by John Lavey
Over the past eight weeks we’ve been taking a look at the forces that create an imbalance in our land use and development market. The project, “A brief history of your neighborhood,” reveals some of the reasons why our free market economy, well, isn’t quite so free. We’ve tried to keep it lively, to the point, and enjoyable to read, so that it can be shared (and maybe even enjoyed!?!) by people in communities throughout the country.
The nutshell of Brief History is this: Our communities take shape under the influence of a mountain of federal, state and local policies. From the way roads are developed, to zoning rules that rend the fabric of communities, not one community in America is the result of a truly unencumbered free market. While each policy exerts individual influence over market behavior, Brief History shows there is truly a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.
Our “Brief History” series examines polices that shape communities.
We began by taking the long view, looking back at the conditions the nation faced coming out of WWII and how they help set the stage for policy making in the decades to come.
Next we took the microscope to zoning regulations, contending that most conventional use-based code was limiting development of walkable, mixed use communities.
Then we turned to western water policy, where loopholes big enough to channel the Yellowstone River incentivize fiscally inefficient and consumptive land use patterns.
Tax policy was next at bat, where we highlighted how low-density, built-to-crumble developments are rewarded with lower tax bills than mixed-use, built-to-last ones.
Parking policies kicked off the first of two transportation-related essays, this one pointing out that overly restrictive parking requirements hamstring developers’ ability to optimize building sites, especially for infill projects.
Further down the road we examined how transportation design and spending pave the way for sprawling development.
Our penultimate piece scrutinized the home mortgage market, questioning federal appropriations for single family vs multi-family units.
Finally, we appraised how many local governments address – or fail to address – maintenance obligations associated with infrastructure improvements. Yikes.
There is more to the story. Though we present seven, there’s an army of other policies exerting incredible influence over the land use and development market. Look at the tale from the developers of the Old Sawmill District in Missoula, for an example of how finance rules affect development projects. How many suspect that school busing routes and policy can inflate demand for exurban housing? It does. The list goes on.
Our hope is that in reading through these essays, you’ve gained a broader appreciation for the fact that our market is not free, despite all you may hear. If anything, what this series points out is that we could do much more to make our markets more free. Not unrestricted, mind you, but a bit more adaptable. In a quickly evolving society, why shouldn’t our policies at all level of government reflect market interests?
At the largest of scales, recognizing that the collective results of policy overwhelmingly favor sprawling suburbia over walkable communities, what is there to do? A first step is to absorb the recommendations accompanying each of the Brief History essays – be well versed in the solutions at the same time you grasp the challenges. Then, do this:
Become a leader
Leadership is everything, and communities need it now more than ever. We at Community Builders take leadership and leadership development seriously. You should too. Read our series on leadership.
Encourage coordination
America’s towns and communities deserve to be as unique as they wish to be, and able to self-govern to the extent of the law. This is well appreciated, but less regarded is that, at the same time, these same places are parts of a larger regional and national economy. Given their connectedness, the need to coordinate land use and development activities is imperative. It is wrong to presume that coordination means a loss of identity. Almost every issue is a regional issue now. Transportation. Economic development. Land use. Education. The ability to improve results by coordination in all these areas will define 21st century communities.
Share the message
Leaders share relentlessly. Leaders educate. Sure, we think Brief History tells the tale pretty well, but there are many other resources out there that are making this case. What’s important is that people know about it. The market ain’t free; its not going to be and it shouldn’t be. But it can be optimized. It takes people like you to share, and always share, that message.
We are following up with a portable version of the series, due out some time in June (sorry to be vague).
Thanks for reading along with us folks. Stay frosty.
(Cross posted from Community Builders)