Wes Craiglow, AICP

Local gov guy who barely sleeps and keeps his sleeves rolled up. Better cities are the clearest path to a better world. || This is my simple sounding board. All posts are my own. || @wescraiglow

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Conway, Arkansas, at 42 years old. 

Our population would have been around 4,500 at the time. 

Three takeaways from the planner in me...

1. Thanks to the nearly infinite combination of choices, the tight grid street system was very effective at moving large volumes of traffic. This explains why, even today, you won’t find any four-lane city streets or even many traffic lights through Old Conway, yet you can travel easily from one end to the other without major delay. Low-speed, two-lane roads and stop signs work perfectly and have for 100+ years.

2. The high density of lots consumed valuable real estate much more efficiently than the modern low-density “sprawl” settings of today. This allowed for a more powerful tax base and ensured that city services were distributed at higher levels per block and per resident. Traditional higher density areas such as Old Conway outperform modern, low density areas in tax-to-service comparisons in almost every case. The taxpayer me says that’s a pretty smart way to build a city.

3. Churches, schools, work, and shopping were all nicely blended into residential areas, which made much of this part of Conway human-scaled and walkable. Not only would this walkable character have contributed to stronger communities and neighborly spirit by allowing spontaneous encounters among residents, but it almost guaranteed a community of healthy people. Even now, in our car-dominated society, countless studies show that walkable neighborhoods make for healthy neighbors. 

Now if we could only get some sidewalk money dedicated for Old Conway... In full disclosure, I have been a resident of this map for my entire adult life, having owned two homes and raised two kids in the area affectionately referred to as Old Conway. I love it, and will remain a champion for the place forever. 

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Check this vid.

In case you're wondering how Conway stacks up, I recently ran some numbers...

Based on a 23.5 acre sample, our downtown is nine times more powerful, per acre, in property tax than the Walmart Supercenter on Hwy 65. Furthermore, our top ten urban restaurants average out to be 3.6 times more powerful, per square foot, in sales tax than our top ten suburban restaurants.

Both of these outcomes are largely driven by the suburban model’s need to use 2/3s or more of their land area for parking––pavement which generates little to no tax revenue, yet consumes city services. 

Urban areas are exponentially more powerful per acre than suburban areas, in both property and sales tax. And not only is the tax base more effective, but it's more efficient, too. By consuming less real estate, these areas allow the city to serve more people per acre with things like roads, utilities, sanitation, and police and fire. That’s a true win-win.

A quick look at the balance sheet of any city in America shows that the cost of providing city services is rising faster than the revenues available to pay for them. Instead of simply raising tax rates or chasing more inefficient, underperforming sprawl development––which we can calculate to be a losing proposition over the long term––I suggest that it’s time to change to a land-use model which both broadens the existing tax base and deepens cities’ ability to provide services.

This is a big deal. Allowing and encouraging more urbanism is a new way of thinking for most cities like Conway, but it's a smarter way of thinking and a gateway to a healthier financial future. I’m going to continue doing research on this topic and sharing my results here. Stay tuned. Thanks. 

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Bringing Local Gov  into the 21st Century

All too often, government is the last to adopt modern advances in our business practices––especially small- to mid-size local governments. Simply put, striking a balance between available budget, institutional resistance, and political will is a lot like trying to get the stars to all line up for a photo. In ten years around city hall, I’ve learned that changing anything comes down to communicating the need, building a coalition, and awaiting the right moment. 

One of those moments is upon us now. We are prepared to take a bold step forward in meeting the challenges and demands of our growing city in this modern era. On Tuesday, September 22, I will ask the Conway City Council to support the purchase of a cloud-based software system which will revolutionize the way our city administers its land-use, code enforcement, and permit-related functions, as well as how we connect our decades of data from dozens of sources to the outside world for public consumption.

Our two-year search for the right solution has been driven by four primary goals:

1. Decrease the amount of time necessary to process land-use and permit applications
 2. Increase workflow transparency to applicants, staff members and managers 3. Reduce department operating costs through automation and man-hour efficiencies
 4. Increase the level of trust and cooperation between the public and private sectors

After nine months of staff grading, product demonstrations, and contract negotiations, an industry leader in civic software, Accela, has proven to meet or exceed the needs of our departments in virtually every criteria. 

There is simply no way to overstate how big of a change going digital will be to these functions of your local government. No more rooms of file cabinets, no more lost paperwork, no more unnecessary delays or multiple trips to city agencies. Transparency, efficiency, responsiveness, and accountability will be our watchwords from now on. I firmly believe this change will be among the most important things I’ve done during my previous decade of service to Conway.

It’s that big. 

I want to give a huge thanks to all of the staff who played such a critical role throughout this process, as well as to the mayor and the department heads in Planning & Development, Permits & Inspections, and Information Technology who supported this bold step from the very beginning.

If you’re interested in reading the final report in its entirety, it can be found here.

For a glimpse into Accela and their Civic Solution for Land Management software, check out these short vids:

About Accela:

About Planning & Zoning:

About Permitting & Inspections:

About Code Enforcement:

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Simple, elegant, functional.

Chatham University provides jaw-dropping inspiration for Conway’s proposed Markham Street Amphitheater. Let’s do this! 

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the trees + sidewalks project

I don’t think there are many things a municipality can provide which have a greater impact on how their city looks, feels, and behaves than sidewalks and trees. Sidewalks support transportation equity for those without cars while encouraging us all to live more active, healthy lifestyles. Trees dramatically enhance the physical form of our city, and subsequently, lift the spirits of those who live within it. 

This is the first post in my new “trees + sidewalks” series. Its premise is quite simple: I will add sidewalks and trees to a Conway landscape.

I want viewers to not simply see the difference, but sense it, as well.

I want to inspire viewers to visualize trees + sidewalks throughout Conway.

I want to challenge us all to make these two items a priority from now on.

I hope you enjoy. 

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First up...

Conway Station Park

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Parks - A Visual Preference Survey

This morning concludes my second round of [very unscientific] VPS using my personal social media feeds. Big thanks to everyone who participated. These really do help guide decision making around the office. 

Yesterday’s question was about parks preference. I was curious what sort of municipal park spaces people most preferred, with the inference being regular and recurring use, not what they think their particular city needs at a given moment in time. 

Question: Which of these types of parks do you most prefer? A. Neighborhood parks B. Regional-scale athletic centers C. Natural areas

**One caveat to the photo above which may have skewed the results slightly: Photo A does a poor job of detailing the features of this park. Although it’s difficult to see, there is a modest playground set and one basketball court. I should have made this more clear in the original post.

And here is the feedback by type:

Most responses were single letter, but other folks stated they preferred two or all three choices equally. In these cases, I credited each with a vote. This explains why the total number of votes exceeds the total number of respondents.

The result of the vote, as with the Streetscapes VPS, was pretty clear on one thing: mature trees increase the desirability of public spaces.

I also invited respondents to explain why they preferred one over another. Written responses echoed what the voting tally demonstrated: that mature trees are critical to making a park the sort of place people want to be.  Maybe that has something to do with us being in the midst of another oppressive Southern summer, but it’s also clear that folks love trees for reasons other than shade, too. Read for yourself here.

Second to trees was a preference for parks which suit multiple activities, and Park C seemed to allow greater diversity of use. From walking and jogging, to games on the turf, to nature watching, to simply relaxing with a sweetheart, it is clear that most respondents could see themselves using Park C more often and for more reasons than they would the other options.

If you’d like to participate in future surveys, or just keep up with the goings-on of a Conway city planner, find me on social media:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

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Residental Streetscapes - A Visual Preference Survey

A while back, I began doing some visual preference surveys on my Facebook and Twitter feeds. Here are the results from one such survey that inquired about various types of streets supporting single family homes.

Question: On which of these streets would you most desire to live? 

And here are the results:

It’s pretty clear that B & C dominated the poll. So what are the key differences between those two choices and A? Beyond that, what are the similarities between B & C which made them so consistent? Here’s what I see:

1. Trees. The primary visible feature in B & C, other than the street itself, are the trees. There is not only a dense canopy which shades the public space and softens rigid structures, but the placement of the trees between the curb and sidewalk provides a physical and psychological barrier between passing cars and pedestrians. Finally, by “closing in” the street itself, the trees likely have a calming effect on drivers, subconsciously encouraging them to slow down––a highly desirable behavior in residential areas.

2. Home and Site Disposition. The homes along Streets B & C use their land in a distinctly different way than Street A. The primary visual feature of the homes in Street A is their garage––the garage protrudes further into the public realm than the front door. In Streets B & C, the facade or the entryway is more visible than the garage. In Street C in particular, it is clear that some homes along the left side have hidden, rear-entry garages, completely removing this “service area” from view.

3. Vertical Curbs. Although an often overlooked feature in cities, the humble curb can have an impact in several ways. Like street trees, vertical curbs send a silent message of “risk” to drivers––if you leave the roadway, something will go bump. Furthermore, they do a better job of preventing residents from parking in their yard, which judging by how often our code enforcement office receives these complaints, can be unsightly to adjacent neighbors. 

The bottom line? More than any other feature, the trees in B & C make people feel better about calling this street home. Streets B & C convey a message that they are safer and more comfortable than Street A, and that translated into a higher desirably for respondents.

If you’d like to participate in future surveys, or just keep up with the goings-on of a Conway city planner, find me on social media:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

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This is not all good news, as it will present significant challenges to affordability within urban areas and cause very real decline in the suburbs as they become cheaper and less desirable––much like the rise in suburban costs and the death of city centers fifty years ago ago, only inverse.

However, these are challenges which can be overcome.

It is critically important that cities, even smallish ones like Conway, take stock of these changes in our culture and landscape. The city of 2050 will look as different from today's, as the city of today looks from the ones our parents grew up in.

(Click the image for the full infographic.)

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Our Cities Are Our Future

The morning after another wild election cycle, and like usual, I'm left feeling a bit hungover by the drama of these huge political races and all of their money and all of their hot air.

Maybe disenfranchised is a better word than hungover. Or melancholy. Or bitter. Or as my teenager might say, "over it."

Why do we get so wrapped up in it all? So we can watch them disappear to someplace far away, only to get little done and be heard from again when they need our money or votes?

Those of you who know me, know how I feel about cities. I believe they are a bastion of productivity in a larger political world gridlocked by conflict, ulterior motives, and cash. Unlike state and national politics, local government is highly visible and transparent; it is agile, responsive, and maintains a higher degree of accountability for its actions.

You probably know your local elected leaders, too. Maybe you grew up together, live down the street from them, see them at the grocery store or church, or maybe your kids play ball together. When you call, they answer.

So why does this matter today more than ever?

Because as of 2010, more than half of all Americans now live in a US Census-designated "Urban" area. (A city of 50,000 or more.) That number is on track to be 75% by the year 2050. We are a nation losing our rural heritage and one fast becoming metropolitan. 

For all of the media attention state and national races get, nothing affects our lives more than the elections and voter referendums within our cities.

From training and equipping the heroes on police and fire duty, to managing well-integrated and well-maintained transportation networks, to ensuring our kids have all of the educational advantages they need for a bright future, to actively pursuing economic and workforce development opportunities, to taking care of those most in need of a hand up, to investing in quality-of-life assets like parks and trails...

These decisions––decisions which have the greatest direct impact on the welfare, livelihood, and happiness of us, our families, our neighborhoods, and our community––don't happen in the marble chambers of Legislature or Congress.

They happen at City Hall.

And maybe best of all, thanks to Arkansas law, municipal elections are non-partisan races. That means our candidates and we voters can focus on the issues that matter to us instead of party loyalties. There will never be a (D) or (R) next to anyone's name. This all but guarantees our local government will have much higher degrees of collaboration, mutual respect, and selflessness when it comes time to roll up the sleeves and do work. I can attest that I see this magic happen every day.

I'll say it again: our cities are our future. 

I encourage readers to focus keenly on building a great city for ourselves. For it's the smallest levels of government which will have the greatest impact over the coming generations, and it's we individual residents investing in our cities which create the most dramatic results.

Think big. Live local. Be change.

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Certainly we all know someone like this...

[atlurbanist]

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This is every bit as relevant to smaller cities like Conway, and reminds me of that old adage about crazy being nothing more than attempting the same thing repeatedly but expecting different results.

There are better ways.

-Wes

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From atlurbanist:

The northern part of the Atlanta metro area is good at making bad decisions with urban design.

First, it fully embraced suburban sprawl and it’s car-centric pattern, allowing low-density subdivisions, with their disconnected cul-de-sac roads, to fill up land formerly occupied by farms and...

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On Service and Leadership

It's hard to find the words to explain just how much my time in the Army has meant to me. Discipline, work ethic, perseverance, courage, empathy, passion and patience, ambition and pragmatism... love and pain.

And so much more.

But maybe most of all, I've learned the value of serving others and being a leader. Almost everything I know about those two things, I have learned while in uniform.

I have been exceptionally blessed to have some incredible leaders above and around me who invested their time and energy to become mentors to my growth. As importantly, I've led on behalf of some incredible subordinate leaders who have shaped almost every significant decision I've made. 

Oh, how deeply the debt I feel to all of those wonderful men and women for their support and coaching. The only way I know to repay them, and frankly the only way they'd have it, is by paying it forward. And more times than not these days, it means forward into my community through my work at Conway City Hall.

So how does my time in the Army complement my role as a public servant? What are the lessons that drive my decisions these days? Let me jot down a few here...

The single most defining trait of any public servant is selflessness. Always has been, always will be. The moment any one of us places personal interests above the welfare of those we serve, we fail. There are no exceptions to this rule.

The people who work within the service organization are the most important resource of that organization. Not money, not gear or equipment, not time, not vision or lofty goals. People. If leaders and managers take care of their folks––their army of servants––those employees will go to hell and back to get their job done.

Leadership is not about making people do what you want them to do. That's management. (Or, God forbid, manipulation.) Leadership is making people want to do what you want them to do. It's never about pushing people; it's about pulling them. It's about drawing them to a meaningful common goal, then giving them the space to move forward on their own.

When working with partners in the interest of the public good, we are always allies. There is neither space nor time for "us against you" sentiment. It’s just us. Mutual respect and understanding, a conciliatory spirit and compromise are the name of the game.

The people leaders serve, both within our own organizations and out on the landscape, are always watching. There is no protective film. Leaders must maintain high integrity and strong moral character at all times. Like a former sergeant of mine used to say, "Sir, one 'oh shit' will ruin a thousand 'atta-boys.'" A kinder way of saying this? It takes ten years to build a reputation and ten seconds to destroy one. 

Doing the right thing almost always means doing the difficult thing. Leaders cannot be afraid of that pain, especially when those difficult decisions translate into higher morale or better performance on behalf of their charge. If there are people around you who do not possess the values or abilities for the moment or the mission, teach and encourage them. If they still don't find their way, remove them.

I reckon that's enough for now. I may come back from time to time to add more as they come to me. Thanks for listening.

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From Brownfields to Greenbacks: High-Yield Redevelopment in Conway

A brownfield is a property that is not being redeveloped because it is, or is perceived to be, environmentally contaminated in some way. A property can also be classified as a brownfield when it becomes so aesthetically blighted that it decreases the likelihood of redevelopment on nearby properties.

In 1995, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency launched the Brownfields Program to provide support to local governments in their efforts toward cleaning-up these sites. The EPA's original intent for the program placed a focus on environmental quality. What no one expected was its economic development impact.

As sites were cleaned, the level of private redevelopment interest increased greatly. This effect was amplified when these sites were in downtown areas. (Many of which were witnessing the start to their own urban renaissance at the time.)

This includes cities in our area and some projects with which you may be familiar. For example, portions of the Little Rock River Market and Argenta Districts were redeveloped using EPA Brownfields grant money, including the headquarters of Heifer International. 

In 2009, as the redevelopment conversations began for our Markham Street effort, it became apparent that we had a wonderful brownfield opportunity: Conway Scrapmetals, a multi-generational small business which just happened to be looking for a change of venue. It was also clear that no private developers were ready to invest in this area's potential until this 1.6 acre scrapping operation was cleared.

The timing was with us, so in 2011, the Planning and Development Department submitted, and was ultimately awarded, our first EPA Brownfields grant. 

Here we are three years later, and the City of Conway has taken ownership of this key site along Markham Street with the intent of creating a wonderful urban park. This park will feature an outdoor performance amphitheater, while being designed in such a way that it mitigates much of the current flooding issues so common to our downtown area.

So why do I think this is one of the most important redevelopment and infrastructure projects for Conway in recent memory? Return on investment.

The money being spent to purchase, clean, and ultimately turn this parcel of land into a park, will be returned many times over in the form of private sector neighborhood redevelopment. Once this site is done and adjacent streets refinished, Conway residents will begin to notice the northward advancement of our current downtown economy. There are already developers lining up to break ground. Over time, this entire neighborhood will become home to a diverse mix of residents and businesses.

But don't just take my word for it. A recent paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research details a process "whereby changes in the socioeconomic characteristics of a community accompany changes in environmental amenities." In other words, once improvements to an area's physical character are made, benefits resonate through that area's economy and on to the people within it. 

Even using conservative estimates, the NBER study finds an average benefit value of just over $3.9 million per brownfield site. According to the report, the average per-site cost for brownfield remediation is only $602,000, with the EPA covering about one-third of that amount. That's a six-to-one return on investment, on average, coast to coast, year after year since the program began. It grows to a 10:1 ROI if you consider the EPA's share of the heavy lifting.

(Coincidentally, this number is almost exactly what the City of Conway estimates our costs to be for acquisition and clean-up, including how much we're applying for in grants from the EPA.)

So if the research is even close to being accurate, and we can make some general inferences about our brownfield site based on the investment and value increases we've witnessed in Downtown Conway over the last ten years, then this project should return the public's investment many times over.

That's a significant return in anyone's books.

But the richest benefit comes from kickstarting a wonderful new walkable neighborhood that will serve our residents for decades to come as an amazing place to live, work, and play. 

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Neighborhood Parks Might be Closer Than You Think

The median home price in Conway is somewhere in the $160k range, based on what study you look to. What if I told you that by adding $4,000 to the price of that home (that's under 3%), you and your nearest 100 neighbors could enjoy a small park within walking distance, with treelined sidewalks and trails to get you there.*

Would you pay that small premium for these neighborhood amenities?

I'm not advocating we hang the moon here. What I suggest is saving two or three of the subdivision's centrally-located lots for the park itself, which could be really nothing more than a small playground, a simple pavilion with tables and a grill, some shade trees, and a grassy area for open play. Something on the order of one-half to one acre can provide more than enough room. Although parking for four to six cars would be great, cost savings could be found by using on-street parking. Considering that the park is designed to be central to a walkable neighborhood, it's probably safe to say there won't be much parking pressure.

In this scenario, the developer of the subdivision would build the park, pave the sidewalks and trails, and plant the landscaping. All of it would be dedicated back to the public once completed. For that, the City would waive some or all of the relevant Park Impact Fees associated with that particular subdivision. This would keep costs to the developer and homebuyers lower, and guarantee that this space remains a public park forever.

So what about maintenance? For public parks like this, there are really two primary methods: the general parks fund, or an Urban Service District (USD). I prefer the latter, for a couple of reasons.

One, it keeps the majority of the cost burden on those who benefit most regularly from the park––the residents of that neighborhood. This frees up the general parks fund to focus on our larger, destination-style parks and facilities that serve the entire city.

And two, it allows those same residents an opportunity to somewhat self-govern their park. For example, if they wanted to make substantial improvements like a pool or ball court, they could simply levy a USD fee increase upon themselves. It localizes the power.

This entire model––from the creation and dedication of the park and walkability features, to the perpetual maintenance being carried by those who use the resource––are part of what I believe to be deepening trends in America's cities today: more people-focused, liveable areas which also use revenues far more efficiently and effectively.

This is the future for smart cities.

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*This math would only apply to those of you living in typical single-family subdivisions around town, not those out on our low-density edges.

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Safety through Design

When people ask for speedbumps in their subdivision, what they really want is for cars to drive slower. Narrower streets and shade trees can solve that.

(Psst... It'll also make your street more walkable, cooler in the summer heat, and increase property values.)

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Growing a Stronger Conway, One Harvest at a Time

Did you know that a well-managed, five acre urban farm can produce 150,000 meals per year?

That's a whole lot of healthier school lunches and full bellies for the neediest among us. Local public and private schools, churches, food pantries, shelters, and soup kitchens would all benefit greatly from free and fresh food grown by Conway urban farmers and volunteers.

Urban farms can serve as an outdoor classroom for a host of academic programs, from biology to botany to horticulture, permitting our kids to get out of their building and into the sun to find hands-on learning opportunities.

An urban farm like this can also help control flood-prone areas and keep our lakes and rivers cleaner by managing storm water and filtering the runoff before it reaches the pipe. This is in addition to cooling the heat island effect so common within our cities.

These sites can strengthen communities by bringing residents together over common goals and pursuits, they can add much needed greenspace and aesthetic quality to an otherwise clamorous urban landscape, and their productive output can become a source of pride for the entire city.

So how could this be done in Conway?

Well, there are dozens of grant opportunities available for cities just like ours. One or more of these could be coupled together to target specific needs.

But when it comes to operations, there might be no better perpetual funding alternative than our own CDBG revenue. This is money which we receive annually from the Federal government and must use in a way to support community development within low- to moderate-income areas.

If we allocated a portion of our CDBG entitlement to invest in a long-term urban farm model, we could reap returns far greater than our level of expense. Every year your farm is in operation, it becomes more efficient at producing, and initial capital costs are bought down. 

Over time, those 150,000 annual meals would each become cheaper and cheaper, allowing us to help more and more hungry residents. All while we're educating kids, strengthening communities, and helping the environment.

I can dig it. 

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The Affordable Housing Crisis at Home

Although most of Faulkner County and Conway enjoy a relatively high median income as compared to our median home price, there are a growing number of residents within our area for whom both are reaching a critical point. 

According to a recent report published by the Urban Institute, there are only 23 affordable rental units in Faulkner County for every 100 Extremely-Low Income residents. That's a deficit of more than 300%, and seven percent below the already-dire national average.

In real numbers, we have 4,128 family households earning less than $18,700 per year. Of those, only 931 can find a place to live that won't exceed 30% of their income. That leaves 3,197 Extremely Low Income families in Faulkner County who do not have the option of affordable housing.

Three thousand, one hundred, and ninety-seven. 

So what does this mean to us and why should we care enough to improve these numbers? Because affordable housing has a direct impact on rates of education, employment, health, crime, and of course, homelessness. 

We must work diligently with every tool we have to ensure that any family looking for an affordable place to call home can find one. At our local level, this includes the allocation of Federal resources like CDBG and HOME funds, and it includes helping private developers keep housing costs down by connecting them to tax credits and other available incentives.

But most of all, it involves working together with relevant agencies and organizations to develop a comprehensive action plan that can overcome this grave challenge. Only our efficient application of collective skills and resources will turn the tide.

By solving this issue on the front-end, we avoid its second- and third-order effects, and thereby recognize massive savings among government, non-profit, and faith-based groups on the back-end. In addition to that, we can all be proud of having done the right thing for those among us who need it most.

"If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich." -- John F. Kennedy