Long Range Planning for Sustainable Growth

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Long Range Planning for Sustainable Growth

• Petra Todorovich
• Director, America 2050
• Regional Plan Association
• Greater Vancouver Livability Forum
• June 1, 2009
• Vancouver, BC

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Strategies at Every Scale

1. Global Trends
2. National Policy
3. Megaregion-scale coordination
4. Regional investments
5. City planning urban design

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Rapid population growth and demographic change
Threats to our global competitiveness
Global climate change and foreign oil dependence
Economic disparities and loss of opportunity
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Megaregion Priorities Building Blocks of a
National Plan

• High-speed rail
• Seaports, airports, and goods movement
• Energy transmission and generation
• Water infrastructure and protection

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A Tradition of National Planning
Theodore Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot 1908
Gallatin Plan 1808
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National Resources Planning Board and the
Interstate System
Early interstate plan, from Toll Roads and Free
Roads, National Resources Planning Board and
Bureau of Public Roads, 1939
National System of Interstate Highways, Public
Roads Administration, 1947
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The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

• This is an opportunity not only to deal with the
  immediate crisis, but also to lay the foundations
  for long-term growth and prosperity in this
  country.
• President Barack Obama

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The Northeast Megaregion

• 49 million inhabitants
• 17 of U.S. population on 2 of the land area
• 20 of U.S. GDP
• Will add 19 million additional people by 2050

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Rapid Urbanization
Sprawl is causing the megaregion to grow together
but with trade offs to the environment and
quality of life.
Source RPA GIS Model, Woods Poole County
Population projections
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Large Landscapes and Estuaries
Source RPA, adapted from the Appalachian
Mountain Club
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Vision Dense Hubs connected by high-speed
transport
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The Cascadia Megaregion

• Lead N. America in sustainable urban development
• Enhance Cascadia brand agricultural products,
  tourism, and more
• Increase connections across international border

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The Third Regional Plan

• GreenswardA 3-million acre network of protected
  natural resource systems
• MobilityA seamless 21st century mass transit
  system
• CentersMaintaining half the regions employment
  in urban centers
• WorkforceAssisting minority and immigrant
  communities to fully participate in the economic
  mainstream
• GovernanceRestructuring institutions and fiscal
  incentives

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The Implications of Sprawl
The region is running out of the developable land
and infrastructure capacity necessary to sustain
growth into the 21st Century. Implications
NY
CT
NJ

• Economy Sprawling development patterns limiting
  economic growth.
• Equity Further Isolation of low-income
  communities.
• Environment Degrading our remaining open spaces.

Data Source 1930-1990 provided by RPA, USGS, and
Cornell 2020 by Hunter College
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• Transit Oriented Development in the NY Region
• Brownfield redevelopment
• Retrofitting sprawl
• Intensifying centers

TOD Growth
Existing
Trend Growth
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Whats at Stake
Loss of Open Space
Photo taken by Alex Maclean Landslides
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Whats at Stake
Decline of urban centers
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Whats at Stake
Segregation of land uses
Photo taken by Alex Maclean Landslides
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Whats at Stake
Traffic and congestion
Photo taken by Alex Maclean Landslides
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Strategies for Older Cities Inner Connections and
Outer Connections
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Newark Vision Plan Summaries
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• Recommendations
• Develop a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system for key
  Newark corridors
• Make the road network work
• Encourage dense new development around transit
  nodes and along transit corridors

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Final Thoughts

• Implementation is required at every scale.
• Things take time!
• Dare to make grand plans.
• A Crisis is a terrible thing to waste.

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www.America2050.org
www.rpa.org