smart growth citizenship

Smart Growth Citizenship

Motivations for today’s session• Planners vs. The Public. “When we ask, “What would you like to see

here?”, we suggest that all ideas have comparable merit. That they’re all equally worthy of implementation, even though we know that’s not the case. We lead people to believe that if they ask for a library, there will be a library, regardless of whether or not one’s needed. Or budgeted. Or carries with it the necessary political will to become real. We draw the requested coffee shop or grocery store, with no consideration of market demand or the fact that the city plays no role in leasing decisions. We take orders when we should be leading participants towards answers.” – A blog published this week

• Stress over constrained public resources. “We don’t want another plan. We have plenty of them. They all sit on the shelves. We need an implementation strategy.” – Local officials in communities all over the country

Cities have the capability of providing something for

everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by

everybody-- Jane Jacobs

Behind all the current buzz about collaboration is a discipline. And with all due respect to the ancient arts of governing and diplomacy, the more recent art of collaboration does represent something new -- maybe Copernican. If it contained a silicon chip, we’d all be excited.-- John Gardner 1990s

1960s

Brief History of a Movement

Look @ What’s Happening Today

• National League of Cities survey of U.S. Cities (2010) - 81 percent use public engagement processes "often" (60 percent) or "sometimes" (21 percent)

• American Planning Association (2012) – “More than 50 percent want to personally be involved in community planning efforts, including more than half of Democrats, Republicans, and independents as well as majorities of urban, suburban, and rural respondents.”

• The Citizen Planner is pervasive, and the intellectual children of Jane Jacobs are ever-growing. Civil Society rules.

Local Government is Well-Positioned

• Non-Partisan. Over 60 percent of local Govs are Council-Manager systems.

• Trust in Government. 74 percent trust local government (as opposed to just 34 percent for Congress)

• Social Capital Peaking. recent study: 76% trust most or some of their neighbors, 44% talk to them frequently and 65% exchange favors.

So-called ‘Secrets’ to success

• Emphasis on civic, not political• Vision tied to action• Community Engagement and Process• Novel Partnerships • Extend and Expand Community Investment• Customization

Facilitating Citizen-Led Change

• Democratic wave during last 25 years at the local level• Decentralization - Neighborhood Council Systems and

Neighborhood Associations• Aggregation – “there’s an app for that.” Civic multipliers,

crowdsourcing/crowdfunding ($1.5 billion in 2011)• Tactical Urbanism – start small, scale up• Empowerment – over 100 Neighborhood College and Citizen

Academy programs

Civic Strategy

• Re-orient government and expand notions of the public sector to include the public

• Designer Democracy: Orient design/planning profession to serve the public interest and be driven by it.

“We have no public resources to implement”

• Volunteerism = $171 billion (only 64 mill people)• Total Charitable Giving = $298.42 billion.• Non-profits = $300 billion in investment into local

communities • Over half of all states have enacted legislation to enable

private-sector participation in infrastructure projects, where there is an estimated $180 billion to be leveraged

• Crowdfunding - $1.5 billion in 2011 alone

So, what does this mean and how does this happen at the community scale?

• Joel Mills, American Institute of Architects• Taryn Sabia, The Urban Charrette, Tampa• Erin Simmons, American Institute of Architects• Jim Diers, Neighbor Power

The Urban Charrette is a Tampa-based non-profit organization that educates and collaborates with community, business, government, and education leaders cultivating knowledge of leading urban design practices to build vibrant cities.

Smart Growth Citizenship: How Grassroots Action is Transforming Communities, Kansas City February 09, 2013

We are…designersactivistsurbanistsvolunteers

organized by young professionalsWe are Grassroots

Our Role in the Community

urban

desi

gn

venue for civic design initiatives

facilitator of the conversation

involve citizens in actively shaping the built environment and ultimately making their neighborhoods and cities better places to live.

What we are up against…

• No hierarchy to channel growth • Decentralized districts/region• People LIVE in Tampa, but LOVE where

they “came from”

Tampa

In other words • Sprawl Centric• Developer Driven• Automobile Dependent• Lack of a STRONG Identity (vision)

What we are doing about it…

Serve the community as citizen urban designers in a Frontier Town

The approach…solve the problems through DESIGN

Design Process• Create a Shared Vision• Establish Hierarchy

The approach…

• Omni-Present• Building a Network• Entertaining Education• Tactile Urbanism• Idea Farming

Omni-Present Be everywhere, all of the time…

The organization is more powerful as an IDEA rather than individual personalities or a single entity.

Omni-Present

Momentum Drivers

• Saturday morning workshops• Coffee shop gatherings• Participated on committees (many)• Attended farmers’ markets• Spoke at City Council hearings and

public presentations

Building a Network

Silo-Busting: redefine the roles of professionals in the community

Bridging the Gap: connecting community groups and resources

“To stir the pot, Fritz, 33, a graduate of USF's School of Architecture, and fellow architect Taryn Sabia, 28, founded a group called Urban Charrette earlier this year. Their goal, in a nutshell, is to make urban planning accessible -- even cool and fun -- to a crowd comprised not just of architects and designers but citizens at large.” - Megan Voeller Creative Loafing Tampa Published 08.29.2007

Mind Your Planners:

Social Networking for Better Urban Design

Building a Network

Building a Network

• Create a forum for communication through venues and social media (face-to-face is still the way to go)

• Establish key community partnerships and nurture relationships between the good, the bad, and the ugly

Building a Network

Successes…

Downtown FestivalsSmall Businesses and organizations

Community GardensNeighborhood leaders and City Council

members

and SDAT: Connecting Tampa

What is the SDAT program?

The SDAT program is a community assistance program that focuses on the principles of sustainability. SDATs bring teams of volunteer professionals (such as architects, urban designers, landscape architects, planners, hydrologists, economists, attorneys, and others) to work with community decision-makers and stakeholders to help them develop a vision and framework for a sustainable future.

SDAT brought together…

Municipal LeadersCounty Officials Planning CommissionElected OfficialsCommunity LeadersOrganizationsCitizensStudentsBusiness Leaders

Many of these groups had never talked to each other before and those that did tended to be injurious

the components of SDAT Tampa how does a cash strapped non-profit pull off an SDAT?

connecting tampa

Open Mic Discussions Planning Commission Presentations Tampa Downtown Partnership Presentations AIA Emerging Leaders Pecha Kucha Community Radio Neighborhood Group Presentations Local News Media (Creative Loafing, Tampa Bay Business Journal, St. Pete Times) Public Events

Ybor Market Downtown Market

Neighborhood Group Presentations-Fundraisers

project partners

silver sponsors

bronze sponsors

connecting tampa

Long Term Recommendations sustainability first light rail focus environmental / economic more than museums community planning education and empower

connecting tampa

connecting tampa

Neighborhoods

Community Building through the Arts

Transportation

Public Spaces

Local Economy

What came out of Tampa’s SDAT…

5 focus areas that will build on the goals of making Tampa more sustainable

Entertaining Education

Reaching the community at large through fun, interactive events which inform consensus building efforts

Open Mic NightUrbanism on TapTransit TalkWater Taxi Charrette

Entertaining Education

The Urban Charrette’s Open Mic Night series is designed as a forum where the community can openly interact with experts on a particular topic and provides the opportunity for dialog on issues that face our city.

Entertaining Education

The Urban Charrette is teaming with CNU Tampa to host discussions on “Us, Them, and the City: A Serious Discussion Calls for Serious Drinks.

Engaging young professionals where they go, the bar.

Entertaining Education

Entertaining Education

Tampa Downtown Partnership

A major feasibility study had been finished by Hillsborough

County – but what would it look and feel like?

Project OverviewVision

Celebrating Tampa’s waterfront by giving people an enjoyable transit

experience that connects the City’s natural and urban environments.

Tampa Watertaxi Charrette

Entertaining Education

Tampa Watertaxi Charrette

The “HYDRO” is a water borne commuting system which connects the Tampa community along the Hillsborough River by providing an alternative transportation choice to residents and visitors that is accessible, visible, and marketable.

Entertaining Education

Tampa Watertaxi Charrette

• Unify our urban waterfront neighborhoods.• Create stronger links between the riverfront and adjacent neighborhoods.• Connect the network of cultural venues.• Educate the public about our Estuary.• Activate the Tampa Riverwalk from the river’s edge. • Enhance the quality of life for local residents and visitors.• Increase public use of the riverfront.• Celebrate place at each designated stop through heritage markers, imagery, and public art.

Entertaining Education

Tampa Watertaxi Charrette

Entertaining Education

Tampa Watertaxi Charrette

Tactical Urbanism

Active Learning through EXPERIENCE• Mobility Market• Conceptual Kiley• ECO.lution

Tactical Urbanism

Urban Charrette can seem like a guerrilla movement in its approach to influencing urban development, compared to the usual process of meetings, hearings and deals between politicians, officials and developers that often take place in paneled and upholstered chambers.  -83 Degrees

Tactical Urbanism

Feature local agencies, businesses, and organizations with informative exhibits

Promote good design and improved mobility in Downtown

Support alternative modes of transportation (electric cars, transit, bike, pedestrian, etc.)

Create a sensory experience through a live complete street demonstration

Mobility MarketTransformation of a downtown street into a COMPLETE STREET

Tactical Urbanism

Mobility Market

Tactical Urbanism

Mobility Market

Sidewalks Bike lanes Wide shoulders Plenty of crossing opportunities Bus shelters & crossings Sidewalks bulb-outs Café Seating Representatives from four agencies: TBARTA, HART, Hillsborough MPO and the City of Tampa

What is a Complete Street?

Tactical Urbanism

Mobility Market

Tactical Urbanism

Mobility Market

Tactical Urbanism

Mobility Market

Tactical Urbanism

Mobility Market

Tactical Urbanism

Conceptual Kiley

Tactical Urbanism

Conceptual Kiley

Tactical Urbanism

Conceptual Kiley

Tactical Urbanism

Conceptual Kiley

The purpose of ECO.lution is to reach a tipping point, said City Council member Linda Saul-Sena, who has been supportive of the effort. "Once a critical mass has this vision for a sustainable community, then the vision is possible."

Tactical Urbanis

m

Tactical Urbanism

Why is this approach important?

VISION+

VALUES

Because we are working to overcome apathy by making it fun and interesting

In order it to build…

CIVIC INFRASTRUCTURE

• Build a framework for people to get invested

• Value community, value place

Why Civic Infrastructure Matters…

Tampa population in 2011, 346,037• 25% under age 18• 10% 18-24• 32% 25-44 young professionals• 20% 45-64• 12% 65 and older32% of people 25+ have a Bachelors Degree or higher

Mayoral Election in 2011• 190,629 registered voters in the City• Voter turnout 22% (42,486)• Less than 5% were age 25-44 (young professionals)

How do we know it’s working?

IDEA Farming…

The issues are big and require a lot of partners, community consensus, and actions.

New groups approach the Urban Charrette as a resource, the seeds are planted - we now help grow IDEAS from the community, for the community!

Building Tampa’sCIVIC INFFRASTRUCTURE

• Since 1967…Collectively the DAT program, a public service of the AIA, represents over 1000 professionals from more than 30 disciplines providing millions of dollars in professional pro bono services to more than 200 communities across the country.

R/UDATs & SDATs

A 3-5 day event…

Guemes Island, WA to Miami, FL…In communities that range from

With multi-disciplinary teamstailored to each community…

Engaging and empowering the community to define their ownprocess and vision.

DAT Principles• Multi-Disciplinary

Team• Objective Outsiders• Community

Participation

Port Angeles, WA SDAT (2009)

Port Angeles asked for:

• An outside eye on community needs

• Ideas to enhance Tourism/International Corridor

• Improvements for Residents AND Visitors

• Short term easy items• Long term costly items

SDAT looked at:

• Views, Viewsheds and Natural Systems

• Sustainable Transportation• Downtown Gateway

Corridor• Downtown Parking• Economic Development• Urban Design• Signage & Urban Design

1. Parking study in the downtown area.2. Increase housing opportunity and multi use buildings in ‐

downtown.3. Institute the use of form based codes rather than conventional

zoning.4. Remove the parking regulations in downtown and let the market

drive parking.5. Return the Farmer's Market to the downtown area.6. Signage and wayfinding system for pedestrian and vehicles.7. Improve existing buildings (appearance, facades, etc. in downtown

and elsewhere).8. Provide visitor information kiosks.9. Create an entryway monument.10. Create nodes / centers of key intersections.

Immediate Implementation

Prioritization• Staff picked through

and identified implementation items

• Survey at Public Meeting

• Committee Review and Prioritization

Façade Improvements

Wayfinding & Signage

PA Today: $75 Million in New Investments

Newport, VT R/UDAT (2009)

Newport asked for:

• Strategies for adaptive reuse.• Enhanced ties to the

waterfront.• Multimodal circulation and

linkage throughout all nodes of Newport.

• Conceptual designs for an inviting streetscape.

• Alternatives to existing land use regulation constraints.

R/UDAT looked at:• Housing• Economic Development• Tourism• Downtown & Historic

Preservation• Natural Environment &

Community Open Space• Civic Health• Vision of the City

1. Pool collective talent and resources across the community to address critical issues.

2. Implement a new wayfinding and signage system.3. Engage the Community in the Design, Creation, and

Maintenance of a Community Garden.4. Convene Stakeholders to Address Loitering Concerns in

the Downtown.5. Create a youth Commission or Youth Advisory Council.6. Write and implement a new form based code.7. “Vestpocket” Park Downtown.8. Take full advantage of the Rail Corridor at the Waterfront.9. Visual Repair with Recreation Potential. 10. Increase Environmental Art.

Key Recommendations

Wayfinding & Signage

CommunityGarden

Form Based Code

• 2011 – Newport receives Foreign Trade Zone status• 2011 – Canadian manufacturing firm co-locates here• 2011 – 2012 – Vermont biotech firm re-locates here• 2012 – 2013 – South Korean biotech firm co-locates

here• 2012 – 2013 – Senior residential resort is built• 2013 – 2 014 – Waterfront resort conference center

opens• 2013 – 2014 – Re-development of blighted block on

Newport’s Main St.

Newport 2.0: $250 Million in New Investments

Lessons Learned- Broad Community Participation

Lessons Learned- Transparent Process

Lessons Learned- Form Partnerships

GROWTH ISN’T SMART

UNLESS IT GROWS COMMUNITY

Christchurch, New Zealand

Blue Pallet Pavilion

St. Luke’s Labyrinth

Dance-O-Mat

Cycle-Powered Cinema

Think Differently Book Exchange

Urban Poetica

POWER OF COMMUNITY

• Respond to Disaster• Prevent Crime• Promote Health• Care for One Another• Care for the Earth• Strengthen Democracy• Advance Social Justice• Create Great Places

STEPS GOVERNMENT AND PROFESSIONALS MUST TAKETO PARTNER WITH COMMUNITY

Move from Siloed Thinking

To Focusing on Whole Places

Department of

Little City Halls

Move from Starting with Needs

To Starting with Strengths

Neighborhood Matching Fund

Ballard Neighbourhood

Carkeek Park

Eastlake Neighbourhood, Seattle

Phinney Neighborhood

Restore paradise, garden a parking lot

Uptown Neighborhood

Belltown Neighborhood

Beacon Hill Neighbourhood

Eritrean Community

Columbia City

International District

Fremont Neighborhood

Move from Top-Down

To Community-Driven

Neighborhood Planning

Washington State’s Growth Management Act

Requires local governments in urban areas to accept and plan for the bulk of the state’s population growth.

City’s Comprehensive Plan

Delridge Neighborhoods

Value of Community-Driven Development

•Builds on local knowledge, character and culture•Multiplies available resources•Results in more holistic and innovative projects•Creates ownership that leads to less vandalism and greater maintenance, programming and use by community•Builds stronger sense of community•Creates support for growth in a way that is truly smart

jimdiers@comcast.net