PostBureaucratic, PostCarbon Planning

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"Post-Bureaucratic, Post-Carbon Planning"

• Philipp Muessig
• MN Pollution Control Agency
• St. Paul office
• 651/215-0204 philipp.muessig_at_state.mn.us
• www.NextStep.state.mn.us

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Background

• Geologist, community development
• MPCA's Prevention Assistance Division
• Sustainable community development team

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Planning Projects

• Minneapolis Seward sustainability indicators
• Hanover conservation design template
• Conservation Design Scorecard for MN Lakes
• Ford Site and LEED-ND complete, compact,
  connected communities
• MN Green Star Cities with LMC
• MN GreenStar homes
• Carbon-neutral schools 750,000 for planning and
  capital grants

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Capital Projects

• HourCar car sharing business
• RREAL advanced solar hot-air panels
• Haubenschild Farm modern manure digester
• Linden Hills Power Light neighborhood digester
  / co-generation
• Jackson Meadow constructed wetland pedestrian
  orientation
• On-farm biodiesel trials

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MUST PLAN FOR a convergence of challenges leading
to a post-carbon future

• Climate change
• Peak oil
• Energy transition live on current energy income,
  not capital

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Peak Oil less oil each year lots of oil left
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The Hirsch Report 2005

• The peaking of world oil production presents the
  US and the world with an unprecedented risk
  management problem. As peaking is approached,
  liquid fuel prices and price volatility will
  increase dramatically, and without timely
  mitigation, the economic, social and political
  costs will be unprecedented.
• Viable mitigation options exist on both the
  supply and demand sides, but to have substantial
  impact, they must be initiated more than a decade
  in advance of peaking."

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Next Generation Energy Act 2007

• Global warming 80 by 2050 (15 by 2015)
• Renewable energy 25 by 2025
• Energy efficiency 15 by 2015 (cut in per
  capital use of fossil fuels)
• Utility demand reduction 1.5/yr.

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Opportunity for Innovation

• The actions needed to make our communities more
  sustainable, and
• the actions needed to address climate change and
  peak oil,
• are the same and have multiple benefits for our
  communities.

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The Outcomes / Benefits

• Cheaper-to-operate (green) buildings
• Ecological stormwater infrastructure
• Lower costs to government citizens
• Vibrant walkable, bikeable communities and
  healthier citizens
• Transportation options that connect jobs
  housing
• Fresh, local, organic food
• Renewable energy
• Green sector jobs

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"Everything is infrastructure"

• Cementing levels of energy and materials use
• Do you want to be spending money on asphalt? On
  maintenance of stormwater ponds?

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Grey Infrastructure

• Roads and paths
• Sewers and water
• Electricity, gas, communications
• District heating/cooling
• Buildings

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Green Infrastructure

• Stormwater, surface water, groundwater
• Forests and open space
• Agriculture and gardens
• Parks and street trees

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The Potential

• 3/4 of all greenhouse gases come from U.S. towns
  and cities, and local government decisions
  influence up to ½ those emissions.
• The annual oil energy commuters use can be a 1/3
  to 2x more than the annual energy used
  to run the building to which they
  travel.

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Comprehensive Planning

• Post-bureaucratic planning actions driven by
  sustainability indicators
• Values gtgt Plans with indicators gtgt Actions
• 1-3 yr. actions 5-10 yr. 10-25 50 yr.

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Circle Pines (pop. 5,158)

• Values a cooperative spirit among its citizens,
  civic institutions, businesses and government
• Aims to increase its level of local self-reliance
  focused on its agricultural resources
• Views climate and energy change as two
  fundamental challenges to its future health and
  will be proactive in addressing both
• Will preserve its current mix of residential,
  agricultural, educational, business and natural
  land uses.

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Technical Assistance

• Climate Change Corps (RETAP)