Planning for Sustainable Development

James van Hemert, AICP President, APA Colorado Executive Director, RMLUI

Colorado Brownfields Foundation, Conference, November 20, 2008

Planning and Sustainability Central role Paradigm shift National spotlight

Climate Change IPCC Report--Impacts on the

Intermountain West

1. Decreased snowpack(image: Kenosha Pass, Colorado)

Climate Change IPCC Report--Impacts on the

Intermountain West

2. Increased winter flooding(image: Big Thompson flood)

Climate Change IPCC Report--Impacts on the

Intermountain West3. Decreased summer

flows, greater competition for water allocation (image: Denver Water ad)

Climate Change IPCC Report--Impacts on the

Intermountain West

Increased wildfire hazards(image: “Freeway Fire,” California, November 17, 2008)

Climate Change IPCC Report--Impacts on the

Intermountain West

Increased severity of heat waves

Climate Change& United States Energy Production

Coal

Oil

Natural Gas

Nuclear

Hydro

Solar

Wind

Geothermal

23%

44%

23%

90%

8%

3%

<1%

Fossil fuels

Climate Change & Energy Contribution from the built environment—

nearly 70%

Energy Moving toward a post-carbon energy

future New energy economy

InfrastructureFocus on Transportation

I love riding the train

More room for me on the road

Infrastructure: Regions and the reauthorization of the federal Transportation Bill

Life After Cheap Energy & a Stable Climate

Life as we know it is changing profoundly.

What does this mean for policy choices?

Opportunities: Health Wealth Happiness Social cohesion Drought tolerant landscaping LEED & beyond: Living Buildings

Health—active living environments

Wealthcost savings for transit focused neighborhoods

Happiness (general

welfare)—pedestrian friendly realms

Outdoor markets

Plenty of doors and windows

Textured surfaces

Diverse adjacent land uses

Car free

Opportunities: pedestrian friendly realms

Places to sit, sleep and play

Plenty of green and growing thingsArt

Private

Drought tolerant (& edible) landscapes

Social Cohesion: mixed housing

vs

Cooling-load avoidance strategies helpmaintain thermal conditions in a building

even when the power goes out.

Termite mounds maintain constanttemperature, humidity and ventilation

better than most buildings.

Anthony Floyd, AIACity of ScottsdaleGreen Building Manager

LEED & Beyond: Living Building

Thank you Contact information:

jvanhemert@law.du.edu http://www.law.du.edu/index.php/rmlui

Greatest land use show in the West: 18th annual land use conference

March 5 & 6, 2009 University of Denver

Additional topics Mobility and transportation

Parking Transit Cycling and pedestrian systems Historic preservation Density Mixed use Low impact development/green infrastructure Energy: site orientation, solar access, landscaping

Mobility and transportationParking

FREE

PARKING

Transportation & mobilityTransit

Transportation & mobilityBicycle systems

1. Low energy: 1500 miles/gallon

2. No noise3. No air pollution4. Exercise5. Fraction of space

required6. Economical7. Most equitable form

of transport

Historic preservation

Density

Land Use Development PatternsMixed use

Energy: site orientation, solar access, landscaping

Geos Neighborhood, Arvada, Colorado -- Checkerboard Layout