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| Courtesy of The Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy, November, 1999 Sensible Growth: The Politics and Practicalities of Metropolitan Expansion By David Walter Schnare, Esq. PH.D. |
| EXECUTIVE SUMMARY America has the will and the tools to ensure "Sensible Growth" of its cities and suburbs. Inevitably, these metropolitan regions will expand, but by applying sensible approaches we can reduce congestion, preserve open space, and keep pace with demands for schools, all while providing for new economic and residential expansion. This study introduces the status of problems attributed to metropolitan sprawl, balancing assertions of growth control advocates with facts on land use in America. It provides an alternative to the radical proposals often described as 'smart' growth and describes how principles of Sensible Growth can address problems in Virginia's metropolitan communities. The Politics of Metropolitan Growth Citizens worry about sprawl: • In 1996, over 75% of Americans considered "urban sprawl" an important issue. • This year, 70% of Virginians supported managing new growth as a means to deal with traffic congestion, 59% considered loss of open space a state responsibility and 52% thought school crowding serious. • Over the past 12 months, the nation's print media carried over 7,500 stories related to urban sprawl, a rate of more than 20 a day. More than 13,000 internet web pages discuss aspects of "urban sprawl." • In 1998, American's approved 170 of 240 local anti-growth ballot initiatives (71%). But, citizens affected by several years of experimentation with growth controls now reject the 'smart'growth approach. • Having seen the failure of growth controls in nearby Portland, Oregon, West Linn voters rejected a 1998 proposal to join the 'smart' growth program by a 4 to 1 vote margin. • In the same year, Citizens of Milwaukee, another Portland neighbor, recalled the mayor and two city council members because they supported growth controls. • In November, 1999, Livermore, Pleasonton, and San Ramon citizens living near Oakland, California rejected anti-growth controls in an effort to preserve the suburban nature of their cities. Facts About Growth Traffic Congestion • Congestion is worse today because more people take more non-work-related trips during rush hour than ever before. In 1997, 62% of women and 45% of men did non-work errands on their way home from the office. • Although the 21 minute average national commute time has actually gone down over the past three decades, one in 10 Northern Virginia commuters drive more than an hour to work, while one in 10 Norfolk, Charlottesville and Richmond commuters travel more than 40 minutes to work. In 1990, these Virginian road warriors amounted to about 250,000 commuters, a number that has grown substantially over the past decade. • The typical suburban driver takes five trips per day, the typical family takes 12. 80% are unrelated to work. The average trip is 3.1 miles long. The average commute is under 10 miles, with 25% of all automobile trips less than one mile in length. On top of this, the farthest distance a typical American will willingly walk carrying packages before getting into a car is 600 feet. Open Space • 88% of Americans fear some of the nation's special open spaces may be lost. In Virginia, 42% feel loss of open space near their homes is serious and 59% believe this is a state responsibility. • But, only 26% of Americans believe they had too few parks and playgrounds in their community. Further, 83% of Americans spent recreation or leisure time in parks or in the countryside, 47% of them did so very otten. • Governments have protected considerable open space. For every acre of urban land, the nation has set aside 1.5 acres for parks and wilderness. By 1998, the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund had bought more than five million acres of land and developed more than 37,000 parks and recreation projects. Today federal and state governments own fully one-third of the land in the contiguous U.S. • Americans also prize neighborhood open space. In 1993, local governments spent $8.4 billion ($55 per capita) on parks and recreation with annual growth in park spending at 6.5%, well in excess of inflation. Farmland Loss • Metropolitan growth has little to do with reduction in farm lands. • The remarkable increase in agricultural production is chief among reasons for loss of farm land, along with the Federal government's response to this productivity growth. • Since 1950, agricultural production has increased by 105%. To combat the economic harm of over-production, the U.S. government pays more than $1.7 billion annually to take crop land out of service. This takes an amount of land out of production that is greater than the amount devoted to all the nation's urban uses. This existing federal program accounts for the vast majority of farmland being taken out of production. • Most land taken out of production in the past century has reverted to forest. • The economic benefits of operating a farm near the urban fringe will ensure there will always be nearby farms. The new lexicon calls these farms agritainment, reflecting their use for both agricultural and entertainment. Environmental Quality • Americans consider environmental quality important but well in hand. • 91% of adults consider protecting the environment very or somewhat important in deciding how they will vote in the next presidential election. • Yet, 69% of adults "feel good" about the quality of the air, water and environment where they live and work. • Americans think environmental quality is important, but not nearly as important as other issues. In the eight most recent national polls ranking the importance of domestic policy issues, on average the environment came out in the bottom 10%. The environment came out dead last in four of the eight polls. Residential Housing Density • Typical suburban housing densities nationwide average five or six families per acre. 'Smart' growth advocates want to require average densities of about 15 families and up to 50 households per acre. • The 'smart' growth housing densities cause reductions in environmental quality, and in particular, air quality. • Recent research indicates the cost of public services increases with higher housing densities, once densities rise to more than one house per acre. • Other research shows higher housing densities does not correlate with mass transit use, lower congestion or less reliance on automobiles and roads. Schools • Alter controlling for economic background, cultural differences, and funding levels, research confirms that smaller class size produces higher performance among students. • Municipal construction of schools takes about six years, in contrast to private organizations that put up school facilities in six to 18 months. • The need for classrooms will peak in 2007, assuming no economic growth (no new jobs and families). • New tax incentives that allow private construction and lease-back to counties cost less to the counties, speed construction and free-up other school district resources for needed repairs and growth. • Governments can create incentives for commercial and office complex developers to design primary school facilities into high-rise buildings, producing more classrooms, greater student diversity, less traffic congestion and more capital assets to the school system. Employees and local residents would use these schools - an environment that would put the parent closer to the child and put the child into an environment with role models made up of responsible adults. Land Use Planning & Zoning • Studies show comprehensive planning has not solved the problems of sprawl. • Most metropolitan areas look substantially the same as Houston which has had no zoning laws. • Traditional planning does not adequately predict future needs and is too slow to respond to dynamic growth. What Americans Want A City in the Garden • 75% of Americans have sought life in Suburbia. • 80% of suburbanites are satisfied with the quality of life in their neighborhoods. • 73% of adults believe growth in the suburbs has created a change for the better or not caused a change for the worse. • 60% believe their communities' quality of life will be better by the year 2020. • Americans do not expect to sacrifice economic prosperity for the purpose of having a pleasing environment. They expect the government to ensure both. Less Congestion and Fewer Trips • Americans like shopping malls, strip malls and "big box" stores because they can do many errands in only one trip. • Commuters want no more than a 45 minute commute, yet one long enough to allow them to mentally prepare for work in the morning and decompress after work in the evening. Citizen Erapowerment • Americans want to be consulted about changes to their community. • They do not want outsiders, including the federal government or environmental groups, to veto or trump local decisions. • Citizens have a diversity of values and want the opportunity to ensure plans for their community reflect their values without trampling those of others. THE CORE PRINCIPLES OF SENSIBLE GROWTH • Sensible Growth should reduce congestion, preserve open space, and keep pace with demands for schools, while providing for new economic and residential expansion. • Sensible Growth should provide a reasonable way to diminish citizens' anger about sprawl while preserving their suburban way of life. • Sensible Growth applies core principles to community-specific problems, thereby accomplishing its intended goals. • Unlike 'smart' growth, Sensible Growth does not restrict land-use options or deny citizen rights. It produces timely and fair consensus on solutions. • As these two lists demonstrate, Sensible Growth promotes responsible behavior while 'smart' growth limits choice.
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