Four the Future - September 10

For your Friday pleasure: planned demolitions, green building, college traffic, and housing policy.

• City may tear down part of former dairy
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 3, 2010
  Summary: The city purchased a couple of buildings that were part of the old Carnation Dairy as part of the proceeds of a 1999 bond. (This is at the location of the Caterina Winery, but that is not part of the city’s property.) The parks department doesn’t seem to have a use for the buildings, so, since they are currently presenting a hazard, they are considering demolishing them, potentially at the same time as the demolition of the YMCA.
  
  
  
  Opinion: This is where the Mobius science center will not be. What will be there? Make your voice heard by contacting the board! According to the environmental survey for these buildings, it appears that extensive asbestos mitigation will be necessary prior to demolition. After that mitigation, I wonder how much of the building materials can be reused, and whether the City requires that on their own demolition projects. Reusing the bricks, for instance, would be an environmentally supportive way of improving a new building.
  
• Green Building: A Real Estate Revolution? (Part One) (Part Two)
  Source: All Things Considered, National Public Radio; September 7-8, 2010
  Summary: Audio! There is a boom of green building underway in America. A decade ago, virtually no one knew what LEED was, but now it (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is credited with bringing green building to the attention of builders across the country. Each building seeking LEED Certification receives points for improving the performance of a building; the more points, the higher the rating. Using less water, less energy, or improving the space for its occupants can be used to gain a high rating. Many professionals are receiving accreditation. But some critics of the system find it lacking.
  
  
  
  Opinion: While I have heard that the certification process isn't for every project, even when the developer is consciously attempting to achieve a high-performance building, I support its existence. Perhaps over time, there will be widely available competing certification programs, such as Built Green, provided there's some way for the consumer to know it's not merely marketing or greenwashing
  
• Traffic changes proposed near NIC for education corridor
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 7, 2010
  Summary: A proposal would change traffic patterns on Northwest Boulevard in Coeur d’Alene to provide more access to North Idaho College. It is intended to expand an "education corridor" and the integration of several schools of higher education to share resources and expand opportunities.
  Opinion: Planning often integrates the needs of various concepts which are usually thought of separately. Hence the need for strong, integrated comprehensive plans linked to the mission and values of the community.
  
• Housing Woes Bring New Cry: Let Market Fall
  Source: New York Times; September 5, 2010
  Summary: The housing market is on the verge of a crash. Prices are going down, and now that the tax credits, mortgage modification programs, low interest rates, government insured loans and other assistance, are coming to an end they're poised to go down more. The administration now has to choose between current homeowners and future homeowners.
  Opinion:Traditionally, government's role has been to ensure adequate supply of affordable housing. What is the government interest in artificially boosting housing costs? Shouldn't homes be less expensive, not more expensive? If the housing bubble was a bad thing, why are we as taxpayers maintaining it? Government has a role in subsidizing public services and encouraging developing technologies. Home ownership is a private activity in a mature industry. Let the market correct itself.

Four the Future - September 1

To kick off your Sustainable September: Measuring energy efficiency, city awards, auto accident costs, and living without automobiles.

• Mayor introduces ecofriendly bill
  Source: San Francisco Chronicle; August 11, 2010
  Summary: San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom wants commercial buildings in the city to conduct an energy audit for their buildings every 5 years and updated annually. The reports would include the cost of energy-saving upgrades, and their expected annual savings. The reports would be made available to the public, and distributed to tenants. The local Building Owners and Managers Association is in favor.
  Opinion: Excellent move, if executed properly. People fix what they measure, and when they see the large return on investment on energy efficiency measures, they will begin to embrace them. Additionally, it will serve as a great way for foundations to direct energy efficiency grants, giving San Francisco an advantage over other communities.
• City of Spokane Receives Award
  Source: Councilman Jon Snyder; August 20, 2010
  Summary: The City of Spokane received an award from the American Planning Association and Planning Association of Washington "for its greenhouse gas inventory reports and Sustainability Action Plan." The blog entry lists a number of different activities that the City has performed to become more resilient.
  Opinion: The efforts the city is putting forward to make itself and the community more sustainable are commendable. Only crazed conspiracy theorists (John Ahern, Nancy McLaughlin, Mike Fagan, etc.) and their credulous followers can get in the way.
• Safety: Assessing the National Bill for Crashes
  Source: New York Times; August 30, 2010
  Summary: Automobile accidents account for nearly $100 billion annually, but only about 17% is direct medical costs. The vast majority is due to lost wages, productivity and costs associated with disability. Men account for about three-quarters of the cost. Teenagers, 14% of the population, account for a third of the cost. And motorcycle drivers and bicyclists cost twice as much when injured, due to the extent of injury. Seatbelts, increased speed enforcement, child safety seats and alcohol ignition lock-outs reduce the costs. Restrictions on teenage driving also helps.
  Opinion: What isn’t mentioned in the article is that one of the best ways to reduce those costs is greater transit ridership. People on rail and buses are almost immune, as the aggregate fatality risk for autos is 1,300 times greater than for buses.
• In German Suburb, Life Goes On Without Cars
  Source: New York Times; May 11, 2009
  Summary:
  
  
  Seventy percent of families in Vauban, a subdivision in suburban Freiburg, Germany, do not have cars. What roads they have do not permit cars to park. Driveways and home garages are generally forbidden. There are parking garages on the edge of the neighborhood which cost $40,000. Bikes are common, as is use of the tram which goes through the one square mile community. Originally a military base, it was not designed with auto traffic in mind. When cars are needed, people can rent from the auto club. Americans are often suspicious of anything that reduces car usage, but there is a similar concept being developed in California named Quarry Village.
  Opinion: If the concept interests you (as it does me, if merely as a living laboratory so we can optimize such places), feel free to dig deeper. The Wikipedia page links to some other newspapers. There’s a series of photos (including the one above) available here. Some of the architecture is, shall we say, uninspired. But, that’s something we fix in the next version, right?

Weekly planning articles

This quarter, as part of the Introduction to Urban and Regional Planning class, I was required to monitor the Spokesman-Review for stories related to planning and keep a log. I think the point was to get us in the habit of doing it. I was already doing it as part of my past endeavors, so I may have pointed out more than was necessary.

Having done that now for about 10 weeks, I'm going to start posting them here. I would post the older stories, but I don't have non-payment links for them. Hopefully, I can keep up so I can capture the links as they occur.

I don't intend to limit myself to the Spokesman. Clearly, the Pacific Northwest Inlander is also a good source for news about planning in the region (and, in fact, may be better as they tend to go more in depth). If you have links to share, please email them to me or post them in the comments.

• Mr. Out There
  Source: Inlander, 091203
  Summary: Newly sworn-in Spokane City Councilmember Jon Snyder talks to the Inlander and much of it is planning-related: complete streets, electric buses, economic development.
  Opinion: Planning may very well have a friend here. We'll have to see if his instincts can be translated into effective action in a legislative role. And, hey, Jon: electric buses are not cheaper than electric rail. They are, in the long run, more expensive because you need a driver for each one while rail cars chain.


• Rekindling Kendall
  Source: Inlander, 091203
  Summary: Greenstone Corporation will be taking over Kendall Yards, and will try to develop it as part of the West Central neighborhood. Construction should be underway in Summer 2010.
  Opinion: Greenstone is a very successful planning and development organization. If anyone can make this project get off the ground, it's them, provided they don't run into the same kinds of bizarre, politically-motivated hurdles they've encountered in other Washington cities (yes, I'm talking about you Medical Lake and Liberty Lake).


• Spokane, STA weigh downtown trolleys
  Source: Spokesman-Review, 091207.
  Summary: The City of Spokane and Spokane Transit Authority are performing a study of electric transit options between Mission and 14th, Perry and Latah Creek.
  Opinion: Rapid transit is an important element of a regional transportation system. Unfortunately, STA is an unreliable partner is any such effort, opting only to appear as though they're functional and spreading falsehoods because they know they can get away with it. Perhaps the new members of the Spokane City Council will call them out. (And if you're wondering why I said "they're functional" rather than "it's functional," it's because it is several members of the board and CEO who are the problem, not the drivers nor even a significant portion of the management.)


• U.N. says climate goals in reach
  Source: Spokesman-Review, 091207.
  Summary: Delegates from around the world are gathering in Copenhagen to discuss a UN treaty on global climate change. U.N. Environment Program Director Achim Steiner says that a deal at Copenhagen is not impossible.
  Opinion: Even if a deal is possible, it won't be ratified in the US Senate, so it will be meaningless.