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Walk to Work Homes + Upward Mobility
• Walk to work apts/condos for tech workers • The most cost-effective suburban traffic reduction policy (ever). SF San Jose (swap) • Priority access to new housing for short commuters • $50 monthly price incentives for good commutes • Bad location decision creates “negative economic externality” for society. So, “internalize” the cost • ? Improve tech worker quality of life and leave low income folks farther behind ?
• Low income upward mobility – {package deal: job, home, job training, better schools for kids, more family time.} Boost up the ladder.
3 Steps for Housing Preference
• 1) a city agrees to a preference scheme designating: – a) qualifications for entering households to achieve preferred status and – b) financial incentives for developers who adopt such schemes • 2) applicable rental/for-sale housing units are priced to ensure high demand (must have a waiting list) • 3) preferred people are granted priority for those housing units • Monthly $ incent continued co-location • NOT: teacher / police preference – INSTEAD IT IS: “commute impact.”
Most cost-effective congestion reduction
• Tumlin: “most cost-effective peak hour trip reduction: provide housing for workers.” GUP: 0 new net trips • Anthony Downs (
Still Stuck in Traffic
): a) learn to cope with traffic congestion in the short run, b) in the long run, jobs and housing will eventually co-locate • Cervero: co-location hasn’t been happening. "Average journey to work distance has been increasing, jobs/hsng continues to exacerbate" • Thus, need co-location policy • Potential: 1M DUs in 200 largest office parks.
Active Research: Thought Leaders
• “Virtual think tank” with 50 thought leaders – William Fulton – ULI, HUD, EPA, MTC, SVLG, Fannie Mae, TLUC – Larry Rosenthal, Berkeley Program on Housing – Jim Grow, National Housing Law Project – Linda Nichols, CA State Housing & Community Development – housing policy – Mark Stivers, CA Senate transportation and housing committee – Mariia Zimmerman, Reconnecting America – Joe Molinaro, National Association of Realtors • 2 examples: Novato’s Hamilton Field, Stanford Housing – 17 teacher/police schemes in Bay Area • 2 SF “coffee roundtables,” 1 in DC • Proposal for 25K DU Coyote Valley new town – 100M annual VMT reduction.
Culture: Low Mileage Community
• Non auto-centric culture • Good Samaritan-ism (make it easy. Comes out in TDM interviews) • EBay’s online community phenomenon – Make friends, achieve social status – Self polices bad behavior.
Low Mileage Scheme
• New 100 DU residential complex • Everyone signs low mileage pledge – Entry condition to obtain housing • Manufacture a tipping point – it’s cool to be green – Currently, it’s often dumb to be green – Positive peer pressure • Problem-solving think tank. Online & in person – Carpool to grocery store – Ex: Biking learning curve: route, gear, defensive • People love to share such self-discovered expertise – Delivery services, etc.
Digital Hitchhiking
• Exploit GIS patterns • Bus + safe hitchhiking • RFID & cellular.
END: Not covered:
• Superblock transformation into new urbanist, walkable with PRT to span arterials • Gated, automated, paid smart parking • Bowling alone • Small murphy bed housing • Grocery shopping w/o trunk • Homeless • Evil office facilities managers • Kitchen sink: green construction, gray water recycling, etc..
Call to Action
• Get 100 folks to view the Redmond/MS animation • Join an online social network: O2 yahoo groups, planetwork.net (IT + envt) – 15 to 39 year-olds are crucial • Live a “62 MBTU / year” life. Early green adopter • Get involved in Redmond’s Overlake Plan • Write a thorough efficient city vision paper.