Planning Commissioners Journal

Getting Our Arms Around "Externalities"

How do we account for the indirect effects of decisions we make? Is it even possible? by Dave Stauffer; from PCJ #83 (Summer 2011); 1 page Read excerpts below; to order & download the full article use Shopping Cart button at bottom of this post. -- if you are a Planning Commissioners Journal subscriber (or receive the Journal through your planning commission/board), you can download the article at no charge.

Read start of article: Externalities are increasingly in the news these days -- for example, in reports on health care reform and global warming -- though they're seldom identified as externalities. Externalities are the consequences of a transaction or activity that are experienced by those who are not directly involved in the transaction or activity, including future generations. Externalities of smoking include breathing second-hand smoke. An externality of burning fossil fuels is carbon emissions. Within our realm of planning, externalities consist of the costs and benefits -- often unquantifiable -- imposed on a neighborhood or community as an indirect result of land use regulation, permitted or denied development, and other actions under our purview. Externalities can be good as well as bad. A good, or positive, externality of smoking for some people is seeing it as sexy; think about men watching Lauren Bacall light up in films of the 1940s! Entertainment aside, we planning commissioners aid in providing positive externalities, for example, when tourism gets a boost from designation of a historic district, or citizens enjoy the sight and activities of parks and other open space, or we help lessen damage to vehicles and reduce bothersome dust by requiring a developer to pave a previously gravel-surfaced road. Knotty Complications So we planners have been dealing with externalities from the moment we became commissioners -- though few of us realized it. Externalities, by their nature, are tough to discern and weigh in planning decisions. Here are a few of the knottiest complications of externalities we commonly face: -- Externalities can be considered only to the extent they are known. Think of the dozens -- perhaps hundreds? -- of proven and suspected impacts of sprawl development that have been revealed by research of only the past 20 or so years. Objections may be voiced today to proposed "greenfield" exurban retail development, citing negative impacts of pollution and traffic congestion, where prior projects of the same type won approval with unchallenged acclaim for their favorable economic impacts. We are prisoners of our current times and knowledge, and have no choice but to base our decisions on today's best evidence. ... to order full article, use button below.

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Inviting Them In: Using Story as a Planning Tool

Storytelling is the universal human language. We think in story. We form our attitudes about the world around us in story. A primer on how story can be used in community planning. by Lisa Hollingsworth-Segedy, AICP; from PCJ #83 (Summer 2011); 2 pages -- we recommend that you also listen to Lisa discuss three lessons she learned about using story. Read excerpts below; to order & download the full article use Shopping Cart button at bottom of this post. -- if you are a Planning Commissioners Journal subscriber (or receive the Journal through your planning commission/board), you can download the article at no charge.

Read start of article: In the early '90s, I was working with an urban-rural fringe community that was in the path of growth. The community recognized their need for a new zoning ordinance that would promote their small-town identity while still accommodating new development. I had reviewed all the data, analyzed land use patterns and calculated various ratios of land use categories to create development scenarios. I provided neat handouts and colorful maps. But the project was going frustratingly nowhere. Despite all the facts, the analyses, and carefully-drawn scenarios, we were all at loggerheads. The project deadline was looming, the budget was growing thin, and from all appearances, we were still a long way from the new ordinance. The data simply weren't telling the story the community needed to hear. The facts DON'T speak for themselves. Planners are trained as scientists, taught to emphasize statistics, inventories, trends, analyses, and projections. Our job is to help ensure that community decisions are rational, and the link between current conditions and future solutions is logically defensible. But the facts alone don't provide what planning staff and planning commissioners need to do their jobs effectively -- to compellingly communicate the issues to the public, and to draw citizens into meaningful involvement that translates into dynamic results. More often than not, we put the facts out there and then become frustrated when the converts don't flock to our camp. In doing so, we have overlooked our most powerful communication tool: story. Story is the universal human language. We think in story. We form our attitudes about the world around us in story. We use the stories we tell ourselves to justify our opinions. And before we can influence others' opinions about an issue or propel them to action, we need to tell compelling stories that make the facts accessible to them. When you are considering how to move a new comprehensive plan or a new zoning ordinance from inception to completion, you may be thinking, "We don't have time to tell stories. We already have too many meetings and they always last too long." Taking the time to tell and hear stories is the key for effective information-gathering, consensus-building, and community-strengthening. ... article continues with look at how stories can be used in planning.

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Circling the Square

 From PCJ Editor Wayne Senville:

Twenty-five local officials, planners, and urban designers from across the U.S. and Canada (and even Brazil), in groups of six or seven, headed downstairs and out the front door of our meeting room in the SoHo section of lower Manhattan. 

Guided by staff from the Project for Public Spaces (PPS), we would be circling the square -- Petrosino Square, that is -- two blocks away.

With walking audit sheets in our hands, our job was to spend an hour carefully observing activities in the square and noting what we saw. Each group had a different sector to focus on. The goal of walking audits like this is to get a feel for what works and what doesn’t, and to come up with ideas for strengthening the place.

While Petrosino Square was the focal point, much of the audit hones in on how the public open space relates to traffic circulation patterns and to surrounding businesses and land uses.

Take a look at a portion of the audit sheet. Click on the image to view it at larger, readable size.

One important point PPS staff mentioned to our group as we headed out: the first five or six minutes of observing are especially important. That’s the time when we get our initial feel for the space we’re viewing.

I used the word “feel” deliberately, because we were advised during this initial period to simply absorb the sights, sounds, and even smells, of the area. This advice reminded me of what I had once heard about listening to music -- just to allow your first hearing of a piece of music to flow through you, without over analyzing it.

Also important to a walking audit (even to our somewhat condensed audit) is taking some time to ask questions of people using the public space or walking nearby, to gain insights from them.

My group was assigned to observe Spring Street, a narrow, but busy street that intersects the northern end of Petrosino Square [See number 5 in the map above]. We found Spring Street lined with retail stores, restaurants, and an assortment of other businesses.

Its' sidewalks hosted a hodge-podge of “street furnishings” such as trash cans and mail boxes, as well as a diverse assortment of signs plastered on light poles.

Also on this one short block: a subway entrance, some unexpected places to sit (as on a fire hydrant), and plenty of graffiti.

Plus a row of parked delivery trucks, two street vendors, and lots and lots of people coursing (yes, “coursing,” not “cursing”) their way down the block.

In a moment of inspiration (perhaps), I decided to ask several people if there was a park nearby where I could find a place to sit. I thought that might be too obvious a question, as Petrosino Square was just a block away, but of the six people I asked (including both street vendors) no one had any idea. One of the vendors was helpful, however, pulling out his street map and trying to locate a nearby park -- without any luck!

Petrosino Square itself has a long, triangular shape, with the narrow end being closest to Spring Street, where my group walked. During our early afternoon, weekday visit Petrosino Square was quite busy, with many of the bench spots taken.

Restaurants bordering the square along Lafayette and Kenmare Streets were also doing well.

Back upstairs in the meeting room we reconvened. Each group sat down to go over audit sheet notes and compare observations.

It was interesting, to see what things different people picked up on. Lots of pieces of information and details were shared. Most significantly, we spent time discussing how Petrosino Square seemed to work for those using the park, and for surrounding businesses.

 

We also try to view the square through the eyes of pedestrians (which we were for a short time). For example, several argued that it might make sense to close or narrow one of the streets bordering the square. This could allow for a much wider sidewalk, and also provide an attractive space for restaurants to place outdoor seating and better connect to the square.

During our discussions, most everyone also felt that Petrosino Square -- despite the work that has gone into improving it over the past few years (which included adding new pavement, benches, and trees) -- still lacked a strong sense of identity. Perhaps this explains, at least in part, why none of the six people I questioned while walking a block away had been aware of the park.

Petrosino Park, as it is now officially called (it used to be Kenmare Square), is named after a true New York City hero, Lieutenant Joseph Petrosino, the city’s first Italian-American sergeant of detectives -- of the Homicide Division.

Petrosino gained fame for warning the Secret Service in 1901 about an assassination plot to take the life of President William McKinley, a warning that unfortunately went unheeded. Ironically, Petrosino himself was assassinated in 1909 in Italy while on an undercover assignment investigating the background of organized crime leaders. Some 250,000 New Yorkers lined the streets of Manhattan for his funeral procession. For more about Lt. Petrosino.

PPS staff prodded us to think about how we might initiate changes to Petrosino Square, and what groups we might try to involve. For PPS, building constituencies to support more actively used public spaces is critically important. 

One big selling point -- especially to retail businesses bordering the public open space -- is how attracting more people will increase their business and, for owners, the value of their property. This is something I’ll come back to in the coming week in postings about Greeley Square and Bryant Park.

Moving cars quickly down the streets bordering the square doesn’t help much in generating business. In fact, it likely has the opposite effect. On the other hand, attracting more pedestrians and bicyclists to the square and its' surroundings would be a boon.

Words often repeated by PPS staff during the workshop -- and I jotted them down -- were “active,” “pedestrian-oriented,” “street life,” “sidewalks,” “outdoor eating,”  and “fun.” Don’t dismiss “fun” -- people like to be in a place they can enjoy being in. It sounds so obvious. Yet how can you enjoy being in a place where autos and trucks constantly stream by?

To Fred Kent, President of PPS, it’s also important to think outside the box, or in our case, outside the square. As he stressed, a small square like Petrosino can be much more than just a row of park benches with a couple of trees. It can be the heart of a neighborhood, the generator of activity, a place where people enjoy spending their time, socializing, eating, relaxing, and watching other people also enjoying themselves.

Petrosino Square’s already heading in that direction. It just needs a little more of a push. In the meantime, there’s much to enjoy in circling the square on a sunny afternoon.

A Remarkable Invention Linking People an Ocean Apart!

Imagine if you could stand next to the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City and wave greetings -- in real time -- to folks in London, England. Big deal, you might say. We have video teleconferencing, and we can even easily do this with webcams on our laptop computers. But then, why was the Telectroscope so popular last year. Yes, I said Telectroscope. They say it's a marvelous invention linking two giant telescope-like devices in New York and London via an underwater tube. Take a look at these two short news videos about it, one from the Associated Press, the other from the Wall Street Journal.

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OK, so what if the Telectroscopes were just elaborate pieces of temporary public art (installed during May and June 2008) making use of two video cameras linked by a VPN connection transmitting images using MPEG-2 compression? Thousands flocked to the Telectroscopes' viewing screens to wave and smile at those waving and smiling back at them from across the Atlantic. Why? In part because of the creativity, imagination, spectacle, and plain fun involved. It's a "public art event" -- and events like this help enliven our cities. 

You can also see hundreds of photos of the devices -- both in New York and London -- on the Flickr web site. I have to say, they're really quite remarkable pieces of interactive art.

If you have a few minutes, you should also read about the history of the Telectroscope. Here's how it starts: 

"This is the story of an extraordinary invention called a Telectroscope. Miraculously, using only a tunnel through the earth and a Telectroscope, people can simultaneously interact with others who are many miles and hours away. ... Some years ago an artist by the name of Paul St George opened a battered suitcase. This suitcase had lain unopened on the top of a wardrobe for many years. In the suitcase he found a treasure trove of journals, drawings, diagrams, correspondence, notebooks, scribbled calculations, boxes of papers, an album of press-clippings and even one or two photographs. On further inspection he discovered that they had been the property of his great-grandfather, a little known Victorian engineer, Alexander Stanhope St George. The notebooks were full of intricate drawings and passages of writing describing a strange machine. ... Continue the story on the Telectroscope.net web site.

For more about the Telectroscope installations, see articles from The New York Times and from the BBC.

Tracking Cellphone Users Locations

We came across a fascinating -- but also troublesome -- story posted on the PBS Newshour web site. As reported by Lea Winerman, Northeastern University Professor Laszlo Barabasi "analyzed six months of anonymous cell phone records from more than 100,000 people in a European country, obtained from a European cell phone provider. Those cell phone records gave an approximation of each person's location at the time of each call, because cell phone calls are routed through the nearest cell tower. He and his colleagues found that ... nearly half the people rarely strayed outside a six-mile circle. They also tended to go back and forth regularly between only a few locations, such as home and work."

 As Winerman continues: "Those results might not seem surprising, but the researchers say that the model of human motion they developed could be useful for urban planners, evacuation planning and disease tracking. ... Meanwhile, in a lab across town from Barabasi, MIT professor Carlo Ratti is analyzing cell phone data patterns for a slightly different purpose -- he aims to understand patterns of activity at the city scale rather than the individual. In projects in Graz, Austria, Rome and Copenhagen, he and his colleagues have ... [mapped] in real time the shifting patterns of cell phone use throughout the city. ... In Rome, they combined that information with GPS data from city public transportation to capture an ever-changing picture of the city's activity, from traffic jams to nightlife hotspots. The information, Ratti says, could be useful to traffic planners, emergency planners and others."

See the full story, Researchers Mine Cell Phone Data for Insight Into Human Behavior.

In a related report, Cell Phone Data: Can You Track Me Now? (Feb. 19, 2010), NPR's Nell Greenfieldboyce interviewed Professor Barabasi. He told her that: "We were seeing an average of 93 percent predictability across the user base. What does it mean? That means that for the vast majority of the people, you could, in principle, write an algorithm that could predict 93 percent of the time, correctly, their present location."

Greenfieldboyce then drew this interesting follow up comment from Nathan Eagle of the Santa Fe Insitutue: "It's insane. I mean, the vast majority of our species are carrying around a little device that's continually logging their behavior." In fact, USA Today reports that as of the end of 2008, there were an astonishing 4.1 billion cellphone accounts worldwide.

But the ability to track cellphone users has also blossomed into a major legal issue, with serious privacy concerns vying against law enforcement monitoring. See, e.g.

• "Cell Phone Tracking: The New Constitutional Crisis," on Truthout.org (February 24, 2010)
• "Can you hear me now, When privacy matters," Chicago Tribune (February 21, 2010)
• "State stonewalls ACLU on use of cell-phone technology," Barre-Montpelier, Vermont, Times-Argus (March 16, 2010)

Stay tuned. But perhaps turn your cell phone off first!

Federal Agencies to Coordinate Smart Growth Planning

 Excellent post by Bill Fulton on his blog (via the California Planning & Development Report web site) about some very promising news coming out of this month's New Partners for Smart Growth Conference in Seattle. 

To read his full post: Are Federal Agencies Finally on the Same Page 
Here are some excerpts:

"There's an old joke that what the locals fear more than a federal government in disarray is a federal government that has its act together. Well, now the joke's being put to the test. At the plenary session of the New Partners for Smart Growth conference in Seattle the other night, President's Obama's so-called Green Cabinet -- Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, and EPA Assistant Administrator Mathy Stanislaus, filling in for his boss Lisa Jackson -- presented the most cohesive vision of federal involvement in planning and development since the Johnson Administration 40 years ago.

'When it comes to housing, transportation, and environmental policy, it's time the federal government spoke with one voice,' HUD Secretary Donovan said at the plenary.

 The coordinated federal effort would have vast reach and billions of dollars in resources if it is successful. It takes at least three forms -- the creation of special offices on sustainable communities inside each of the three agencies; the addition or continuation of funding programs inside each agency; and an unusual level of coordination among the agencies on the sustainable communities effort. ...

The major brainpower for the coordinated effort would appear to be located in HUD -- an unlikely place for policy innovation in recent administrations. Donovan, the former New York City housing commissioner, is viewed as one of the Obama Administration's brightest starts. ... In addition, Donovan selected Rafael Bostic from the University of Southern California's School of Planning Policy & Development as his Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research."

Fulton goes on to highlight three of the key components of this coordinated approach to planning:

• HUD's creation of an Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities
• U.S. DOT's establishment of an Office of Livable Communities (which has proposed a $527 million budget for livable communities programs in the next federal budget)
• The expansion of EPA's current Office of Smart Growth into the Office of Sustainable Communities

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See joint Press Release from HUD, DOT, and EPA (June 16, 2009)

Twitter users: you can follow some of the key agencies:

• DOT Secretary Ray LaHood
• EPA Office of Smart Growth
• HUD News

More on Cul-de-Sacs

Our Monday News, Notes, & Quotes post focused on cul-de-sacs. Today's post is an interesting reply we received from Robert Parry, Director of the Department of Planning & Economic Development of Westlake, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb.

 "The City of Westlake, Ohio has limited the length of cul de sacs since 1995 with a requirement that larger subdivisions must be interconnected and that streets can not exceed 1,000 feet or contain more than 25 houses without two street connections from two different directions.This limited any cul de sac to under 1,000 feet maximum. (previously cul de sacs were limited to 500 feet but could get a modification to be longer with no limit. Now modifications are allowed only between 500 and 1,000 feet). The result has been more interconnected streets and subdivisions, reduction of long isolated streets and more connections creating neighborhoods. This was done to eliminate isolated 'lollypop' developments, provide better neighborhoods and provide safety forces, especially fire, with multiple access. This also was supported by other departments including service and school transportation."

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Note from Planning Commissioners Journal Editor Wayne Senville: During my cross-country travels on U.S. Route 50 while in Montrose, Colorado, I also heard first hand about the impacts of not requiring street connections between subdivisions. See my post, Connecting in Montrose.

 

When this Montrose subdivision was approved, no connecting street was required to the neighboring development (though space for a future connection was provided). Photo by Wayne Senville.

For two other interesting reports on the cul-de-sac debate listen to John Nielsen's report on National Public Radio: Cul-de-Sacs: Suburban Dream or Dead End? and read Cul-de-sacs are a Dead End, posted on m-bike.org.

Have any thoughts on cul-de-sacs? Use the comment field below.

Follow Us on Twitter

From Planning Comm'rs Journal Editor Wayne Senville:

You've undoubtedly heard about Twitter, but have you tried it? We're increasingly using Twitter to post short planning-related news, updates, and interesting -- and sometimes entertaining -- links. 

Just look to the left-hand sidebar and scroll down a bit and you'll see our most recent Twitter updates listed, or visit our home page on Twitter (see the screenshot below).

 

Yes, as with many new things, there's a bit of a learning curve -- and some of the terminology sounds strange at first -- but I've found Twitter perhaps the most useful of the new "social networking" services for planners and planning commissioners to use. In fact, a growing number of planning departments are using Twitter to easily post short announcements or links to more detailed information available on their web sites.

Twitter is definitely worth trying out -- even if you eventually decide it's not for you.

I came across a good short (4 minute) introduction to the basics of Twitter. If you haven't used Twitter, take a look at this video.

After you sign up, be sure to "follow us" on Twitter. Just click the "follow me on Twitter" link on the left below our most recent tweets, or use this link. You can also search for "PlanningJournal" on Twitter and you'll find us.

After we hear from you, we'll Tweet you information on where you can find many planning-related Tweets -- all in one place!

p.s., Betsey Krumholz, our General Manager has a preference for Facebook, which we're also making use of. Next week, she'll fill you in on some Facebook basics.

Be a Partner With Your Schools

Tip 11 of 25
from Elaine Cogan

view all Tips posted to date

In too many communities, planning stops at the school door. At the same time that boards of education are dealing with the challenges of overcrowded schools in one area and others that are under-utilized, planners are choosing housing policies that affect the demographics of these same schools. This behavior is encouraged when their governing bodies and sources of revenue are separate.

While such divisions of responsibility may have made sense in the past, this is less defensible in today’s era of growing needs, finite resources, and a demanding citizenry. Enlightened planning commissioners should take the responsibility of bridging that divide without dividing the community.

Has your planning board ever met formally or informally with the school board? Do your planners work with school staff on issues that concern you both? Do you have early notice of plans for new schools or playgrounds? Do you inform them of prospective zoning changes that  affect the schools? If school officials need a zoning or comprehensive plan change, do they involve you in the pre-proposal stage? What community needs could be satisfied by joint planning?

Consider transportation. What can you do to help make schools easier to access by foot or bike? Will the next new school be built in an area that is accessible for children walking or bicycling? Can school parking lots be used by neighborhood businesses when schools are closed?

Consider sharing. Few communities have enough libraries, parks, and places for community meetings and cultural events. Schools have many of these, often closed to the general public.  Joint planning and/or co-ownership can benefit all.

Your planning board is the ideal body to initiate dialogue with school officials. Show them your plans in process and invite their comments. Ask them about their short and long-range facility and property needs. Talk about common issues and concerns and how they can be solved in a cooperative, cost-effective fashion. After laying the groundwork, agree on a project on which you can act jointly and direct your staffs to do everything possible to make it a success.

The most effective planning boards continually demonstrate their understanding that the community is served best if its individual components work as an interdependent whole rather than a series of unrelated parts. By becoming partners with the schools you will demonstrate your commitment to serving the community, not enhancing your individual fiefdoms. All will benefit.

For more on the relationship between schools and planning, see the articles in our Fall 2004 special focus issue.

Note from Planning Commissioners Journal Editor Wayne Senville: we're pleased to be posting over the next half-year, on a weekly basis every Wednesday, PCJ columnist Elaine Cogan's 25 tips for planning commissioners from her excellent Now That You're on Board Publication.

We hope this will provide a convenient opportunity for planning commissioners and other "citizen planners" to benefit from Cogan's years' of experience in working with communities. The complete attractively-designed, spiral-bound, Now That You're on Board publication is also available for purchase and delivery by mail.

The Kindle, Students, Backpacks, & Walking

-- The new Amazon Kindle DX, has a 9.7 inch screen, and weighs just over one pound.
-- Amazon is working with several textbook publishers to have their books converted for use on the Kindle.
-- The average 11th grade student in California carries some 20 pounds of textbooks in his or her backpack. (For 1st graders, it's 8 pounds!). Backpack weight exceeds the "recommended maximum at nearly all grade levels from 1-12, presenting a health hazard for students."
--  Excessive backpack weight can prevent students from being able to walk or bike to school, setting a pattern for future auto-dependency.

Could this mean that the Amazon Kindle (and other similar devices) will promote walking, and walkable communities, by eliminating one significant reason why so many K-12 students are currently driven to school?

"Yes," says Fred Lane, who has written extensively on computers and technology (among other issues). Lane has some additional "expertise" as he's Chair of the Burlington, Vermont, School Board and father of a 10th grader who, Lane told me, "typically lugs around 20 pounds of textbooks." As Lane notes, that makes his son much more dependent on getting a ride to school than walking or biking, and also, "puts a big strain on his back." 

While enabling students to walk more may not have been one of the primary motivations for Amazon, it's a fascinating potential "fringe benefit."

Lane feels that competition will likely drive prices of devices like the Kindle down. "Within five years most college students will be getting their textbooks on electronic readers ... because the cost savings will be so huge." In terms of K-12 use, Lane also see electronic devices replacing textbooks, though over a somewhat longer time frame.

One major advantage Lane points to is the ease of quickly updating material electronically, without needing to print out new editions of the textbook. Given the value in students to having up-to-date material in their textbooks, this is a important benefit.

[note: student photo from Flickr, reposted under Creative Commons License]

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Some additional details. First, from a posting, Amazon Kindle: Lightweight, Digital…Textbooks? (May 13, 2009) on The Bottom Line web site:

"In 2005, a Government Accountability Office report estimated that textbooks cost the average university student about $900 per year. These textbooks are often bulky and quite heavy; a literal burden on students' backs. Amazon.com has released a new version of Kindle, an electronic paper display which seeks to replace the traditional textbook for students.

Three textbook publishers that collectively publish 60% of the country's textbooks recently agreed to publish Kindle versions of their books. At least six universities will be running Kindle pilot programs ... Kindle DX weighs just over one pound, and is about a third of an inch thick; compared to even one textbook the weight and space savings are enormous, let alone several classes worth."

Here's a Table from the California backpack study I mentioned earlier,Textbook Weight in California: Analysis and Recommendations (April 14, 2004; link is to pdf file).

Interestingly, heavy backpacks cause injuries for a variety of reasons:

"The study found that the most common means of injury were tripping over the backpack (28%), followed by wearing 13%), and getting hit by the backpack (13%). ... it is clear that the actual weight of backpacks, given the presence of other materials carried by an average student, far exceeds the recommendations of health professionals. ... ... One issue is the general trend of removing lockers where students can store books in between classes. Lockers have been removed in many schools due to the proliferation of both weapons and drugs in schools."

What's the Kindle DX look like, and how does it work? Here's a 5 minute video overview: