Elements of Waterfront and Coastal Community Smart Growth

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Elements of Waterfront and Coastal Community
Smart Growth

• Pam Rubinoff, RI Sea Grant - URI Coastal
  Resources Ctr
• Lynn Richards, USEPA
• Mike Klepinger, Michigan State University

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Context for Coastal Principles

• Smart Growth Principles (1996)
• Ten Principles of Smart Growth
• What is smart in our coastal community?
• CZM act (1972)
• Preserve, protect, enhance and restore
• Balance competing interests
• Public Trust Doctrine (Roman Empire...)
• Public resource held in trust for all citizens
• Navigation, commerce, fishing, recreation and
  similar public uses

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• Common currency common language
• Sharing needs and aspirations
• Tool for coastal constituencies to advance their
  common causes and interests nationwide

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Smart Growth Principles present key
characteristics for development
Waterfront and Coastal Smart Growth Elements
distill the key aspects of Smart Growth
Principles to help communities address their
unique waterfront advantage
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Welcome to the City by the Sea.....
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• Mix Land Uses
• Encourage working waterfronts and water
  dependent uses that promote a stable, year-round
  waterfront community

7

• Take advantage of compact building design

• Effectively use land to maximize waterfront
  and water-based activities in appropriate areas

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• Create a range of housing opportunities and
  choices
• Accommodate seasonal population
  fluxes while retaining the livability and
  affordability of the community.

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• Create walkable neighborhoods
• Assure physical and visual access
  to and from the waterfront for the public

The public shall continue to enjoy and freely
exercise all the rights of fishery, and the
privileges of the shore, to which they have been
heretofore entitled under the charter and usages
of this State. RI Constitution
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• Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a
  strong sense of place
• Protect, preserve, and enhance coastal
  character while capturing local opportunities for
  growth

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• Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty and
  critical environmental areas
• Protect natural coastal features and processes
  by designing with respect for the sea and the
  land-sea interface

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• Strengthen and direct development towards
  existing communities
• Encourage revitalization of waterfronts

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• Provide variety of transportation choices
• Encourage waterborne transportation options to
  compliment to land-based options

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• Make development decisions predictable, fair, and
  cost-effective
• Facilitate state and federal waterfront permit
  processing at the local level

Special Area Management Plan
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Encourage community and stakeholder
collaboration in development decisions
Seek participation from diversity of sectors
to represent the values and legacy of the public
trust of coastal waters
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Putting Principles into Practice

• Non-regulatory
• guidelines, incentives, partnerships
• Outreach, education, extension
• demonstrations, training, pubs
• technical assistance
• Regulatory
• policy, state regs,
• local zoning, permitting

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http//seagrant.gso.uri.edu/ccd/
Pam Rubinoff, RI Sea Grant rubi_at_gso.uri.edu Lynn
Richards, US EPA richards.lynn_at_epa.gov Mike
Klepinger, MI State University klep_at_msu.edu