Webinar Recap: Investing in Healthy Communities

Walkable real estate is a priority in downtown Indianapolis, IN. Photo via Flickr.

Across the country, public- and private-sector investment in walkability is on the rise. LOCUS: Responsible Real Estate Developers and Investors held an online presentation to discuss new and innovative models for building walkable development projects that generate health and economic benefits for the entire community.

During the webinar, expert panelists Colleen Carey, President of the Cornerstone Group; Elizabeth Schilling, Senior Policy Manager at Smart Growth America and Heidi Majerik, Director of Development at Forest City Stapleton discussed every facet of the development process including:

• Creating new partnerships and leveraging resources to finance healthy development projects,
• Examples of development projects that incorporate heathy components and design principles,
• Current barriers to building healthy places, and
• Re-using vacant land to improve the health of a community and meet fiscal objectives.

LOCUS is a national network of real estate developers and investors who advocate for sustainable, walkable urban development in America’s metropolitan areas. LOCUS members work to change federal and state policy on a number of issues related to smart growth development, in partnership with Smart Growth America.

This was the first in a series of webinars that LOCUS will host throughout the year to help real estate developers and investors expand their real estate portfolios and improve their companies’ bottom line. For the most up-to-date information on this and other tools to benefit your business and advance the construction of more walkable, sustainable developments on the ground, become a LOCUS member today.

Obama announces new Build America Investment Initiative

Today, President Obama announced the launch of the Build America Investment Initiative, a new government-wide initiative to invest in the nation’s transportation infrastructure by expanding opportunities for the public and private sectors to partner and better leverage each other’s resources to grow jobs and strengthen the economy.

In addition, the initiative will create the Build America Transportation Investment Center within the US Department of Transportation, tasked with providing cities and states with both the tools and other forms of technical assistance needed to create innovative financing solutions such as TIFIA to fund transportation infrastructure improvements and the support necessary to remove regulatory barriers that prevent the public and private sectors from collaborating on ways to fund infrastructure.

LOCUS President Chris Leinberger and Managing Director Christopher Coes issued the following statement:

“We applaud the administration’s announcement of this government-led effort to encourage greater private-sector investment in America’s infrastructure. Across the country, LOCUS members and local communities are looking for innovative tools and resources to meet market demand for great walkable communities. Initiatives such as the Build America Investment Transportation Investment Center are critical to educating and mobilizing the public and private sectors around effective strategies and new partnerships that will lead to greater investment in America’s infrastructure.

We look forward to working with this administration and with USDOT to ensure that the Build America Investment Initiative and any related efforts are successful.”

Mitch Silver shares secrets to Raleigh, NC’s success in attracting innovative companies and talent

Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh. Photo by Ted Buckner via Flickr.

Mitch Silver, Chief Planning and Economic Development Officer for Raleigh, NC, and member of Smart Growth America’sLocal Leaders Council, is using a variety of smart growth tools to help manage the city’s population growth and to support a dynamic and innovative business climate.

Raleigh is one of the fastest growing areas in the country. It is also one of the anchors for North Carolina’s Research Triangle, which is widely known as a hub for entrepreneurship and innovation.

“It is a city that is really coming of age in the 21st century,” says Silver. “We are able to attract a number of businesses because we have three major universities North Carolina State, Duke University, and the University of North Carolina within close proximity. So we have become a brain magnet for young professionals and companies.”

Silver works to create a city where those students want to live after graduation, and over time the city has worked to become a more welcoming place for both residents and businesses. That work has paid off: Raleigh is frequently ranked at the top on “best places to live” lists for mid-sized cities. Silver attributes at least some of this to the planning department’s work building mixed-use development and walkable areas like downtown.

Mitch Silver, Chief Planning and Economic Development Officer, Raleigh, NC

In 2009, Raleigh adopted its comprehensive plan, which Silver is quick to mention serves as a daily guide for his planning staff. Improving mobility within the city and throughout the region are key components of the plan.

Officials in Durham and Orange counties—the other jurisdictions that form the Research Triangle—have approved plans to construct a light rail throughout the region. Wake County commissioners are reluctant to support the plan, however. Despite the disagreement Silver stands firm that providing transportation options in the region is essential to enhancing Raleigh’s economic competitiveness.

“The city works collectively as a region. When you arrive at the airport, the sign doesn’t say ‘Welcome to Raleigh’; it says ‘Welcome to the Research Triangle’. We believe that, that is our brand and that is us,” he says.

The city is also creating strong partnerships between the universities, businesses and local government. In 2012, Raleigh hired an innovation and entrepreneurship manager to ensure start-up companies have the resources they need need to remain profitable and grow successfully within the city. Strategies like this and others that are intent on fostering a better relationship with the business community are why Raleigh saw over 19,000 new business filings in 2011.

Silver believes that if cities want to become economic drivers, they need to adapt and attract the talent they want. He offers that cities should “look at demographics and what Gen X and Y want. That means focusing on education, quality of life, transportation issues but that may also mean you have to be a city that has food trucks and parklets and all of the other things that attract and keep people in a city. Because many companies are looking for talent and don’t want to travel to recruit — but want it right there.”

Join our annual Coalition Meeting and Advocacy Day – March 26 and 27, 2014

Smart Growth America staff and coalition members at 2013’s meeting and advocacy day.

Smart Growth America’s ally coalition is a collaborative and broad group of non-profit organizations working on state and regional smart growth issues across the country.

On March 26 and 27, 2014, Coalition members will gather in Washington, DC for our annual Coalition Meeting and Advocacy Day. Coalition members and Smart Growth America staff will come together to discuss new issues in smart growth, public policy and how the coalition as a whole can work together to advance these important issues, as well as meet with members of Congress about smart growth issues at the national level.

If your organization works on smart growth issues at the state or local level, become a Coalition members today. Membership comes with a number of benefits and is available on a sliding scale.

If your organization is already a member, be sure to register for this year’s meeting. We look forward to seeing you in Washington in March!

Smart Growth America’s state smart growth partners meet to discuss shared goals

Coalition members visited Winthrop, MA, pictured above, to learn about smart growth strategies in the small coastal town. Photo via Facebook.

Smart Growth America works with over 50 organizations from across the country as part of our coalition of allied non-profits. Many of these organizations work exclusively on smart growth issues in their respective states, and last month these partners came together to discuss shared challenges and goals.

Town officials give coalition members a guided tour of Winthrop, MA.

Our coalition partner the Massachusetts Area Planning Commission(MAPC) hosted this year’s meeting, which took place from November 21 to 23, 2013. MAPC staff kicked off the meeting at their offices in Boston with a discussion on ways to increase diversity within the smart growth movement. MAPC staff led the conversation and shared what their organization has done to diversify both their external partners and internal staff. Coalition partners highlighted the need to engage and collaborate with non-traditional partners outside of the smart growth field to make sure future projects are shaped by wide spectrum of residents and stakeholders.

Then, on November 22, coalition partners traveled to Winthrop, MA, an ocean-side community outside Boston. Town officials met with coalition members to give an overview of the town’s history, discuss how the town is working to protect itself from future natural disaster, and their strategies for attracting residents and businesses before leading a tour of the town.

Providence, RI’s Riverwalk was part of the coalition’s tour.

On November 23, the group traveled to Providence, RI, for a tour of how Providence is restoring and revitalizing historic areas, and new initiatives being undertaken to continue those efforts. Leading the tour were coalition members Scott Wolf of Grow Smart Rhode Island and Dan Baudoin of The Providence Foundation.

After the tour of Providence, administrators from the New England regional offices of the U.S. Housing and Urban Development and the Environmental Protection Agencies joined the group for a presentation on historic preservation in Rhode Island by Scott Wolf and a presentation about the newly released report on infill housing by Matt Van der Sluis of California’s Greenbelt Alliance.

The next meeting of our state and regional smart growth coalition partners will be in the spring in Washington, DC. If your organization is dedicated to smart growth issues at the state or regional level, consider becoming a coalition member today.

LOCUS talks about new development in Somerville and state policy change at two events in Massachusetts

The Community Corridor Planning Collaborate (CCP) held multiple station area design sessions and community planning workshops in anticipation of the Green Line Extension in Somerville. Photo by Interactive Somerville via Flickr.

In November, LOCUS kicked off a series of events in Massachusetts that connected real estate developers with local and state officials to discuss new smart development opportunities and policy changes needed to facilitate walkable, sustainable development throughout Massachusetts.

First, on November 19, LOCUS brought together real estate developers and Mayor Joseph Curtatone of Somerville and his staff to discuss the new transit-oriented development opportunities created by Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority’s decision to extend its Green Line. City officials described the need for more economically, socially and environmentally responsible development in Somerville. LOCUS developers proposed development ideas that would meet those needs while also supporting Somerville’s economy. The ideas will join those of Somerville residents in informing the city’s plan for the new station areas. As the conversation continued, a call to action was placed on LOCUS and its members in Massachusetts to develop a series of policy and regulatory changes in conjunction with city and state officials that will support more walkable, sustainable places in Massachusetts and throughout the country.

Then, on November 20, LOCUS joined developers, advocates and elected officials from across the Commonwealth at theMassachusetts Smart Growth Conference. Hosted by Smart Growth America’s coalition partner the Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance, the conference focused on how smart growth developments can save public and private dollars.

LOCUS coordinated a panel session for the conference, which included LOCUS Steering Committee Member Don Briggs, Senior Vice President of Development for Federal Realty Investment Trust; Chryse Gibson, Chief Administrative Officer of Oaktree Development; David Perry, Senior Vice President of the Hines Interest Group; and was moderated by Chris Leinberger, President of LOCUS. The panel discussed the barriers to market-driven smart growth in Massachusetts.

The conference panel cast new light on the previous day’s conversation by including state-level policies that affect smart growth development. Each panelist highlighted a major project that their company is working on as well as what the state could have done to speed up the project approval process and reduce construction delays. The presenters identified issues such as the lengthy environmental approval process and access to patient capital as limits to smart growth development, but cited the state’s current investments in transit and the strong market demand for walkable development as factors that will lead to more walkable places in Massachusetts.

Among the wide range of issues addressed at both events, strong local leadership came up again and again. Communities across the country have such visionary leaders, without whom many of these types of projects would not be built. On June 17 and 18, 2014, LOCUS will bring together many of these leaders at the 2014 LOCUS Leadership Summit. If you are a real estate developer or investor interesting in supporting walkable development in Massachusetts and across the country, we hope you’ll join us then.

Walking tour explores Fort Totten's present and future

Development at Fort Totten has been slow despite access to 3 Metro lines, its close proximity to both downtown DC and Silver Spring, its access to the Metropolitan Branch Trail, its green space and its affordability. But as demand increases for housing in the District, this previously-overlooked neighborhood could become a hot spot.

Photo by tracktwentynine on Flickr.

Last Saturday, the Coalition for Smarter Growth concluded their spring walking tour series with "Fort Totten: More than a Transfer Point," a look at future residential, retail and commercial development near the Fort Totten Metro station. Residents and visitors joined representatives from WMATA, DDOT and the Office of Planning on a tour of the area bounded by South Dakota Avenue, Riggs Road, and First Place NE.

Today, vacant properties and industrial sites surround the station and form a barrier between it and the surrounding area. Redeveloping them could improve connections to the Metro and make Fort Totten a more vibrant community.

There is a significant amount of new residential, retail and commercial development planned within walking distance of the Metro station. But Saturday's tour began with the only completed project, The Aventine at Fort Totten. Built by Clark Realty Group in 2007, the 3-building, garden-style apartment complex consists of over 300 rental units as well as ground-floor retail space.

The Aventine at Fort Totten, the newest apartment complex in Fort Totten. All photos by the author unless otherwise noted.

Visitors were ambivalent about the success of the Aventine due to its small amount of retail space and lack of connectivity to surrounding neighborhoods. While residents noted that it created more options to live close to Metro, representatives of the Lamond Riggs and North Michigan Park civic associations agreed the development differed from the original vision for the project.

They called it an example of the need to continually engage real estate developers and local government agencies to ensure that new development is of a high quality and responsive to the local context. Throughout the tour, residents said that future development proposals should adhere to DC's urban design guidelines, improve pedestrian access and have a plan to mitigate parking concerns.

Between South Dakota Avenue and the Metro station, the Cafritz Foundation will redevelop the old Riggs Plaza apartments to build ArtPlace at Fort Totten. When finished, the 16-acre project will contain 305,000 square feet of retail, 929 apartments, and 217,000 square feet of cultural and art spaces, including a children's museum. Deborah Crain, neighborhood planning coordinator for Ward 5, noted that ArtPlace will include rental units set aside for seniors and displaced Riggs Plaza residents.

An ad for ArtPlace at Fort Totten at its future home.

As one of the largest landowners near the Fort Totten Station, WMATA has a huge stake in future development around the station. They own approximately 3 acres of land immediately west of the station along First Place NE that is currently used as surface parking lot for commuters. Stan Wall, Director of Real Estate at WMATA, discussed the great potential for development on the current parking lot mentioned that the agency will solicit proposals for development of the area in the near future.

Parking lot at Fort Totten station.

Anna Chamberlain, a DDOT transportation planner, talked about how streetscape improvements could calm traffic, making streets around the Metro station more pedestrian- and bike-friendly. DDOT is also working to improve connections to the Metro, as some areas lack clearly defined walking paths. The agency will begin designing a path connecting the Metro to the Metropolitan Branch Trail within the next few months.

New sidewalks and street trees on Riggs Road.

The final stop on the tour was Fort Totten Square, a joint effort by the JBG Companies and Lowe Enterprises to build 350 apartments above a Walmart and structured parking at South Dakota Avenue and Riggs Road. DDOT has completelyrebuilt the adjacent intersection to make it safer for pedestrians and more suitable for an urban environment, replacing freeway-style ramps with sidewalks, benches, crosswalks and improved lighting.

Jaimie Weinbaum, development manager at JBG, says they're committed to working with the city and residents to make Fort Totten Square an asset to the community. They've promised to place Capital Bikeshare stations there and would like to have dedicated space for Car2go as well.

With help from the private sector and public agencies like DDOT and WMATA, Fort Totten could become a model for transit-oriented development, but much of the new construction won't happen for a long time. Until then, residents eagerly await the changes and continue to work with other stakeholders toward creating a vision that will benefit everyone.