River Region Smart Growth

 

 

 

3.21.07

RiverRegionSmartGrowth.com has a new home at http://riverregionsmartgrowth.blogspot.com.  This new home will allow more images, more updates, and more feedback from our readers. 

This site will remain the home for the 2005 and 2006 RiverRegionSmartGrowth.com archives with all new content being added and archived over at the new site.

So, please re-bookmark http://riverregionsmartgrowth.blogspot.com.  And, as always, we appreciate your continued readership and feedback...

Chad.

3.20.07

Here's another reason why walkable schools make more sense:

 Children riding school buses suffer more injuries than previous public
 data have suggested, according to a report in the November issue of
 Pediatrics that examined a national database of emergency room visits.

3.19.07

I'm here in beautiful Tampa, Florida working on an article for Event Solutions Magazine.  While here, I discovered the Tampa streetcar system and thought:  yes, Montgomery would benefit from restoring its own version of this electric trolley.

Safe, efficient, and fun to ride--the proposed restoration of Montgomery's Lightning Route makes more sense than ever to me...

3.13.07

WSFA recently did an editorial supporting the principles behind the recent Smart Growth & Schools Summit that Envision 2020, Jones School of Law, and the Seaside Institute partnered on. 

We've received a ton of positive feedback on this critical issue and hope to be able to soon discuss some specific initiatives coming out of the event.

3.12.07

Prevention Magazine has just released its Top 100 Most Walkable Cities.  Noticeably absent is any city in Alabama (except for Birmingham which barely sneaks in at #95).

Obviously, this represents a major embarassment--and challenge--to the River Region and Alabama, in general.

When will this critical health and safety issue become a priority in our state?

3.08.07  What About a More Walkable River Region--Out of Necessity, Maybe?

We recently read that the average Atlantan spends a higher percentage of their money on transportation costs than housing costs (roughly 21% vs. 19%). 

Which then led to an interesting discussion we recently had in which this very probing (and, frankly, somewhat scary) question was asked:

If gas cost $4.50 per gallon, could you continue to afford to live your current lifestyle?

What about $4.00 per gallon?  $5.00?

As in, could you continue to drive when you currently do, where you currently do, and how often you currently do.

Take a moment and think hard about your answer.

Then, consider this question:

From where you currently live, can safely and legally walk to a store and buy a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk?

If your answer is No to both, then well, let's just say (with no pun intended)--"Houston, we have a problem"

RiverRegionSmartGrowth.com will analyze that problem in much more detail in the weeks to come...

3.04.07

Ever wonder what Montgomery and the River Region looked like from a birds-eye view?

This post from the Skyscraper Forums does a good job showing just that.

3.05.07

Here's a real interesting slideshow story from Slate.com on the 25th Anniversary of Seaside.  Definitely worth a look.

2.27.07

This editorial from Sunday's Montgomery Advertiser discusses the plan for revitalizing downtown Montgomery:

These are not pipe dreams. The city now has a plan and it will take cooperation and leadership on many fronts -- elected officials, investors, developers and neighborhood associations -- to make it come together. Our children and our children's children will be the beneficiaries.

2.26.07

Here's an columnfrom the Birmingham News discussing the recently-held Smart Growth & Schools Summit here at the law school.

There's early talk of taking portions of this event on the road for smaller one day versions of the event.  If you'd like details, just email cemerson@faulkner.edu

2.23.07

The Dover Kohl-designed master plan for Downtown Montgomerywas unanimously approved by the city's planning commission.  A very important step for the revitalization of Montgomery's historic downtown.

2.22.07

Here's the online versionof the Montgomery Independent article on the recent Smart Growth & Schools Summit at Jones School of Law.

2.21.07

Well, the Smart Growth & Schools Summit is now complete and the feedback we've received has been almost uniformly positive.  Thanks to everyone for their participation and support.

Also, we saw this storyin the Advertiser this morning. 

Unfortunately, it appears that this project has decided not to include any ground floor office or retail space for these attached residential units.  "Unfortunate" because a mixture of such uses is not only more sustainable in the long-term but--studies and real world examples are increasingly showing--more profitable, to

Two developers are teaming up to build 414 luxury apartments as part of a 750-acre project under way along Cobbs Ford Road that will blend residential, commercial and recreational properties.

Called The Park at HomePlace, the apartment community's 34 acres will boast lakes, streams and green space with walking and jogging trails.

Quite simply, a missed opportunity for an area in Prattville that is in desperate need of a long-term land use strategy.

2.19.07

Day one of the Smart Growth & Schools Summithere at Jones School of Law is going great.  We'll have some photos up soon.

In the meantime, here's an interesting storyabout some homebuilding trends and innovations spotted at the recently completed annual Homebuilders Show in Orlando.

2.15.07

Here's an articlethat ran in the Montgomery Advertiser yesterday by Tim Torma with the U.S. EPA.  Tim is one of our presenters at the Smart Growth & Schools Summitthis upcoming Monday and Tuesday.

His guest column does a great job explaining why smart growth principles are so important for school location and design:

Investments in educational facilities represent one of the largest capital outlays many local governments make. Over the next few decades, thousands of schools will be built or renovated across the country. Decisions about the construction and renovation of these schools will have important implications for their communities.

The upcoming Smart Growth & Schools Summit on Feb. 19-20 at Faulkner University's Jones School of Law will focus on these critical issues in great detail. Here's why:

The average school size has grown and new schools have increasingly located on large sites away from the neighborhoods and towns they serve. The National Center for Education Statistics notes that the number of schools in the United States decreased from 262,000 in 1930 to 91,000 today, while student population over the same time has risen from 28 million to 53.5 million. The student population continues to grow; the U.S. Department of Education estimates that by 2030, it will reach 60 million.

The trend of school consolidation/larger schools is a key driver of the trend towards schools on large sites at the edges of the communities they serve. Compounding the problem, in many places there is a policy bias in favor of constructing new schools rather than renovating or expanding existing ones. Guidelines, recommendations and standards that encourage or require building large schools on new campuses are embedded in a variety of regulations and laws.

2.14.07

Thanks to a reader for forwarding along this smart growth-related storyfrom the Birmingham paper:

Under the regulations, the planning staff will analyze each tract proposed for development based on proximity to major highways, retail, schools, utilities and emergency services.

The resulting numerical score places the tract into one of three tiers. Those close to services are entitled to the most dense development in any of three subdivision types.

A developer could choose to build the type of conventional subdivision that has dominated development in Shelby County. But if the property lies in a more remote area, the developer might be limited to minimum five-acre lots. That is not the case now.

There are two other types of development offered under the rules:

Conservation subdivisions, where homes are clustered and much of the tract remains undisturbed open space.

Form-based subdivisions, where development is densest around a central point and gradually thins out near the edges. Mt Laurel, with its town center of neighborhood shops and restaurants, is an example of that type of development.

The form-based idea behind these regulations sound interesting but the thought of minimum 5 acre lots gives us pause as that would seem to be a decidedly unsustainable growth pattern.  Needless to say, this should be interesting to follow...

2.13.07

Here's a storyby Bill Rice of the Montgomery Independent covering the upcoming Smart Growth & Schools Summit(as well as some general smart growth issues).  Like the King Kudzu article, we couldn't find an on-line copy though.  If you do, please let us know at cemerson@faulkner.edu.

2.11.07

Here's a columnfrom the Birmingham News that mentions next week's big Smart Growth & Schools Summitin Montgomery while discussing the challenges faced by not building schools using smart growth principles.

2.10.07

Be sure and check out the latest issue of King Kudzu.  It has an excellent story (with lots of images) regarding the Dover Kohl Downtown Montgomery plan (unfortunately, we couldn't find it on-line--if anyone does, please let us know at cemerson@faulkner.edu and we'll post a link to it).

2.03.07

The big Jones School of Law/Envision 2020 "Smart Growth & Schools Summit"is just a couple of weeks away.  Here's a radio interviewthat Lynn Beshear and I recently did on the event.

1.28.07

Looks like Troy, Alabama may be close to getting its first Traditional Neighborhood Development:

A Dothan-based developer who is eyeing Troy for a new planned residential community is hoping to recreate the look and feel of traditional neighborhoods.

Hugh Wheelless of Wheelless Development said he remembers growing up in a neighborhood where everything was within walking distance.

“I walked to school. I could walk to church and to the grocery store,” Wheelless said.

And while such sidewalk communities were an urban staple during the first part of the 20th century, the rise of the automobile and the move towards the suburbs have left such traditional community designs behind.

Also, Lynn Beshear and I will be on local public radio at 11.30am this morning to further discuss the upcoming Smart Growth & Schools Summit.

A big thanks to our primary sponsor Alfa as well as our meal sponsors Regions Bank, the Gannett Foundation, and TCU Consulting.

1.27.07

A reader from the Birmingham area sent us this articleand this articleon smart growth happenings.  Definitely worth a read.  From the first article:

The magic that made Homewood into a jewel of Jefferson County suburbs - with soaring property prices, schools in the state's top tier and neighborhoods that wear their history with pride - could be lost in unchecked development that changes the city's character, some residents say.

Several big projects under way have been preceded by contentious public debate over whether Homewood is building too much, too fast.

"Look at what happened to English Village in Mountain Brook," said Realtor Mary Browning, who lives on Oxmoor Road near Palisades. "It used to be a quaint, beautiful place. Then all the development over there ruined it. The traffic is terrible, there's no parking and it's dangerous to cross the street, even for adults."

And, from the second one:

National civic design expert Dan Burden's walking audit of downtown Mobile on Friday morning revealed that the city center has "great bones" in terms of historic buildings and trees, but also some problem areas that must be addressed in order to nurture the city's economic growth.

The tour, which drew more than three dozen participants on a damp, chilly morning, started at the Downtown Mobile Alliance office on Dauphin Street and meandered through Bienville Square, across Water Street and back down Government, then up Conception and through Cathedral Square back to Dauphin.

 

1.26.07

Here'sa recent Central Alabama Business Journal interview with Riverfront Foundation Executive Director (who we're told is apparently switching jobs over to the housing authority soon) on the prospects for downtown development:

CABJ: What is the operating budget?

Archie: We currently receive $125,000 from the city of Montgomery. There is a contract between the city of Montgomery and the Montgomery Riverfront Development Foundation. The contract ends in 2008 and the (money) is for programs such as launching a downtown Web site. We also issued (request for qualified firms) for mixed-use project on Coosa Street that would be part of the city’s goal to establish a parking deck.

CABJ: With condos?

Archie: Yes.

CABJ: Is there a developer for the condos and I’ve heard the plan is for 60 condos?

Archie: There is a developer and 60 is correct. The city is in negotiations with Capstone Development out of Birmingham. There would be 350 public parking spaces with retail and housing.

CABJ: Does that mean the mixed-use project will be developed eventually?

Archie: We are hoping – they are in negotiations right now.

1.22.07

The mini-YMCA at The Waters has officially openedand--coming from this resident--it's the best amenity in any neighborhood that we've ever lived in.  Come on out to The Watersand check it out. 

Also, the chapel at The Waters just broke ground and we're told that it is scheduled to be available for weddings by mid to late Summer.

And, finally, while not nearly as high profile, the new firepit at The Waters continues to be a great amenity.  We just had a birthday party there and it was beautiful at sunset.

 

1.21.07

Here'san interesting op-ed from today's Advertiser about the history of the Cloverdale area. 

There was also an interesting article on the front page of the Real Estate section about development in the Cloverdale area.  Unfortunately, we can't find that article in the on-line version.  Definitely worth checking out if you can find a Sunday Advertiser around.

 

1.19.07

I recently wrote an article for Event Solutions magazine profiling Nashville, Tennessee as a destination.  You can read it here (and, if you're interested in the amusement industry--and especially Disney--you can read all my various magazine articles here).

 

1.17.07

Here's a classic example  of a misguided solution:

The state Department of Transportation is paying $146,400 to remove more than 100 trees that were planted in the U.S. 31 median in Vestavia Hills and Homewood in a beautification effort about 20 years ago.

The uprooting project, scheduled to start at 9 p.m. Tuesday with two inside lanes blocked off until morning traffic resumes, is aimed at bringing the median into compliance with federal safety standards and reduce the state agency's liability, according to DOT officials.

"It's a shame. I really hate to see the trees go," Vestavia Hills Mayor Scotty McCallum told The Birmingham News.

Workers will replace the trees with hundreds of crape myrtles, holly bushes and lilies, designed to make the median attractive as well as less hazardous.

Is it really the trees that are making that road less safe?  Or maybe its the fact that the roads are designed to be driven at high speeds and motorists are doing just that. 

Design a road safely and it will almost always perform safely--trees or no trees.

1.16.07

Here's a story about another school facilities plan that DeJong--the consultant used by Montgomery Public Schools--recently completed:

DeJONG also recommends breaking most of the city’s large comprehensive high schools into smaller learning communities, where each student is well-known and stable relationships between students and teachers can be cultivated.

One model breaks a 1,200-student high school into three smaller schools; the other calls for a small high school of no more than 750 students that would also be divided into smaller units.

1.15.07

Chamber of Commerce-types and others interested in revitalizing cities should really read this article carefully.  It's a new paradigm from before:

1.14.07

Little Rock, Arkansas is alot like Montgomery in that they both are Southern state capitals--similar in size and chock full of history. 

The Thursday evening downtown master plan unveiling will recommend the restoration of the Montgomery streetcar system. 

This storydiscusses how that strategy has done very well in several cities recently--including extremely well in Little Rock.

1.09.07

This Thursday.  6.30pm.  Davis Theatre at Troy's downtown campus.  The final downtown Dover Kohl plan will be unveiled.  If you are at all interested in downtown revitalization, this is a must-see event.

1.07.07

Someone was recently trying to convince me that TNDs (like The Waters or Hampstead) are really just fads and will never be embraced by the nation's larger developers.

Well, um, I think that this might indicate otherwise(note:  the project discussed in the article isn't the world's greatest but it certainly is a shift away from what that company conventionally does).