what's your state of place™ ? a decision-making tool for walkability interventions,...
DESCRIPTION
A step by step approach for quantifying walkability, diagnosing communities' walkability strengths and weakness, and prioritizing walkability interventions, investments and policies that will maximize the triple bottom line in the face of fiscal constraints. State of Place™ is a streamlined decision-making tool that offers a cost-efficient, effective, transparent, and accountable approach to boost walkability, sustainability, and profitability.TRANSCRIPT
What’s your State of Place™ ?
A streamlined decision-‐‑making tool that makes it easier and more cost efficient for cities to enhance walkability and maximize the triple
bo;om line in a transparent and accountable way
Mariela Alfonzo, Ph.D. Founder, State of Place
President, Urban Imprint Research Fellow/Adjunct Professor, NYU-Poly
www.urbanimprint.com/state-of-place
In the stiff competitive “place market” walkability is no longer an
“intangible luxury”
But…there is a shortage of walkability Public policy hurdles + Legal issues + NIMBYism + Lack of benchmarks and metrics = More difficult to finance/underwrite/create/deliver
Lack effective, cost efficient methods that demystify the process of identifying, differentiating, and creating the quality
places people want
Enter, State of Place™ ?
¤ Art à Science: Quantifying walkability
¤ Comprehensive, Objective, Reliable
¤ Captures “Micro-‐‑scale” & “Sensory” features
¤ Diagnostic, Empirically-‐‑Based
¤ Ties Place Quality, Economic Impact
¤ Facilitates Evidence-‐‑based decision making, Accountability
¤ Provides empirically-‐‑based ROI predictions, Customizable
First step: Quantifying Walkability
Collect street-level built environment data on 250+ micro-scale features • Sidewalk presence, street trees, street benches, parks, street
facades, land uses, etc. Using Irvine Minnesota Inventory • Reliable, used widely in research
Raters receive walkability training Raters receive full day training; tested for accuracy/reliability
Data can be collected for sample of blocks in a neighborhood or on a select number of blocks
• 10-12 min/block
Neighborhood defined based on existing boundaries
Next step: Calculate State of Place™ Index
Next Step: Create State of Place™ Diagnosis
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Density
Form
Proximity
Connectivity
Parks & Public Space
Pedestrian Amenities
Safety from Crime
Traffic Safety
Aesthetics
Physical Activity Facilities
Index & Diagnosis based on State of Place™ Algorithm
Dimensions Description/Example Items
Density Measure of enclosure based on building concentrations and height
Proximity Presence of non-residential land uses
Connectivity Measure of disconnectivty; Potential Barriers (e.g., six-lane roads)
Form Measure of streetscape discontinuity (e.g. drive-thrus)
Parks and Public Space Parks, Playgrounds, Plazas, Playing Fields
Pedestrian Infrastructure/Amenities
Curbcuts, Sidewalks, Street Furniture, Bike Racks
Personal Safety Graffiti, Litter, Windows with Bars
Traffic Measures Traffic Signals, Speed Limit, Traffic Calming
Aesthetics (Pleasurability & Maintenance)
Attractiveness, Open Views, Outdoor Dining, Maintenance
Physical Activity Facilities Gym/Fitness Facilities, Other Recreational Uses
Uniquely, the State of Place™ diagnosis allows users to identify neighborhood assets & areas in need of improvement
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Density
Form
Proximity
Connectivity
Parks & Public Space
Pedestrian Amenities
Safety from Crime
Traffic Safety
Aesthetics
Physical Activity Facilities
State
of Pla
ce
™
Dim
en
sion
s - Asse
ts Density
Form
Pedestrian Amenities
Traffic Safety
State
of Pla
ce
™
Dim
en
sion
s – N
ee
d im
pro
vem
en
t Connectivity
Aesthetics
Safety
But another key value proposition = State of Place™ is tied to economic performance
Corr
elat
ed E
cono
mic
Per
form
ance
+ $9 sf office rents + $7 sf retail rents
+80% retail revenues + $300/unit res. rent
+81 sf for-sale res. value
From Brookings Institution report, “Walk this Way”
State of Place™ is a powerful decision-making tool
Evaluate neighborhoods based on State of Place™ Index Like a credit or bond rating for neighborhoods; Helps guide investment & underwriting; Aids branding; Siting
*Risk averse investors; Steady ROI
*Risk tolerant investors; Higher ROI
*Target for social equity advocates
*Regional retailer siting
*Aggressive developer enters market
State of Place™ = Economic Indicator
Can quantify the value of place….
The State of Place™ index is linked to premiums of up to:
+74% residential rents/unit +$1200/unit residential rent +108% office rents +84% retail rents +23% premium valuation before recession; +44% premium post
For DC, this translates into up to: +$744 mill in residential property taxes/neighborhood +$96 mill in retail taxes generated/neighborhood
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And because State of Place™ dimensions are each tied to distinct ROI
Very Good ROI
Good ROI
Fair ROI
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Next Step: Assess current performance against estimated ROI
Assess current performance
Predict ROI
Balance Costs, Benefits
Very Good
ROI
Good ROI
Fair ROI
Sidewalk improvement
Façade improvement
Intervention Options
Project Costs $500,000.00 $250,000.00
SoP Dimension Ped. Amenities Aesthetics
Current Performance
25% 50%
ROI Impact Factor 6 7
Predicted SoP Performance Increase
15% 10%
Baseline Indicator $25
$3.13/sf $1.89/sf Predicted Economic Upside
7 4 Walkability Impact
Sta
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Office Rents
Next Step: Prioritize Planned Interventions based on State of Place™ Diagnosis
¤ FIRST PHASE: ¤ Add grid of streets ¤ Add Commercial
office, retail, housing (as market bears)
¤ Add infill Metrorail station
¤ Add BRT Transit Line
FORM
DENS
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CONN
PROX
Prioritize Planned Interventions
¤ SECOND PHASE: ¤ Add sidewalks, buffers ¤ Add street furniture ¤ Add plaza, public
space ¤ Streetscape
improvements ¤ Traffic calming
TRAF
PEDS
AEST
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Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, DC Metro Region
¤ Diagnosing 95 neighborhoods in the region
¤ Creating place profiles – based on assets and areas in need of improvement
¤ Informing Strategic Investment Plan for region
Conservation Law Foundation Ventures, Boston, MA
¤ CLFV à Creating Healthy Neighborhood Equity Fund
¤ Piloting State of Place™ as project & neighborhood screening tool
¤ Creating estimated State of Place™ scores based on proposed projects ¤ Calculating potential upside
State of Place™ current & future “imprint”…
¤ Applicable across urban, suburban, & rural communities ¤ IMI data has been collected in California, Minneapolis, Houston, Iowa, North
Carolina RT, Denver, Salt Lake City, Kansas, Arkansas, Michigan, Illinois…
¤ Rolling out State of Place in other metros ¤ San Francisco/Bay area – Spring 2013 ¤ Houston, Phoenix, Seattle, Los Angeles
¤ Incorporating a broader set of economic indicators ¤ Job creation, retention, firm recruitment ¤ Health Metrics
¤ App – available soon!
¤ Partnering with universities
¤ Working with underprivileged community ¤ Brownsville + NYU-Poly
¤ China – in progress!
Let’s boost your State of Place™ !
What’s your State of Place™ ?
www.urbanimprint.com/state-of-place