shared values, build or validate common visions, and learn basic principles and practices;

¨  Practical strategies for improving the built environment in ways that bring about increased economic vitality and greater sustainability.

Technical Assistance Team: Smart Growth America and Charlier Associates, Inc

Parking Audit

Parking Audit

¨  The parking audit workshop provides an impartial evaluation of local policies and practices and offers advice based on the state of the practice, with an emphasis on what works well and what should be avoided

¨  Cities often struggle with parking policy and/or implementation

¨  Parking policy can play a major role in encouraging infill and redevelopment and can also support a balanced, sustainable transportation system

Parking Audit

5 elements of parking ¨  Demand ¨  Supply ¨  Economics ¨  Enforcement ¨  Administration

Examples of issues covered ¨  effect of mode share ¨  internal capture ¨  shared parking ¨  paid parking ¨  parking districts ¨  enforcement systems ¨  fee-in-lieu payments

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Technical Assistance Team: Smart Growth America and Clarion Associates

Sustainable Land Use Code Audit


¨  Zoning and subdivision regulations are a key to long-term sustainable development patterns and achieving community sustainability goals.

¨  This workshop provides an assessment of barriers and regulatory gaps in development codes that impede sustainable growth and possible code incentives.

¨  Costs and benefits of sustainable code provisions are discussed along with implementation strategies

Potential Topics:

¨  renewable energy

¨  energy conservation

¨  climate change

¨  recycling

¨  community health

¨  water conservation

¨  housing diversity

¨  urban agriculture

¨  green infrastructure and water quality

¨  natural resource protection


¨  An overview of the 3 paths to a sustainable code—removing barriers, creating incentives, and filling regulatory gaps.

¨  Assessing the costs and benefits of sustainable code provisions.

¨  Examples of best practices from around the nation including how to use the ground-breaking interactive model sustainable development code.

¨  Hands-on working session with local officials to conduct an initial sustainable code assessment

¨  Preliminary sustainability audit of local zoning and subdivision ordinances

¨  Understanding of code issues inhibiting sustainable development patterns and growth.

¨  Know-how to conduct a detailed code assessment

¨  Tips and advice on implementation

One-day workshop includes: Outcomes:

Technical Assistance Team: Smart Growth America and Clarion Associates

Smart Growth Development Codes for Small Cities And Rural Areas

Smart Growth Development Codes for Small Cities And Rural Areas ¨  Small cities and rural areas

often have very different growth and development issues than their big city cousins—but their zoning and subdivision ordinances are often drawn from the same templates.

¨  This workshop will offer a menu of “priority fixes” that local governments can make to their zoning codes to promote smart growth tailored for small cities and rural areas.

Possible areas of focus include: ¨  Housing choices and design ¨  Energy conservation ¨  Natural area and agricultural

land protection tools (TDR, cluster development, etc.)

¨  Green infrastructure ¨  Downtown development

standards ¨  Compact, mixed-use

development and targeted growth areas

¨  Cost of growth ¨  Downtown development

standards

Smart Growth Zoning Codes for Small Cities

¨  Discussion of the principles of small city/rural smart growth and some typical disconnects between those principles, community goals, and local development codes

¨  Focus on tailored list of smart growth audit topics for host community

¨  Hands-on working session with local officials to conduct an initial development code assessment, identify priority fixes in 3-4 topic areas, and discussion of implementation strategies.

¨  Understanding of small town/rural smart growth principles and development challenges

¨  Identification of local smart growth goals in key areas and how development codes can help achieve them

¨  A focused list of local smart growth priority code fixes with tips and advice on implementation strategies

Workshop includes: Outcomes

Technical Assistance Team: Smart Growth America and Criterion Planners

LEED-ND Scorecard Charrette


§  One-day charrette-style workshop. §  Score with ND criteria for smart location,

new urbanism, social equity, green construction.

§  Identify sustainability strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats.

§  Learn how to score other areas.

Select an area and score its sustainability


§  Benchmark existing neighborhood.

§  Evaluate sub-area plan or development proposal.

§  Conceptualize an eco-district.

§  500 acre maximum size.

§  Cross-section of participants

§  30 persons maximum attendance.

§  Pre-charrette distribution of info/ideas.

1. Select area 2. Invite stakeholders

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§  Apply LEED-ND rating system to selected area.

§  Score location, urban design, transportation, infrastructure, bldgs.

§  Feedback: strengths, weaknesses, changes.

§  High-scoring features worthy of follow-up.

§  Repeat scorecard application in other areas.

§  Additional ND leveraging opportunities.

§  LEED-ND resource toolkit.

3. Charrette workshop 4. Post-workshop guidance

Technical Assistance Team: Smart Growth America and Otak, Inc.



This workshop seeks to actively involve communities in the process of finding solutions that can be implemented at the local level to slow climate change including:

¨  Grow cooler ¨  Grow more compact ¨  Get centered ¨  Mix up your land uses ¨  Recycle urban land and

buildings ¨  Make streets complete

¨  Make way for pedestrians ¨  Make your community bicycle-

friendly ¨  Get well-connected ¨  Put parking in its place ¨  Make way for transit and

transit-oriented development ¨  Change travel habits ¨  Find better models for big trip

generators ¨  Green your buildings ¨  Plant trees in your town or

neighborhood


¨  The workshop will draw on a technical assistance team that has facilitated hundreds of smart growth and sustainable community development presentations, programs, and workshops in communities across the US and abroad

¨  Insulation against future gas price hikes

¨  Energy independence

¨  Retention of local dollars

¨  Lower transportation costs

¨  More active and healthier communities

Demonstrated expertise Benefits of “cool planning”

Technical Assistance Team: Smart Growth America and Strategic Economics

Implementing transit-oriented development 101


Workshop Objectives: ¨  To provide workshop attendees with an

understanding of what TOD is and how this development pattern can help shape future growth.

¨  To provide insights into the opportunities and challenges associated with TOD implementation

Transit Oriented Development Benefits ¤  Enhanced access to the transit network by

households of all incomes.

¤  Reduced automobile trips and greenhouse gas emissions.

¤  Reduced transportation costs.

¤  Improved public health due to increased walking and cycling.

¤  Improved access to local and regional amenities.

¤  Improved workforce access to job opportunities.

¤  Increased transit ridership.

¤  Creation of a sense of community and place.


£  Integrating regional growth with local station areas

£  Capturing TOD market demand

£  Station area planning £  Implementation / financing

Strategies

Topics to be Discussed: Communities will learn about:

¨  Shaping regional growth patterns with transit

¨  Employment connectivity and transit

¨  Planning for transit corridors

¨  Equitable TOD

Technical Assistance Team: Smart Growth America and the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute

Walkability Workshop/Audit


Participants will learn:

¨  Why walkability is important and how it benefits a community, including the health, economic, environmental and social benefits

¨  Opportunities for improvement on local roadways and in local neighborhoods

¨  How best to design streets that support all users, including drivers, walkers, transit users, bicyclists, commuters, kids and the elderly

¨  How to use a walkability checklist and lead walkability audits for others

It all starts with pre-event coordination to ensure a shared understanding of community needs and goals, and to build the most appropriate workshop and audit route to meet those needs.

Topics covered:

q  Principles of walkability and livability

q  Tools of walkability and livability, such as road diets, Complete Streets, traffic calming, sidewalks and trails, bike lanes, roundabouts, parking, mixed land uses and more. (Example: image on previous slide)

q  Effective community outreach and successful civic engagement

q  Implementation, “inspiration to action”

Workshop highlights:

¨  Technical presentation

¨  Partnership-building exercises

¨  Community visioning

¨  Walkability audit

¨  Short design session

¨  Creation of a working group

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National expertise:

¨  The team members collectively have conducted thousands of walkability audits and workshops throughout North America over the past 20 years, in various contexts, including rural, urban and suburban communities with a broad range of demographics and economic drivers.

¨  The workshop and audits are continually refined to be effective as planning and engineering environments have changed, and in the presence of new technology and communications tools.

Takeaways for recipient organizations:

¨  a report that summarizes findings and observations from the workshop

¨  a series of next steps the working group and community should undertake to become more walkable and livable

¨  descriptions of best practices that will aid in the implementation of next steps

September 27, 2012

ELLA KRIVITCHENKO, SMART GROWTH AMERICA LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

APPLICATION PROCESS, DEADLINES AND SCHEDULE

Deadlines

¨  The deadline for Smart Growth America Technical Assistance is October 25th, 2012 at 5:00 pm EST

¨  Applications received after this deadline will not be reviewed.

¨  Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

¨  SGA reserves the right to reject any or all applications as not meeting its requirements.

Applications must be submitted online through SGA web portal

¨  Most important link: http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/technical-assistance/free-annual-workshops

¨  SGA requires all applicants to upload a letter of commitment as part of the application.

¨  A pdf of all application materials can be found on our

website.

Pre-Application Assistance

¨  Any communication regarding this proposal shall be in writing to [email protected].

¨  The SGA project team will contact you promptly. SGA requests that applicants not contact other SGA staff.

Technical Assistance Notification

¨  Successful proposers will be notified by November 20, 2012.

¨  Recipients of technical assistance will report

regularly (at a minimum 30 days, six months, and a year after the assistance) on progress implementing any local solutions that result from the assistance.

Questions? All webinar materials will be posted at www.smartgrowthamerica.org by the end of the week

Remember our webportal address: http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/technical-assistance/free-annual-workshops

Technical Assistance from Smart Growth America’s Leadership Institute

TA Webinar 2012 - Smart Growth America · •Sarah Bowman, Walkable and Livable Communities ......

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