Sustainable Communities

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Vol 2, No 2 • Spring 2012 • www.p4sc.org • $12

LA’s New Paradigm:The End of Sprawl?

IN THIS ISSUE

LA’s New Paradigm: The End of Sprawl? ................................ p. 12Glenn Becerra, Sustainability Leader ...................................... p. 16Seattle leads on green buildings ............................................ p. 18Christie bucks GOP in NJ ......................................................... p. 26

Investor Contact: Greg Judge | 617.488.3556| Developer Contact: Greg Voyentzie | 617.488.3203 Boston | San Francisco | Los Angeles

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improving communities 

1

Letter from the editor

When you add up all the money and effort being spent on the

new wave of regional planning across the country, it probably

has a total cost north of $1 billion. So it’s the perfect time to put

forth a simple list of “do’s” and “don’ts” to help make sure that our

communities receive a decent return on that investment.

As regular readers of this column know, I support the goals

of the Sustainable Communities Planning Grants handed out by

the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and

I think Congress should continue to fund the program. I also

strongly support efforts in California and other states to encour-

age localities to adopt land use and transportation plans that recognize the need to reduce

sprawl, low-occupancy car trips and carbon emissions.

But I know that planning is hard to do effectively, especially when it involves inter-govern-

mental cooperation and coordination.

There has always been opposition to land use planning, and it only seems to be getting stron-

ger. Today’s planners face a convergence of opposing forces:

• Opposition to the idea of climate change and the limits it implies are needed on where

and how we live.

• Resistance to even the suggestion that we make fewer low-occupancy car trips

• Strong lobbying by the fossil fuels industry

• Negative views of public transit, and

• Fear of higher density development and mixed income housing.

In California, opposition to state-mandated regional sustainable communities strategies

has come from two fronts: Tea party activists who hate ‘big’ government of all kinds and

ostensibly ‘liberal’ property owners in affluent communities that oppose increases in density,

and strongly dislike multifamily housing. Both groups hate the notion of increasing use of

public transportation, a key tenet of the current planning process.

Back in northeastern Ohio, where I grew up, officials engaged in a HUD-funded regional

planning effort face a different problem: Almost no one believes that this latest stab at re-

gional strategizing will yield any concrete results. Throughout the region’s 30-plus years of

economic decline, they have seen false start after false start on long-term, regional economic

cooperation. This time, there’s a greater focus on sustainability, but that means nothing to the

average voter. They want to know there’s a reasonable chance of it producing concrete ben-

efits in a reasonable time frame, and the only metric that matters is jobs.

Planners can’t change that context, but they can avoid some of the most common mis-

takes I have seen in recent planning efforts by following this simple list of Do’s and Don’ts:

n Do invest in the groundwork of explaining the benefits of planning for regular citizens.

n Do show that regional planning respects local autonomy and self-governance

n Do reassure people that encouraging density and transit does not mean they will have

to give up their cars or their lawns.

n Don’t lose sight of the trees for the forest (or, don’t ignore short-term results)

n Don’t ask for public input that you don’t really want.

n Don’t mention the United Nations or any of its pronouncements on climate change or

sustainability.

That’s just for starters. For more details, go to www.p4sc.org

Sustainable Communities Magazine

Editor and PublisherAndre Shashaty

Office & Member Services DirectorCarol Yee

Art DirectorKay Marshall

Advertising & Conference Sales ManagerWendy Chaney

Associate EditorChristopher Roche

Board of Directors Rev. Betty Pagett, Community

Acceptance Strategist

Patrick Sheridan, Senior Vice President for Housing Development,

Volunteers of America

Leadership Advisory Board Richard Baron, Chairman and CEO,

McCormack Baron Salazar

Doug Bibby, President, National Multi Housing Council

Christine CarrManager, Community Development Finance

Silicone Valley Bank

Henry Cisneros, Executive Chairman, CityView; former secretary, U.S. Dept of Housing and

Urban Development

F. Barton Harvey, Former chairman and CEO, Enterprise Community Partners

William C. Kelly, Jr., President, Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future (SAHF)

Kerry Mazzoni, Public policy consultant, former state legislator and former

California Secretary of Education

Nicolas P. Retsinas, Director, Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard University

Caleb Roope, President/CEO, The Pacific Companies

Mitchell Silver, PP, AICPDirector

Department of City Planning for Raleigh, N.C.

Sustainable Communities Magazine is published by Partnership for Sustainable Communities (“PSC”) is a private nonprofit organization incorporated in Califor-nia. It is not affiliated with the United States federal in-teragency “Partnership for Sustainable Communities,” which is a venture between HUD, DOT and EPA. PSC is not supported by government funding. It depends entirely on membership dues and charitable donations to cover its costs. To make a donation, go to www.p4sc.org and click on the “donate now” button at the top of your screen in the green bar on the left. To join our cause, click on “become a member” also in the green bar.

914 Mission Ave, Suite 4A, San Rafael, CA 94901 415 453 2100 ext 302 www.P4SC.org

Sustainable Communities

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SCS

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By Andre Shashaty

Vol 2, No 2 • Spring 2012 • www.p4sc.org

Making our investment count

SuStainable CommunitieS • SPRING 20122

NeW direCt ioNS

Cities in the United States lag

behind those in the rest of the

world in planning how they will

adapt to climate change, according to

a new report from the Massachusetts

Institute of Technology (MIT).

The university summarized the re-

sults of a global survey of cities in the

report titled Progress and Challenges

in Urban Climate Adaptation Planning.

The survey was conducted in collabo-

ration with ICLEI-Local Governments

for Sustainability. The report provides

insight into how cities around the

world are preparing for the impact of

climate change.

Results of the survey of 468 cities

that are members of ICLEI showed that

nearly half of survey respondents re-

port impacts they attribute to changes

in temperature, precipitation, sea level,

or natural hazards that they attribute to

climate change.

Approximately 27% of cities in the

U.S. are conducting climate risk and

vulnerability assessments (or have

completed one) and 59% are engaged

in climate adaptation planning. Despite

these high rates overall, the U.S. has the

lowest percentage of cities engaged in

assessments and planning relative to

other regions, according to the report.

Those cities that report that they are

taking action are largely in the early

preparation stages. Overall, few cities

have engaged the federal government,

although many are coordinating with

other cities.

Sixty-eight percent of cities world-

wide report that they are pursuing ad-

aptation planning, with Latin American

and Canadian cities having the highest

rates of engagement (95% and 92%

respectively) and the U.S. having the

lowest (59%), the report said.

The impacts that most concern cit-

ies have to do with increases in storm

water runoff and how to manage it. Of

the respondents, 65% said they were

concerned about higher storm runoff.

Methodology:

A survey was sent to communities

that are members of ICLEI-Local Govern-

ments for Sustainability. A total of 468

cities (44%) completed the 40-question

survey, with the majority of respondents

being from the U.S since this is where

ICLEI has the largest membership.

The survey asked respondents

about changes in natural hazards, tem-

perature, precipitation, and sea level

rise they have noted or experienced

in the past five years, relative to his-

torical trends. A total of 372 survey

respondents, or 79%, report some

changes in these categories.

The most common observation,

reported by 81% of the cities, is an in-

crease in natural hazards. Within this

category, 41% report an increased inten-

sity in storms, followed by 31% noting

longer periods of drought. Flooding also

is a major concern, with 13% of the cit-

ies reporting coastal flooding and 30%

reporting inland flooding. ❧

U.S. cities lag behind in climate adaptation

Municipal leaders from across the world gathered in Bonn, Germany,

recently to attend the Third Global Forum on Urban Resilience and Adapta-

tion. Sponsored by ICLEI, the event covered a wide range of topics related

to preparing for and adapting to climate change.

In 2010, ICLEI introduced a process for climate adaptation planning,

similar to its process for climate change mitigation (ICLEI 2011). The five

milestones of ICLEI’s climate adaptation planning process, listed below,

illustrate the broad scope and comprehensive nature of city climate adap-

tation plans. They are as follows:

City leaders gather to discuss adaptation to climate change

1. Conduct a climate

resiliency study

2. Set preparedness goals

3. Develop a climate

preparedness plan

4. Publish and implement

the climate preparedness

plan

5. Monitor and reevaluate

resiliency

PH

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At Silicon Valley Bank we pride ourselves on providing financial solutions to not only the businesses in the communities we serve but to the people of our communities too.

Silicon Valley Bank’s Community Development Finance Practice is committed to serving the needs of our communities’ housing and community development organizations. We provide a consistent and dependable source of financing for projects.

Christine Carr, Manager, Community Development Finance555 Mission Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, California 94105Phone 415. 764.3124 Email ccarr@svb.com

svb.com

©2012 SVB Financial Group. All rights reserved. Silicon Valley Bank is a member of FDIC and Federal Reserve System. SVB>, SVB>Find a way, SVB Financial Group, and Silicon Valley Bank are registered trademarks. B-12-12026. Rev. 02-24-12.

Specialists in Affordable Housing Lending

B_CDF_Partnership for Sustainable Communities_0212_1e.indd 1 2/27/12 9:09 AM

At Silicon Valley Bank we pride ourselves on providing financial solutions to not only the businesses in the communities we serve but to the people of our communities too.

Silicon Valley Bank’s Community Development Finance Practice is committed to serving the needs of our communities’ housing and community development organizations. We provide a consistent and dependable source of financing for projects.

Christine Carr, Manager, Community Development Finance555 Mission Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, California 94105Phone 415. 764.3124 Email ccarr@svb.com

svb.com

©2012 SVB Financial Group. All rights reserved. Silicon Valley Bank is a member of FDIC and Federal Reserve System. SVB>, SVB>Find a way, SVB Financial Group, and Silicon Valley Bank are registered trademarks. B-12-12026. Rev. 02-24-12.

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SuStainable CommunitieS • SPRING 20124

1 Cincinnati Studying Form baSed

development Code

In an attempt to revitalize its

downtown, Cincinnati is studying the

implications of adopting a form-based

development code that will offer devel-

opers and businesses alike much more

flexibility as the City attempts to rede-

fine itself.

Form-based codes are exactly that,

a set of parameters and guidelines that

allow neighborhoods to create their

own form and design style based on

look rather than land use. Typical zon-

ing codes that are present in nearly

every municipality across the U.S.

outline a detailed set of criteria that

defines the use restrictions for certain

areas. This type of planning has cre-

ated great places, but form-based code

is by far the more aggressive approach

to reshaping neighborhoods as it aligns

incentives and mitigates risk by focus-

ing on compatible design rather than

land use.

Cincinnati’s proposed code, which

they hope to have approved by the end

of 2012, will have three aims: enhancing

walkability, strengthening economy and

reinforcing character. Aside from those

broad aims, the specifics of the code

are incredibly lenient and to be deter-

mined primarily by the stakeholders in

each neighborhood.

City officials and other prominent

community members have recently

taken trips to Nashville, TN to observe

what the adoption of a similar form-

based code has done for their City. In

meeting with City staff and members

of the public, the feedback has been

extremely positive and the results

speak for themselves. With such broad

aims and a great urban foundation to

build upon, if this code is passed later

this year keep an eye on Cincinnati.

For more information visit www.

cincinnati-oh.gov.

2 dallas City puSheS tranSit oriented

development

City Hall is committed to making

transit oriented development around

their DART system a reality. While the

intended investment near the City’s main

southerly serving transit service has not

occurred as planned, City officials are

not willing to count it out just yet and

they are reaching out to the public for a

little help.

By engaging the public and listening

to what they would like to see in terms of

improving their transit hubs, the City is

taking initiative in making development

in these areas more attractive. On top of

their proactive community engagement,

the City will using a Department of Hous-

ing and Urban Development Community

Challenge Grant to lure new residential

and commercial development.

The goal of this program, commonly

known as DallasTOD, is to create safe, at-

tractive and thriving community centers

that offer a range of affordable housing

options for current and future residents

and improved access to transit.

“Dallas TOD is an integral part of my

GrowSouth comprehensive strategy to

build a foundation for sustainable growth

in Southern Dallas” said Mayor Mike

Rawlings, “I believe that it will help jump-

start growth in these key areas within

the next three years.”

For more information on DallasTOD

and to learn how you can get involved,

visit www.dallastod.com.

3 new Jersey Creating SuStainable

CommunitieS one proJeCt

at a time

Sustainable Jersey, a certification

program for municipalities that want

to go green, has partnered with the

PSEG Foundation, the charitable arm of

the New Jersey utility, to provide grant

AroUNd the NAtioN

16 7

2

3

4

PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

5

SPRING 2012 • SuStainable CommunitieS 5

money for local projects that would oth-

erwise go unfunded.

The goal is to make New Jersey

towns, “more livable, environmentally

friendly and prosperous.”

Being the first state in the nation to

have a comprehensive sustainability pro-

gram, New Jersey’s progressive stance

on these issues is the driving force be-

hind this meaningful local investment ve-

hicle. Throughout 2012, the Sustainable

Jersey Small Grant Program will award 4

- $20,000 grants, 8 - $10,000 grants, and

20 - $2,000 grants which are intended to

support New Jersey municipalities par-

ticipating in their certification program

to institute greening and sustainability

initiatives within their communities

and better the quality of life for their

residents. This money will go towards

projects such as electric vehicle charging

stations, school food composting centers

and community gardens.

According to their website, these

sustainability projects will serve as prac-

tical models for the rest of State while

making measurable contributions toward

the long-term goal of a sustainable New

Jersey. Since its inception in 2009, the

grant program has awarded $595,000

towards the completion of such projects.

Grant applications for the current

cycle are due July 15, 2012. For more in-

formation regarding future grant cycles

and how to get involved, visit www.sus-

tainablejersey.com.

4 massachusetts aFFordable houSing

inveStment StrengthenS

Community

The state has awarded $105 million

in affordable housing resources and tax

credits to support the construction of

2,196 affordable units across the state.

The investment was made up of

more than $23 million in federal low-

income housing tax credits; $20 million

in state low-income housing tax credits;

and $61 million in state and federal

housing program subsidies.

In a recent press release, Gov. Deval

Patrick stated that, “Creating afford-

able housing helps to generate jobs,

grow local businesses and strengthen

our communities. Government’s role

is to help people help themselves, and

investing in affordable housing will build

a better Commonwealth for generations

to come.”

By fighting for this funding and

invigorating the local economies with

the creation of construction jobs and

the positive economic externalities as-

sociated with an increased affordable

housing supply, the Massachusetts ad-

ministration is setting a great example

for the rest of the country.

To see a complete list of the projects

that were awarded funding, visit www.

mass.gov.

5 new york CityCiti bike Share program to

launCh thiS Summer

Finding a way to interject a bike shar-

ing program as a partial solution to big

city transit woes has been all the rage

over the last several years. Citi Bike,

the looming NYC Bike Share program, is

scheduled to roll out this summer with

a phased expansion that will eventually

build a network of 10,000 bikes located at

600 docking stations throughout the city.

This audacious system was privately

financed by a $41 million, 5-year invest-

ment from Citi and a $6.5 million spon-

sorship from MasterCard, according

to Transportation Nation. Initially the

plan was to roll out the program in one

massive installation, seeing as users

will benefit the most when the entire

network is developed, but as roadblocks

occurred the new plan split the system

into 5 phases. The initial phase will in-

clude everything south of Central Park

in Manhattan and will eventually reach

into the Upper East & West Sides as well

as much of Brooklyn.

Perhaps the most amazing feat that

NYC has pulled off is that this transpor-

tation system was cost-free to the City’s

residents. “We’re getting an entirely

new transportation network without

spending any taxpayer money,” Michael

Bloomberg, the Mayor of NYC said at a

recent press conference. “Who thought

that could be done?”

The program will be maintained by

Alta, an international bike share compa-

ny based in Portland. The bikes them-

selves will be docked throughout the

City and riders can rent the bikes on a

one-time or monthly-subscription basis.

This system will revolutionize the way

New Yorkers get around and will hope-

fully set a positive precedent for other

large cities to adopt similar programs.

To learn more about the Citi Bike

program, visit Citi Bike program.

6 bouldertaking energy poliCy to

the people

Similar to many other municipalities

across the country, Boulder has been

working on a forward-looking energy

policy. Unlike many of those same mu-

nicipalities, Boulder is taking an aggres-

sive approach to reduce its dependence

on non-sustainable energy sources.

Late last year the City’s 97,000

residents rallied to vote against Xcel

Energy, their local utility provider, and

“condemn” their electrical business

within the City limits. In an attempt to

advance their 70% renewable energy

—continued on pAge 32

PH

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SuStainable CommunitieS • SPRING 20126

m ost cities have a valuable green

resource that is visible when

you drive down the street, but

invisible when public policy decisions are

made. Now more communities are as-

sessing their “green infrastructure” and

taking a hard look at its tangible values.

Trees, shrubs, and green spaces

form a natural system almost everyone

likes intuitively, but when it comes to

the growth and development tradeoff,

decision makers have a lot of engineer-

ing quality data describing the gray

infrastructure and very little data of

any kind about the green infrastructure.

Given these facts, it is not surprising

that cities have been slowly losing valu-

able green infrastructure for decades

and that changing this dynamic is fun-

damental in planning sustainable cities.

We all know that a city with a lot of

trees is a better place to live than one

without because trees do good things

like clean and cool the air and water, but

how does that abstract notion stack up

against the value of a convenient new

strip mall? The answer is that for most

cities, it doesn’t carry much weight

when land use decisions are made.

I believe that cities must consider

the facts about the value of the green

vs. the value of the gray infrastructure.

One of the biggest steps a community

can take in the direction of sustainabil-

ity is to officially acknowledge the po-

tential of their green infrastructure by

spatially mapping their tree canopy so

that the gray and green infrastructure

can interact as one in the cities Geo-

graphic Information System. Trees and

concrete are the yin and yang of city in-

frastructure, they interact in a way that

results in very tangible benefits for the

city, and this synergistic interaction is

central to the concept of sustainability.

An accurate and inexpensive digital

Green infrastructure for sustainable cities

CommUNity pLANNiNg

By Gary Moll

Who’S doing What With hud planning money

Over the last two years, HUD has awarded 152 sustainable communities planning grants, totaling $240 million that have in turn secured almost $253 million in private investment and commitments from local partners. Here is

a list of the winners of 2011 Sustainable Communities Planning Grants.

East Arkansas Planning and Development District AR $2,600,000 Metroplan AR $1,400,000 Metropolitan Transportation Commission CA $4,991,336 Denver Regional Council of Governments CO $4,500,000 East Central Florida Regional Planning Council FL $2,400,000 Fremont County Idaho ID $1,500,000 Flint Hills Regional Council, Inc. KS $1,980,000 Regional Economic Area Partnership KS $1,500,000 Baltimore Metropolitan Council MD $3,503,677 Tri-County Regional Planning Commission MI $3,000,000 Northwest Michigan Council of Governments MI $660,000 Opportunity Link, Inc. MT $1,500,000 Cape Fear Council of Governments NC $1,130,000 Centralina Council of Governments NC/SC $4,907,544 Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area Planning Agency (MAPA) NE/IA $2,045,000 Nashua Regional Planning Commission NH $3,369,648 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey NJ $5,000,000 Doña Ana County NM $2,000,000 City of Henderson on behalf of the SNRPC NV $3,488,000 Adirondack Gateway Council Inc NY $750,000 Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority NY $2,000,000 Rural Economic Area Partnership Investment Fund ND $1,500,000 County of Erie Pennsylvania PA $1,800,000 Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation PA $3,400,000 State of Rhode Island RI $1,934,961 Shelby County Government TN/MS/AR $2,619,999 Heart of Texas Council of Governments TX $660,000 Northwest Regional Planning Commission VT $480,000 Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission VT $540,000

model the green resources in an ur-

ban area can be produced from aerial

photography. The process starts with

National Agricultural Imagery Program

(NAIP). This is high-resolution imagery,

with national coverage that is available

free of charge. The image can be con-

verted into land cover data by the Global

Ecosystem Center (GEC) that is ready for

use in a city’s GIS system. The cost to do

this has fallen dramatically in the past

few years.

The process can generate savings

that will easily pay for the costs. For

example, an average city will identify

opportunities to save about $60,000

per square mile in storm water manage-

ment alone through this process.

To learn more about this sustainabil-

ity opportunity, go to www.systemecol-

ogy.org.

Gary Moll is President & System

Ecologist at the Global Ecosystem Cen-

ter in Washington, DC. ❧

SuStainable CommunitieS • SPRING 20128

developers of affordable apart-

ments using the federal hous-

ing tax credit have begged the

Federal Housing Administration to

offer reasonably timely and not-overly-

onerous underwriting for guaranteed

loans on their projects. Now the FHA is

testing a program that would provide

more insured 35-year fixed-rate financ-

ing for more projects.

FHA’s new Multifamily Low Income

Housing Tax Credit Pilot Program will

allow borrowers to benefit from ac-

celerated processing and low interest

rates. The rate was below 4% for 30-

35 year fixed rate money in May.

The Pilot will be conducted initially

in the Boston, Chicago, Detroit and

Los Angeles FHA Hubs. These offices

will process loan applications for all of

their associated program centers. The

first phase of the Pilot will apply to

the following three types of financing

transactions:

• Permanent financing for recently

constructed or substantially re-

habilitated projects processed

under a waiver of the 3-year rule

• Acquisition and/or refinance and

moderate rehabilitation of prop-

erties with at least 90% of the

units supported by project based

rental assistance

• Permanent financing and moder-

ate rehabilitation of stabilized tax

credit projects that are being re-

syndicated

Potential benefits of this program include:

• Targeted processing timeframes

of 60-90 days with closings in 90-

120 days (previously times could

stretch to 12 months or longer)

• Moderate rehabilitation of up to

$40,000/unit in hard costs, an

increase from $15,000 per unit.

• The legal requirement to pay

prevailing area wages for projects

(Davis Bacon) does not apply,

which is a divergence from the

FHA Sec. 221(d)(4) program.

The Pilot program will modify

elements of the existing FHA 223(f)

program for use specifically with af-

fordable projects, whose substantial

rehab costs previously had triggered

the requirement that loans be pro-

cessed pursuant to lengthier and more

cumbersome FHA 221(d)(4) program

guidelines, according to the Affordable

Housing Group or Red Mortgage Capi-

tal, LLC. The firm is one of the partici-

pating lenders.

Since many affordable projects must

AffordABLe hoUSiNg

Developers get new debt financing help for affordable housing tax credit projects

houSing taX Credit pilot program : SeleCted lenderS

AGM Financial Services, Inc.

Berkadia Commercial Mortgage, LLC

CBRE HMF, Inc.

CWCapital, LLC

Developers Mortgage Corporation

Draper and Kramer Commercial Mortgage Company

Enterprise Community Investment, Inc.

Forest City Capital Corporation

Gershman Mortgage

Lancaster Pollard Mortgage Company

Love Funding

Oak Grove Capital

Oppenheimer Multifamily Housing & Healthcare Finance Corporation

P/R Mortgage & Investment Corporation

PNC Real Estate

Prudential Huntoon Paige Associates, LLC

Red Mortgage Capital, LLC

Rockport Mortgage Corporation

StJames Capital, LLC

Wells Fargo Multifamily Capital

be completed within limited timeframes,

the FHA 221(d)(4) simply was not com-

patible as a viable option for a number

of projects, said Tracy W. Peters, Senior

Managing Director of the group.

Red is one of the country’s most

active FHA lenders, having extensive

market rate and affordable housing

experience. The firm has underwritten

and closed approximately 539 FHA

insured loans ($3.4 billion) since April

2002 and currently is the nation’s lead-

ing FHA MAP lender by closings ($640

million) based on HUD’s Fiscal Mid-Year

data reports.

“The HUD 223(f) program cur-

rently provides access to some of

the best and most efficient financing

terms available, including long term,

fixed rate loans at below 4.0%. This

pilot expands this attractive financing

to moderate rehabilitation tax credit

properties; a segment that can benefit

significantly from this program,” said

Nick Gesue, chief credit officer and

senior vice president with Lancaster

Pollard, one of the lenders selected to

participate in the program. ❧

©2012 JPMorgan Chase & Co. All rights reserved.

In the Lead with LEEDs Investing in homes that benefi t families and the environment

Photo by Sally Painter

JPMorgan Capital CorporationHousing Investments

+1 312 732 7900

new Jersey makes bold moves on siting projects

The state of New Jersey is taking on the very important but very contro-

versial issue of how sites for affordable housing are selected with some bold

new policy proposals.

The state is looking to increase the construction of affordable units in high

achieving school districts and limit further development in areas already con-

taining large amounts of federal and state financed low and moderate income

housing. That means putting more projects in the suburbs, an idea that is cer-

tain to meet with strong opposition from local property owners.

—continued on pAge 32

SPRING 2012 • SuStainable CommunitieS 9

Leaders in Sustainability

The Partnership for Sustainable Communities is a nonprofit educational and advocacy organization. We depend on members to advance our mission. For more information, go to www.p4sc.org, or call 415-453-2100 x 303

With offices throughout California and in Washington D.C., the law firm of Best Best & Krieger is a leader in sustainability related legal services. Founded 120 years ago, we know California, federal and state laws and the regulators and stakeholders who implement and influence them. Our multi-disciplinary “Green Team” attorneys have in-depth expertise in green building law, and land use planning, water law, environmental laws including NEPA and CEQA, gov-ernment relations and contracts for renewable energy and other sustain-able projects.

BB&K embraces the pressing need to enhance community sustainability by assisting public and private sector clients in creating and complying with regulatory standards and incentives.

BRIDGE Housing Corporation, the leading nonprofit developer of af-fordable housing in California, creates and manages a range of high-quality, affordable homes for working families and seniors. Since it was founded in 1983, BRIDGE has participated in the development of over 14,000 homes serving more than 37,000 Californians. For more information, visit www.bridgehousing.com.

Burbank Housing is a local non-profit organization dedicated to increas-ing the supply of housing in Sonoma County, so that low-income people of all ages, backgrounds and special needs will have a better opportunity to live in decent and affordable housing.

City Real Estate Advisors, Inc., (“CREA”) is a full service LIHTC Syndica-tor with tax credit equity financing in excess of $1 billion for 180+ transac-tions since inception. Formed in 2001, by Jeffrey A. Whiting, CREA is commit-ted to the clients we serve; developers, borrowers and investors alike. CREA was founded on the Real Estate First philosophy that behind every excep-tional real estate investment is funda-mentally sound real estate. Our team pledges to provide innovative real estate investment solutions by apply-ing our five corporate tenets of Trust, Respect, Integrity, Attitude and Com-mitment to every facet of our business.

We have expanded nationally, head-quartered in Indianapolis, IN with offices in Boston, MA, Austin, TX and Portland, OR.

Dominion Due Diligence Group (D3G), is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. D3G, established in 1994 by

Robert E. Hazelton, provides full-ser-vice environmental and engineering real estate due diligence nationwide. D3G’s third party reporting is used for HUD-FHA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, conventional lending and property transactions. D3G’s services focus on affordable housing, elderly care facili-ties and historical rehabilitations. D3G is currently the largest due-diligence consulting firm in the nation special-izing in HUD-insured commercial loans for multifamily and elderly care housing. Our services include: Capital Needs Assessments, Environmental Site Assessments, Energy Audits, as well as Architectural Review and Cost Estimations.

Forest City Enterprises, Inc. is an owner, developer and manager of a diverse portfolio of premier real es-tate property located throughout the United States. Forest City operates under three strategic business units:

• The Commercial Group is Forest City’s largest business unit - with 96 retail, office, arena, hotel and mixed-use properties.

• The Residential Group owns and/or manages rental units in urban and suburban apartment communities, adaptive re-use, supported living properties and military housing.

• The Land Development Group works with major corporations and individual landowners in developing master-planned communities and land for residential, commercial and industrial use.

The Partnership for Sustainable Communities welcomes the following new organizational members, and applauds them for making American communities more environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.

Organizations that support and work for healthy, successful communities

Gateway Planning provides town design, implementation and economic development services to both public- and private-sector clients. We work with communities, local governments, state agencies, universities and devel-opers to facilitate growth in mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly patterns. We focus on mixing of housing types, neighbor-hood retail, pocket parks, community schools, great civic spaces and trans-portation choice, integrated by streets designed for both cars and people.

Through master plans for downtowns, urban cores, neighborhoods, uni-versities and fast-growing suburban growth corridors, we bring plans to life with form-based urban codes that both elevate quality of life and harness the market’s ability to deliver profitable, sustainable neighborhoods.

Gubb & Barshay LLP, established by Natalie Gubb and Scott Barshay in 1993, is widely-known as one of the top law firms specializing in the field of affordable housing. Based in San Francisco, California, the firm is rec-ognized nationally for its expertise in the low income housing tax credit program and in other affordable housing finance programs.

The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy is a leading resource for key issues concerning the use, regulation, and taxation of land. Providing high-quality education and research, the Institute strives to improve public dialogue and decisions about land policy. As a private operating foun-dation whose origins date to 1946, the Institute seeks to inform decision making through education, research, policy evaluation, demonstration projects,and the dissemination of information, policy analysis, and data through our publications, Web site,

and other media. By bringing to-gether scholars,practitioners, public officials, policy makers, journalists, and involved citizens, the Lincoln In-stitute integrates theory and practice and provides a non partisan forum for multidisciplinary perspectives on public policy concerning land, both in the U.S.and internationally.

McCormack Baron Salazar is the na-tion’s leading for-profit developer of economically integrated urban neigh-borhoods. The company’s communi-ties are known for offering quality, affordable housing and fostering eco-nomic opportunities for residents and neighborhoods. Since 1973, McCor-mack Baron Salazar has been a pioneer in community development and urban revitalization, with over $2.5 billion invested in 149 projects in 36 cities and more than 16,000 units of attractive, high quality housing in urban areas.

The Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California (NPH) is the collec-tive voice of those who support, build and finance affordable housing. NPH promotes the proven methods of the non-profit sector and focuses gov-ernment policy on housing solutions for lower income people who suffer disproportionately from the housing crisis. Founded in 1979, the mission of NPH is to advance affordable housing as the foundation for thriving indi-viduals, families and neighborhoods. Through NPH, the affordable housing field amplifies its voice to promote in-novative housing solutions at the local, state, and federal level.

A healthy community begins at home. REACH’s mission is to provide quality, affordable housing for individuals, families and communities to thrive.

Since 1982, REACH has pioneered affordable housing and supportive programs that address complex chal-lenges facing communities. REACH has gained local, state and national acclaim for innovation and respon-siveness to difficult urban issues. Our portfolio of over 1,400 units includes new and renovated plexes, apartment buildings and mixed-use developments are across the Portland metropolitan area. REACH also offers a comprehen-sive Resident Services Program, as well as the Community Builders Program, a free home repair service available to senior and disabled homeowners, as well as families suffering from home environmental health hazards. More info at http://reachcdc.org

SARES•REGIS Group of Irvine, Ca-lif., is one of the leading developers and managers of commercial and residential real estate in the western United States. SARES•REGIS Group has a combined portfolio of property and fee-based assets under manage-ment valued at more than $4 billion, including 15 million square feet of commercial and industrial space and more than 13,000 rental apartments. Since its inception, the company has acquired or developed approximately 44 million square feet of commercial properties and 20,000 multifamily and residential housing units.

Since 1896, Volunteers of America has believed that a safe and afford-able home is the foundation for self-sufficiency. Our nationwide portfolio includes large urban complexes and small rural developments, ranging from emergency shelter and transi-tional housing to permanent housing for seniors, families and special needs individuals, many who are among our most vulnerable citizens.

Visit www.VolunteersofAmerica.org to learn more about our housing initiatives and expertise.

12

opponents of sustainable planning and reduced

dependence on private car trips must hate what’s

happening in Southern California. With a surpris-

ing degree of unanimity, the six counties, 191 cities, and

18 million residents in the region that invented jammed

freeways are charting a new course for growth intended

to end 60 years of sprawl.

The regional representatives on the Southern Cali-

fornia Associations of Governments (SCAG) unanimously

adopted the region’s first Sustainable Communities Strat-

egy, which is intended to bring land use planning into line

with the latest plan for spending local, state, and federal

transportation funding.

The 2012 – 2035 Regional Transportation Plan and Sus-

tainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS), which is pend-

ing final approval by the California Air Resources Board

and the federal government, will lead to a 9 percent per-

capita reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020

and a 16 percent reduction by 2035, while also accom-

modating an anticipated 4 million additional Southern

California residents during that period.

The amazing part of the story is how SCAG arrived at

a plan that apparently is palatable to the region’s hugely

diverse political interests and politicians as well as its

business and environmental leaders. At press time, none

of the many interest groups in the region had filed a law-

suit to challenge the plan.

Billions to be invested

The plan identifies $525 billion in investments over

the next 23 years, including a connected network of ex-

press high-occupancy toll lanes, closures of critical gaps

in the region’s highway network, system wide Metrolink

improvements (including extensions in Riverside County),

and various strategies to improve and facilitate goods

movement.

In addition, the plan calls for expansion of “active

transportation,” including a regional bike route network

and more walking paths.

The plan reflects the fact that Southern California citi-

zens, businesses and governments know their economic

well being depends on overcoming sprawl and conges-

tion, said Hasan Ikhrata, executive director of the South-

ern California Association of Governments.

SCAG President Glen Becerra said the region was

New Paradigm Hits The Land of Sprawl

>>

SPRING 2012 • SuStainable CommunitieS 13

Southern California adopts sustainable communities plan;

leaders ask state, feds to resolve transportation funding

SuStainable CommunitieS • SPRING 201214

ready for the kind of planning reflect-

ed in the SCS. This country was built

on the mindset that we should be

able to drive anywhere at any time we

want, and Southern Californians have

been making longer and longer com-

mutes for years. But residents of the

region have had enough of conges-

tion, and hope the ongoing expansion

of subways, light rail and bus service

envisioned in the plan will help allevi-

ate it.

“Traffic congestion has followed

us out into the suburbs. The SCS is

about protecting quality of life as we

plan for the future. The plan is about easing congestion,” he

said.

The plan reflects changing demographics and market

demand for higher-density housing, shorter commute times

and more transit options, he added.

“Market forces in Southern California have a lot to do

with why this plan has been accepted by conservative board

members,” said Ikhrata. “In the last ten years, the kind of

housing the region is providing was 70% multi-family and

30% single family. Previously, it was the opposite,” he said.

Critics like to accuse planners who promote density and

transit as declaring “war on suburbia.” Ikhrata responds by

citing the increasing popularity of urban living, especially for

the young and elderly.▲ Los Angeles Metro light rail station

PH

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hasan ikhrata, SCag executive director

land uSe StrategieS required by State laW

The Sustainable Communities Strategy just adopted

for Southern California is one of many such regional

plans being written by planning organizations throughout

California. The plans are required under Senate Bill 375,

which passed in October 2008. It is intended to help re-

duce greenhouse gas emissions by requiring that regions

plan for more compact growth and reduction of car and

truck trips. It requires that regional planning agencies as-

sign housing production targets that are consistent with

regional sustainability and transportation plans. It re-

quires that those sustainability and transportation plans

set specific targets for reducing greenhouse gas emis-

sions. All 18 California regions must prepare a Sustain-

able Communities Strategy through their Metropolitan

Planning Organizations. Each region must show how it

will reach emissions reductions targets by putting hous-

ing, stores, jobs, and transit closer together.

The first regional planning organization to produce

a Sustainable Communities Strategy was the The San

Diego Association of Governments. That plan has been

challenged in court by the Sierra Club and other envi-

ronmental groups who say it puts too much emphasis on

highways and not enough on public transportation.

Links:

http://www.sandag.org/

http://www.p4sc.org/san-diego-adopts-sustainable-com-

munities-strategy

In the San Francisco area, the Bay Area Association of

Governments has also run into serious headwinds with its

planning process. Most of the opposition comes from op-

ponents of high-density development and skeptics about

the feasibility of increasing public transit use.

Links:

Bay Area Association of Governments

>>

SPRING 2012 • SuStainable CommunitieS 15

“Those who write that this is war on suburbia have not

been to Southern California in the last ten years,” he said.

“Downtown Los Angeles has 75,000 residents. That did not

exist ten years ago. In Pasadena, he said. 17% of households

have no car, thanks largely to high-density residential devel-

opment around the light rail station.

Changing demographics explain the change in market de-

mand, he added. A growing number of senior citizens don’t

want to maintain houses and yards. Young people increas-

ingly reject suburban lifestyles, he added.

The RTP/SCS will incentivize builders and local govern-

ments to move quickly in the direction the market is point-

ing, Ikhrata said. It encourages them to expedite what’s hap-

pening and make sure it’s done well, he said.

The plan is the guiding document for the allocation of

billions of dollars in transportation funds. SCAG and the re-

gion’s transportation commissions will now direct the flow of

transportation funding to projects that are consistent with

the plan.

SCAG is emphasizing the economic benefits of the plan.

Ikhrata said the planned investment in transportation “will

yield a huge economic return.” It will facilitate creation of an

annual average of 174,500 jobs across the region, he said.

The land use portion of the plan sets the goal that over

half of new homes and jobs should be within walking dis-

tance of transit. In 2008, 40% of all housing was near high

quality transit. By 2035, 51% of all housing units will be near

transit.

In 2008, 49% of all jobs were near high quality transit.

By 2035, 62% of all jobs will be near transit

By 2020, 48% of all new housing units will be multi-

family (townhomes, condos and apartments). In 2035, that

percentage will increase to 68%.

The emphasis on density and proximity to transit is

▲ Los Angeles Metro light rail

expected to yield a decline of 7% in the number of “drive-

alone” car trips taken in 2035 in the region compared to

2005. The goals is to see a 15% increase in the number of

trips taken on public transit.

implementation requires funding

It took more than two years for SCAG to come up with the

plan. Now comes the hard part: Convincing state and national

politicians to provide sufficient financing to implement the

plan.

Ikhrata believes the key to attracting funding is a regional

approach. “The more we can show that a dollar spent in Riv-

erside County, for instance, will have a benefit elsewhere in

the region, the greater our chances will be to secure funding,”

he said.

The region has a good start on financing transit expansion

thanks to Los Angeles County voters, who approved

a sales tax measure to financing public transit expan-

sion several years ago. But even the best laid plans

for transportation depend on sustained and predict-

able state and federal funding, which Congress does

not seem inclined to provide in the politically chaotic

year.

Ikrhata notee that the Congressional Budget

Office projects that the federal highway trust fund

would be empty by the 2014 fiscal year. The fund

finances road and highway projects from federal gas

tax proceeds, and as people drive less and buy more

fuel-efficient cars, those proceeds have diminished.

The Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable

Communities Strategy proposes a range of funding

options, including working with Congress and the

state legislature to replace the gas tax with a vehicle-

mileage user fee by 2025. ❧

3/21/2012

15

29

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2

4

6

8

2008 2035

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49%

62%

Increasing share of jobs will be within high quality transit areas.

By 2035, there are fewer drive-alone trips and more trips taken by biking, walking, transit and HOV.

30

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10%

15%

20%

Drive Alone HOV Public Transit Bike/Walk

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PHOTO: LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY

SuStainable CommunitieS • SPRING 201216

glen Becerra may be the perfect man to usher in a new

era higher density, less car-dependent living in Southern

California. A Republican from the suburban community of

Simi Valley, Becerra does his share of commuting by car and

enjoys living in a low-density neighborhood of single-family

homes.

But the incoming president of the Southern California

Associations of Governments (SCAG) is also looking ahead

to the future of a region that needs to accommodate

population growth and changing demographics without

aggravating a serious problem with traffic congestion.

He takes over the leadership role of the regional planning

agency just as it starts implementing its newly adopted

Sustainable Communities Strategy. His task is to maintain

the consensus of the disparate groups that came together

to formulate the plan as local jurisdictions and agencies try

to find the resources and political resolve to implement it.

(He takes over the presidency from Pam O’Connor, a Santa

Monica City Council member, who oversaw the final stages

of drafting the plan.)

He says that the Sustainable Communities Strategy

shows that people of all political stripes can collaborate and

find agreement on policy. “There is no place more diverse

than Southern California, and for us to be able to come

together and put forward a plan is remarkable,” Becerra

said.

How did SCAG get the plan adopted in such a diverse

region? “We collaborated with all stakeholders and partners

-- environmental, business, and labor groups, and local

governments. We respected all stakeholders and took their

input seriously. We tried to craft a plan that showed we

respected their input.”

Governments throughout the region have been working

toward higher density and less sprawl for years, assisted by

SCAG through its Compass Blueprint program, he said. “Our

region has been talking about this for a long time.”

The business community fully embraced this plan,

including manufacturers and homebuilders, Becerra said.

He praised local governments for their ability to

cooperate. “We did it not through partisan alliances and

ideologies and ramming all or nothing solutions down

the opposition’s throats…,” he said. “We did it through

compromise and found out that we have much more in

common than we thought going in. We did it the way local

governments have always done it – by listening to opposing

viewpoints and putting into motion things that work.”

Becerra has kind words for environmentalist, business

leaders and local elected officials, all of whom collaborated

in getting the plan adopted. He even says nice things about

the Tea Party representatives who have spoken out against

planning of just about any kind -- and disrupted a few

regional planning meetings up and down the state. But don’t

get him started on the political leaders in California’s capital

or the U.S. Congress.

In his first speech as president, Becerra trashed the

California state legislature in Sacramento and noted that

local governments have to make up for the failures of

state government. He criticized both state and national

leaders for failing to give the region any clarity about

transportation funding in the future. (As background, the

federal government has not passed a six-year transportation

reauthorization bill for years. In Sacramento, budget politics

are a mess, resulting in gridlock and very short-term fixes to

get from year to year.)

Becerra blasted the feds for “putting more responsibility

on us at local level with fewer resources.” A federal

transportation bill is critical. “We at SCAG very much look

forward to the day Congress can pass a transportation

reauthorization bill. It’s critical that they do this. Nothing is

going to happen until that happens.”

Becerra is a member of the city council and has

previously served as Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Simi

Valley, which is located in Ventura County, 37 miles

northwest of downtown Los Angeles. He had been on SCAG’s

Regional Council for ten years. ❧

becerra takes charge of SoCal’s sustainability plan

“there is no place

more diverse than

Southern california,

and for us to be able

to come together

and put forward a plan

is remarkable.”

—Glenn BecerraSCAG incoming president

LeAderS for SuSTAiNAbiLiTy

SPRING 2012 • SuStainable CommunitieS 17

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The San Francisco Bay Area has settled on a key

component of its Sustainable Communities Strategy

or what it has given the rather bland title of “Plan

Bay Area.”

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission

(MTC) and the Association of Bay Area Governments

(ABAG) voted to adopt the Plan Bay Area Preferred

Land Use Scenario and Transportation Investment

Strategy this month.

Plan Bay Area will be the region’s 25-year guide

to jobs, population and housing distribution, as well

as transportation investments. California’s Sustain-

able Communities and Climate Protection Act (SB

375) requires that each of the state’s 18 Metropolitan

Planning Organizations – and in the Bay Area specifi-

cally MTC and ABAG – develop a long-range plan to

reduce per-capita greenhouse gas emissions from

cars and light trucks. The Bay Area is required to

reduce emissions by 7 percent by 2020 and by 15

percent by 2035. SB 375 also requires the plan to

house 100 percent of the region’s projected popula-

tion growth, without displacing current low-income

residents.

“We are making great strides toward adopting a

long-range plan that links local aspirations for com-

munity development with regional objectives, particu-

larly a strong regional economy,” said ABAG President

Mark Luce.

In December 2012, the agencies expect to release

the draft Plan Bay Area, which will be followed by pub-

lic hearings and workshops throughout the region in

January through March 2013. MTC and ABAG are due

to adopt the final Plan Bay Area and certify the final

EIR in April 2013. ❧

Sf bay Area moves forward on planning

SuStainable CommunitieS • SPRING 201218

green buildingsSeattle pioneers new tools to encourage efficient buildings

By Andre Shashaty

Seattle–Many cities are trying to encourage increased

efficiency of buildings, but if you are looking for fresh and

far-reaching policy ideas, come to the Emerald City.

The city is attacking the problem of inefficient buildings

on many fronts, Diane Sugimura told me recently. She heads

the Dept. of Planning and Development and works with the

city’s Office of Sustainability on green building policy and

programs.

The city is in the early stages of enforcing a law requir-

ing building owners to conduct annual energy performance

tracking. It is also working with the National Trust for Histor-

ic Preservation on an outcomes-based approach that is more

flexible for older buildings than a prescriptive code.

The Energy Benchmarking and Reporting program (Ordi-

nance 12322) requires commercial and multifamily building

owners in Seattle to conduct annual energy performance

tracking through the U.S. EPA’s ENERGY STAR® Portfolio

Manager, a free and secure online tool. The law applies to

buildings 10,000 square feet or greater (including multifam-

ily buildings of five or more units).

The city’s desired outcomes include lowering energy

costs to owners and tenants, reducing greenhouse gas im-

pacts, and creating job opportunities. Benchmarking is a first

step towards lowering energy costs and staying competitive,

Sugimura says.

The ordinance has three components: benchmarking the

building(s), annual reporting to the City of Seattle, and pro-

viding an energy disclosure report, upon request, to tenants,

buyers or other qualified parties.

Sugimura said some owners of large office buildings are

very supportive of the law but that smaller owners worry it

will end up costing them money. The city is taking a gradual

approach and working to help educate and assist smaller

owners about how to comply, she said.

▲ Supply Laundry building will undergo substantial rehabilitation

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SPRING 2012 • SuStainable CommunitieS 19

Under a recently approved deadline extension, owners

have until at least October 1, 2012 to comply with the energy

benchmarking and reporting program. In response to public

input that more assistance and time is needed to comply,

the city is evaluating the program and considering staggered

reporting deadlines based on building size.

Seattle has had a stringent energy code for years. The

idea of benchmarking is to let the real estate market decide

how to value energy efficiency. Under this law, and similar

ones in New York and a few other cities, space users can

get objective data on efficiency and use that to help decide

where to rent space.

Measuring performance

Sugimura says the next frontier of efficiency is to find a

workable way to regulate buildings based on performance,

not how they are built or how closely they comply with a

proscriptive code. As Sugimura explained it, the best code

language cannot keep up with fast-changing technology in

the building sciences and energy efficiency. In addition, the

goal of the code is to get better performance, so it would

be more effective to look at performance rather than code

compliance, especially for existing buildings.

The city is working

with the National Trust for

Historic Preservation on

Preservation Green Lab,

which is intended to pio-

neer policy solutions that

make it easier to reuse

and improve the efficiency

of older and historic build-

ings. It seeks to minimize

carbon impacts from the built environment while encourag-

ing building reuse.

Through its Older Building Performance Program, the

Green Lab is undertaking three pilot projects that will en-

courage and facilitate reuse and retrofit of older buildings

– especially smaller commercial, mixed-use, and multifamily

buildings that are typically overlooked by the current retrofit

market, said Ric Cochrane, project manager, Preservation

Green Lab.

The lab is developing an Outcome-Based Energy Code

framework that would provide regulatory flexibility and en-

ables innovation in greening older buildings.

“What’s mandated by proscriptive codes can really de-

tract from the economic value of a historic building,” said

Patrice Frey, director of sustainability for the trust. For

diane Sugimura, Seattle department of planning and development director

▲ The rehab project is part of the redevelopment of the entire block

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SuStainable CommunitieS • SPRING 201220

example, a code will typically require that brick walls be

insulated, which eliminates the economic value of this his-

toric feature. What’s more, even after an owner has applied

insulation, there’s still no certainty that it will result in the

desired energy performance, she added.

“The Outcomes-Based Code program is intended to help

make sure that money is spent on measures that make the

most sense for purposes of energy efficiency as well as

maximizing the economic value of buildings,” she added.

Laundry test case

One of the buildings in the outcome-based energy code

demonstration is The Supply Laundry Building, a former

industrial warehouse in South Lake Union that is the center

of a full-block redevelopment plan. The project is a gut re-

hab, which triggers energy code for new construction.

The project team is seeking some departures from cur-

rent code while maintaining historic character and still pur-

suing an ambitious performance target. The code flexibility

allows the owner to invest in only those strategies most suited

to the combined objectives of preservation and performance.

Owned by Vulcan Real Estate and at the heart of Seattle’s

Cascade Neighborhood, the structure was built in multiple

phases from 1906 to 1952, and continuously operated as a

commercial laundry until 2000. The building has been vacant

for more than a decade. Supply Laundry was designated a

city landmark in 2005.

The Supply Laundry owner and design team have em-

braced the outcome-based energy code demonstration, set-

ting an energy target of 30 percent better than the stringent

Seattle Energy Code for new buildings, and 70 percent bet-

ter than an average US building for the given use type.

The design includes variances from the Seattle Energy

Code that allow the owner to tailor energy efficiency mea-

sures to the building’s unique context, while maintaining valu-

able historic character and optimizing investments. The build-

ing will rely on a passive, hybrid heating, ventilation and cool-

ing (HVAC) system – in short, relying on occupants to regulate

temperature and ventilation by opening and closing windows,

augmented by automated lighting, thermal controls, and air-

source heat pumps for supplemental heating and cooling.

About 80% of the exterior masonry walls will be insu-

lated, allowing preservation of some exposed brick in select

common areas and around the main entrance to retain some

of the historic character of the building.

The biggest challenge in using an outcome-based system

is the measurement and verification of actual performance

after the rehab work is done. To facilitate accurate measure-

ment and verification, Supply Laundry will include metering

equipment for all building energy systems, and the owner is

adopting lease provisions that guide tenant improvements,

require monitoring and automation, and allow access to data

for individual tenant spaces.

Frey says the trust will take what it learns in Seattle and use

it to encourage similar innovations in other cities. It is look-

ing for other communities that may want to participate by

staring similar pilot programs.

Members of the project team include:

• Owner City Investors XVIII L.L.C.

• Architect Runberg Architecture Group

• Owner’s Rep/Project Manager Vulcan Real Estate

• Mechanical Engineer/Energy Ecotope

• Structural Engineer CPL

• Environmental Consultant O’Brien & Company ❧

elements of programIn addition to the outcome-based code, other

key components of Project Green Lab’s Older Build-

ing Performance Program are

• District Energy: The lab is looking at the old

urban practice of sharing heat and power gen-

eration as a way to make it easier and more

affordable for older neighborhoods to move to

cleaner sources of energy.

• Valuing Building Reuse: New research ex-

plores the environmental value of reusing

buildings rather than demolishing them to

replace with new construction.

• being developed in partnership with the New

Buildings Institute will provide customized

guidance for retrofits of smaller commercial

structures to achieve energy savings of 50

percent or greater.

>>

greening the botanical gardens

Pittsburgh, Pa.–One of the greenest buildings in

town is also one of the most efficient. The Phipps

Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is about to open

the doors to the Center for Sustainable Landscapes

(CSL), which it says is designed to meet the world’s

highest sustainable building and landscape standards.

This new 24,350-square-foot education, research

and garden space is poised to revolutionize the way

that built and natural environments interact, inspiring

change for many generations to come, according to

the organization. It said the building is participating in

the Living Building Challenge of the International Liv-

ing Future Institute™.

RAISING EQUITY + SUPPORTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING = CREATING JOBS

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SuStainable CommunitieS • SPRING 201222

Seattle – Platinum shmatinum. When

The Bullitt Center opens here later

this year, it will blow buildings receiving

the highest level of certification from the

US Green Building Council right out of

the recycled grey water.

The 6-story, 50,000 sq. ft. building

will not only house the Bullitt Foundation,

it will be its primary research project and

teaching tool on green building. The goal:

To show the world how to create a “living

building,” that is, a structure that has as

little negative impact on the natural envi-

ronment as a grove of fir trees.

The building is so cutting edge that

few commercial builders would try to

emulate it right now. But that doesn’t

bother Denis Hayes, president and CEO

of the Bullitt Foundation. His organiza-

tion is looking years and even decades

into the future, when the area’s hydro-

electric power and clean water won’t be

as inexpensive as they are now. That’s

why the foundation is spending big money on one of the

few solar PV arrays in the area and may be the only com-

mercial building owner to make their building “net zero

water,” meaning all its needs will be met with rainwater

harvesting and greywater recycling. And that’s just for

starters.

It is expected to use half the energy that a LEED Plati-

num Building would typically use, and less than one-third the

energy that would be required for a building in compliance

with the Seattle Energy Code.

teaching by building

From building design and the interactive resource center

to the new community green-space, the Bullitt Center will be

a place for people to gather and learn about green building

and urban sustainability. And it will serve as a highly visible

City encourages living buildingstoxic free, net zero building nears completion; owner plans for 250 years of use, education

By Andre Shashaty

example of what’s possible when a team of people come to-

gether to advance uncommon wisdom. Features shaping the

Bullitt Center include the following:

The lower floor of the building, fronting 15th Avenue and

McGilvra Place, will house the Center for Energy & Urban

Ecology. Programmed by nonprofit and public agency part-

ners, including the University of Washington’s College of

Built Environments, the Center will feature an open resource

library, classrooms, exhibition space and a research labora-

tory dedicated to the training of pioneers who will lead our

green economy.

Bullitt believes solar is going to become one of the prin-

cipal sources of power for the world and wanted to create

a prototype to show local builders and power suppliers how

to do it right. Working out the mechanics of selling surplus

power to the grid will be one challenge.

The building is one of several structures being developed

through Seattle’s Living Building Challenge.

As the first urban in-fill commercial building that is seek-

▲ rendering of bullitt Center

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SPRING 2012 • SuStainable CommunitieS 23

ing Living Building certification, the Bullitt Center is pushing

the leading edge of performance-based design. Net-zero

energy, net-zero water, onsite treatment of sewage and ex-

clusion of toxic materials are just some reasons the Bullitt

Center is innovative.

The Living Building Challenge consists of seven perfor-

mance areas (Site, Water, Energy, Health, Materials, Equity

and Beauty) that are subdivided into twenty “imperatives”.

In return for pushing the envelope on efficiency, building

owners selected for the program are given increased flexibil-

▲ rendering of bullitt Center

▲ South side of bullitt Center on e. Pike Street

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SuStainable CommunitieS • SPRING 201224

ity in regard to code compliance, building height and other

design and land use issues.

The city of Seattle exempted the Bullitt project from

almost every requirement except safety and fire provisions.

The building was allowed to exceed the local height limits

by 10 feet. It did not use that allowance for another floor

but to make floors deeper and windows taller to let in more

daylight.

Hayes said another big benefit was being allowed to put

in whatever windows the foundation chose, as long as they

had an energy use model that showed they were more effi-

cient than code required. Seattle has one of the most strin-

gent energy codes in the U.S.

The building boasts net-zero energy use with 100% on-

site renewable energy generation from the latest photovol-

taic technology. It has onsite waste management. It offers a

safe, naturally day-lit and ventilated work environment.

It will use native plant restoration, bio-swales and pervi-

ous pavement. Plus, stormwater runoff will be retained on-

site, reducing pollutants that endanger the health of Puget

Sound.

It uses ground source heat exchangers, radiant heating/

cooling and a heat recovery air system. It uses night flush

and operable windows for natural ventilation.

One of the biggest challenges was to avoid using any

building material that contain toxins, or that are manu-

factured in a way that creates toxic waste, Hayes said.

It will not use any materials or components that contain

PVC, cadmium, lead, mercury and hormone-mimicking

substances.

The main roadblock to making buildings last longer and

consume less is not technical but financial. Very few banks,

if any, will lend the extra money it takes to make a building

more efficient or durable. This project cost $30 million or

about $265 per square foot.

US Bank provided a loan for 50% of the project cost. It

also received a New Markets Tax Credit and an alternative

energy tax credit.

The foundation is not overly concerned about the short-

term economic performance of the property. It is doing a

different cost benefit analysis over a much longer useful

building life than any other building owner – 250 years.

“We don’t have any doubt that climate change is real and

that there should be cost on carbon, and if the government

does not set one, we think there should be a shadow price”

Hayes said. “We see a time when there will be no new res-

ervoirs, and new buildings will have to rely on cisterns and

rainwater harvest.”

Bullitt Foundation makes grants throughout the Pacific

Northwest for groups that are trying to change land devel-

opment and architecture to make the built environment

function more like the natural environment, Hayes said. “Our

vision is that mankind’s buildings should be no more delete-

rious than Douglas fir forest,” Hayes said. “We believe that

human beings are bound by same principals of ecology as all

other beings.”

The design team included The Miller Hull Partnership,

Point32, Schuchart Construction & PAE Consulting

Engineers. ❧

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▲ bullitt Center Madison Street entrance

Commercial developer tries ‘living building’

Stone34 is the first-market rate project to par-

ticipate in the City of Seattle’s Living Building Pilot

Program. The five-story, 120,000-square-foot build-

ing at 3400 Stone Way North will be the new head-

quarters for Brooks Sports’.

Skanska USA Commercial Development is the

developer. LMN is the architect, Swift & Co. is the

landscape architect and Skanska USA Building is

the general contractor. The project is scheduled for

completion in the fall of 2013.

Stone34 is expected to use 75 percent less en-

ergy than a typical building, and capture and treat

nearly all of the water it will use. Details are on the

project website: stonethirtyfour.com

It will have ground-floor retail and four levels of

office. Underground parking will hold 216 vehicles,

with some charging stations for electric vehicles.

>>

www.EnterpriseCommunity.org

Sustainabilityn. 1. The incorporation of integrative design into all affordable

housing to protect the environment while promoting long-term

affordability and healthier lives

2. The delivery of health, economic and environmental benefits to

low- to moderate-income communities (e.g., Enterprise is a leader in

promoting sustainability in communities across the nation and is committed

to making all affordable housing green by 2020.)

3. Enterprise Green Communities

When you need a leader of sustainability in the affordable housing industry, look up Enterprise.

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SuStainable CommunitieS • SPRING 201226

New Jersey pushes solar, wind powerRepublican governor bucks party’s Washington leaders,Makes big bet on development of green energy sources

in most states, developing solar and other alternative en-

ergy sources makes economic and environmental sense.

But in New Jersey, it takes on a much more political aspect.

If Gov. Chris Christie succeeds in his ambitious plans to make

his state a national leader in renewables, it could usher in a

new era of Republican leadership on energy.

The governor draws fire from environmentalists for cut-

ting back the state’s renewable energy portfolio standard and

ending his state’s participation in a regional greenhouse gas

emission management scheme. But Christie will tell you he’s

just being pragmatic. And the fact is, that may be exactly

what he needs to do to succeed as a national political leader

at time when progressive policies on energy are just not pop-

ular in Washington, D.C.

Christie could have been a top contender for the GOP presi-

dential nomination this year, and is likely to come up again on

any short list of candidates for the party’s future presidential

bids. So it’s all the more striking that he is betting so much of

his political capital on renewable energy as both an economic

development initiative and an environmental solution.

The governor has until 2014, when his term ends, to show

New Jersey voters that renewable energy makes sense in

today’s rough economic times. He also has the opportunity to

show his fellow Republicans and other skeptics that a proac-

tive policy on these issues is a political winner.

While few Republican leaders in Congress will acknowl-

edge that climate change is a real concern and that human

activity is part of the problem, Christie does. While none of

the Congressional leadership will say a word against fossil

fuels, Christie is reducing the use of coal and the production

of oil and gas in his state.

taking ‘realistic’ approach

The state has a renewable energy portfolio standard of

22.5% of energy from renewable sources by 2021, which is

down from the previous level, but still among the highest

renewable energy standards in the country, according to the

governor’s office. Gov. Christie’s final 2011 Energy Master Plan

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SPRING 2012 • SuStainable CommunitieS 27

(EMP) puts a strong emphasis on natural gas

as well as renewables.

“This governor has taken these issues

seriously. He recognizes that climate change

is real and is a problem that needs to be ad-

dressed,” said Bob Martin, the state’s commis-

sioner of environmental protection.

Martin was a policy advisor to Christie dur-

ing his 2009 campaign and helped shape his

energy and environmental policies. A former

partner at Accenture LLP, the world’s largest

business and technology consulting firm, he

is implementing an ambitious program of en-

ergy development that is turning landfills into

“renewable energy parks” and is working to

put the state at the forefront in offshore wind

energy generation.

State policies to encourage solar energy

have already brought results, Martin told

Susstainable Communities magazine. “We

are second on residential installations after

California. On the commercial side, we are

number one in solar installations,” he said.

The state is turning lemons into lemonade by redeveloping

old landfills as energy generation facilities, calling them “renew-

able energy parks.” There are hundreds of old landfills in NJ,

and the state is working with local authorities to make them

available to build solar farms. At some locations, energy is also

being generated from the methane gas generated by the landfills

themselves.

Make good use of brownfields

In the case of older landfills that were not subject to stringent

environmental regulations, the state is getting both new solar

power as well as bringing the facilities up to today’s’ environmen-

tal standards.

There are six operating Solar Farms on landfills with 18 mega-

watts of installed capacity. There are 24 more proposed on land-

fills or brownfields with potential capacity of 73 megawatts.

The Pennsauken Renewable Energy Park generates power

for the adjacent Aluminum Shapes, a manufacturing firm that

proudly brags about its use of clean energy. The energy park was

built by PPL Renewable Energy on a landfill, and is owned by the

Pollution Control Financing Authority of Camden County.

“The sun doesn’t shine any brighter here than in any other

state. What drives it is a strong commitment from the state to

makes things happen. That is what NJ is demonstrating. Any

state can do it, but NJ has made commitment to make it hap-

pen,” Martin said.

New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program was established in 2001.

▲ bob Martin, New Jersey Commissioner of environmental protection

▲ Pennsauken renewable energy Park generates power for

the adjacent Aluminum Shapes, a manufacturing firm.

▲ The energy park was built by PPL renewable energy on

a landfill, and is owned by the Pollution Control financing

Authority of Camden County

PHOTO: THOMAS SHANAHAN, NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

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SuStainable CommunitieS • SPRING 201228

That year there were only six solar installations in the state.

Since that time, New Jersey has established a model program

and an integrated approach to solar development that in-

cludes:

• A strong Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) with a

dedicated carve-out for solar generated electricity that

has helped create sustainable demand and investor con-

fidence in the market.

• Excellent interconnection and net metering standards

that have made it easier for projects to connect to the

distribution system and be compensated for their con-

tribution.

• A financing model that provides Solar Renewable En-

ergy Credits (SRECs) and additional long term financing

for those who invest in solar.

For approved new solar projects, SRECs are generated

New Jersey may not be the first state to build an off-

shore wind turbine, but what it may lack in speed it

makes up for with the scope of its vision.

New Jersey wants to lead the nation in production

of energy from offshore wind turbines, but it isn’t stop-

ping there. It also wants to be the primary supplier

and servicer for wind energy production throughout

the Northeast.

“We want to do everything – offering the full supply

chain of building turbines, to putting them together,

and ultimately, ships and crews to install and maintain

them. We have the necessary port facilities, a highly

skilled workforce and a central location,” said Bob Mar-

tin, the state’s commissioner of environmental protec-

tion.

It plans to create a comprehensive infrastructure

for construction and shipping of the components for

wind farms 13 to 20 miles off the cost. With other

states close behind, and at least one claiming to be

ahead in this new energy frontier, New Jersey is hop-

ing to start construction on its first offshore wind farm

in 2014.

The state is encouraging development of a new

port facility in Paulsboro. The new Paulsboro marine

terminal on the Delaware River is directly across from

Philadelphia International Airport.

Eleven private offshore wind developers have

expressed interest in developing wind farms totaling

more than 12,000 megawatts off New Jersey’s coast-

line, said Department of Environmental Protection

spokesman Larry Ragonese.

But who will generate the first power from wind on

the high seas? New Jersey is probably the longshot

there.

Cape Wind near Cape Cod is widely reported to be

at the front of the pack. But more recently, news re-

ports say Spain’s Gamesa Corp may beat it with a 479

foot-high prototype wind turbine three miles off the

Virginia coast in the lower Chesapeake Bay. There is

also a report that Texas, a nationwide leader in land-

based wind generation, is moving to install a turbine in

the Gulf of Mexico off Galveston.

Offshore wind turbines are a common sight in Eu-

rope. The United Kingdom claims to be number one in

the world for offshore wind power generation having

overtaken Denmark in 2008.

beTTiNg oN THe wiNd

Races is on to build first uS offshore turbines

>>“the future for new Jersey is in green energy and al-

ready we’ve put in place policies to broaden our access

to renewable sources of energy, cleaner natural gas

generation and ending our reliance on coal (for electrical

power) generation.”

—Governor Chris Christie

SPRING 2012 • SuStainable CommunitieS 29

opposing view

Gov. Christie’s new energy

plan came in for criticism from

the Democratic chair of the

State Assembly Environment

Committee. Chairman John

F. McKeon (D-Essex) said “The

previous Energy Master Plan

which included New Jersey as a

member of the Regional Green-

house Gas Initiative created

thousands of good paying jobs as it moved us to-

ward a renewable energy future. The current plan

is regressive, shortsighted and will promulgate our

reliance on fossil fuels.”

John F. mckeon

once the solar project has been authorized to be energized

by the Electric Distribution Company (EDC). Each time a

solar installation generates 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of

electricity, an SREC is earned. Solar project owners report

the energy production to the SREC Tracking System. This

reporting allows SREC’s to be placed in the customer’s elec-

tronic account. SRECs can then be sold on the SREC Track-

ing System, providing revenue for the first 15 years of the

project’s life.

Electricity suppliers, the primary purchasers of SRECs,

are required to pay a Solar Alternative Compliance Payment

(SACP) if they do not meet the requirements of New Jersey’s

Solar RPS. One way they can meet the RPS requirements is by

purchasing SRECs. As SRECs are traded in a competitive mar-

ket, the price may vary significantly. The actual price of an

SREC during a trading period can and will fluctuate depending

on supply and demand.

One of the biggest challenges is the drop in the market

price of solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs), the main

financial incentive for solar installations.

The 2011 Energy Master Plan includes a number of propos-

als to the incentives to encourage continued growth of the

solar industry, including giving priority for approval to solar

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—continued on pAge 31

SuStainable CommunitieS • SPRING 201230

a new community that promises to be a model for sustain-

ability has unveiled a miniature electrical distribution sys-

tem which it describes as the first “smart” grid in the nation.

Mesa del Sol is a master planned community in the south-

ern part of Albuquerque. Plans call for a 12,900-acre mixed-

use district that combines job creation and sustainable urban

community planning. The project began selling homes recent-

ly. In years to come, Forest City Covington, the developer, says

the community will feature over 37,500 homes.

“We have three great builders and 17 unique floor plans

for a range of budgets and lifestyles. Our homes are the most

energy and water efficient, and we have developed a com-

munity, a neighborhood, and a lifestyle for our residents, said

Chris Anderson, Vice President of Development for Mesa del

Sol. The three homebuilders are Pulte Homes, Rachel Mat-

thew Homes and RayLee Homes

The project boasts high efficiency buildings but is also

working to solve the problems of renewable power generation,

storage and distribution. It recently unveiled a new “Smart

Grid System” that will work with a solar storage facility to

“overcome the challenges presented by the intermittency as-

sociated with renewable energy sources.”

The newly installed microgrid uses on-site solar, fuel cell,

natural gas and back-up battery storage to power the 78,000

square foot Aperture Center, an office and retail complex that

links the commercial and residential portions of the community.

The Aperture Center requires 400 kilowatts of electric-

ity during its peak times. The smart grid will manage energy

generation sources, the electrical grid and energy storage

sources in a sustainable way. To meet the Aperture Cen-

ter’s needs, NEDO installed a 50 kilowatt solar photovoltaic

system, an 80 kilowatt fuel cell, a 240 kilowatt natural gas

powered generator and a 160 kilowatt/hour battery storage

system as well as a state-of-the-art building energy manage-

ment system and sensors for controlling energy use inside

the building.

“The new smart grid has a building management system

that is automated and manages the electric supply and distri-

bution between our on-site generation sources, energy stor-

age and PNM’s power grid,” explained Manny Barerra, Mesa

del Sol’s Director of Engineering.

Integration of renewable energy sources such as solar and

wind energy into the power grid pose challenges to the power

grid as it is today, due to their intermittent nature (i.e. when

the sun goes down, there is no solar power; when the wind

stops blowing there is no wind energy). Controlling demand

in response to availability of energy, presents one possible

way to integrate more renewable energy into the grid while

maintaining reliability, according to the developer.

project objective

With the objective of increasing renewables and enhanc-

ing energy efficiency, the project plans to demonstrate (1) a

smart building with the ability to provide demand response

(absorption of fluctuation of solar power and islanding ca-

pability in the case of emergencies), (2) control of a distribu-

tion feeder with high solar penetration using batteries and

demand response, and (3) a smart house as a constituting

master planned development employs “smart grid” to power homes, businesses

SPRING 2012 • SuStainable CommunitieS 31

projects that offer a “dual benefit” of reduced energy costs

for businesses and local governments, providing revenue for

job creation and tax reduction.

While it encourages renewable energy, New Jersey is dis-

couraging use of fossil fuels. “We will no longer accept coal as

a new source of power in the state and we will work to shut

down older plants that emit high greenhouse gases,” Christie

said. “We need to commit in New Jersey to making coal a

part of our past.”

The number of coal-fired plans is shrinking, with encour-

agement from the state. Several plants will be converted to

burn natural gas, Martin said.

Does Gov. Christie worry that he is out of step with Re-

publicans in the US Congress, who disparage Obama Adminis-

tration attempts to encourage renewable energy development

and continue to support the oil and coal industries? Not ac-

cording to Martin.

“This is a governor who looks at facts, science and data,

and wants to do right thing based on that. He makes deci-

sions based on facts and science not on politics. ‘Do the right

thing.’ Those are the instructions I got from him.”

While Christie has acknowledged his concern about global

warming, he is even more focused on the economic benefits

of solar and wind power development. Martin and Christie

have high hopes that alternative energy generation will cre-

ate thousands of jobs in coming decades. The solar jobs are

already starting to appear in large numbers, and wind power

could eventually match the solar job creation.

“Gov. Christie has always said we can protect the environ-

ment and grow the economy at the same time. He puts a high

value on quality of life and sees clean water, air and land as a

key part of that,” Martin said. “Sustainability and quality of life

are woven throughout the state strategic plan.”

In a state where tourism is a major industry, thanks largely

to miles of beautiful beaches, the state doesn’t want anything

other than clean wind energy offshore. Christie has banned

offshore drilling for oil. He will not allow any liquid natural gas

facilities to be built. ❧

—FRoM pAge 29, neW JeRSey

element of a smart community (solar generation forecast and

demand response using demand response signals).

Mesa del Sol is a 12,900-acre mixed-use district located

on Albuquerque’s south mesa. By combining job creation

and sustainable urban community planning, Mesa del Sol will

reflect a balance of environmental resources, economic ob-

jectives and social amenities in a community that is forward-

looking with a highly defined sense of place. Mesa del Sol is

a model sustainable community with plans to incorporate 18

million square feet of office, industrial, and retail space with

4,400 acres for residential development of 37,000 homes

and supporting retail use. Mesa Del Sol incentivizes builders

to exceed sustainability goals, and the master-plan includes

the development of a solar-ready strategy for both residential

and commercial elements and all commercial buildings are

expected to be LEED Certified.

Forest City Covington is collaboration between Forest City

Enterprises, Inc., an NYSE-listed national real estate company

and Covington Capital, which own more than 9 million square

feet of commercial/industrial space and is actively developing

more than 17,000 acres of land in the Western United States.

Partnering with Mesa del Sol on the Smart Grid is Japan’s

New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Orga-

nization (NEDO), PNM, Sandia National Laboratories, The

University of New Mexico and 9 Major Japanese companies

including Shimizu Corporation.

NEDO is investing $22 million in the smart grid. In addi-

tion to funding to construct the system, NEDO will monitor

and test the system for the next two years. Once complete,

the entire project will be turned over to the University of New

Mexico’s Center for Emerging Energy Technologies for contin-

ued research and smart grid development. ❧

NeW jerSey pUSheS SoLAr, WiNd poWer

SuStainable CommunitieS • SPRING 201232

AffordABLe hoUSiNg

—FRoM pAge 9

—FRoM pAge 5

AroUNd the NAtioN

It also is moving to encourage the development of mixed

income properties and inclusion of housing units for homeless

families in new developments.

“My administration is committed to expanding housing

options for our most vulnerable citizens as part of our long-

term, comprehensive plan to combat homelessness,” said

Governor Chris Christie. “I’m particularly pleased that the

New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency has been

able to identify and implement changes that will address the

issue of chronic homelessness and provide incentives to build

mixed income housing developments.”

New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA)

has put forth new allocation criteria for the Low Income Hous-

ing Tax Credit Program to implement these priorities.

Executive Director Anthony Marchetta said the details

include:

• Setting a cap to ensure wider geographic distribution

of housing available to low-income families throughout

New Jersey;

• Discouraging a concentration of poverty in any one

area or region of the state by limiting the number of

low and moderate income units in communities where

there are already a high number of affordable housing

units; and

• Direct 40 percent of all awards to urban target areas to

guarantee urban project development.

The rule also proposes incentives to locate developments

proximate to areas of high job growth and excellent schools.

“The changes will create opportunities for children to

flourish in high achieving schools while greatly expanding par-

ents’ ability to find employment proximate to their residence”

explained Acting DCA Commissioner Richard E. Constable,

III, who is Chair of the HMFA Board and Co-chair of the Inter-

agency Council on Homelessness. ❧

agenda (they currently run on 11% renewables), the City is at-

tempting to assume control of the investor-owned utility.

According to a recent Forbes article, there are several

roadblocks still preventing Boulder from gaining control of

the utility company, and any one of them could be fatal to the

deal. From an undervalued offering price to being able to of-

fer the same rates for the electrical service, Boulder and its

residents certainly have their work cut out for them.

All this considered, the City also rejected an offer from

Xcel to buy into a new wind project that would have allowed

the City to achieve their 70% renewable goal in 2013, so they

can pursue their own agenda. By bringing all of the informa-

tion to the public through a series of community brainstorm-

ing sessions that will go on throughout the remainder of this

year, the municipality hopes they can lay the foundation for

a landmark takeover of Xcel and push forward to meet their

admirable policy goals.

For more information on Boulder’s Energy Future plan,

visit www.boulderenergyfuture.com.

7 rhode islandadvanCing Commuter rail patronage

As new urbanism begins to penetrate the sprawling sub-

urban era subdivisions, commuter trains are making a come-

back. In Rhode Island, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation

Authority recently extended its Providence/Stoughton com-

muter line south from Providence. It serves local commuters to

Providence and Boston, Massachusetts. The new station has a

park and ride garage and is part of a $336 million project that

includes the new T. F. Green Airport station

Traveling by rail will take travelers from Wickford Junction

to Providence in about 35 minutes and to Boston in less than

two hours. Driving these routes at peak travel times often takes

considerably longer.

Meanwhile, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority

(RIPTA) has been quite progressive in its attempts to incentiv-

ize people to ditch their cars altogether for rail and bus com-

muting. By producing a new schedule with rail and bus services

running contiguously, patrons now have more flexibility and

access. RIPTA is also working on a Transportation Improvement

Program that could expand the system significantly with new

stations and service lines over the next several years.

To get more information regarding RIPTA plans for expan-

sion, visit www.ripta.com. ❧