Sustainability, Utah, and Agenda 21

Wilf SommerkornTed Knowlton

Utah APA Conference4 October 2013

Sustainability is an ancient concept

“My family came to America for a better life for their children and their children’s children.”

The Golden Rule: treat others as you want to be treated.

“The earth belongs to each generation during its course, fully and in its own right, but no generation can contract debts greater than can be paid during the course of its own existence.”

~Thomas Jefferson

AGENDA 21

Planning that develops public ownership of your plan (especially if there are Agenda 21

concerns (and similar)

• Process

• Communications

If Agenda 21 concerns are substantial in your community

• Listen to, don’t discount concerns

• Include these participants in every portion of the process– As long as they are willing to let others participate

When anyone comes to your public meeting intent on shutting it down!

First listen

If a group tries to obstruct the meeting:• Stand up for everyone else’s right to be heard• Divide the meeting (if necessary)

– “who would like the meeting to continue?”– “who would like to talk about these concerns”

Traditional Planning Approach

• Decide – through analysis and research

• Educate – the public about the solution

• Announce – the plan

• Defend – the plan and yourself

Process tips for developing broad grassroots support

• Strive for broad participation that represents your community

• Be an “Honest Broker” of choices and consequences

• Trust the public• Be transparent

• 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization• Formed in 1997 to evaluate growth issues

Envision Utah

Not philosophizing, but exploring the future

Problem solving workshops

Regional Choices and Outcomes

Our Region’s Future

Transportation Land Use

Job Creation

Air Quality

Land Consump-

tionTraffic

Water Use

Miles of Driving

Open Space

HousingOpportunities

Total EmissionsTons Per Day

2,660

2,511 2,501 2,512

2,400

2,450

2,500

2,550

2,600

2,650

2,700

A B C D

Em

issi

on

s

Total Infrastructure Costs

$0

$5

$10

$15

$20

$25

$30

$35

$40

A B C D

Bil

lio

ns

1999

Do

llar

s

Municipal and Developer Regional Roads Regional Transit Regional Water

37.6

29.8

22.1 23.0

Scenario Comparisons and Survey

PUBLIC AWARENESS

EFFORTSTelevision, Radio and

Newspaper

Choosing a Scenario(Weighted vs. Unweighted Results)

1% 1% 2% 3%

13%

30%

9%

3%

25%

9%

26%

1% 1% 2%3%

13%

4%

31%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40% Unweighted results (as represented by the black dashed line) are nearly identical to weighted results

West Valley Downtown Plan, 2002

A

C D

B

Preferred Scenario

The heart of Agenda 21 concerns:

“people who don’t know our issues and concerns want to force us to do….”

Communication 101

The heart of Agenda 21 concerns: “people who don’t know our issues and concerns ………………………..….”

1.Explore local sustainability issues2.Relay impacts of potential decisions on the family, neighborhood, city, metro area3.Emphasize that solutions will be defined locally, through a public process

Benefits to your family

• Public Transportation: – Bypass congestion to enjoy more time at home

• Outdoors to enjoy together

Housing wants and needs change over people’s lives

Understand cost of living as affected by housing, transportation, and energy expenses

Communication 202

The heart of Agenda 21 concerns: “people who don’t know our issues and concerns want to force us to do….”

1. Relate sustainable development to market desires

2. Relate sustainable development to the taxpayer (fiscal impacts)

3. Explore how “choices” are broadened

1. Sustainability and the free market

What are the housing and area characteristics that will attract buyers over many decades?

• Today’s preferences?• Demographic shifts?

Desired Neighborhood Attributes - NAR 2011

Source: National Association of Realtors, American Preference Survey 2011.

Gen Y and Baby Boomers are the largest generations

• Of those that move, 7 out of 8 downsize

• 77% of Gen Y plans to live in an urban setting

The Market for Transportation-Land Use Integration: Do Developers Want Smarter Growth than

Regulations Allow?

Jonathan Levine, 2004N=656

Is there adequate supply of alternative development…?• Not enough: 67%

Developers perception of the “single most important obstacle” to alternative development?• “local regulation”

Regulation almost always sets a ceiling on intensity

Eg:– Minimum single family lot size– Maximum density– Maximum FAR– Parking requirements– Land use restrictions

Efforts to allow more variety in scale, use, parking, better allow market demand to be expressed

2. Sustainability and the taxpayer?

1 1.25 1.5 2 2.5 4 5 63

43,600 S.F.34,800 S.F. 29,000 S.F.

21,800 S.F. 17,400 S.F.

14,400 S.F.10,900 S.F.

8,700 S.F. 7,200 S.F.

Street Frontage Relative to Lot Size

150’ 130’ 110’ 100’ 90’ 90’ 83’ 75’ 65’

Units Per Ac

Typical Lot Frontage

Larger lots = More street frontage per

residence

Smaller lots = Less street

frontage per residence

Per Capita Residential Water UseAs A Function of Residential Density

50

70

90

110

130

150

170

190

210

230

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Average Residential Density - DU's per Acre

Res

iden

tial

Wat

er U

se -

Gal

lon

s p

er C

apit

a p

er D

ay

1 1.25 1.5 2 2.5 4 5 63

43,600 S.F.34,800 S.F. 29,000 S.F.

21,800 S.F. 17,400 S.F.

14,400 S.F.10,900 S.F.

8,700 S.F. 7,200 S.F.

Water Use Relative to

Lot Size

(Source: USU Extension)

Units Per Ac

“The Growth Ponzi Scheme”Chuck Marohn, Thoughts on Building Strong Towns

2. Choices

• Housing

2. Choices

• Getting around

The heart of Agenda 21 concerns:

“people who don’t know our issues and concerns want to force us to do….”

If Agenda 21 concerns are substantial in your community

• Listen to, don’t discount concerns

• Include these participants in every portion of the process– As long as they are willing to let

others participate

Process tips for developing broad grassroots support

• Strive for broad participation that represents your community

• Be an “Honest Broker” of choices and consequences

• Trust the public• Be transparent

Communication 101

The heart of Agenda 21 concerns: “people who don’t know our issues and concerns ………………………..….”

1.Explore local sustainability issues2.Relay impacts of potential decisions on the family, neighborhood, city, metro area3.Emphasize that solutions will be defined locally, through a public process

Communication 202

The heart of Agenda 21 concerns: “people who don’t know our issues and concerns want to force us to do….”

1. Relate sustainable development to market desires

2. Relate sustainable development to the taxpayer (fiscal impacts)

3. Explore how “choices” are broadened

“The earth belongs to each generation during its course, fully and in its own right, but no generation can contract debts greater than can be paid during the course of its own existence.”

~Thomas Jefferson

Sustainability, Utah, and Agenda 21

Wilf SommerkornTed Knowlton

Utah APA Conference4 October 2013