APA Presentation 3 05

BAY AREA REGIONAL PLANNING: 

BAY AREA REGIONAL PLANNING American Planning Association Conference San Francisco, March 21, 2005

BAAQMD: 

BAAQMD Bay Area Air Quality Management District Attains and maintains air quality standards Increases public awareness of positive air quality choices Develops and implements protocol and policies for environmental justice

Paul’s Big Question: 

Paul’s Big Question Taking continuing job and population growth as givens, do we as a region have the cohesion and the institutions to develop and implement broad new solutions for our housing land, use, circulation and environmental quality problems?

Collaboration: 

Collaboration

Question 1: 

Question 1 What is your vision of the challenge ahead of us?

Challenge: the size and complexity of the Bay Area: 

Challenge: the size and complexity of the Bay Area 8,191 square miles Over 7 million people Large and diverse economy 3 central cities Spillover to surrounding regions

Challenge: A spectacular but difficult geography: 

Challenge: A spectacular but difficult geography Steep hills and mountains Narrow valleys Seismic hazards The Bay

Challenge: Many governments and service providers: 

Challenge: Many governments and service providers Nine counties 101 cities Over 1000 special-purpose districts Nearly 30 transit providers Five regional agencies

Challenge: shrinking fiscal resources: 

Challenge: shrinking fiscal resources Dot-com bust State budget and deficit problems Proposition 13 legacies Federal deficit and cutbacks in domestic programs Democrats in a Republican nation

Challenge: pressing and long-term regional problems: 

Challenge: pressing and long-term regional problems Housing affordability Lengthening commutes Economic divide Threatened environmental assets Non-fit epidemic

Big regional problems: 

Big regional problems PPIC Statewide Survey, August 2004

Worry about the future: 

Worry about the future PPIC Statewide Survey, August 2004

Challenge: pressing and long-term regional problems: 

Challenge: pressing and long-term regional problems Housing affordability Lengthening commutes Economic divide Threatened environmental assets Non-fit epidemic

Challenge: a shared desire to excel: 

Challenge: a shared desire to excel PPIC Statewide Survey, August 2004

ABAG: 

ABAG Association of Bay Area Governments The COG Planning & research Financing Risk management Training Other services to members

Question 2: 

Question 2 How effective do you think the current organizational arrangements in the Bay Area are in meeting the challenge, and in anticipating and responding to existing and emerging regional problems? How are the agencies that each of you lead contributing?

Anticipation: 

Anticipation ABAG econometric and demographic forecasts MTC transportation modeling BAAQMD air quality monitoring and forecasting

Responding: 

Responding Environmental Assets Transportation/ Infrastructure Economic Activity (Jobs) Housing (Population)

Improvements required: 

Improvements required Multi-dimensional conceptualization Integrated packaging Common vision Connections Multi-generational vision

Question 3: 

Question 3 How significant is the coordination among and between your agencies? Do you believe that the Joint Policy Committee has significant potential for leadership in this regard? If not, what should be done?

Early History: 

Early History Environmental Management Plan Air quality plans Comprehensive Regional Plan Regional Review

Later History: 

Later History Reduced funding and mandates Transportation emphasis Grant-driven, opportunistic planning

Seeking an integrated strategy: 

The Smart Growth Vision Seeking an integrated strategy

Integrated Implementation: 

Integrated Implementation Environmental Assets Transportation/ Infrastructure Economic Activity (Jobs) Housing (Population)

The Joint Policy Committee: 

The Joint Policy Committee

MTC: 

MTC The Metropolitan Transportation Committee The MPO Transportation planning, financing and coordination Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) 511 Translink

Question 4: 

Question 4 What kind of future planning functions do you believe should be undertaken at the regional level? Are we ready to think about a comprehensive regional plan which can provide a common basis for each regional agency’s actions and may even be locally implementable by incentives rather than sanctions? What sort of support is required from state government? What sort of cooperation is required from the local level, and how can it be secured?

Regional Strategy: 

The Smart Growth Vision Regional Strategy

The Smart Growth Vision: 

The Smart Growth Vision A Network of Neighborhoods Concentrating growth near the Bay, in existing communities, and at transit nodes

The Smart Growth Vision: 

The Smart Growth Vision Reduces the need to travel long distances Facilitates transit and other non-automotive travel Increases the availability of affordable housing Uses land efficiently Helps protect natural assets Promotes social equity Employs existing infrastructure capacity Maintains and reinforces existing communities

Trend growth: 

Trend growth

Vision growth: 

Vision growth

Trend and vision compared: 

Trend and vision compared

Effective Strategy: 

Effective Strategy Simple Visualizable Bold Enduring Shared

Implementation: 

Implementation Strategic public investment Partnership with local, state and federal governments Collaboration with private and voluntary sectors Provision of incentives Communication and sharing of big ideas

State Help: 

State Help Provide Incentives TIF for TOD Loans for specific plans Infrastructure priorities Remove Disincentives Perverse system of local government finance CEQA for NIMBYs Construction defect litigation

Question 5: 

Question 5 What results do you envision coming out of recent transit-related programs and Resolution 3434 (TLC, HIP, TOD study, etc.)? How can they be implemented at the regional and local levels?

Transportation for Livable Communities: 

Transportation for Livable Communities Inclusive planning Non-automotive connectivity TOD Infill Sense of place Quality of life

Transit-oriented Development Policy: 

Transit-oriented Development Policy 1. Corridor Performance Measures Need quantitative measure that’s flexible 2. Corridor Working Groups Process that brings together interests 3. Station Area Plans Planning for land use and access

Question 5: 

Question 5 What other changes do you recommend to enhance collaboration and coordination?

Expectations: taking the long view: 

Expectations: taking the long view In any one year, 99% of the region is already in place Over 30 years, we can influence new growth equal to 1/5 of the region... But only if… we know what we want to do, have the will to do it, are persistent, and have the right tools.

Steady, measured progress: 

Not this This Steady, measured progress

Three key ideas: 

Three key ideas Collaboration …involving our partners Focus …on consistent objectives Commitment …over the long term

A special place…now and in the future: 

A special place…now and in the future