reset to default: making building reuse the new normal

Reset to Default:Making Building Reuse the New Normal

Hidden in Plain Sight Adaptive Reuse Summit

WALL STREET THEATER, NORWALK, CT – MARCH 1, 2019

Jim Lindberg, Vice President, Research & Policy Lab

Research & Policy Lab

Data and solutions

for more inclusive, healthy, and resilient communities

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c. 1979

Research & Policy LabTesting assumptions and assertions

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Buildings

48%Transport

27%

Other

25%

GHG emissions US

Buildings

70%

Transport

20%

Other

10%

GHG emissions US Cities

Importance of Building Sector

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Local materials Climate sensitiveDurable

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Party walls DaylightingBuilding form

Restore Simple Retrofit Deep Retrofit

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Grey Brown

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Red

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“The greenest building is one that is already built.”

Carl Elefante, AIA

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Compared two scenarios:

1. Rehabilitation and retrofitting an existing building

2. Demolition and replacement with efficient new construction

The Greenest Building Research & Policy Lab Study

Life Cycle Stages

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Single-family

residential

Multifamily

residentialUrban village

mixed-use

Commercial

Office

Elementary

schools

Case Study Buildings

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Portland

Phoenix

Chicago

Atlanta

Climate Regions

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The Year of Carbon Equivalency

Average existing vs. 30% more efficient new

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Existing

Historic

New

“green” construction

Energy Use: New vs. Historic

dem

30 yr

Energy Use

15 yr

Assumptions:

• Both houses are same size

• New house uses half of annual energy used by existing

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Jane Jacobs“Cities need old buildings so badly it is probably impossible

for vigorous streets and districts to grow without them.”

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First empirical test of Jane

Jacobs’ theories about the

importance of retaining a fine-

grained mix of old and new

buildings for healthy, livable

urban neighborhoods.

Older, Smaller, BetterResearch & Policy Lab Study

Does character matter?

• Street life and walkability

• Restaurants and small business

• Employment

• Diversity

• Affordability

• Residential density

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+ + =

Building Age Age Diversity Granularity “Character Score”

Measuring urban buildings and blocks

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“Character Score”

for Hartford

Red

Older, smaller, mixed-age blocks

Blue

Newer, larger, similar-age blocks

Newer, larger, similar-age Older, smaller, mixed-age

Does built character matter?

Google maps Illustration images: Denver

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Newer, larger, similar-age Older, smaller, mixed-age

Healthy and active

MorePedestrian and transit use

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Newer, larger, similar-age Older, smaller, mixed-age

Land efficient

Greater Population density

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Newer, larger, similar-age Older, smaller, mixed-age

Density at human scale

More Housing units

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Newer, larger, similar-age Older, smaller, mixed-age

Naturally occurring affordable housing

More Affordable housing units

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Newer, larger, similar-age Older, smaller, mixed-age

Economically diverse

MoreSmall businesses

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Newer, larger, similar-age Older, smaller, mixed-age

Economically resilient

MoreLocal businesses

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Newer, larger, similar-age Older, smaller, mixed-age

Economically inclusive

MoreWoman- and minority-owned

businesses

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Newer, larger, similar-age Older, smaller, mixed-age

Economically vibrant

More jobs per square foot

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Newer, larger, similar-age Older, smaller, mixed-age

Home for the new economy

More creative jobs per square foot

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Newer, larger, similar-age Older, smaller, mixed-age

Energy efficient

Less energy use per square foot

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Newer, larger, similar-age Older, smaller, mixed-age

Socially connected

MoreCivic commons spaces

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Newer, larger, similar-age Older, smaller, mixed-age

Places for people

More24-7 activity

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Newer, larger, similar age Older, smaller, mixed-age

Cities need old buildings

Character

counts

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San Francisco San Francisco

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Urban “Renewal”Original Urbanism ReUrbanism

ReUrbanism Learning from the past to shape better cities for all

1920s 1960s 21st century

Denver 1930

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Denver 1975

Denver 1975

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Denver 2016

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Larimer Square

ReUrbanismis about great cities.

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Cities that are for people, not cars,

that are diverse, authentic and

vibrant.

Larimer Square

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Cities that conserve and reuse older

buildings to create a more

sustainable, equitable future.

Larimer Square

Challenges for cities

equity and displacement

density and affordability

carbon pollution and sea level riseBaltimore

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Atlas of ReUrbanism

50 Cities

• Buildings & blocks

• Designations

• Economics

• Demographics

• Performance

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HartfordBuildings by the Numbers

• 17,432 buildings

• 90% 50 years or older

• 71% built pre-1945

• 1925 median year built

• 33% on National Register

• 0.8% locally designated

In Hartford, compared to areas with larger, newer, similar age structures,

character rich blocks of older, smaller, mixed age buildings contain:

Three times the population density

Three times as many housing units

30% more jobs in small businesses

40% more jobs in new businesses

Nearly 50% more creative sector jobs

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40,735

17,354

17,432

29,980

9,649

12,459

2,118

1,874

138

5,051

5,830

Providence RI

Portland ME

Hartford CT

NR Listed

Locally designated

Built before 1945

Total Buildings

Buildings designated

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50

4.3 %of buildings are

locally designated

on average among

the 50 cities in the

Atlas of ReUrbanism

50

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• Learning from Los Angeles (October 2013)

• Retrofitting Philadelphia (September 2014)

• Building on Baltimore’s History (November 2014)

• Building on Chicago’s Strengths (May 2016)

• Unlocking Potential of Detroit’s Neighborhoods (Aug 2016)

• Reuse and Revitalization in Jacksonville (May 2017)

• Untapped Potential: Strategies for Revitalization and Reuse (October 2017)

Foundational Research & Policy Work 52

Outdated zoning codes

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Old zoning codesNTHP Illustration images: Colfax Avenue, Denver

X

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Old zoning codesNTHP Illustration images: Colfax Avenue, Denver

X

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NTHP Illustration images: Colfax Avenue, Denver

Better zoning codes

X

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Old zoning codesNTHP Illustration image: Denver

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Better zoning codes

NTHP Illustration image: Philadelphia

Base Zone

Districts

Historic

Districts

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More Zoning Tools

tools gap

Base Zone

Districts

Historic

Districts

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More Zoning Tools

tools gap

Adaptive

Reuse

Overlay

Districts

Conservation

Overlay

Districts

Contextual

Parking Rules

2010 study of parking spaces in Tippecanoe

County, Indiana (155,000)

11 parking spaces for every family

250,000 more parking spaces than

there are cars and trucks

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Parking required

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No parking required!

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Density without Demolition

Left: Downtown Louisville, KY. Map credit: Erik Weber Right: Louisville, KY. Image credit: Andy Snow

Surface parking

Parking garagesUrban Refill:

Vacant buildings

Upper floors

Empty lots

Parking lots

Brownfields

Greyfields

Energy Benchmarking

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5

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New York City energy benchmarking results

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Outcome-based energy codes

past energy codes future energy codes?

Exemplary!

Demolition and Deconstruction Ordinances

Avoid and mitigate wasteful demolition

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Incentivize local businesses

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Legacy Business Registry Grants for businesses and property owners of properties with

30 years of operation who have maintained an identity, name and craft

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San Francisco, CA

Adaptive Reuse Ordinances

Package regulatory relief, expedited plan reviews, fee waivers

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0

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Phoenix, AZ Los Angeles, CA

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Opportunity Zones

• Capital gains tax benefit for

investment that creates economic

activity in one of 8,700 OZ census

tracts, focused on areas with high

poverty rates and low income levels.

• No federal powers/few guardrails.

• 48% of Main Streets are in OZ’s.

• Of the 1,035 HTC projects in 2017,

46% are in OZ’s.

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Madison and Broad streets, Frog Hollow HD

Opportunity Zones

• Capital gains tax benefit for

investment that creates economic

activity in one of 8,700 OZ census

tracts, focused on areas with high

poverty rates and low income levels.

• No federal powers/few guardrails.

• 48% of Main Streets are in OZ’s.

• Of the 1,035 HTC projects in 2017,

46% are in OZ’s.

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Make reuse the default choice for cities

and demolition the last resort

Hartford

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National Trust for Historic Preservation:www.savingplaces.org/reurbanism

Research & Policy Lab reports:www.savingplaces.org/research-policy-lab

Jim Lindberg, VP Research & Policy Labjlindberg@savingplaces.org