What Does a Healthy Community Look Like?
Bruce Race, FAIA, AICP RACESTUDIO
NGA • Designing Healthy Communities
Overview
• How do you measure a healthy city? What are the indicators?
• What does design have to do with it?• What can States do to create mote
competitive and healthier communities?
NGA • Designing Healthy Communities
Test Your Indicators
• How do you measure a healthy city? What are the indicators?
• ASSIGNMENT:
1. ___________________________2. ___________________________3. ___________________________
NGA • Designing Healthy Communities
Human Health Indicators
• Health–Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, mental health
• Social– Crime, education, isolation
• Environmental–Air quality, water quality, brown fields
NGA • Designing Healthy Communities
Sustainability–Assigning Value to the Future
• Energy consumption
• Renewable resources
• Land-efficient development patterns
NGA • Designing Healthy Communities
Cultural Identity–Values, Culture and Tradition• Natural setting• Historical and cultural
preservation• Events and traditions
NGA • Designing Healthy Communities
What does design have to do with it?
• ASSIGNMENT: From memory, draw a map of your community. You have two minutes. GO.
• Now circle your favorite place and list three reasons why:
1. _________________________2. _________________________3. _________________________
NGA • Designing Healthy Communities
What does design have to do with it?
• Postwar urban planning–systems and efficiency-driven
NGA • Designing Healthy Communities
What does design have to do with it?
• Infrastructure to support land speculation
NGA • Designing Healthy Communities
What does design have to do with it?
• Regulations that control land speculation
NGA • Designing Healthy Communities
Design is an Integrative Activity
Restoration Tax Credits and Façade Restoration Program
LRT System Regional Plan and $25M Redevelopment Commitment
Park Design Competition and Renovation
First PBID in California and Downtown Partnership Management
NGA • Designing Healthy Communities
Design is an Integrative Activity
• Making places–space, activity and path• Sensory-driven planning• Adaptable to the place–culturally relevant
NGA • Designing Healthy Communities
What can States do to create more competitive and healthier communities?
• ASSIGNMENT: List three ways your state rewards the design of healthy cities?
1. ______________________________ 2. ______________________________ 3. ______________________________
NGA • Designing Healthy Communities
Process for Creating Healthy Cities
• The Planning Process-vision, policies, regulations and implementation (Oregon, New Jersey, Maryland, Michigan’s “Cool Cities” initiative)
• The Political Process–special interests push favorable regulatory bills
NGA • Designing Healthy Communities
Policy
Plans
Regulations
Zoning/Guidelines
Vision Implementation
1 2 3 4
Providing Choice
• Capturing community values• It is a QUALITATIVE question• Transit–modal split• Human life-cycle
NGA • Designing Healthy Communities
Density–Who’s been to Paris?Comparison of Densities (Pop/SM)
1990 1999Salinas 5,848 6,900Monterey 3,804 3,940Santa Cruz 3,687 4,188Modesto 5,454 6,112San Jose 4,560 5,300Fresno 3,574 4,191Bakersfield 1,904 2,514Sacramento 3,835 4,114Davis 5,501 6,666Berkeley 9,783 10,371San Francisco 15,500 16,930New York City – 24,000
NGA • Designing Healthy CommunitiesParis 53,130 52,430
Therefore–It’s a qualitative question...
Snout House
Dead WallHomer
Simpson Duplex
NGA • Designing Healthy Communities
Providing Choice–Great NeighborhoodsPublic Partners:Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District
Public Partners:California Pollution Control Financing AuthoritySustainable Communities Grant and Loan Program
Santa Cruz ADU ManualCal APA AwardAIACC Design Award
Watsonville Livable Community Residential Design Guidelines
NGA • Designing Healthy Communities
Providing Choice–Modal SplitWho drives most by region? Year 2000
City Pop./SM Miles/pop.
Houston 1,618 37Detroit 2,942 24SF/Oakland 3,343 22New York/ 4,313 15NE New JerseySource: Federal Highway Administration
NGA • Designing Healthy Communities
Providing Choice–Cities and the Human Life-cycle
NGA • Designing Healthy Communities
Singles20-24
Mingles24-34
Jiggles49-59
Providing Choice–Cities and the Human Life-cycle
Condition of Public Schools
Year 1999Source: National Center for Educational Statistics
Schools in central cities were more likely to be in poor condition
Schools with higher concentration of poverty to report at least one unsatisfactory environmental condition
In 1999, the average school was 40 years old
Severe overcrowding (more than 25%) is most prevalent in with schools with over 50% minority enrollment
NGA • Designing Healthy Communities
Rewarding Good Behavior
• Health– Second worst air quality
in America
• Sustainability– Expanding biomass
renewable energy– Protecting natural and
working landscapes
• Cultural identity– Preparing Scenic Tulare
County element
NGA • Designing Healthy Communities
Rewarding Good Behavior
• Health– Brown Fields (old
RR yards)
• Sustainability– Infill development– New residential
neighborhood
• Cultural identity– New civic center– Cultural district
NGA • Designing Healthy Communities
Creating Incentives• Real estate INDUSTRY part of the American
Tradition– Property rights– Influential
• Fiscal rewards of healthy public policy – Fiscalization of land use–the “F” word– Counties and cities compete for sales tax
• Regulations– Concern about global competition for agriculture– Cooperation among jurisdictions–incorporated
cities and special districts
Since the mid-1950s the federal government has spent eight times as much money to build sprawl-inducing highways than density-supporting mass transit. The federal tax code provides eleven times the tax breaks for home owners (mostly suburban) than it offers to apartment owners (mostly city-based).
David Rusk, Former Mayor of Albuquerque, Author
NGA • Designing Healthy Communities
Conclusions: The Governor’s Role
• Expressing a vision of communities that balance human health, sustainability and cultural traditions
• Integrative policymaking–suite of policies, regulations, programs and funding solutions
• Rewarding good behavior–incentives, awards/recognitions
NGA • Designing Healthy Communities