Four the Future - January 24

Today: Parking policy, greenhouse gas inventory, seeking public input, and climate change planning.

• Seattle to allow all-day parking lots near light-rail stations, after all
  Source: Seattle Times; January 11, 2010
  Summary: Despite a ordinance which bans it, newly seated Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn will permit all day parking near Link light rail stations. Originally, the plan was to ensure that parking was limited to only a few hours per day. It was intended to help local businesses by making sure available parking wasn't taken up by light rail customers, and to protect local neighborhoods from a flood of commuter traffic. However, local businesses near McGinn's campaign office asked for the change last year. A new proposal will be made later this year.
  Opinion: Parking is a bizarre topic for planners because no one seems to know what amount of parking is appropriate. What I do know is that our policies are wrong, wrong, wrong because they almost always fail because the same policy can be too much in one location, and too little in another. Part of the problem is that parking is free. Well, actually, it isn't: it's built into the cost of every product and service in the nation, but no one recognizes it. And you pay it whether you park for 1 minute or 8 hours or not at all. The more people who know about the seminal work The High Cost of Free Parking (Amazon, $48.28), the better our cities and towns will be. What it argues, in part, is to let the market decide how much parking is worth, rather than having a government mandate to increase the amount of parking and crush the market into worthlessness. I agree.


• Climate Protection
  Source: City of Vancouver, BC; December 2009
  Summary: the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, has published its Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory (PDF, 4.86 MB). It calculates the amount of GHGs that are being emitted by category, such as commercial buildings, residential buildings, and transportation. Vancouver has much to be proud of, as they have reduced GHG emissions to 1990 levels, and the document states the city's belief that it will reach Kyoto goals in 2012. Vancouver has the lowest per capita major city GHG emissions rate in North America at 4.6 metric tonnes. Seattle is 7.1; Portland is 11.9.
  Opinion: In an easily readable form, the City of Vancouver has shown that it's possible to document and track GHG emissions. Everyone should be doing this, because you can change what you can measure.


• Choices for Cheney
  Source: City of Cheney; January 19, 2010
  Summary: The City of Cheney's comprehensive planning process, Choices for Cheney, is going on the road. the city is displaying data regarding their plan for the year 2030 in various locations around the city, even at multiple locations on Eastern Washington University's campus. Additionally, the displays are staffed to receive in-person input and answer questions.
  Opinion: Plans which are not rooted in public input are worse than useless. For Cheney, in particular, bridging the gap between the university and the rest of the community is important. Kudos to Cheney Community Development Director Brian Jennings for taking it to the people where they learn and work and shop. As a member of the Cheney community, I will be visiting one of the displays so I can reemphasize the importance of housing for low income transitory populations (students!) near the university. As long as the land is available on the edge of the city, there will be more apartments and more transportation headaches (both roads and parking) to deal with. New multifamily housing is mandatory. Where they put it should be obvious.


• Water planners look ahead
  Source: The Spokesman-Review; January 23, 2010
  Summary: the Army Corps of Engineers is working with the University of Washington's Climate Impacts Group to determine changes in the way dams are used to deal with flooding. As the climate changes, more water is running off in the winter, and less is flowing in the spring and summer. The simulations are anticipating a global change of +3.6 Fahrenheit (+2 degrees Celsius) by 2050.
  Opinion: This is the tip of the melting iceberg. A couple of years ago, reinsurance companies started to raise rates for hurricane damage on the American east coast. It's getting very expensive and in some cases difficult to purchase. And it's becoming necessary in places as far north as Connecticut. This is an example of the market responding to climate change, not scientists. Time to get serious.