From an Equity Standpoint, Place Matters: Brookings Report

Posted on May 19, 2012 by Moderator

A recent Brookings Institution report looks at the link between school quality, housing costs and race. The report, Housing Costs, Zoning, and Access to High-Scoring Schools, analyzed national and metropolitan data on public school populations and state standardized test scores for 84,077 schools in 2010 and 2011.

Some of the key findings are:

Nationwide, the average low-income student attends a school that scores at the 42nd percentile on state exams, while the average middle/high-income student attends a school that scores at the 61st percentile on state exams. This school test-score gap is even wider between black and Latino students and white students. There is increasingly strong evidence—from this report and other studies—that low-income students benefit from attending higher-scoring schools.

Across the 100 largest metropolitan areas, housing costs an average of 2.4 times as much, or nearly $11,000 more per year, near a high-scoring public school than near a low-scoring public school.

Large metro areas with the least restrictive zoning have housing cost gaps that are 40 to 63 percentage points lower than metro areas with the most exclusionary zoning. Eliminating exclusionary zoning in a metro area would, by reducing its housing cost gap, lower its school test-score gap by an estimated 4 to 7 percentiles—a significant share of the observed gap between schools serving the average low-income versus middle/higher-income student.

Summing up the findings, the authors state: “As the nation grapples with the growing gap between rich and poor and an economy increasingly reliant on formal education, public policies should address housing market regulations that prohibit all but the very affluent from enrolling their children in high-scoring public schools in order to promote individual social mobility and broader economic security.”

 How does the Madison metro area fare? Better than most metro areas it turns out.  The Madison metro rankings, out of 100 metro areas, are:
  • 38th most restrictive zoning (62 metros had more restrictive zoning)
  • 82nd most economically segregated (81 metros were more segregated)
  • 98th highest housing cost gap (97 metros had higher gaps)
  • 82nd highest test score gap (81 metros had higher gaps)
A couple things stand out from this ranking.
First, given recent attention to the acheivement gap in Madison (try googling “madison school acheivement gap”), it may surprise some that the Madison area compares so favorably to other metro areas with respect to test score gap. While the gap remains a significant problem that needs to be reduced, apparently most other areas fare worse (many have larger concentrations of poverty). Madison area overall compares favorably to other regions on these measures – although pointing this out should in no way diminish resolve here to prioritize and tackle these issues.
Second, just beause Madison area ranks near the top in terms of housing cost gap (one of lowest cost gap between housing costs in high vs. low scoring school districts), it does not mean housing costs are not a problem here. Thrive’s Advance Now report identifies the Madison region as a high-cost area for housing (see page 17) relative to it’s peer communities. The median home price is almost 4 times the median income in the Madison area, higher than all six peer communities and the national average.
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Amazon’s new headquarters in central Seattle – Can Madison attract corporate headquaters as infill projects?

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Moderator

Amazon unveiled preliminary plans for their 3 million square foot new headquarters on a 3-block infill site in downtown Seattle – as reported in A/N Blog. It is the largest development proposal in the history of the city.

The project does not involve forcing a suburban campus style development into a city environment. It places high-density, tall buildings into the existing block structure.

Why is Amazon putting their new headquarters in a high-rise development in downtown instead of a spread-out campus with cheaper land and loads of parking? There are probably a number of reasons, one of which is likely that their high-tech workforce values urban location and amenities.

What lesson does this offer for Madison, WI? First, let’s state the obvious. Madison is not Seattle. It is much less likely to attract one of the world’s top companies to set up headquaters in its downtown area. However, Madison is a high-tech center on a smaller scale. The workforce for it’s targeted high tech business cluster also seeks urban amenities. Exhibit A: Shop Bop, the online clothing retailer – incidentally owned by Amazon – located in the former Marquip building on East Washington. Exhibit B: Madison Metro recently added a new express bus to transport workers, who live in central Madison, to the Epic Systems campus on the edge of the central urban area.

Could Madison attract a smaller version of Amazon in the Capital East District? Communities sometimes ask, are we ready (meaning, do we have available large sites) if another Epic comes along? Why not also ask, are we ready for a larger company to set up shop on an infill site? Or, what are we doing to help make that happen?

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CRSC can learn from “national model for transit equity”

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Moderator

As reported in NRDC‘s Switchboard, “Transit analysts Reconnecting America and the Denver equity coalition Mile High Connectshave released an impressive compendium of maps and research showing how expansion of that city’s transit system could bring major opportunity to traditionally underserved populations – if local agencies take the necessary steps to prepare and coordinate. ”

As Capital Region Sustainable Communities explores the potential of developing a regional bus transit system, with Bus Rapid Transit and express buses, we can learn much from the Denver experience.

According to Reconnecting America, the Denver Regional Equity Atlas “is a visual representation of demographics, education, employment, health care and housing in relation to transit. . . . The Atlas emphasizes the need to ensure access to opportunity for everyone in the region, especially improving connections for the region’s most economically disadvantaged residents. The future transit network will better connect people to jobs, healthcare providers, schools, grocery stores, parks and other essential destinations, but there are challenges in ensuring that the people who use and need access to public transportation the most have the opportunity to live, work, learn and play in transit-oriented communities.”

Mile High Connects is a broad partnership of organizations from the private, public and nonprofit sectors that are committed to increasing access to housing choices, good jobs, quality schools and essential services via public transit. By increasing resources, influencing policy, working with residents and leveraging the current and expanding Metro Denver transit system, Mile High Connects will use transit to promote a vital region full of opportunity for everyone.  Our mission is to ensure that the Metro Denver regional transit system fosters communities that offer all residents the opportunity for a high quality of life.”

It includes large foundations including The Ford Foundation, Gates Family Foundation and Surdna Foundations, as well as local foundations (Housing & Homelessness Funders’ Collaborative, Colorado Health Foundation) and businesses (U.S. Bank, First Bank) and community groups – FRESC: Good Jobs, Strong Communities.

It is exciting to see the philanthropic and business community step up to the plate and work together to help ensure that the region maximizes the benefits of a major transportation investment in a way that also reduces barriers to opportunities, especially for low-income communities.

Madison is not Denver, and we will not see transit investments in the billions. We are, however, a growing region with a need for higher capacity and more regional transit. As we look towards investing in our transportation infrastructure, let’s learn from Denver – as well as the Twin Cities – and come together to maximize and equitably distribute benefits for our region.

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Environmental Conditions in North Mendota Area

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Moderator

A detailed assessment of environmental conditions in the “North Mendota” planning area was released in final draft form by the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission (CARPC). The North Mendota planning area was identified through Future Urban Development Area (FUDA) planning as the potential urban growth areas of the City of Middleton, Village of Waunakee as well as all of the towns of Springfield and Westport in Dane County, Wisconsin.

The “Environmental Condition Report” (ECR)  includes an inventory and assessment of the natural and agricultural resources in the planning area. The ECR estimates how much land may be needed to accommodate projected growth over the next 25 years, given recent development trends. Finally, it identifies how much “developable” land is available within the Urban Service Area, and estimates how much land outside the USA will be needed to accommodate growth projections.

The ECR assessments were used to identify possible growth options. Working with the joint municipality Steering Committee and staff, and incorporating public input, CARPC prepared three alternative development scenarios for consideration by area residents. The Steering Committee will identify and recommend a “preferred scenario” to each communities governing body. The preferred scenario will be used to guide updates to local comprehensive plans and regional plans.

CARPC provides FUDA planning services to local municipalities to protect vital natural resources, promote efficient development, and preserve farmland through cooperative planning for long-term growth.

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DeForest-Windsor survey responses prefer “compact” growth

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Moderator

The votes are in. At close of polling, 112 completed surveys showed that survey respondents in the Village of DeForest, the Town of Windsor, the Town of Vienna and elsewhere preferred the “compact” growth option over the “adopted plan” and the “dispersed” scenarios. Scenario rankings are shown in the tables below for DeForest, Windsor and Vienna (there were also 29 respondents from other locations).

The compact scenario showed homes closer together and some homes mixed with shops, a wider range of housing choices, and more land set aside for environmental protection and open space. The dispersed scenario represented the least dense development and least level of environmental and open space protection. The adopted plan showed a middle range option.

The adopted plan scenario ranked a very strong second overall. Using an instant run-off method of voting, the adopted plan scenario rises to the top. Under instant run-off, if a top choice fails to capture a majority vote, the second choice then rises to the top. This method identifies the option that the most people can accept, even if most people do not get their first choice. Almost all voters chose the adopted plan as their second choice.

People were asked to vote, online and at stations around the community, for one of three possible scenarios of growth over the next 25 years. The scenarios included estimates of how many people would be acoomodated in that time period. Population estimates ranged from 7,950 in the dispersed scenario to 22,400 in the compact scenario. To inform the voting, polls presented information about long-term impacts of each of the scenarios. Impacts presented included land use efficiency; taxes, jobs and shopping; environmental; travel; and health.

The next step is for the local FUDA Steering Committee to identify a “preferred scenario.” The Committee will look at community input and combine parts of the top scenarios into the preferred scenario. They will recommend to the Village and Towns that the preferred scenario be used to update local comprehensive plans. CARPC will consider look at the recommendations and the subsequent comprehensive plan updates to inform regional planning.

The polling was part of Future Urban Development Area, or FUDA, planning. FUDA is joint planning among neighborhing communities and the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission (CARPC) to “protect vital natural resources, promote efficient development, and preserve farmland.”

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CRSC Work Group Update

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Moderator

During the first quarter of 2012, Work Groups for Capital Region Sustainable Communities completed the following activities:

Connecting Transit-Housing-Jobs

  • 2 meetings
  • Provided input to draft goals
  • Provided input to BRT Study Scope of Work and RFP
  • Provided input to corridor assessments and corridor planning
  • Design Professionals group meetings to identify corridor opportunities and design concepts

CRSC Work Plan Progress:

  • Initial selection of BRT Study consultant
  • Initial selection of Market Study consultant
  • Draft GIS analysis of  Infill and Redevelopment potential along corridor

Next Steps: contract for transit study; contract for market study; complete draft infill/redevelopment assessment; initiate regional housing strategy plan

Increasing Equity in Planning and Decision-Making

  • 1 meeting
  • Provided input to RFP for BRT study
  • Reviewed HUD Fair Housing Equity Assessment requirements
  • Provided input on draft goals

CRSC Work Plan Progress:

  • Research into current practices of addressing equity in local planning efforts

Next Steps: best practices for increasing participation; equity metrics

Planning for Sustainable Development (FUDA)

  • 1 meeting
  • Provided input to draft goals

CRSC Work Plan Progress:

  • Community polling for FUDA scenario planning in progress in DeForest, Waunakee and Middleton areas

Next Steps: evaluation of FUDA planning

Improving Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Air Quality

  • 1 meeting
  • Selected starting date from which to track emissions
  • Agreed to draft GHG/air pollution fact sheet
  • Identified possibility of a survey to get input on draft inventory of existing practices
  • Identified a list of the key greenhouse gases and air pollutants to focus on

CRSC Work Plan Progress:

  • Draft inventory of resources and existing initiatives
  • Draft GHG and Air Quality Fact Sheet
  • Developed worksheet for creating goals and objectives

Next Steps: prepare recommendations to CRSC

Advancing Sustainability Leadership and Education

  • 2 meetings
  • Clarification of group purpose and composition
  • Agreement to provide guidance to CRSC activities on consistency with definition of Sustainable and Resilient Dane County
  • Brainstorm of outreach and education goals
  • Provided input to preliminary draft Outreach and Education plan
  • Agreed to develop internal performance measurements
  • Agreement on need to broaden participation from business and social sectors on work group
  • Conference Subcommittee met; agreed on strategy of smaller events and one-day Summit

CRSC Work Plan Progress:

  • Preliminary draft education and outreach plan

Next Steps: Education and Outreach Plan; plan events and Summit; identify sustainability capacity-building options

Performance Measurement Sustainability

  • URPL to complete best practices and existing efforts inventory this summer  

 

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Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Bus Rapid Transit

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Moderator

As reported by Emily Badger in the Atlantic Cities blog on April 2, EMBARQ, the World Resource Institute’s center for sustainable transport, created a new web database of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems around the world. The site has information from all 134 international cities, on 95 individual metrics ranging from the length of BRT corridors to the mode of buses used on them, and even the fuel type in their gas tanks.

EMBARQ developed the site in conjunction with the International Energy Agency and the Bus Rapid Transit Centre of Excellence.

“The objective of the data set isn’t to say that BRT is a superior mode to other public transit modes,” Carrigan says. “But we do think that the 134 cities in the data set have found a reason for BRT in their particular city, and I think some of the data can help people thinking about implementing a BRT to understand what role it could play in the public transit services in that particular city,” said Aileen Carrigan, a senior associate at EMBARQ.

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North Mendota residents help shape future growth

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Moderator

Residents in the City of Middleton, the Village of Waunakee and the Towns of Springfield and Westport - located north of Lake Mendota in the Madison WI area - are stopping by polling stations, or going online, to voice their preferences for future growth.

The communities have been participating in Future Urban Development Area (FUDA) planning over the last year, in conjunction with the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission (CARPC). FUDA is cooperative planning to protect vital natural resources, promote efficient development, and preserve farmland. It uses ”scenario planning” to develop and evaluate different options for future development and environmental and farmland protection.

Residents in the North Mendota communities are considering three alternative scenarios: one developed from a round of community input last fall, a second more compact with greater environmental protetion, and a third more dispersed with less environmental protection.

The results will be tallied next month and used by communities to identify a “preferred scenario.” The communities can use preferred scenario to update their comprehensive plans. CARPC can use their updated plans as guides for review of Urban Service Area Amendment applications.

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DeForest area residents weigh future growth options

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Moderator

Residents in the Village of DeForest and Towns of Windsor and Vienna are weighing in on three options for long-term growth and agricultural and environmental preservation.

The Village and the Town are jointly planning for their future, with assistance from the Future Urban Development Area (FUDA) planning program, operated by the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission (CARPC). FUDA planning is a locally-driven process to inventory natural and agricultural resources, examine growth trends and infill and redevelopment options, and explore options, or scenarios, for future growth. A preferred scenario will be identified that can be incorporated into updates of local comprehensive plans, and can inform regional plans and Urban Service Area review processes.

Residents view information about the surveys at stations around town (such as the library and Village and Town halls) and online. The stations and online sources include surveys through which people can select their favorite scenarios, express their reasons for their preference, and say how they would improve the scenarios.

One scenario shows the adopted future land use plans for the three communities. Two other scenarios show growth at more compact or more dispersed forms, and greater and lesser levels of environmental protection and community open space. The long-term impacts, in terms of land use, environment, economy, taxes, travel and health are compared for the three scenarios.

You can view and take the online survey here (non-resident surveys will be evaluated separately than resident surveys).

FUDA planning is a component of Capital Region Sustainable Communities (CRSC) with funding from a Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

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Watch videos of other Sustainable Community efforts

Posted on March 17, 2012 by Moderator

CRSC received one of 45 Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grants for the first round of grants in 2010. Some of the other grant projects around the country tell their stories in video forms. See, hear what others are doing.

Sustainable Thurston, project of Thurston Regional Planning Council (Olympia, WA area) has a series of 3 nice videos at their webpage.

The Tri-County Regional Planning Commission uses video on their website to introduce community members to their sustainable community efforts.

HUD Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities created 6 videos of grantees telling their stories. The Twin Cities MN, Sommerville MA, Honolulu and 3 rural grantee describe their activities and goals.

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