summer 2011 - san diego american planning...
TRANSCRIPT
SUMMER 2011IN THIS ISSUE:
CLIMATE ACTION PLANSPage 1
ANNOUNCEMENTSPage 2
PLANNING TOPICS
Neighborhood FeaturePage 5
Successful Renewable Energy Project Permitting
Page 72011 AICP Exam Prep
Page 10International Feature
Page 11SDAPA YPG International
Page 12
APA MembershipPage 13
Free CM Credits?!!?Page 15
1©2011 APA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Climate Action Plans: How San Diego is Planning to Protect the Climate, Economy and Public HealthBy: Chandra Krout and Feliz Ventura
Addressing climate change has become a central goal for governments at every level.
Throughout California, local governments are rising to the challenge of addressing how decisions on issues such as land use, mobility and construction standards contribute to greenhouse gas emissions through their efforts to attenuate climate change. Local governments that have taken an integrated, holistic approach to examining and planning for climate change impacts in their Climate Action Plans (CAPs) are at the forefront of these efforts. The City of San Diego, which is planning for climate change adaptation in its CAP as well as mitigation, is one of the recent innovators in climate action planning.
This article describes the innovations in the City of San Diego’s CAP, how the City’s innovations are expected to create climate action that is effective, measurable and meaningful, and how economics and public health can also further comprehensive climate action planning. To achieve the complex goal of creating climate-conscious government operations, the City has focused attention in new ways on the challenges of climate change and local government responses.
The Backdrop: State and Federal Actions around Climate Change
The momentum toward comprehensively addressing climate change in California was embodied by the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB32). This act called for the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, and was followed by two landmark federal actions.
In October 2009, President Obama released the Executive Order on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance, which was followed in December by two findings on greenhouse gases by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA issued both an Endangerment Finding and a Cause or Contribute Finding, which taken together state that current and projected levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and the emissions of these gases from vehicles threaten public health and welfare.
This legislation has spurred action by local governments, resulting in the creation of CAPs by local governments across California. Though federal action on climate change may be temporarily stalled, the State of California has continued to address climate change with other legislation that supports AB32’s goals, such as the Pavley greenhouse gas standards for passenger vehicles (SB375) and by creating an emissions trading system set to debut in 2012.
After Mitigation, What Comes Next?: The City of San Diego’s Approach
To fulfill its role as a policy document that acts as a roadmap for the city’s climate
The Pruitt-Igoe Myth Film ScreeningOctober 19, 2011 - Join us for a movie screening and panel discussion. Presented by the San Diego Section of the American Planning Association. The film will be shown on Wednesday, October 19, 2011, 6:30p at the Caltrans Garcia Room, 4050 Taylor Street, San Diego, CA.
2.0 CM Credits Pending | Flier
NEW Mentorship ProgramThe San Diego Section of the American Planning Association is pleased to offer a new Mentorship Program. We are seeking mentors who would like to play an inspiring role in the career of a young planner. Share your knowledge and talents with a new professional while strengthening ties with our future leaders of the planning community and APA. IMPORTANT DATES
• Enrollment period for all participants: Ends October 7, 2010 • Meet and Greet Orientation: Fall 2011 (details TBD)
• Mentorship Program conclusion and final survey: Summer 2011
To enroll in the Mentorship Program, or if you have questions, please contact Oswaldo Perez @ [email protected] or Mario Osorio @ [email protected].
AICP Training RoundtableAugust 31, 2011 6:00pm - 8:30pm
WHO: All planners who meet the criteria to take the exam in November or are planning to take the exam next year are encouraged to attend.
WHERE: Landini’s Pizzeria, located in the heart of Little Italy 1827 India Street, San Diego, CA 92101 Cost is $5.00 (includes food and beverages). Pay at the door only.
RSVP | Event Flyer
APA California 2011 Conference September 11-14 2011- The conference will be held at the beautiful Fess Parker Doubletree Hotel in Santa Barbara. Over 85 sessions, 10 mobile workshops, and a fabulous Opening Reception at the Santa Barbara Zoo are among the outstanding events to be offered at this year’s conference. Room resrvations can be made online through the reservations link on the conference webpage.
San Diego Section Board MembersSection Director, Daniel K. Wery, [email protected]
Section Director-Past, Brooke Peterson, AICP 858-336-0938
[email protected], Elisa Marrone, [email protected]
Secretary, Lisa Lind 619-308-9333
Membership Director, Alex Hempton, [email protected]
Webmaster, Greg Konar, AICP 619-881-3265
[email protected] Newsletter Editor, Asha Saunders, Assoc AIA, LEED [email protected]
Professional Development (AICP), Stan Donn, AICP619-409-5953
Professional Development (Workshops), Nancy Graham, [email protected]
Awards Chair, Dana Spaccarotella619-243-2903
[email protected] Marketing Director, Kimberly [email protected]
Programs Chair, Patrick Jelsema, AICP619-233-1454
[email protected] Inclusion Director, Jane Clough-Riquelme, Ph.D.619-699-1909 [email protected]
Young Planner’s Group Chair, Mario Osorio, LEED AP858-712-8239
[email protected] Chair, Renee Yarmy858-509-3157 [email protected]
Student Representative- [email protected]
Imperial Valley- RAC, OPEN
Student Representative- UCSD, OPEN
Announcements!
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actions, the City of San Diego’s Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Plan includes baseline greenhouse gas emissions inventories for both community and govermnent operations, growth forecasts for both sectors, targets for greenhouse gas reductions and mitigation strategies for achieving those reductions. These are the standard components of a climate action plan. In order to plan more comprehensively for climate change, the City of San Diego has added climate change adaptation strategies to mitigation strategies.
Adaptation strategies are distinct from mitigation strategies that seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that provoke further climate change. Adaptation strategies seek to prevent and share losses from climate change impacts, modify actions that otherwise lead to hazards under new climactic conditions, and relocate vulnerable populations and systems away from climate-change induced hazards. These strategies can be technological, managerial, behavioral and/or planning approaches, and complement climate change mitigation strategies.
By incorporating adaptation strategies into its CAP, the City of San Diego is not only planning to reduce the degree of climate change induced by its activities, but is also planning to create secure, stable communities given the effects of climate change that are already unavoidable. Current accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are expected to remain there for more than 50 years, and continue, in conjunction with future gases released into the air, to generate global climate change in the coming centuries. Consequently, including adaptation strategies in the city’s CAP is the next logical step in ensuring a safe and livable environment for San Diegans.
Other cities that have extended their climate change planning efforts to include adaptation include New York; Chula Vista, Calif.; Portland, Oregon; Los Angeles; and Melbourne, Australia. The fact that many cities engaging in adaptation planning are coastal cities is no coincidence—the rising sea levels induced by climate change are a major threat to critical infrastructure for transportation, trade, and communication as well as to land engaged in residential, commercial and industrial activities.
Because coastal cities will feel the impacts of climate change in a way that directly threatens critical community and economic assets, these cities are uniquely positioned to understand the importance of adaptation measures that complement mitigation strategies. By taking the long view of climate change impacts, San Diego is working now to find solutions to the hazards that threaten San Diegans, their welfare and their livelihoods, as well as to reduce the magnitude of future hazards.
New Frontiers for Climate Change Planning: Public Health and Economic Considerations
Expanding the CAP’s relevancy to departments and decision-makers outside the standard planning scope allows local governments to provide a more extensive exposition of strategies laid out in a CAP. By connecting a CAP to a wide range of issues under a government’s purview, a CAP becomes a living document with relevancy across departments, and moves climate action planning toward the goal of holistically addressing climate change.
Broadening the scope of benefits from a CAP’s emissions mitigation strategies to examine how strategies pertain to public health concerns and how they impact government budgets creates direct relevance of climate change planning for public health and financial decision-makers. In defining impacts across these sectors, local governments can create support for climate action planning by providing a clearer definition of how citizens benefit from climate change mitigation as well as how much money governments will need to invest and what rates of return to expect from mitigation efforts.
That climate change planning provides additional benefits for public health is a widely accepted conclusion, so integrating the co-benefits to public health from climate change mitigation strategies make a CAP a critical policy document for health and human services departments, which has the effect of creating a CAP with true multidisciplinary applications.
To leverage existing public health expertise, local governments can solicit comments on a draft CAP from the department charged with public health in its jurisdiction. By carefully reviewing comments from public health agencies, governments can create a CAP that incorporates the existing public health agenda and priorities, and enumerate specific co-benefits from mitigation measures in areas such as energy, transportation, water and waste. Public health benefits from climate change mitigation measures can include lower incidence of sickness induced by transportation emissions; increased physical activity from active transportation options, transit-friendly communities and urban albedo increases that make for more temperate conditions for physical activity; decreased exposure to outdoor air pollution from teleworking and commute reduction programs; and improved access to locally grown, nutritious foods.
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A Celebration of North ParkBy: Dana Spaccarotella, URS Corp
The San Diego community of North Park is rich with culture and architectural history. The history of developing North Park begins at the turn of the 20th century. In 1907 trolley service was expanded to reach the approximately 40 families occupying the pastoral 40-acre lemon grove called Hartley’s North Park. Trolley access prompted the beginnings of urbanization with establishment of a water reservoir, water tank, second trolley line (approaching from the south) and a residential subdivision. In 1911 the Lemon Grove was subdivided into commercial and residential lots and sold for development. The point of convergence for the two trolley lines, at 30th Street and University Avenue, became the urban core for the community. Business men who dealt in the profit-making opportunities available in burgeoning communities were drawn to North Park and invested in its development. In the 1930s the Klicka Lumber Company, owned by two brothers who were businessmen, made it possible for hundreds of people to procure housing by producing and selling an affordable ready-cut bungalow kit. These permanent residents bolstered the local economy, and along with residential neighborhoods came the commercial businesses. One of the structures built during this period has stood the test of time and emerged as an iconic community landmark: the Birch North Park Theatre.
The beautifully restored theatre, which is the venue for the 2011 SDAPA Awards, has traveled a long road to get to where it is today. In 1928 Emil Klicka funded a mixed-use project that housed a vaudeville performance and motion picture theatre, a bank, a street-level shop, and second floor medical offices. The theatre opened its doors in January 1929 as a Fox West Coast Theatre, part of the Edward Fox chain of cinemas. The theatre enjoyed steady patronage and financial successes for several decades until the 1960s when commercial development created competition in the market for movie venues. By the 1970s the theatre had shut down operations as a picture show. The facility was bought by a church and operated as such for a brief time in the early 1980s. The City of San Diego purchased the theatre in the late 1980s and it sat empty for the next 20 years, until in 2000 when developer Bud Fischer was approached by civic leaders to take on the theatre as a restoration project. He agreed, chose Lyric Opera San Diego to run the theatre, and in September 2005 it was re-opened as the Birch North Park Theatre. Today the thriving theatre is host to a variety of events including the Lyric Opera, film festivals, community meetings, and more. (Information from NorthParkHistory.org)
Many more of North Park’s distinguished landmarks are relics of the early 1900s including the Georgia Street Bridge, now known as the gateway to North Park, built in 1914; the 127 foot, 1.2 million gallon Howard Street water tower built in 1924; the University Avenue street lamps, built in 1926; and the Lafayette Hotel on El Cajon Boulevard, built in 1946. Arguably one of the most architecturally significant areas of San Diego, North Park is home to an impressive collection of craftsman style houses; symbolic of North Park’s establishment during the Arts and Crafts movement of the early 20th century. The majority of these homes, built by renowned architect David Owen Dryden, are located within seven blocks on 28th Street and Pershing Avenue. The area is currently pending designation as a Historic District.
In 1985 the North Park Business Improvement District was established as a non-profit organization by the City’s Office of Small Business. Approximately 300 North Park business owners paid a donation to finance improvements that would revive the commercial district. The community’s renaissance was launched in 1993 with the erection of a replica of the 1925 neon-lit North
Neighborhood Feature
Fox West Coast Theatre, Circa 1930 (Photo courtesy of North Park History / B’hend & Kaufmann Archives)
After examining a CAP’s mitigation strategies from a public health perspective, local governments should also examine mitigation strategies through an economic lens. An economic examination of the CAP’s strategies is critical to ensuring the selection of the most effective mitigation strategies. To assist decision-makers in selecting the best combination of strategies that mitigate emissions most effectively in an era of rigid budget constraints, economic analysis should be designed to yield transparent, actionable information for policymakers.
Because a key decision-making tool for local government finance departments is return on investment, transparent, actionable metrics can be created by condensing the economic findings on mitigation measures into return on investment ratios for new programs and for additions to existing programs. Return on investment ratios can be designed to provide insight on both mitigation efficacy and money that can be saved by mitigation measures that produce energy or more closely match resource needs with consumption. To fine-tune these results, local governments should also take into account differing levels of participation across diverse community types.
By applying economic tools to potential mitigation strategies, local governments can design a portfolio of preferred mitigation strategies that reflected their commitments to greenhouse gas emissions reductions, public health and the wise use of the limited resources available to achieve government goals. This approach yields thoughtful public policy that addresses climate change in a holistic, budget-maximizing manner, and can serve as an example of how to create comprehensive, implementable CAPs.
Summary: Taking a Comprehensive Approach to Climate Change Planning in San Diego
Planning for climate change is a complex undertaking because it requires local governments to take action against one of the world’s most pressing and perilous challenges. To do this, local governments must not only comply with the requirements from federal and state levels, but must also take account of specific climate change impacts in their communities and learn how to leverage and coordinate the full portfolio of their resources to meet the challenges posed by climate change.
The City of San Diego has demonstrated the value of comprehensive approaches to Climate Action Plans, and the leadership demonstrated by this local government should be noted across the state and beyond. In expanding on the traditional model of Climate Action Plans, these entities have taken steps toward integrating climate action planning into established activities—thereby making it possible to work within existing frameworks and budgets—as well as expanded the scope of climate action planning to include adaptation actions that address climate change’s forecast impacts on residents and critical resources.
In this era of limited budgets and rigid constraints on new programs, San Diego is illustrating how local governments can use climate action planning to enhance the usefulness, applicability and scope of this activity.
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San Diego’s Newest AICP Members
Samantha Adams
Noah Alvey
Catrine Machi
Michael Nichols
Martin Reeder
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Neil Robinson
Anthony Shute
Austin Silva
Cecily Way
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The Steps to Successful Renewable Energy Project PermittingBy: David Hochart, Dudek
Success of a renewable energy project often starts with and certainly depends upon meeting stringent, complex environmental permitting and mitigation requirements. And, a successful environmental permitting process begins with an effective due-
diligence plan. Environmental due diligence should be completed prior to substantial investment or signing a power purchase agreement. Due diligence also can identify early whether a given site is potentially constrained by permitting and mitigation requirements that could prevent the short-turnaround development schedules common in renewable energy development projects. A three-step, decision-making process will allow a project proponent to evaluate risk effectively when considering a particular site or comparing several sites for development.
Step 1 – Due Diligence First, identify environmental resources present or likely to be present at a site. Then, identify potential issues that could extend the permit-processing schedule and/or require significant and sometimes unanticipated mitigation costs.
Public data may be available that will provide a good preliminary understanding of site conditions during the initial due-diligence phase and, if extensive, will save time and money compared with completing comprehensive surveys up front. Mapping environmental resources using geographic information system (GIS) technology allows a “desktop review” of valuable information to be gathered at minimal cost.
At a minimum, public resources that should be reviewed first include Federal Emergency Management Agency floodplains; the California Natural Diversity Database; vegetation communities; critical habitat areas; general plan land-use designations and zoning; recorded archaeological and historical sites; and U.S. Geological Survey soils, faults, and liquefaction maps.
An experienced biologist should then survey the site (generally 1 to 3 days) to verify whether information from the “desktop review” is consistent with current site conditions. For example, a Dudek biologist recently surveyed an 8,000-acre Southern California site in 3 days to verify information gathered through the public database search. On that project, the field verification determined that the site’s habitat would not support several species preliminarily identified as likely to be present, thus substantially reducing the need for costly focused surveys and associated mitigation. The data collected also can be used for early outreach efforts to establish negotiations with the various resource agencies.
Step 2 – Site Characterization Study
The initial due-diligence data are compiled into a site characterization study summarizing key findings. This is an important aid for both managing risk and developing a project-processing strategy. A site characterization study should, at a minimum, address the following elements:
• Environmental resources present or likely to be present at the site• Anticipated permitting schedule per a worst-case and best-case scenario • Areas most and least constrained for development• Design considerations to meet permitting agencies’ regulations and guidelines• Mitigation costs and feasibility • Status of other renewable projects in the area• Conditions of approval for other nearby projects• Project consistency and/or potential inconsistency with applicable plans and policies.
A permit matrix is a powerful tool to determine how permitting and required surveys will most efficiently fit into the desired development schedule. The permit matrix lists all required permits based on resources present and the anticipated processing schedule for obtaining each permit.
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Park monument sign. In 1998 the Arts, Culture, and Entertainment District was established which stimulated independent merchants to set up shop in North Park. The district became locally known as a haven for artists. In 2001 the Ray Street Arts District launched Ray at Night, a gallery walk held the second Saturday of every month.
Today North Park is one of the most diverse communities of San Diego. Enjoying its new reputation as the place to be, the area offers an urbane assortment of businesses including restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and clothing stores that cater to the recent influx of young business professional residents. Local standouts include:
• Urban Solace, who serves culinary delights known as “New American Comfort Food,” including ducakroni, bacon-wrapped sustainable trout, and not your momma’s meatloaf.
• Ranchos Cocina, featuring flavorful Mexican and Vegetarian cuisine and a festive atmosphere with colorful walls adorned with historic photos and rustic artwork.
• Caffe Calabria, a high-quality espresso bar that roasts their coffee in-house and has an authentic Italian atmosphere.• Parra’s Newsstand, which boasts the largest selection of periodicals in San Diego; if they don’t have it they’ll find and order
it for you.• Get It Clean Laundromat, a hip, modern, and clean site offering drop-off by 10 am, same day laundry service.• Hunt & Gather, a store that specializes women’s & men’s vintage clothing, re-worked vintage, one of a kind designer pieces,
records & artwork.• Pigment, which is filled with interesting art pieces and décor that have a natural feel, including hanging glass globes that
are miniature succulent and cactus gardens, is a store for plant lovers. All inventory is eco-friendly and from local artists. • Material, a clothing store that offers something for everyone in lines that are national, local, green, artistic, fashionable and
moderate in price.• Farmers Market which offers local produce, arts and crafts, and other goodies is held every Thursday at 32nd Street and
Herman Street. • Bar Pink, a kitschy lounge that offers live music and cocktails with a bubbles and elephants motif.
There are a variety of transportation options for visiting North Park. The area is accessible by Interstate 805, from the University Avenue and El Cajon Boulevard exits. Via Interstate 8 exit Texas Street headed south. There is substantial bus service to North Park including routes 1, 2, 6, 7, 10, 11, and 15. Bus routes 7 and 10, the busiest bus line corridors in the San Diego metro region, traverse North Park.
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University Avenue at night(Photo courtesy of the New York Times)
North Park mixed-use retail and parking garage facility(Photo courtesy of the New York Times)
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The permit matrix also identifies the environmental surveys and associated seasonal restrictions for completing the surveys. Mitigation requirements are also listed in the permit matrix if a resource is present on site during focused surveys. The permit
matrix facilitates the weighing of time and costs for various permit processing, including whether to avoid a resource (if feasible) during site planning efforts.
A site constraints map provides another tool to help evaluate project feasibility. The map provides a user-friendly summary of “non-developable” versus “most desirable” development areas:
• Non-developable areas are characterized by the presence of resources that may limit the development’s footprint, such as wetlands, archaeological sites, protected species’ critical habitat areas, and noise restrictions. • Most desirable development areas include lands where no sensitive environmental resources are present or likely to be present or lands that require minimal mitigation.
In Step 2, it is important to evaluate your project in relation to other renewable energy projects’ plans and policies that have been processed or are being processed in the vicinity. Other projects have set the current standard and will provide valuable insight for successful processing, including potential inconsistencies with both adopted plans and plans being drafted or revised. For example, the recently distributed U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Draft Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines (USFWS guidelines) (2011) state that the developer shall demonstrate how the recommendations of the draft guidelines were considered throughout the project-planning process. Evaluating the project’s due-diligence efforts in relation to the draft USFWS guidelines provides a project record that clearly identifies the siting efforts considered early in the development stages. This information should be included in the site characterization study.
Early outreach to the permitting agencies, the lead agency, wildlife agencies, tribes, and local community groups is always a good policy. Outreach does not have to be extensive at this stage; however, it will likely provide initial feedback about any permitting delays that may result. Early outreach also provides an opportunity to verify whether any additional permits would be required and whether the schedule that has been developed is consistent with the permitting agency expectations. Finally, a biological work plan should be presented to the wildlife agencies as part of the outreach effort to obtain initial feedback about the survey methods and to gain a better understanding of likely project-processing requirements.
Step 3 – Go vs. No Go Decision
With due-diligence completed and a site characterization study prepared, they provide a wealth of information related to environmental permitting requirements, allowing an educated, environmental permit-processing evaluation for an individual site or a comparison/rating of multiple sites.
It is important to consider practically the environmental resources identified for each site on a cumulative level with regard to increased processing time and mitigation costs. Additionally, biological survey schedules for each site should be carefully considered. Biological surveys required for one site versus another, based on the resources present, will include seasonal restrictions that will affect the project schedule. Remember the permit matrix described in Step 2? By completing that step, a project proponent will know the survey methods and associated time frame as they relate to the overall development schedule.
Summary
This three-step process makes best use of the due-diligence phase when considering renewable energy development at a given site or when comparing several sites. The key is to complete a focused due-diligence effort that provides the information needed to make informed decisions. It is also important to ensure that the level of due-diligence efforts is directly proportional to the environmental resources present at a given site.
On March 18, 2010, amendments to the CEQA guidelines became effective as a result of Senate Bill 97 (SB 97).
The amendments provide guidance on how to address greenhouse gases (GHGs) under CEQA. These amendments change the way we, as transportation and environmental professionals, address impacts to transit, pedestrian and bicycle facilities. This article focuses on the current practices to address SB 97’s new CEQA requirements through land use and transportation planning, and implementing the concept of “Complete Streets.”
Background Climate change legislation in California has been undoubtedly active over the past several years. Two well-known bills, for example, are: AB 32 (which established GHG targets) and SB 375 (which required Metropolitan Planning Organizations to create plans to meet those targets). The California Complete Streets Act of 2008 (AB 1358), a lesser known bill, requires cities and counties to include complete streets policies as a part of their general plans. Complete streets are those that are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users, such as pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders. The concept requires transportation planners and engineers to consider the safety of various users when designing street networks, including rights of way, sidewalks, medians, bike lanes, transit stops and features such as traffic calming measures and safe crossing opportunities.
How we address these obligations as transportation planners, land use planners and CEQA practitioners was a little less clear, that is, until SB 97. Known as a “companion” bill to AB 32 and SB 375, SB 97 affects how we evaluate climate change in Traffic Impact Studies and environmental documents.
SB 97 was passed by the California State Senate in 2007. The bill required the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) to develop amendments to CEQA to address GHG emissions. These recommended amendments were then sent to the California Natural Resources Agency, the agency responsible for the CEQA Guidelines, for inclusion into the updated CEQA Guidelines that became effective March 18, 2010.
Perhaps the most notable changes to the CEQA guidelines under SB 97 are the addition of a Greenhouse Gas Emissions section to the Environmental Checklist Form (Guidelines Appendix G), as well as substantial changes to the Transportation/Traffic section. Projects are now required to analyze and disclose whether they, “generate greenhouse gas emissions, either directly or indirectly, that may have
Senate Bill 97 and The Complete Streets MovementBy: Seth Torma, AICP, PTP with KOA Corporation and Asha Saunders, Associate AIA, LEED AP with Dudek
a significant impact on the environment.” The appropriate methodology for describing, calculating or estimating the amount of GHG emissions resulting from a project is left to the discretion of the lead agency. The following provides a summary of the CEQA amendments particularly as they relate to environmental and transportation planning.
CEQA Amendments Currently under CEQA, as a result of SB 97, a project is required to determine if it would generate GHG emissions or conflict with any applicable plans, policies or regulations for the purposes of reducing GHG emissions. As previously stated, it is at the discretion of the lead agency to decide the methodology used to for making these determinations and for further analysis to determine mitigation measures, as necessary. Specifically within the Transportation/Traffic section of the Environmental Checklist Form, considerable changes have been made. Projects must now determine whether there is a conflict with applicable plans, ordinances or polices that account for all modes of travel, including transit, pedestrians, bicycles, streets and highways, as opposed to (more simply) whether the project would result in an increase in traffic related to the street system. This amendment prompts planners to think about the concept of complete streets.
A second change related to the Transportation/Traffic section of the checklist is the requirement to determine if a project would conflict with an applicable congestion management program, including, but not limited to, level of service (LOS) standards, travel demand measures or other such established standards. Previously, the checklist only required a project to measure whether it exceeded LOS standards. This revision, therefore, opens up traffic impact analysis to additional review based measures other than just LOS.
The last two changes are also directly linked to the concept of complete streets. It is no longer required for a project to determine if it would result in inadequate parking capacity, whereas beforehand inadequate parking may have resulted in a potentially significant impact. However, several agencies have decided to continue to include parking analysis as a requirement in their guidelines in order to provide more information to the decision makers and the public. Also, a project must be reviewed for consistency with adopted plans, programs and policies specifically related to public transit, bicycle and pedestrian facilities and to the performance and safety of such facilities. The checklist previously referred to adopted policies, plans or programs “supporting alternative transportation.” The change in language clearly emphasizes the growing importance of various methods of transportation
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SDAPA’s Annual Roundtable Exam TrainingAICP certified planners carry a high mark of distinction because they are required to meet rigorous standards, maintain their expertise through continuing education, and serve community interests. The next exam window is November 7, 2011.
WHO: All planners who meet the criteria to take the exam are welcome to participate WHAT: Four intensive training sessions with topics such as: Exam Preparation and Strategy; History; Demography and Trends; Plan Making; Plan Implementation & Public Participation; Ethics; Regulatory LawWHEN: August 31, 2011 6:00pm - 8: 30pmWHERE: Landini’s Pizzeria, located in the heart of Little Italy 1827 India Street, San Diego CA 92101 Cost is $5.00 (includes food and beverages)
On the Agenda...The AICP exam training roundtable provides an informal opportunity for those planning to taking the exam to gain some insight from AICP members who recently passed in May. You can expect to receive an overview of items such as study tips, pointers, experiences, exam materials and sample questions, as well as information regarding hot topics and essential “things to study”. There will also be an op-portunity to ask those naggingquestions that may have come up during your study sessions.
REGISTER NOW on SDAPA’s website by clicking HERE
AICP 2011 Exam Prep
and mechanisms to increase safety.
The California Natural Resources Agency provides a helpful link to the CEQA changes in strikeout/underline form. Additional information regarding complete streets can found by clicking here.
ConclusionSB 97 requires that we consider additional factors affecting transit, pedestrian and bicycle facilities in traffic impact and environmental studies. It is important that agency guidelines are updated to provide assistance with addressing these factors. In Part II of this series we will explore examples of addressing these amendments to the CEQA guidelines and designing for complete streets. End
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Distressed and blighted neighborhoods have been challenging cities for years. Different approaches and
instruments aimed at improving the situation exist in many countries of the world. The author’s doctoral thesis puts special focus on neighborhood improvement in the U.S. and Germany - working on the overall topic: ‘Could US Urban Redevelopment Devices be helpful instruments for German and Austrian Neighborhood Managements - Does more Private Sector Support solve Problems of Urban Neighborhoods?’ As part of the research, the governmental role in redevelopment is studied. How U.S. and German governments try to solve problems in their neighborhoods will be discussed in this article.
Neighborhoods suffer from physical, economic, and social problems which cannot be solved by local stakeholders. Poor structural conditions and lack of strong economic actors as well as capable residential stakeholders make self-support in these neighborhoods extremely difficult. To address those issues, governmental redevelopment exists in the U.S. as well as in Germany. Although facing virtually the same challenges in their neighborhoods, governmental support appears considerably different in both countries.
Dealing with similar problems, both countries respond with their own type of governmental assistance. The governmental level in charge of redevelopment in both countries is a primary difference. Since U.S. federal entities do not interfere with planning on the local level, there is no federal government redevelopment program. Taking California as an example, the role of the state in redevelopment becomes evident. As a state program, regulated by the California Redevelopment Law, the enhancement of neighborhoods is governed by the state government. On the contrary, as a federal level entity, the German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development (BMBVS) is in charge of redevelopment programs. For example, the program ‘Socially Integrative City’ has been established by German federal government to help distressed neighborhoods at the city level. In addition to mandatory regulations, funding is also provided by the federal government. Federal taxes contribute one share of the money used for local redevelopment in Germany. The remaining two shares are provided by state and local governments. Invented and still effective in California is the instrument ‘tax increment funding’. Increase of property value in the neighborhood, based on the ongoing redevelopment efforts, is used for
Governmental Redevelopment in the U.S. and GermanyBy: Katharina Soepper, Visiting Scholar San Diego State University, PhD-Student Vienna University of Technology (Marshall Plan Scholarship Holder)
further developments as well as repayment of bonds. Bonding is necessary at the beginning of the redevelopment process to create public improvements, which will subsequently attract private investments. Local agencies are in charge of redevelopment in both countries, the U.S. as well as in Germany. A city-wide Redevelopment Agency, which is responsible for several areas, is used in the Californian case. In contrast, a neighborhood management office is installed in every project area in Germany, but no overall entity is set up. While the existence of blight, i.e. adverse physical and economic conditions, is required for establishing a redevelopment area in the U.S., slightly different preconditions have to be met in Germany. Redevelopment areas get initialized, if the neighborhood shows signs of poor physical conditions in addition to social problems. Redevelopment objectives include physical improvements as a goal on both sides. Notably, while California’s redevelopment targets the development of the economy for removing blight, Germany’s ‘Socially Integrative City’ program focuses on social and community development to stabilize neighborhoods. To achieve these goals, California redevelopment tries to attract and support development as well as to improve infrastructure. German neighborhood offices encourage citizen involvement, counteract socio-spatial segregation, and support structural improvements. Measures used by the German instrument are: establishment of social activities and infrastructure, work on the integration of diverse ethnical groups, as well as promoting schools, education, and health. Another focus is job training for residents of blighted neighborhoods. Neighborhood managements also try to collaborate with housing companies and associations. Californian Redevelopment Agencies improve public facilities, assist private development, and prepare sites for improvement. Moreover, they sell or lease property and preserve, upgrade, and provide housing. This work in Californian redevelopment areas will go on for 30 to 40 years. In contrast, German redevelopment areas remain active for 5 to 10 years.
Californian and German federal governmental redevelopment approaches do not only differ in terms of time periods, but also in their funding and regulatory mechanisms. This fact seems surprising since both have to react to very similar neighborhood problems. However, these different approaches can be understood when taking their different
International Feature
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SDAPA YPG International Subcommittee
cultural, historical, and institutional backgrounds into account. The difference can be summarized by the following: the economy-focused Californian approach says, ‘Bringing money in for development helps the community’. On the contrary, German redevelopment emphasizes the social aspects, as already implied in the name ‘Socially Integrative Cities’. The underlying idea states, ‘Strengthening the community brings money and development to the area’.Focusing on economic activities alone does not mean these neighborhoods do not obtain social activities as well – or vice versa. Accordingly, entities exist which take care of social/economical matters. Examples are the Community Development Corporation activities in California and the European Union economic funding programs in Germany. However, governmental redevelopment only takes care of the part which the government estimates to be most important.
Nevertheless, both approaches share an unsafe future. While German neighborhood activities faced 25 percent and 50 percent federal money cut-backs in the last two years, their social projects are currently at stake as well. In California, due to the state economic situation and the considered elimination of Redevelopment Agencies, redevelopment also faces a very uncertain future.
References: California Redevelopment Association (2010a): Frequently Asked Questions About Redevelopment In California (www.calredevelop.org/tools/what_is_redevelopment.aspx)California Redevelopment Association (2010b): Redevelopment Glossary of Terms (www.calredevelop.org/tools/what_is_redevelopment.aspx)German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development (2010): Federal-Länder Programme ‘Socially Integrative City’ (www.sozialestadt.de/en) End
Comparison of Governmental Redevelopment in the U.S. and Germany
The International Subcommittee strives to address societal issues on a global level through an engaging and collaborative approach to the international planning profession. Through our various programs and outreach opportunities we introduce planners of the San Diego region to a wide variety of best planning practices, innovative and established planning techniques, and unique ideas that are instrumental in the advancement of the planning profession across the globe. In exchange we are working closely with our Sister City and international agencies in San Diego to not only exchange ideas, but work together to create sustainable communities.
There are seemingly infinite opportunities. If you aren’t looking for a big commitment we offer numerous ways to contribute your insight and experiences, while providing learning opportunities through case studies, collaboration with various groups, jurisdictions, and nations, and opportunities for social networking. We are fostering a strong relationship with the National APA to collaborate within existing international networks. From our local San Diego Section, we are reaching out to further exem-plify our commitment to sustainable and international planning.
There are opportunities for everyone to participate, no matter your age. Whether you are a student or are an experienced pro-fessional, SDAPA wants you! Meetings are typically held the second Thursday of every month at different locations throughout San Diego. Participate, educate, and innovate with the International Subcommittee!
Contact Kimberly N. Bush at [email protected] for more information on the numerous opportunities!
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Free CM Credits!??!Planning for Healthy Places The American Institute of Certified Planners announces Planning for Healthy Places with Health Impact Assessments (http://professional.captus.com/Planning/hia), the first in a series of CM-eligible online courses from APA. Through examples and activities, this “how-to” guide explains the value of health impact assessments and outlines the steps involved in conducting one. The course was developed in partnership between the American Planning Association and the National Association of County and City Health Officials and is offered free of charge through a grant from the Centers for Disease Control. The course carries 6 CM credits.
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APA Membership
Becoming an American Planning Association member is easy! The APA website, www.planning.org, offers online membership services. To sign up go to
www.planning.org/joinapa/. You may also reactivate your membership, change your contact information and join up for additional services on the national website.
As a Planner, there are many benefits by becoming involved in the American Planning Association (APA). Whether you are interested in staying on top of current industry events, discussing planning issues, or just looking for a new job, APA is there to help facilitate it. As a professional organization, APA brings together people who share an interest in working towards better-planned communities.
APA aims to improve your career by providing opportunities to become more engaged in your profession. As a national professional organization, APA is highly recognized by private, public and academic entities as being on the forefront of the planning profession.
APA creates an opportunity to expand your career. As a member,
• UseAPAresourcestostayuptodateonpolicyissues
• You are encouraged to becomeAICP certified.American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) is a designation for those who choose to take their profession one step further. AICP allows you to become a credible planner and show that you are trained as a certified planner. In addition, our local San Diego APA section offers professional development workshops and luncheons to keep professionals up to date on local planning issues.
• Get recognized. Annual conferences andaward ceremonies for national, state and local sections offer a way to exchange ideas and for projects and hard work to be recognized by your professional peers.
To keep members up-to-date on national trends, local news and innovative ideas APA provides a number of publications. National, state and special interest divisions produce monthly periodicals and the San Diego local section issues a regular newsletter.
For students, becoming a member of APA is an incredible tool in learning to navigate the professional world of planning.
The most helpful resource and simplest way to stay involved with what’s with happening locally and around the world is to sign up for email notices on the APA websites. (National: www.planning.org and locally, www.sdapa.org).
To become a member visit APA’s website:http://www.planning.org/joinapa/.
SDAPA Support for Student Internships - The SDAPA supports students who are preparing to pursue careers in the planning field. As part of our supportive efforts, we are providing an active employment/internship assistance program which functions as an intermediary between the students and the planning business community at large.
While SDAPA does not guarantee employment, every possible effort is made to assist students in pursuing work experience in the diverse planning profession. SDAPA will accept and post internship opportunities for undergraduates and/or graduate students who are actively engaged in the pursuit of a career in the field with a planning emphasis. Intern positions will be posted on our jobs page at no charge.
We encourage you to participate in our efforts. Please download, complete, and submit the form below to Kevin Grant at [email protected]. Download Form
SDAPA Academic Liaison Mentor Program - Did you know that SDAPA has a Mentor Program that matches planning students with planning professionals? Students and faculty members are encouraged to utilize our SDAPA Board liaison to communicate and network between the Planning/Geography/Urban Studies Departments of the San Diego region universities and the professional planning community.
The liaison is also tasked with assisting student representatives in organizing interested students in becoming more involved in the planning community prior to commencement. For more information, please contact Kevin Grant at [email protected] or 858-342-8808.
Mail-List - Receive the latest SDAPA news and job announcements by subscribing to our e-mail list at no charge. Subscribe
Jobs Available - Check here for the latest San Diego Planning jobs. Go to jobs page
SDAPA Planning Library - Download PowerPoint presentations and workshop materials from SDAPA sponsored workshops and luncheons. Download Presentations
Request for Proposals - SDAPA is now accepting RFP documents in downloadable PDF format for posting on our jobs announcements page. Go to jobs page
Announcement Requests - Please submit announcement requests by e-mail to [email protected]. Announcements should be relevant to the San Diego planning community. Please see sample announcement request. Download sample announcement request
Announcements
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