Smart Growth 2013

The official Tumblr of USC Price PPD 619

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"Transit-oriented development" at Pico Station along the Expo Line 

These parcels are hindrances to pedestrian environments that characterize the ideal transit-oriented development. Parking lots, brick walls, shops that are closed in the peak of the day do not encourage pedestrians to walk along this corridor, nor do they provide incentive to be here. 

As planners, we should start here. These 'easy-target' sites for streamlining development, for removing the barriers to infill, must occur around our transit lines first. Whether it's a 15 story residential building or a few restaurants, the lots across the way from LA Live should be vibrant uses--not dead spaces that do more to turn people away. 

-Claudia P.

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SF Mayor's Office Pushes for Redevelopment of 4th/King Railyards

Redeveloping the railyard at 4th & King in San Francisco has been a hot topic for the past year, but has seen much more press recently. Another article in the SF Streetsblog discusses the potential projects.

The proposal is to take down the last stretch of I-280, move the railyard, and redevelop the site where the railyards currently sit. 

The Mayor's Office is behind the redevelopment which requires Caltrain to move its yard elsewhere. This could potentially affect the Downtown Extension of Caltrain and the electrification of the rail. It also affects High-Speed Rail (since they'll be sharing rail right-of-ways). CAHSR is fronting the cost for electrification. 

As of now, there is an 8-month study to identify the feasibility of moving the railyards and developing over the existing site. 

SoMa, Mission Bay, and Showplace Square neighborhoods each face  the railyards and would benefit from redevelopment at the knuckle of the three. Showplace Square is cut off by the freeway,  Mission Bay has a development plan that would border the existing freeway and rail route, and SoMa sits north of freeway/Caltrain route. 

Last spring, a Stanford Urban Design studio class conducted a study on the area and produced development plans. My project can be found here. This particular development plan was presented to the SF Planning Department, the Mayor's Office, and Livable Cities in June 2012. 

-Claudia P. 

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(Bridget McDonald)

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(Bridget McDonald)

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The Urban Patch began by exploring the history of inner cities and asking questions about their future. (Bridget McDonald)

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Smart Parking

Check out this report (2007) from the MTC on smart growth and parking...

http://www.mtc.ca.gov/planning/smart_growth/parking/parking_seminar/Toolbox-Handbook.pdf

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Do you see the Pipeline as just that or as a job-creator?

This past weekend my friend visiting LA and I came upon the topic myriad of freeways in LA, which lead to the topic of eminent domain, and finally to the topic of the day: the Keystone XL pipeline (eminent domain was used on his grandparents' farm). It was a very timely conversation as the people of this nation (and others - Canadians, for example) are poised to share their opinions.

Here are a few headlines dotting our newspapers this morning: 

Thousands protest Keystone XL Pipeline from SFGate

Obama faces risks in pipeline decision from NYTimes

Here is a blog written last year by Former Rep. J.C. Watts, Jr. about one of the flip-sides for the pipeline

Keystone XL Pipeline: a job-creating win for America

Smart growth like any other models is a layered specimen. In the case of the pipeline, there are arguments for the environment, the possible job creation, the dependency on oil, the dependency on cars that use that oil, the relations with Canada, the rural lands being used to support the urban and rural consumption of oil, and the list goes on and on; it's going to be one tough decision for President Obama.

Image from: http://americasright.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Keystone-pipeline-XL.jpg

- Ellen Y.

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SPRING STREET PARKLETS UNVEILED! (Feb.7,2013)

At 9am this morning, Councilman Jose Huizar unveiled the Spring Street parklets in downtown LA. The parklets sit just between 6th and 7th street on Spring St. in front of Syrup and LA Cafe. The parklets are a combination of benches and tables, exercise equipment, plants, and yes, a foosball table.  

This is a fantastic new addition for the residents downtown--It's not just more public space, it's a bigger incentive to hang out on Spring St., it's more bike parking, and a way of taking back road space for those of us who actually live, walk, and bike around here. 

Harping back to our 2/6/13 Smart Growth class session, this is a movement toward complete streets and the beautification of them. Not only do we need bike lanes, but we need the infrastructure that makes biking and walking desirable to others as well. Creating these comfortable spaces signals that our choices are being prioritized over maintaining wide roads, oftentimes for the people who clear out at 5pm. 

These permeable, flexible spaces allow for more eyes on the street (a la Jane Jacobs), more human interaction, and more amenities for those of us who have chosen mobility over 3 acre plots of land in the 'burbs. 

As a resident of Spring St., thank you to CD-14 for investing in its pedestrians and bicyclists. We want more! 

-Claudia P.

Photographs by Claudia Preciado.

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3'-By-4' Plot of Green Space Rejuvenates Neighborhood

For the Parklets haters ... this 2008 Onion article wonderfully spoofs parklets before the word was even invented.  Speaking as someone who has invested a lot of time to bring parklets to LA, this article is so funny it hurts.  -TB

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Urban Planning:Incorporating an Aging Population

A new discipline has emerged within the field of architecture that takes into consideration the needs of an aging population into design. Such design considerations include ideas such as aging friendly houses and infrastructure planning programs like power scooter sharing programs as well as multi-generational parks or playgrounds. As America's population continues to age it will be important for cities to take into account changes in the population structure and how these changes might effect growth, infrastructure and design.  

 For more information, visit http://designbuildsource.com.au/design-for-an-aging-population

Kayla D. 

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The 2013 Geneva Auto Show is quickly approaching, and the 2013 automobile releases to be exhibited have begun to surface. One standout car is the Rinspeed microMax; an “all-electric urban vehicle” designed for car sharing or taxi use, all through a mobile app. At 9 feet long and 7 feet tall, it hardly takes up a parking spot. Despite the small space available, the car maximizes the interior with room for three to four passengers (facing each other), a coffee maker, a refrigerator, and Internet connection. This concept unifies a small car concept, short distance use (such as between home and a transportation hub), with a mobile app. Should these roll out in large numbers, it could decrease automobile traffic between the suburbs and cities, or from one point to another in a large city. 

Depending on how people use this car sharing or taxi service, in cities, it could make some public transportation, such as buses, obsolete due to a preference for a shared car. However, it could also enhance the use of and access to public transportation due to an easier access to otherwise far train or metro transportation hubs. 

- Elise F.

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Vacant Lots: A Great Opportunity to Benefit Urban Social and Ecological Environment

Vacant lands constitute a large fraction of urban land area. Take NYC for example: there are nearly 30,000 parcels (more than 7,300 acres in total) designated by the city tax code as vacant within the city boundaries. In fact, this phenomenon may be a lasting issue in U.S. urban areas for the proportion of urban vacant land is fairly persistent in spite of population growth according to the data provided in this article.

The image of vacant lands is always associated with crime, filthy, depressed real estate values, etc. But with imagination and innovation, we can turn these negative, “annoying”, grey areas into city’s fortune to benefit urban social and ecological environment. Especially, in the low-income, high density communities, transforming vacant lots into small parks or tiny urban farms can not only provide more green spaces to the community, but also can encourage local residents’ participation. Furthermore, it is an economic smart growth approach to enhance land use efficiency and to create more job opportunities in urban areas.  

Jie M.

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Central Valley Residents Prefer Smaller Lot Housing

Demographic trends are changing in the central valley— with more empty-nesters and a rising Latino population, developers should focus on building smaller dwelling units on smaller, recycled lots instead of large lot housing developments. To meet the housing needs of valley residents, a recent study shows that developers need to increase the housing stock of town homes and condominiums from 29% to 45% of new homes in the next forty years. Not only does infill development benefit both developer and resident, but it could be the key to the valley’s ability to house its rapid population growth. 

Courtney O

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Red Fields to Green Fields

Houston is part of a national study exploring the opportunities to convert Red Fields into interconnected green spaces (Green Fields) and parks with restored use of some of the Red Field properties.

Houston, the fourth largest city in the U.S., encompasses an area of 620 square miles and is well-known for its diverse population and many energy, transportation, and medical industries. One of the main contributors to the city’s success is its location near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. In addition to the opportunity to convert 8,800 acres of Red Fields to healthy re-use, the city has the potential to offer its residents a vast array of parks and green space along the waterways which feed into the Gulf. Many communities and retail spaces, along with one half of the city’s population, are within 1.5 miles of the major bayous. Economic downturns and natural disasters have negatively impacted commercial and property values throughout the city making it possible to acquire land at or below the historical market rates.

There are two significant opportunities identified as part of the Red Fields to Green Fields conversion. The first is to add equitably distributed parks throughout the greater Houston area by converting distressed properties. The second is to complete varying widths of continuous greenways along Houston's major bayous. The Bayou Greenway program involves numerous private and public partners with the goal of creating an interconnected system of parks and trails along the city’s major waterways.

Sean I-C

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Redesigning the Los Angeles River

For the first time, in a long time, the Los Angeles River will receive a much needed facelift, thanks to the help of city grants and public support. Presently, the cement basin and unfortunate eye sore, stretches through various North East Los Angeles neighborhoods. With the help of public participation and comment, the Los Angeles River Masterplan will include various features, including more walking paths, parks, added landscaping, and other aesthetic features. Talks with private investors have even suggested the implementation of bus stops and tunnels, as well as local food hubs, which would grant neighboring citizens access to public transportation and healthy food. Thanks to ongoing public support and feedback, the Los Angeles River will finally be transformed from an inconvenient storm channel, to a beautiful, pedestrian-friendly, region. 

More information on the Los Angeles River facelift can be found at KCET.

-Bridget McD.

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Urban Sprawl from the Space

This image from USGS shows a reconstruction of the growth of Baltimore, Maryland, over the last 200 years. The satellite photo offers us a good way to feel urban sprawl from a large scale. This image has not included the recent 20 years data, but it has already shows the rapid process of urban sprawl.

-Shuang

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Old Baltimore factory converted into apartments for teachers

Recently Baltimore's Union Mill, which at one point was the world's biggest producer of cotton duck, was converted into reduced-rent apartment for Baltimore teachers (many of whom work through Teach for America). In addition the Mill provides reduced-rent office space for non-profits. While the project costs $20 million to construct, it once again shows how urban infill/adaptive reuse projects can help create great spaces without the need for urban expansion.

-Adam R