Current Issues for Urban Areas: Some Policy Considerations

1
Current Issues for Urban AreasSome Policy
Considerations

• Bruce Mann
• Professor, Department of Economics
• Director, Civic Scholarship Initiative
• University of Puget Sound

2
Creative City and the Future

• Richard Floridas Three Ts
• Technology
• Talent
• Tolerance
• Three T Associations
• Immigration and New People
• Gay Lifestyle Acceptance
• Bohemian Lifestyle
• Policy Issues
• Is This Appropriate for All Cities
• Who Promotes the Associations
• How to Finance the Three Ts

3
Greening of Cities Beyond Just Environmental

• Green Space
• Valuable Local Amenity
• Control Carbon Footprint
• Development Potential
• Politically Correct

• Techniques
• Rooftop Gardens
• Vest Pocket Parks
• Streetscapes
• Pedestrian Places

• Policy Issues
• Regulate or Incentives
• Long Term Payoff vs. Short Run Needs
• Place in Urban Priority System

4
Eminent Domain nor shall private property be
taken for public use, without just
compensation. (U.S. Constitution, Fifth
Amendment)

• Policy Issues
• What is a Public Use
• Who Creates a Public Benefit
• What Limits on Takings Actions

• Kelo v. City of New London, Ct
• City condemns private homes, pays, sells parcel
  to local developer to construct a mixed use
  project
• A Taking Requires
• Public Benefit
• Due Process
• Compensation

5
Streets, Bridges, Lighting, TunnelsThe Need for
Infrastructure

• Cost for improvement and expansion is in the
  trillions of dollars and increasing
• A recent US estimate is about 13 Trillion
• 1,300 annually per person for 60 years
• Most infrastructure investments provide benefits
  to users and the whole area
• Policy Solution Choices
• Spend the Least
• Tolls and Fees for Users
• Increase General/Special Use Taxes
• Privatize

6
Moving People No Transit System Pays for Itself

• Usual Subsidy Arguments
• Poor
• Elderly
• Young
• Handicapped

• New Subsidy Arguments
• Regional Benefits
• Option Value
• Reduce Pollution
• Relieve Congestion
• Amenity Value

• Policy Issues
• What Type and System Scale Rail, Bus, Car
• Who Pays Riders, Community, Region
• Urban Purpose Commuting, Local, Supportive

7
Improving Land Use

• Traditional Argument Separate Uses and Create
  Homogeneous Zones

• New Argument Mix Uses and Create Integrated
  Areas

• Policy Issues
• What Should Happen In Urban Neighborhoods
• Who Determines Compatibility
• How to Get Neighbor Buy-In
• What Costs Need to be Mitigated