[Imagine Austin Speaker Series: What Could Equitable and Sustainable Zoning Look Like in Austin?]
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JUST A FEW HOUSEKEEPING ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THOSE WHO ARE JOINING US IN PERSON.
UM, THE RESTROOMS ARE AROUND THE CORNER, SO IF YOU HEAD TO THE RIGHT AND OUT, FOLLOW THE RESTROOM SIGNS, AND WE HAVE PARKING VALIDATION FOR EVERYONE.
SO IF YOU ARE A CITY OF AUSTIN EMPLOYEE WHO WORKS IN THE PDC, YOU'LL ALREADY BE ABLE TO SWIPE YOUR BADGE AND GET OUT, NO PROBLEM.
BUT IF YOU'RE JOINING US FROM ANOTHER CITY DEPARTMENT AND DO NOT OFFICE AT THE PDC, YOU'LL HAVE A VALIDATION ON YOUR WAY OUT WITH THE TICKET THAT YOU GOT WHEN YOU CAME IN.
FOR FOLKS JOINING US FROM THE PUBLIC, SAME THING, EXCEPT YOUR VALIDATOR WILL SAY NON COA.
OKAY, WE ARE GONNA GET STARTED.
WELCOME TO THE LATEST INSTALLMENT OF THE IMAGINE AUSTIN SPEAKER SERIES IN THE FIRST OF 2024.
I'M ANN DE SANUS WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN PLANNING DEPARTMENT, AND TODAY WE ARE GOING TO BE ASKING AND HOPEFULLY ANSWERING WHAT COULD SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE ZONING LOOK LIKE IN AUSTIN.
THE SPEAKER SERIES IS BASED ON A FORMAT OF SHARED DIALOGUE AND MUTUAL LEARNING, AND IT'S AIMED AT PROMOTING AND IMPLEMENTING THE POLICIES OF THE IMAGINE AUSTIN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S 30 YEAR PLAN FOR THE FUTURE.
WE ACCOMPLISH THIS BY INVITING THOUGHT LEADERS, BOTH LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY, TO GIVE SEVERAL TALKS A YEAR ON LAND USE, TRANSPORTATION, MOBILITY, HOUSING, PUBLIC HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, ALL TO PROMOTE AND IMPLEMENT IMAGINE AUSTIN POLICIES.
OUR FEATURED SPEAKER TODAY IS SARAH BROIN, A SEVENTH GENERATION TEXAN ARCHITECT, ATTORNEY AND PROFESSOR OF PLANNING AND LAW AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY, WHOSE INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AND PRACTICE SPANS HISTORIC PRESERVATION, PROPERTY, LAND USE, AND CLIMATE CHANGE.
ADDITIONALLY, SARAH FOUNDED AND DIRECTS THE NATIONAL ZONING ATLAS, A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT TO DIGITIZE, DEMYSTIFY AND DEMOCRATIZE US ZONING CODES.
REALLY EXCITED TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT.
AFTER RECEIVING HER ARCHITECTURE DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, SARAH EARNED A MASTER'S AT OXFORD ON A RHODES SCHOLARSHIP AND A LAW DEGREE FROM YALE.
SO THESE ARE PRETTY HEADY CREDENTIALS.
SO STEERING US ON THE DIVE INTO ZONING IS THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT'S RESIDENT SELF-PROCLAIMED NON-EXPERT ARE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER CALEB BRICHARD.
CALEB IS A FORMER JOURNALIST WHO COVERED LOCAL GOVERNMENT FOR THE AUSTIN MONITOR AFTER FIVE YEARS OF CONSISTENTLY ANNOYING COUNCIL MEMBERS WITH HIS COVERAGE AND TWITTER JOKE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, A POSITION HE HELD IN THAT OFFICE IN SUBSEQUENT, IN A SUBSEQUENT OFFICE FOR ANOTHER HALF DECADE.
HE JOINED THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT IN FEBRUARY AND WILL BE PLEASED IF YOU DON'T PELT HIM WITH ROTTEN VEGETABLES, VIRTUAL OR OTHERWISE TODAY.
THANKS FOR JOINING US, AND I'M GONNA HAND THE MIC OVER TO CALEB, LITERALLY, SO GIVE ME A SECOND TO MOVE IT AROUND.
UH, VERY PLEASANT AND, UM, WELL-WRITTEN INTRO, UH,
UM, YES, IN FACT, I'M INDEED CALEB PRITCHARD.
AND ON BEHALF OF THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, WE WELCOME EVERYONE, UH, TO THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPING CENTER HERE IN THE, UH, HAPPY HIGHLAND NEIGHBORHOOD OF AUSTIN, TEXAS.
UH, ALSO A HARDY HELLO TO EVERYONE OUT THERE IN, UH, INTERNET LAND WHO, WHO IS WATCHING.
UH, IT IS TRUE, AS ANNE SAID, I'M NO EXPERT IN, UH, URBAN PLANNING.
UH, EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT ZONING I LEARNED IN, UH, SIM CITY ON, UM, SUPER NINTENDO.
UH, AND WHEN I STARTED COVERING, UH, CITY, CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS AND PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS, I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED TO LEARN THAT IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS THREE ZONING CATEGORIES, AND THAT'S ALL YOU GOT.
UH, IT TRULY IS A DEEPLY COMPLEX CONCEPT THAT GENERALLY LIVES IN THE WORLD OF WON.
UH, HOWEVER, IT'S SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON OUR DAILY LIVES OBVIOUSLY CANNOT BE OVERSTATED.
IT, IT DICTATES WHAT OUR CITIES LOOK LIKE AND HOW WE GET AROUND AND HOW WE GROW.
UH, AND IT DETERMINES, YOU KNOW, TO A LARGE PART WHO CAN LIVE WHERE IN, IN OUR CITIES.
SO OUR SPEAKER TODAY, SARAH BRON, IS THE TRUE EXPERT IN THE FIELD, AND I'LL BE DOING MY, MY LEVEL BEST TO KEEP UP WITH HER AND MAKE SURE THIS CONVERSATION IS AS ACCESSIBLE
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AND UNDERSTANDABLE TO EVERYONE IN OUR AUDIENCE TODAY.SO, IN JUST A FEW MINUTES, I'LL LET HER GET ROLLING WITH, FIRST I'LL REMIND EVERYBODY THAT THERE WILL BE A Q AND A SESSION WHEN SHE'S DONE.
SO IF YOU'RE HERE IN THE AUDIENCE, YEAH, LET SOME IDEAS PERCOLATE AND, UH, AND WE WILL HAVE SOMEBODY, UH, EVELYN WILL BE RUNNING AROUND A MICROPHONE, UH, TO, UH, GET YOU ON THE, ON THE RECORD LATER.
AND, UH, IF YOU'RE WATCHING ONLINE, UH, YOU CAN CERTAINLY, UH, PUT YOUR QUESTIONS IN THE CHAT AND WE'LL HAVE A, A, A TEAM OF, UH, WONDERFUL, BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE WHO WILL BE COMPILING THOSE QUESTIONS AND SENDING THEM MY WAY.
UM, SO, UH, AS ANNE SAID, PLEASE, NO ROTTEN VEGETABLES, BUT I PERSONALLY IN MY GROCERY BUDGET WILL APPRECIATE ANY FRESH FRUITS, UH, THAT YOU CAN THROW MY WAY.
SO, UH, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, ADO, HERE IS THE FABULOUS SARAH BRUNAN.
SO MUCH CALEB, AND THANK YOU ANN.
AND THANKS TO THE CITY FOR, UH, INVITING ME AS MY PRESENTATION GETS QUEUED UP.
UM, JUST WANTED TO SAY HOW EXCITED I AM TO BE BACK HERE IN AUSTIN.
UM, THIS MORNING I WAS AT THE YBI TOWN CONFERENCE, UH, WITH 500 ACTIVISTS AND ADVOCATES FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY HOPING TO, UH, ANSWER EXACTLY THIS QUESTION IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES, UM, SUSTAINABLE, EQUITABLE GROWTH, UH, AND HOW WE DO THAT WITH AN ABUNDANCE OF HOUSING.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, TAKING THE ENERGY FROM THAT ROOM AND THE EXCITEMENT THAT MANY OF THOSE FIRST TIME AUSTIN VISITORS, UH, HAD, UM, AND BRINGING THAT, THAT HERE TODAY.
SO I'M GONNA TRY TO, UM, ADVANCE AND, AND JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, UH, THIS IS A BIT OF A HOMECOMING BECAUSE I LIVED HERE FOR FIVE YEARS, 1996 TO 2001 UNDER THE FIRST TENURE OF, UH, MAYOR WATSON.
AND HE ACTUALLY OPENED YUMBE TOWN THIS MORNING AND TALKED ABOUT, UH, THE, UM, HIS FIRST TERM AND, AND HOW AUSTIN HAD CHANGED.
UM, I WANTED TO JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY, UH, EXPERIENCE HERE AS A STUDENT BEFORE MOVING ON.
AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT WHEN YOU'RE A STUDENT, UH, IN ANY PLACE, BUT INCLUDING AUSTIN, YOUR RADIUS STARTS OUT PRETTY SMALL.
I WENT TO ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL AND WAS HERE FOR FIVE YEARS, THOUGH, SO I HAD A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME THAN MOST.
AND AS I WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS PRESENTATION AND THINKING ABOUT, OKAY, WHAT DO I, WHAT DID I KNOW ABOUT AUSTIN THEN? HOW DO I KNOW IT NOW? UM, YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO TO KIND OF JUST REFLECT BACK AND SAY THE MANY, MANY STUDENTS, THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH, AS THEY WERE CALLED THIS MORNING, UH, WHO COME INTO THIS TOWN HAVE A PRETTY SMALL RADIUS AT FIRST.
SO THEY START ON THE UT CAMPUS, MANY LIVE ON CAMPUS, UM, THEY MIGHT EVENTUALLY MOVE TO THE WESTERN NORTH CAMPUSES.
UM, AND ALL OF THE PLANNING ISSUES THAT THOSE, UH, HAVE EXPERIENCED OVER THE YEARS, PLANNING ISSUES AND CONFLICTS, UM, UH, PRESENT, CERTAINLY IN THE LATE 1990S.
UM, MANY OF THEM, OF COURSE, VISIT DOWNTOWN.
UM, BACK THEN, PEOPLE STILL WENT TO SIXTH STREET.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY STILL DO ANYMORE, UM, GIVEN IT'S SOMEWHAT, UH, INTERESTING REPUTATION.
UM, CLARKSVILLE, UH, MY SISTER LIVED IN, NO, BUT SHE STILL HAS A CONDO IN CLARKSVILLE, UM, ALTHOUGH SHE'S JUST MOVED TO PITTSBURGH.
UM, BUT CLARKSVILLE AND THE BEAUTIFUL HISTORIC BUNGALOWS, THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL NEIGHBORHOOD AS IS HYDE PARK.
UM, ANOTHER NEIGHBORHOOD THAT I SPENT SOME TIME IN.
AND THEN WHEN THE PROFESSORS OF THE ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL WOULD INVITE US OVER TO THEIR FANCY HOUSES OVERLOOKING, UH, BARTON CREEK AND TOWN LAKE, UH, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OF BARTON HILLS WHEN I WAS ALSO A STUDENT, UM, THERE WAS A, A FEW CONTROVERSIES ON THE UT CAMPUS ITSELF.
I WAS ON THE FACULTY BUILDING ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR FOUR YEARS, WHICH BASICALLY MEANS I WAS A STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE ON THE WAY THAT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS GREW.
UM, THAT WAS MY VOTE WAS NOT AT ALL CONSEQUENTIAL
UM, SO WORKING ON THAT, UH, BEING A, HAVING THE HONOR OF BEING ON THAT, UH, COMMITTEE FOUR OUTTA THE FIVE YEARS THAT I WAS A STUDENT, UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, REALLY CENTERED ME IN, IN WHAT WAS HAPPENING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.
UM, ONE OF THE ISSUES, UH, AT THE TIME WAS THIS ISSUE OF, UM, UH, THE FAMOUS SWISS ARCHITECTS WHO WERE GOING TO BUILD THE BLANTON MUSEUM.
AND THAT IF ANY OF YOU, UH, OUT THERE REMEMBER THIS, UH, UM, ISSUE, IT WAS A VERY AVANT-GARDE DESIGN, UM, THAT NOT EVERYBODY LIKED, AND THEY WERE YANKED FROM THE PROJECT.
AND THEN A DIFFERENT ARCHITECT CAME IN AND BUILT THE PROJECT THAT THE BLANTON MUSEUM, AS WE SEE IT NOW, MORE IN THE STYLE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS CAMPUS.
BUT IT RAISED THE ISSUES OF WHAT IS COMPATIBLE, WHAT IS ARCHITECTURALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, APPROPRIATE FOR A, A PLACE WHERE THERE'S INNOVATION AND LEARNING.
UM, IT RESULTED IN THE DEAN OF THE SCHOOL, THE ARCHITECTURE RESIGNING AND, AND SOME OTHER FALLOUT.
UM, BUT NONETHELESS, THEY, THEIR BUILDING WAS NOT
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REALIZED.AND WE HAVE A, A DIFFERENT DESIGN ALSO AS A STUDENT.
I CO-CHAIRED, UH, THE CAMPUS CAMPAIGN FOR LIGHT RAIL, AND THAT WAS A TRAGIC VOTE, UM, THAT I'M ACTUALLY TALKING, UH, I WAS TALKING WITH MAYOR WATSON THIS MORNING AND HOW DIFFERENT THE CITY WOULD'VE BEEN IF WE HAD VOTED FOR IT THEN, IF IT HAD NOT FAILED BY THE FEW HUNDRED VOTES, UH, THAT IT FAILED BY IF WE HAD THOUGHT IN, UH, 2000, UM, THAT WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, CENTERED, UH, GROWTH AROUND NODES OF TRANSIT.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT'S CHANGING NOW, AND I KNOW THERE'S GONNA BE MORE BUILD OUT IN THE FUTURE, BUT IT WAS A TRULY MISSED OPPORTUNITY TO NOT HAVE DONE IT 23 YEARS AGO.
AND THEN FINALLY, JUST TO SAY OVER THAT TIME AGAIN, EVEN IN THOSE FIVE YEARS WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, THE STUDENT, THE CITY WAS GROWING PHENOMENALLY.
IT GREW DURING THAT PERIOD BY 23% IN POPULATION JUST DURING THAT FIVE YEAR PERIOD.
SO AS I WAS EXPERIENCING, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING FOR HOUSING OFF CAMPUS, LOOKING FOR HOUSING, I, I LIVED ON FIFTH STREET, UM, IN, UH, JUST WEST OF, OF DOWNTOWN.
UM, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCING THAT AND THEN COMING BACK AND, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR COMING BACK AND, UM, LOOKING AT HOW THE CITY HAS EVOLVED TODAY, IT'S CLEAR THAT THE ISSUES ARE NOT RESOLVED.
AND, AND I DON'T THINK THEY WILL BE RESOLVED TODAY.
UM, YOU'RE VERY OPTIMISTIC TO THINK SO, BUT JUST TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THE ISSUES THAT THE CITY IS DEALING WITH, HAD ROOTS IN THE 1990S HAD ROOTS, UH, GOING FAR, UM, BEYOND BEFORE THAT TOO.
OH, HERE'S A LITTLE, UM, RAIL SUPPORTERS MOBILIZE.
I COULDN'T FIND ANY IMAGES OF MY FRIEND DAVID DRESSING UP LIKE A RAIL CAR ON THE WEST MALL
UM, I KNOW MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM ARE FAMILIAR WITH ZONING, UM, BUT FOR ANYBODY ONLINE, UH, WHO'S INTERESTED IN LEARNING A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, OR JUST GETTING THE, JUST THE BASICS, UM, YOU KNOW, ZONING IS BOTH TEXT AND MAP.
SO IT IS BOTH WORDS THAT DESCRIBE HOW DIFFERENT DISTRICTS CAN BE BUILT.
UH, AND, UH, IT IS A MAP WHICH TELLS YOU WHERE THOSE DISTRICTS ARE LOCATED.
UM, THIS MAP AND, UH, TEXT, UH, THIS IS A CHART ACTUALLY IS THE FORM BASE CODE ARE FROM THE CITY OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.
I CHAIRED THE CITY'S ZONING COMMISSION THERE FOR SEVEN YEARS.
AND, UH, DURING THAT TIME, WE REWROTE THE ZONING CODE, AND I'M HAPPY TO TALK MORE ABOUT THAT.
UH, IN THE Q AND A, WE, UH, WROTE THE 10 YEAR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR THE CITY, AND WE ALSO DID THE CITY'S FIRST CLIMATE ACTION PLAN.
WE ALSO REWROTE THE CITY'S SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS AND ADOPTED INLAND WETLANDS AND WATERCOURSE REGULATIONS, WHICH WE THOUGHT WE HAD DONE AT SOME POINT, BUT NOBODY COULD FIND A COPY OF.
UM, SO WE JUST, UH, CLEANED EVERYTHING UP.
UH, MY BACKGROUND IS A LAW PROFESSOR COMPELLED ME TO REALLY THINK ABOUT, UM, ALL THE WORDS ON THE PAGE, COLLECTIVELY, ALL OF THE DIFFERENT LEVERS OF DEVELOPMENT, UH, THAT HARTFORD, UH, USED OR WAS REQUIRED TO USE BY THE STATE, UM, OR HAD THE OPTION TO USE, AND THINKING ABOUT HOW ALL OF THOSE WORK TOGETHER.
SO, UM, AGAIN, ZONING, TEXT AND MAP, UM, ZONING REGULATES, UH, USES STRUCTURES AND LOTS.
SO IN ANY DISTRICT, YOU MIGHT HAVE REGULATIONS ON THE WAY LAND IS USED.
YOU MIGHT HAVE REGULATIONS ON THE WAY A BUILDING IS BUILT, UM, OR AN ACCESSORY STRUCTURE, UM, OR YOU MAY HAVE RULES ON THE WAY THAT THE LOT CAN BE DEVELOPED, INCLUDING SETBACKS.
UM, BUILD TWO LINES IN THE CASE OF HARTFORD AND OTHER PLACES WITH FORM-BASED CODES AND SO ON.
UM, I'LL TALK MAYBE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE NATIONAL ZONING ATLAS LATER.
UM, BUT THIS IS A, A GLIMPSE INTO A PAGE OF THE, OF THE ATLAS, JUST LISTING OUT THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF DISTRICTS THAT WE SEE, UM, IN COMMUNITIES.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T KNOW WHICH TOWN THIS WAS IN, BUT OH, I DO KNOW IS BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK.
UM, SO THERE ARE, UH, UH, THESE DISTRICTS, UH, IN THE CITY, THEY'RE RESIDENTIAL, NON-RESIDENTIAL.
UM, THERE'S THREE PRIMARILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS.
THOSE REPRESENT THE BULK OF THE LAND, EVEN IN A CITY LIKE, UH, UH, BINGHAMTON.
AND THEN THE ZONING ATLAS, UH, CLASSIFIES ZONING DISTRICTS AND MATCHES THEM WITH GEOSPATIAL LAYERS.
UM, AUSTIN, OF COURSE, HAS A ZONING CODE.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY.
AND JUST TO PUT THAT IN CONTEXT, IT'S LONGER THAN EL PASO AND NASHVILLE.
UM, BUT NOT AS LONG AS BOSTON.
UM, BOSTON HAS A 3,791 PAGE ZONING CODE.
I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND A LONGER ZONING CODE.
IF THERE'S ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE OUT THERE THAT HAS AN EXAMPLE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
AND NO, NEW YORK CITY'S CODE IS NOT LONGER THAN THAT.
UM, SO I, I WROTE A REPORT FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON.
IT'S CALLED REFORMING THE BOSTON ZONING CODE.
AND IT TALKS ABOUT JUST THE SHEER LENGTH AND COMPLEXITY OF A CODE CAN BE A PROXY.
THE LENGTH OF THE CODE CAN BE A PROXY FOR ITS COMPLEXITY.
SO AUSTIN ACTUALLY IS NOT LOOKING TOO BAD, UM, ON THE 402 PAGES FRONT.
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SORT OF LISTED DISTRICTS, AND I THINK PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT MORE AS YOU GET INTO, UM, SOME OF THE OTHER, UM, UH, OVERLAYS AND, AND SUBDISTRICTS.BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, CITIES THAT ASK THEMSELVES ABOUT THEIR ZONING, DO WE THINK IT'S WORKING? DO WE THINK IT'S NOT WORKING? THEY HAVE SOME CHOICES.
AND I, I THINK THEY'RE BASICALLY TWO CHOICES.
SO ONE IS A COMPLETE OVERHAUL, UM, AND ONE IS A, IS A PIECEMEAL APPROACH.
UM, I DID WRITE A PAPER ABOUT COMPREHENSIVE REZONINGS, AND I, THAT'S WHAT A COMPLETE OVERHAUL IS, JUST TO THROW OUT THE OLD CODE AND, AND BRING IN A NEW CODE.
UM, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN DONE, UH, IN VERY MANY PLACES.
UM, IN THE PERIOD THAT I STUDIED IN THAT ARTICLE, UH, THERE WERE ONLY ABOUT TWO DOZEN CITIES THAT HAD, UH, COMPLETELY REZONED.
UM, NONE OF THEM WERE TEXAS CITIES.
SO YOU CERTAINLY DON'T SEE AUSTIN ON THAT LIST.
YOU DON'T SEE SAN ANTONIO OR DALLAS.
UM, BUT, AND HOUSTON DOESN'T HAVE ZONING WHERE I'M FROM.
UH, ALTHOUGH THE SUPREME COURT JUST SAID THAT THE HISTORIC DISTRICTS WERE ZONING, BUT THAT'S LIKE A PRETTY NICHE, UH, AREA.
THE CITYWIDE CITY CITYWIDE DOES NOT HAVE ZONING.
UM, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE POPULATIONS OF THESE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE, UH, DONE COMPLETE OVERHAULS, UM, THEY'RE NOT SO DIFFERENT FROM THE POPULATION OF AUSTIN.
UM, SO IT MAKES YOU THINK, WELL, MAYBE IT, MAYBE IT'S POSSIBLE.
YOU SEE PHOENIX WITH 1.6 MILLION PEOPLE.
PHILLY ALSO DID A COMPREHENSIVE REZONING IN 2012.
UM, BUT AGAIN, IT'S NOT SUCH A HUGE NUMBER OF CITIES THAT, UM, WE, WE HAVE A LOT OF GREAT MODELS TO CHOOSE FROM.
I'LL JUST POINT OUT THAT HARTFORD, UH, CONNECTICUT IS, IS ON THAT LIST.
WE REZONED IN 2016, AND I'LL PROBABLY SAY A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT IN A MINUTE.
UM, THE AVERAGE POPULATION OF THOSE CITIES THAT DID REZONE IN THAT PERIOD WAS 468,000 COMPARED TO AUSTIN'S 960, MAYBE NINE, I, I DON'T, I THINK IT'S NINE MORE, LIKE NINE 60.
UM, THE AVERAGE SIZE, UH, IS 145 SQUARE MILES.
UM, BUT YOU DID SEE A COUPLE OF SMALLER CITIES, OR MOSTLY SMALLER CITIES IN AUSTIN.
UM, THE SIZE OF THE CITY COULD ALSO, UM, A LARGER CITY MIGHT ALSO MEAN A MORE COMPLICATED ZONING CODE.
I'LL JUST SAY THAT BOSTON, UM, WHICH I BELIEVE IS 42 SQUARE MILES, UH, DEFIES THAT TREND IN 42 SQUARE MILES.
THEY HAD 3,800 PAGES OF ZONING CODES AND, AND HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF ZONING DISTRICTS.
UM, AGAIN, JUST A FEW WORDS ON THE HARTFORD OVERHAUL, AND I HAVE A TON OF, UM, IMAGES AND PICTURES THAT I SOMETIMES SHOW, BUT I THINK FOR THIS CROWD, I MIGHT KEEP IT A LITTLE SIMPLE AND JUST SAY THAT THERE ARE A FEW PROVISIONS THAT WE PUT IN.
UM, THE, THE CITY OF HARTFORD'S CODE, UNLIKE THE CITY OF AUSTIN HARTFORD, IS A POST-INDUSTRIAL CITY THAT, UH, IS AND TO SOME EXTENT BUILT OUT.
UM, IT HAS HISTORIC BUILDINGS THAT ARE SAID TO BE THE LARGEST NUMBER OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS PER CAPITA OF ANY CITY IN THE COUNTRY.
UM, BUILDINGS THAT ARE ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES, UM, FACTORIES ALL OVER THE CITY, UH, INCLUDING GOLD LEAF FACTORIES, UH, AT THE ONE THAT WAS, UH, RECENTLY REDONE TO BE A COMMUNITY ASSET FOOD HUB, PUBLIC LIBRARY, AND, UM, UH, OTHER AMENITIES.
UH, ANOTHER ONE, THE CULT FACTORY CULT MANUFACTURING, UM, A LESS DESIRABLE PRODUCT.
UM, BUT THE FACTORIES THEMSELVES HAVE BEEN, UH, REHABILITATED FOR HOUSING AND OFFICE AND OTHER, AND, AND BREWERY AND, AND SOME OTHER USES.
UM, SO YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, LARGE MANUFACTURING FACILITIES ALL OVER HARTFORD, BUT YOU ALSO SEE A LARGE NUMBER OF, UM, RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS, BOTH SINGLE FAMILY, SINGLE FAMILY WITH ACCESSORY HOUSING, TWO FAMILY, THREE TRIPLE DECKERS THAT YOU SEE IN NEW ENGLAND.
UM, AND THEN WHAT WE HAVE IN HARTFORD CALLED THE PERFECT SIX.
UM, SO THINKING ABOUT, UH, THE CITY, AGAIN, VERY DIFFERENT FROM AUSTIN FROM AN ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE TOO.
UM, THE CITY IS ONE OF THE POOREST CITIES IN THE COUNTRY.
UM, IT'S 85% BLACK AND LATINO.
UM, AND AS A CENTRAL CITY, UH, BOUNDED ON ALL SIDES BY, UH, OTHER CITIES AND TOWNS, CONNECTICUT IS ENTIRELY INCORPORATED.
UH, SO CITIES IN TEXAS CAN GROW THROUGH ANNEXATION, UM, AND ARE
UM, BUT AT, AT, UH, 17 SQUARE MILES, HARTFORD CAN'T, 17, 18 SQUARE MILES, HARTFORD REALLY CAN'T, UM, GROW.
SO IT WAS IN THAT CONTEXT, UM, THAT WE LOOKED AT, UH, THE ZONING CODE, UH, AND SAW THAT IT WAS FAR TOO RESTRICTIVE TO BUILD MULTIFAMILY HOUSING.
SO WE MADE ALL HOUSING, UH, WHERE WE ALLOWED IT, AS OF RIGHT.
UM, OF COURSE, SOME AREAS WERE NON-RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.
SOME AREAS, UM, STILL HAD, UH, SINGLE FAMILY PLUS ACCESSORY DWELLING, UH, PROVISIONS.
BUT EV EVERYWHERE THAT WE HAD HOUSING AND INCLUDING DOWNTOWN WHERE EVERYTHING WAS A FULL ON SPECIAL PERMIT, PUBLIC HEARING, WE MADE IT AS OF RIGHT.
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UM, WE ELIMINATED MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS.I KNOW YOU'VE DONE THAT HERE IN AUSTIN.
IT'S JUST, UM, IF PEOPLE, DEVELOPERS WANT PARKING, THEY WILL BUILD IT.
UM, WE'VE SEEN THAT TIME AND TIME AND AGAIN, AND WE'VE ALSO SEEN THAT PARKING ADS, UH, SIGNIFICANT COST TO, UH, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE THAT IS NOT JUST A A, A PAPER COST, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S PASSED ON TO RENTERS OR TO, UM, ULTIMATE, UH, OCCUPANTS, RENTERS OR BUYERS.
UM, SO, UH, THAT WAS AN IMPORTANT MOVE THAT WE MADE.
UM, WE ALSO CREATED A FORM-BASED CODE CITYWIDE.
ONE OF THE THINGS, ESPECIALLY FOR A LOW GROWTH PLACE, UH, THAT DEVELOPERS NEED IN ORDER TO INVEST IS CERTAINTY ABOUT WHAT WILL BE APPROVED.
A FORM-BASED CODE THAT WAS COMPATIBLE WITH THE EXISTING HISTORIC FABRIC, UH, WAS AN EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT CHOICE FOR HARTFORD.
UM, I GUESS I HAVE TO SAY, IF I DO SAY SO MYSELF SINCE WE ADOPTED THAT CODE
WE, WE UNANIMOUSLY, UH, ADOPTED OUR OVERHAUL IN ONE NIGHT, BY THE WAY, UM, WITHOUT A OBJECTION.
UM, WE HAD A REAL, REALLY ROBUST, UM, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, UM, THAT WAS NOT, THAT WAS LED BY THE COMMISSIONERS THEMSELVES.
UM, BUT ANYWAY, WE, WE ADOPTED THE FORM-BASED CODE BECAUSE WE THOUGHT IT WOULD HELP, UH, PEOPLE BE CERTAIN.
AND THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TOO, TO PAIR WITH AS OF RIGHT, HOUSING PROVISIONS, BECAUSE YOU WANNA FAST TRACK IT, BUT YOU ALSO WANNA GIVE GUIDELINES AS TO HOW THAT DEVELOPMENT WILL OCCUR.
UM, I LOVE WHAT WE DID ON, ON URBAN FARMING.
WE LEGALIZED ALL KINDS OF URBAN FARMING, UM, FOR A CITY THAT, UH, HAS LARGE PARTS OF IT, CONSIDERED TO BE A FOOD DESERT WITHOUT ACCESS TO FRESH FOODS AND, AND GROCERIES.
UM, THAT WAS WHAT IT WAS IMPORTANT.
AND WE DO SEE PEOPLE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THAT, INCLUDING COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT HAVE COMMUNITY GARDENS AND, AND URBAN FARMS AND SO ON.
AND THEN FINALLY, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF SUSTAINABILITY PROVISIONS.
UM, AGAIN, UH, NEW ENGLAND CITY, ALTHOUGH NOT UNLIKE AUSTIN, UH, IN ITS TREE LISTLESSNESS, UH, IN MANY NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE PUT IN ROBUST PROVISIONS ON TREE PLANTING AND MAINTENANCE.
UM, SO FOR EVERY NEW DEVELOPMENT, A CERTAIN NUMBER OF TREES HAVE TO BE, UM, PLANTED.
UM, REQUIRED IF SOMEBODY DID PUT IN PARKING THAT THEY HAVE ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS, UM, 3% FOR THE LARGE LOTS OF SPACES.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, FAST TRACKED RENEWABLE PERMISSIONS, REALLY CLARIFYING EXACTLY WHERE THEY WOULD BE ALLOWED AND WHERE THEY WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED.
AND THAT INCLUDES BUILDING MOUNTED WIND, BUILDING MOUNTED SOLAR, AND FREESTANDING, UM, SOLAR.
SO, AS I SAID, I DID DO A REPORT FOR BOSTON.
UM, AND GOING BACK TO THOSE TWO APPROACHES, IT'S EITHER A COMPLETE OVERHAUL OR A PIECEMEAL APPROACH.
MY RECOMMENDATION WAS A COMPLETE OVERHAUL.
AND THIS WAS ACTUALLY, I WROTE, I HAD WRITTEN THE REPORT, UM, GLASS OF JANUARY, AND THEN IT, IT SORT OF WAS REVIEWED AND THEN FINALLY GOT RELEASED IN THE FALL.
I SAID, THAT'S RIGHT, ALL TREES, NO FOREST, BUT THAT, THAT WAS WHAT THE CODE WAS.
UM, AND, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, I REALLY WAS, WAS PUSHING IN MY, IN MY REPORT THAT, WELL, YOU HAVE TWO APPROACHES, BOSTON.
UM, I THINK THEY'RE GONNA DO A PIECEMEAL APPROACH.
I HOPE THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO BE AMBITIOUS, UM, WITH THAT APPROACH.
UM, AND, BUT IT MIGHT BE INSTRUCTIVE FOR, UM, AUSTIN, WHAT EXACTLY THEY'RE DOING.
UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT THE TWO CITIES HAVE SIMILARITIES, UH, IN THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, FA FAST GROWING CITIES, INCREASINGLY EXPENSIVE CITIES, CITIES WITH, IN THEIR CASE ESTABLISHED TRANSIT IN THIS CASE, UH, NEW TRANSIT.
UM, AND THEN ALSO JUST DEMOGRAPHICALLY, YOU KNOW, WHO'S MOVING IN, WHO'S GETTING PUSHED OUT.
UM, I THINK THAT THERE ARE MORE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN BOSTON AND AUSTIN, UM, THAN JUST THE RHYME.
I WATCHED THIS FROM AFAR, SO SADLY, UM, BECAUSE, AND AGAIN, I KNOW MANY IN THIS ROOM AND, AND ELSEWHERE REALLY TRIED TO PUSH FOR A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH, A COMPREHENSIVE OVERHAUL.
UM, AND IT WAS, IT WAS SAD TO, TO DO THAT, UM, TO SEE THAT HAPPEN.
BUT JUST TO SAY THAT AUSTIN IS NOT ALONE IN TRYING, UM, THAT IT'S REALLY HARD TO DO AN OVERHAUL.
IT'S REALLY HARD TO RIP OFF THE BANDING.
ON THE OTHER HAND, ONE OF THE CASES THAT I'VE TRIED TO MAKE TO CITIES THAT HAVE ASKED FOR MY OPINION IS, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF PROCESS IF YOU DO PIECEMEAL STUFF.
UM, SO YOU EITHER JUST GONNA HAVE TO FORTIFY YOURSELF FOR GETTING YELLED AT, OR ROTTEN TOMATOES OR WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, ONCE, UH, OR YOU ONCE MAYBE A LITTLE BIT LONGER, UM, AND, AND GET THAT PUSHED THROUGH.
OR YOU CAN, UM, JUST TRY TO GET YELLED AT ALL AT ONCE.
UM, WE NEVER GOT YELLED AT IN HARTFORD.
SO I THINK WHAT, UM, I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IS, SO WHAT ABOUT THE, THE PIECEMEAL APPROACH? SO WHAT ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS, UM, THAT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT AND WHAT ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT I WOULD, UM, MAYBE ENCOURAGE ADDITIONAL THINKING ABOUT? AS I UNDERSTAND IT, YOU HAVE HAD SOME REALLY RECENT CHANGES FRESH OFF
[00:25:01]
THE, FRESH OFF THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, WHAT IS IT CALLED? AGENDA, I GUESS.UM, SO YOUR THREE DWELLING UNIT ALLOWANCES, I THINK THAT WAS PAIRED WITH MINIMUM LOT SIZE REFORMS AND, AND, UH, ELIMINATION OF PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR THREE, THREE FAMILY HOUSING.
I THINK YOU'VE ALSO DONE SOME THINGS ON TINY HOMES, UH, WHICH, UH, IN, UM, SOME PLACES, AND ACTUALLY I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A MOMENT, BUT MINIMUM UNIT SIZES, UH, ARE MANDATES IN SOME PLACES.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY SO IN THE PLACES YOU'VE ALLOWED TINY HOMES.
UM, SO THAT'S PRETTY EXCITING.
AND I THINK THOSE KINDS OF CHANGES WILL GO A LONG WAY.
UM, AND SO PAT YOURSELVES ON THE BACK FOR THAT.
UM, I DO, OH, SHOULD I TAKE QUESTIONS NOW OR SHOULD I, WAS THAT A QUESTION, OR IT'S JUST ABOUT THE NO PUBLIC HEARING.
WE, WE DID HAVE PUBLIC HEARING, SO I DUNNO.
OH, WHAT I MEANT WAS NO PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR NEW THREE DWELLING UNITS.
NOT TO SAY THAT YOU DID NOT USE PUBLIC HEARINGS DURING THE PROCESS FOR ADOPTING THESE.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO CLARIFY THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, JUST TO SAY TOO, THOUGH, THERE'S A CAUTIONARY TALE, UM, THAT NOT EVERY CITY, UH, HAS BEEN, UM, UH, SORT OF A ATTUNED TO.
UM, AND YOU SEE THAT IN, IN MINNEAPOLIS, WHICH IS, UH, A PLACE WHERE THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT ELIMINATING SINGLE FAMILY ZONING.
AND, UH, THEY TOO ALLOWED FOR WHAT PEOPLE CALL MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING IN SINGLE FAMILY ZONES.
UM, BUT THEY DIDN'T NECESSARILY ELIMINATE ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS, UH, THAT, UH, NEED TO BE REQUIRED, UH, NEED TO THAT SHAPE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
SO I, I, I DON'T NORMALLY JUST SORT OF POST, YOU KNOW, LINKS TO MY PAPERS OR, BUT I, I'VE WRITTEN SO SQUARELY IN THESE AREAS THAT I FIGURE AT LEAST IT'S A STARTING POINT.
AND I'M ABOUT TO SHOW YOU A LOT OF, UM, A COUPLE OF CHARTS FROM THIS PAPER.
IT'S CALLED ZONING BY A THOUSAND CUTS.
AND SO, BUT THAT'S MY BASIC PREMISE IN THIS PAPER, IS THAT THERE'S MORE TO ZONING THAN JUST THE NUMBER OF UNITS THAT YOU REQUIRE.
SO THIS TAGLINE, AND IN FACT, WE'VE SEEN IT, YOU KNOW, EVEN THIS MORNING AT YIMBY TOWN, YOU KNOW, IN ADVOCACY COMMUNITY, THERE'S THIS RALLYING CRY, ELIMINATE SINGLE FAMILY ZONING, BUT THAT IS NOT ALL, UH, THAT YOU NEED TO DO.
THERE ARE ALL OF THESE OTHER LITTLE RULES IN ZONING THAT UNFORTUNATELY MAKE, UH, MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
UM, SO I'LL TALK ABOUT A FEW OF THOSE LOT REQUIREMENTS, BUILDING REQUIREMENTS, OCCUPANCY REQUIREMENTS, UM, AND AGAIN, UH, MANY IN THIS ROOM HAVE WORKED IN HIGH LEVELS OF DETAIL ON THIS.
BUT, UH, FOR OTHERS AND FOR PEOPLE, UH, IN THE, UM, VIRTUAL WORLD OUT THERE, JUST AS A QUICK HIGH LEVEL, UM, OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE LOT REQUIREMENTS THAT YOU SEE IN ZONING, UM, MINIMUM LOT SIZE IS ONE OF THEM.
SO HOW MUCH LAND DO YOU NEED IN ORDER TO DO SOMETHING ON IT? THERE'S COULD BE MINIMUM LOT SIZES FOR RESIDENTIAL, UH, DEVELOPMENTS FOR SINGLE FAMILY MULTIFAMILY, UH, MINIMUM LOT SIZES FOR CERTAIN KINDS OF INDUSTRIAL COMMERCIAL USES, MINIMUM LOT SIZE REGARDLESS OF THE USE.
UH, BUT AGAIN, IT'S THE AMOUNT OF LAND, UH, THAT YOU NEED PER USE.
UM, LARGER MINIMUM LOT SIZES, ESPECIALLY IN RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISIONS, HAVE, UH, EXTREME ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES.
UH, BECAUSE THEY REQUIRE YOU, THE BIGGER A LOT SIZE, THE MORE LIKELY IT IS YOU HAVE TO DRIVE.
THEN WE CREATE THIS CAR CULTURE THAT, UM, WE COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY AVOIDED IF WE HAD VOTED FOR LIGHT RAIL IN 20, 20 SOMETHING YEARS AGO, MAYBE IN AUSTIN.
UM, BUT IS THE VIRTUAL STATUS QUO VIRTUALLY EVERYWHERE? UM, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE, SEE ACROSS THE COUNTRY, LARGE MINIMUM LOT SIZES.
AND THAT'S, UM, SOMETHING THAT, THAT I KNOW FROM THE NATIONAL ZONING ATLAS, UM, MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
SO HOW MANY, UH, PARKING SPACES DO YOU NEED PER, UH, USE? AND AGAIN, YOU'VE TACKLED THAT HERE, SO I'M NOT GONNA GO TOO FAR INTO IT.
UM, MAXIMUM LOT COVERAGE, THE MAXIMUM PERCENTAGE THAT YOU CAN BUILD ON A LOT.
UM, WE'VE HAVE SOME COMMUNITIES THAT WILL SAY YOU CAN ONLY BUILD ON 10% OF YOUR LOT, UM, WITH THE POTENTIALLY LAUDABLE GOAL IN MIND OF ALLOWING FOR MORE, UM, PERMEABLE SURFACE, SO MORE GRASS OR MORE TREES.
UM, BUT OFTEN YOU SEE THAT THOSE, UH, AREAS WHICH HAVE LOW LOT COVERAGE PERCENTAGES HAVE HIGH MINIMUM LOT SIZES.
SO ANY ENVIRONMENTAL POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE FROM LIMITING THE AMOUNT OF LOT YOU CAN BUILD ON IS FAR OUTDONE IN A NEGATIVE WAY, UM, BY THE MINIMUM LOT SIZE THAT ENABLE, THAT REQUIRES YOU TO BUILD SPRAWL AND, UM, UH, KILL FARMLAND AND FORESTS.
IN FACT, IN CONNECTICUT, WE SAW OVER A 15 YEAR PERIOD THAT RESIDENTIAL SPRAWL REDUCED FARMLAND, UM, AND FOREST LAND BY SIX AND 15%, EITHER RESPECTIVELY OR REVERSE.
I DIDN'T MAKE A A MENTAL NOTE OF THAT, BUT, UM, THOSE ARE THE FIGURES.
6% AND 15% FOR FOREST AND FARMLAND.
UM, FLORIDA AREA RATIO, WE DO SEE THIS IN, IN SOME PLACES.
[00:30:01]
NATIONAL ZONING ATLAS.UM, BUT IT'S NOT AS BIG OF A FACTOR AS YOU MIGHT THINK IT IS, UM, GIVEN THE WEIGHT THAT IT'S GIVEN IN, IN, IN PLANNING SCHOOL, LET'S SAY.
UM, BUILDING REQUIREMENTS, UM, MAXIMUM BUILDING HEIGHT.
I UNDERSTAND HERE YOU HAVE WHAT'S CALLED COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS, OR REFERRED TO OFFHAND IS THAT, UH, WITHIN 450 FEET OF, UH, CERTAIN KINDS OF RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, SINGLE FAMILY DEVELOPMENT, UH, YOU HAVE TO MIND YOUR HEIGHT, UM, IN CONNECTICUT, THAT TAKES A DIFFERENT FORM.
UH, IT TAKES THE FORM OF, UH, HEIGHT OF THE BUILDING ITSELF, AND WE LOGGED THOSE IN THE CONNECTICUT ZONING ATLAS.
AND, AND THIS I JUST KIND OF, YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO SEE IT, UH, FULLY.
UM, BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT, UM, THE BUILDING HEIGHT, UM, IN PRIMARILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS.
SO THAT'S THAT TOP ROW OR THE THIRD ROW, BUT THE TOP ROW WITH THE CATEGORY, UM, UH, ACROSS THE BOARD, IT'S IN THE HIGH 80 PERCENTAGE, UH, HEIGHT AND MID 90%, UM, OF LAND THAT REQUIRES A MAXIMUM BUILDING HEIGHT.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT EITHER THEY'RE LIMITED IN NUMBER OF STORIES, OR THEY'RE LIMITED IN NUMBER OF FEET.
SO IT, THEY COULD SAY TWO STORIES OR THEY COULD SAY 25 FEET.
UM, BUT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, 94% OF SINGLE FAMILY LAND HAS A HEIGHT CAP.
YOU'LL ALSO SEE, IF YOU GO TO THE RIGHT WHERE IT SAYS FOUR OR MORE FAMILY, AGAIN, 85% OF LAND WITH FOUR OR MORE FAMILY HOUSING HAS A HEIGHT CAP.
I THINK ONE REASON FOR THAT IS THAT, UM, THE PLACES WHICH ALLOW, ONE REASON WHY IT'S LESS IS THAT THE PLACES THAT ALLOW FOR MORE FAMILY HOUSING, AS OF RIGHT, UM, ALREADY HAVE OTHER LIMITATIONS, UM, UH, OR ARE OR INCLUDING, UH, MAXIMUM NUMBER OF UNITS OR ARE PLACES LIKE DOWNTOWNS WHERE THEY DON'T NECESSARILY CARE, UH, HOW TALL YOU BUILD AND WON'T EXPECT FOR YOU GIVEN ECONOMIC CONDITIONS TO BUILD A 50 STORY BUILDING.
ANYWAY, UM, HERE IS A CHART THAT SHOWS, AGAIN, JUST A CONNECTICUT AS, AS A, WE'VE DONE SUMMARY STATISTICS FOR THE WHOLE STATE.
SO THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE, CERTAINLY A DIFFERENT KIND OF STATE, UH, AND DIFFERENT KIND OF DEVELOPMENT THAN AUSTIN.
UM, BUT THERE, THE HEIGHT CAPS IN NUMBER OF STORY AND NUMBER OF STORY EQUIVALENTS ARE ABOUT THREE, JUST OVER THREE.
UM, SO JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF THOSE, THOSE HEIGHT CAPS.
UM, IN ADDITION, UH, THERE ARE UNIT SIZE REQUIREMENTS ALL OVER THE, UH, THE COUNTRY.
SO MINIMUM UNIT SIZES REQUIRE A SINGLE APARTMENT USUALLY, UH, TO BE A CERTAIN SIZE.
UM, BUT THEY ALSO REQUIRE SOMETIMES SINGLE FAMILY HOMES TO BE A CERTAIN SIZE IN ABOUT A QUARTER OF THE DISTRICTS IN CONNECTICUT, OR FIFTH, ACTUALLY, 22%.
UM, THERE IS A MINIMUM UNIT SIZE FOR APARTMENTS, UM, FOR, UH, THE, IN THE DISTRICTS WHERE THERE'S A MINIMUM UNIT SIZE FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING, IT'S OVER A THOUSAND SQUARE FEET, UH, IN 40% OF THE LAND.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT YOU CAN'T BUILD TINY HOMES IN, IN THAT AREA BECAUSE THERE'S A MINIMUM UNIT SIZE.
UH, NOT TO MENTION, UM, OR YOU'RE PUTTING ASIDE THE FACT THAT THE CONNECTICUT SUPREME COURT SAID THAT MINIMUM UNIT SIZES WERE ILLEGAL CITIES STILL HAVE THEM ON THE BOOKS.
UM, IN ADDITION, THERE'S MAXIMUM UNIT SIZES FOR ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS.
THE MAJORITY OF CONNECTICUT COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS HAVE MAXIMUM UNIT SIZES.
UM, I DON'T KNOW, UM, I DIDN'T CHECK.
MAYBE YOU CAN, UH, SOMEBODY CAN TELL ME WHETHER AUSTIN HAS SOME MAXIMUM UNIT SIZE FOR ACCESSORY DWELLINGS.
UM, UH, AND YOU KNOW, PROBABLY UNFORTUNATELY, SO, UM, CONNECTIONS TO WATER AND SEWER LINES, SOMETIMES THAT'S A REQUIREMENT.
I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE THAT ISSUE HERE IN AUSTIN.
CONNECTIONS TO TRANSIT, UM, IS ANOTHER, UH, BUILDING REQUIREMENT.
I ALSO WANTED TO COMMENT ON, ON OCCUPANCY REQUIREMENTS.
UM, SO ESPECIALLY FOR ADU ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS.
SO, UH, UNITS THAT ARE CONSIDERED SECONDARY TO A PRIMARY DWELLING, UM, OR UNITS THAT MIGHT BE, UH, CONSIDERED TO BE, UM, PART OF AN INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, WORK NIGHT WATCHMAN HOUSING, UM, IS A THING.
AND SO WE SEE ADUS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BOTH FOR SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS AND IN NON-RESIDENTIAL AREAS WHERE THE PERSON IS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE INSTITUTION.
AND SO, JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF, IN, IN CONNECTICUT, UM, 70% OF ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT, UH, ALLOWING JURISDICTIONS REQUIRE THE OWNER TO BE, UH, A RESIDENT OF EITHER THE MAIN UNIT OR THE ACCESSORY UNIT.
UH, A QUARTER SAY IT HAS TO BE A FAMILY MEMBER OR AN EMPLOYEE IN 14% OF PLACES THERE'S A PROHIBITION ON NON RENTERS.
I DIDN'T JOT DOWN THE ELDERLY, UH, REQUIREMENT THAT'S OUT THERE.
I WOULD SAY IT'S LESS THAN 10%, THOUGH I DID WANNA SAY A WORD TOO ABOUT PUBLIC HEARINGS, JUST TO COME BACK TO, UM, THAT COMMENT THAT I MADE EARLIER
[00:35:01]
ABOUT WHAT WE DID IN HARTFORD.UM, IF YOU ARE FAMILIAR AT ALL WITH SINGLE FAMILY ZONING AND PERMITTING FOR SINGLE FAMILY ZONING, UM, IT IS BY AND LARGE, UH, PERMITTED WITHOUT A PUBLIC HEARING.
SO ANYBODY WHO'S BUILDING SINGLE FAMILY LOT, UH, DEVELOPMENT OR BUILDING A SINGLE FAMILY HOME ON A LOT CAN ROLL INTO THE CITY PLANNING OFFICE WITH DECENT PLANS AND, AND PROBABLY GET A PERMIT PRETTY QUICKLY WITHOUT REQUIRING, UH, EXTENSIVE INPUT BY YOUR NEIGHBORS.
YOU CAN SEE HERE, AGAIN, JUST USING A CONNECTICUT EXAMPLE, 46% OF, UH, UM, UH, LAND THAT ALLOWS FOR TWO FAMILY HOUSING TRIGGERS A PUBLIC HEARING, THEN IT JUMPS RAPIDLY UP TO SOMEWHERE IN THE NINETIES FOR THREE OR MORE FAMILY HOUSING.
AND THAT IS TRUE FOR, UH, THAT KIND OF HOUSING IN PRIMARILY RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
THAT IS AREAS WHICH DON'T HAVE, UH, MIXED USES OR OFFICE OR RETAIL ALONG WITH THEIR RESIDENTIAL.
BUT EVEN JUMPING DOWN TO MIX WITH RESIDENTIAL, YOU STILL SEE PRETTY HIGH, UM, NUMBERS 4, 2, 3, AND FOUR FAMILY HOUSING.
THIS IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE ANYTIME YOU REQUIRE A PUBLIC HEARING, IT ADDS TIME TO THE PROCESS THAT COSTS THE PROJECT PROPONENT MONEY.
AND IT ALSO INTRODUCES UNCERTAINTY.
WHO WAS IN THE ROOM THAT NIGHT WHEN THEY VOTED, AND WHAT DID THEY HAVE FOR DINNER THE NIGHT BEFORE? DID THEY NOT HAVE DINNER? AND THEY WERE HANGRY.
AND SO THEY VOTED AGAINST THE PROJECT 'CAUSE PEOPLE WERE TAKING TOO LONG.
A LOT OF PUBLIC HEARINGS WRITE ON HUMAN NATURE, UM, AND WHO IS SHOWING UP TO, TO, UH, TO OPINE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
UM, ANIKA SING LAMAR, WHO'S A, A YALE LAW PROFESSOR, A CLINICAL PROFESSOR, UM, UH, DID A, A REALLY INTERESTING PAPER ON, ON PARTICIPATION IN ZONING.
AND, YOU KNOW, SHE AND I BOTH AGREE THAT THE PARTICIPATION SHOULD COME WHEN YOU'RE WRITING THE RULES, NOT WHEN IT'S A, A SPECIFIC PROJECT IS IS ON THE LINE BECAUSE I THINK YOU GET WORSE RESULTS THAT WAY.
BUT NONETHELESS, THAT'S HOW WE ZONE, UH, IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND IT'S NOT JUST IN CONNECTICUT.
I KNOW, TOO THAT YOU GUYS ARE LOOKING AT TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, UH, AND HOW YOU'RE GOING TO CAPITALIZE ON THE NEW DEVELOPMENT.
UM, I WAS FORTUNATE THIS MORNING, OR THIS, THIS, UH, THAT JUST AFTER LATE MORNING, UM, TO BE SITTING AROUND A TABLE WITH SOME EXPERTS FROM, UH, BROOKINGS SITELINE INSTITUTE AND OTHER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS SAYING, I'M GONNA GO TALK TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN TODAY.
WHAT SHOULD I TELL THEM ABOUT TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT? UM, AND THEY HELPED ME CROWDSOURCE THIS, UH, IN A WAY, UM, TO SAY THAT THE MAIN THING ABOUT HOW TO WRITE EQUITABLE TOD IS TO NOT MAKE IT COMPLICATED.
DON'T REQUIRE GROUND FLOOR RETAIL.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THAT HAS BEEN A FAILED EXPERIMENT IN MANY PLACES.
DON'T REQUIRE COMPLICATED FORMULAS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, DO INCLUDE WHERE IT IS APPROPRIATE MANDATES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
BUT THEY, I, OTHERS AROUND THE COUNTRY HAVE SEEN THAT OVERCOMPLICATING, UM, UH, TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT ACTUALLY MEANS THAT IT DOES NOT GET BUILT.
UM, ELIMINATING PUBLIC HEARINGS, ELIMINATING MINIMUM LOT SIZES, ELIMINATING MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS, DIDN'T THROW THE PUBLIC HEARING, UH, ONE UP THERE.
UM, BUT, UH, ADD IT TO THE LIST.
UM, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THOSE, ALL OF THOSE THINGS, UH, TO SMOOTH THE PROCESS TO MAKE DEVELOPMENT EASY WILL RESULT IN DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THAT SAID, THE CITY SHOULD HAVE A LOT TO SAY ABOUT WHAT KIND OF, UH, DEVELOPMENT THAT ACTUALLY IS.
SO WHETHER IT'S THROUGH DESIGN GUIDELINES, FORM-BASED CODES, UM, JUST CUTTING AND PASTING FROM ANOTHER COMMUNITY STEALING CODE, IT'S NOT A CRIME, IT'S A LAW.
TAKE IT IF YOU THINK IT'S GOOD.
UM, I WANTED TO POINT OUT A FEW THINGS.
'CAUSE CONNECTICUT IS ONE OF THE PLACES THAT WE'VE USED THE ZONING ATLAS TO, UM, LOOK AT, UH, TRANS ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT.
SO I FOUNDED, UM, IN 2000 AND ORGANIZATION, UH, IN LIGHT OF ALL OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE WERE HAVING ABOUT RACE, UH, AND STRUCTURAL RACISM.
UH, A GROUP CALLED DESEGREGATE CONNECTICUT.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE THE ZONING ATLAS CAME FROM.
IT'S WHERE MY, MY VIEWS ON HOUSING HAVE BEEN SHAPED, UM, BY THE 80 MEMBERS OF OUR COALITION.
UM, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TRIED TO DO RIGHT AWAY WAS TO ANALYZE WHERE, UH, TRAIN STATIONS AND IN THE, IN THE GREEN THERE, UH, CONNECTICUT FAST TRACK STATIONS WERE.
SO THAT'S A BUS RAPID TRANSIT.
SO YOU CAN SEE, ACTUALLY, I'M GONNA FLIP TO THIS SIDE, UM, JUST TO SAY 51, 51, UM, TRAIN STATIONS, 10 FAST TRACK STATIONS.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF COMMUNITIES IN CONNECTICUT.
THERE'S, THERE'S WHERE THEY ARE, UH, IN PURPLE THAT HAVE, UM, RAIL OR FAST TRACK.
[00:40:01]
LOOKED AT ZONING, UH, IT'S SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PURPLE THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE HERE.'CAUSE THIS IS FROM THE CONNECTICUT OLD CONNECTICUT ZONING ATLAS.
UM, BUT THIS SHOWS YOU WHERE, UM, HOUSING OF ANY KIND IS ALLOWED.
UH, IN CONNECTICUT, MOST OF CONNECTICUT IS PURPLE.
91% OF THE LAND IN CONNECTICUT ALLOWS FOR, UH, SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING.
UM, THE IMAGE ON THE RIGHT SHOWS YOU WHERE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING IS ALLOWED.
IN CONNECTICUT, THERE'S NO PURPLE.
IT'S 2% OF THE LAND ALLOWS FOR MULTIFAMILY HOUSING, AS OF RIGHT.
UM, WHAT WE FOUND IN LOOKING AT THESE TRAIN STATIONS, AND I'LL SKIP AHEAD HERE, IS THAT VERY FEW TOWNS, UM, ACTUALLY ALLOWED FOR AS OF RIGHT MULTIFAMILY HOUSING.
UM, WHICH MEANS THAT, UM, THERE'S A HUGE AMOUNT OF STATE AND FEDERAL INVESTMENT THAT HAS GONE INTO THESE STATIONS WITH VERY LITTLE ECONOMIC GROWTH OR ECONOMIC PAYOFF TO SHOW FOR IT.
UM, AND, AND AGAIN, LOOK AT THE LARGE NUMBER.
I MEAN, THIS CONNECTICUT IS THE SAME POPULATION AS HOUSTON WHERE I'M FROM, AND IT HAS ALL THESE LITTLE TRAIN STATIONS, AND THEY'RE FRANKLY UNDERUTILIZED BECAUSE THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO USE THEM ARE PEOPLE WHO DRIVE THERE TO MAYBE GET INTO NEW YORK OR MAYBE, MAYBE TAKE A TRIP.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE STILL, THEY'RE INCREASINGLY WELL, WELL UTILIZED, BUT THEY'RE STILL FAR UNDERUTILIZED FOR WHAT THEY NEED TO BE.
UM, WE ALSO SAW WHAT WE CALL TRANSIT TOWNS.
UM, RE 22 TO 40 REQUIRED LARGE MINIMUM LOT SIZES.
I MEAN, REALLY A LARGE ACRE MINIMUM LOT SIZE IS LIKE AN EIGHTH OF AN ACRE OR MORE WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A TRAIN STATION OR ANY LOT SIZE MINIMUM AT ALL.
UM, SO YET HERE WE SEE, UH, AND, AND CERTAINLY MANY OF THE COMMUNITIES HAD ONE OR TWO ACRE MINIMUM LOT SIZES AROUND THEIR TRAIN STATIONS.
AND BY THE WAY, YOU GUYS, THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT AS A WHOLE, 80% OF RESIDENTIAL LAND HAS A ONE ACRE MINIMUM.
50% OF LAND HAS A TWO ACRE MINIMUM.
SO BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN, UH, AUSTIN AND CONNECTICUT, BUT I JUST WANT THIS TO BE SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT FOR YOU.
AS YOU THINK ABOUT, UM, THINK ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW THE CITY ZONES, UH, HERE.
SO ADDITIONALLY, WE, AND WE WROTE A REPORT ABOUT THIS, IT'S ON THE DESEGREGATE CONNECTICUT WEBSITE, WHICH IS DESEGREGATE CT.ORG/DATA.
YOU CAN GET A REPORT ON THIS AND A REPORT ON ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, COST OF SPRAWL, UM, AND AS WELL AS, UH, A, A LITTLE REPORT ON ECONOMIC GROWTH.
UM, BUT IT'S, IF YOU WANNA DIG INTO DETAIL, BUT THE WEALTHIEST, THE LEAST RACIALLY DIVERSE, UH, UH, THE SMALLER TOWNS WERE THE ONES THAT ALLOWED LESS, UH, MULTIFAMILY HOUSING OR, OR, UH, THAT THAT REQUIRED MORE LARGE MINIMUM LOT SIZE HOUSING.
UM, SO WITH THAT, AND, YOU KNOW, GIVING SO MUCH INTO SOME OTHER STATES, I JUST WANTED TO SHOW A FEW SLIDES ABOUT THE NATIONAL ZONING ATLAS.
UM, AND THEN, UM, MAYBE TURN TO SOME Q AND A.
SO ACTUALLY, LET ME JUST PAUSE HERE TO SAY, UM, IF YOU WANNA FOLLOW ALONG AND, AND EXPLORE THE ATLAS YOURSELF, UM, IT'S FREE TO THE PUBLIC, IT'S THERE TO BE USED, IT'S THERE TO BE SCREENSHOTTED.
UM, SO GO TO ZONING ATLAS.ORG/ATLAS.
UM, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY WORK AS WELL ON MOBILE.
WE ARE WORKING ON THAT, I PROMISE.
UM, BUT IT IS, IT IS, UH, A COOL TOOL.
UM, SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WHAT ZONING IS.
I WANTED TO ALSO JUST MENTION WHAT MAKES ZONING COMPLICATED AND WHAT MAKES THE PROJECT THE NATIONAL ZONING ATLAS COMPLICATED.
SO AUSTIN HAS ITS 400 PAGE ZONING CODE.
UM, LAKEWAY HAS ITS OWN ZONING CODE, UM, UH, BUTA, B CAVE, ALL THESE TOWNS ALL AROUND THE CITY HAVE THEIR OWN ZONING CODES, WHICH MEANS, UM, UNDERSTANDING AT SCALE, LIKE WE SAW IN THE CONNECTICUT ATLAS FROM ONE JURISDICTION TO ANOTHER IN COMMON FORM.
HOW EACH JURISDICTION ZONES IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE IT'S TOTALLY DECENTRALIZED.
EACH ZONING CODE IS WRITTEN DIFFERENTLY.
THEY'RE STRUCTURED DIFFERENTLY.
THEY USE DIFFERENT WORDS, THEY USE DIFFERENT WORDS TO SAY THE SAME THING.
THEY USE THE SAME WORDS TO DESCRIBE TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT THINGS.
IT COULD MEAN RESIDENTS AND OFFICE.
IT COULD MEAN OFFICE AND COMMERCIAL.
IT COULD MEAN INDUSTRIAL AND LIGHT INDUSTRIAL.
IT COULD MEAN WAREHOUSE AND OFFICE.
I MEAN, SO JUST THE SAME TYPE OF ZONING DISTRICT NAME, UM, IS, CAN BE MANY DIFFERENT THINGS IN, IN DIFFERENT TOWNS.
UM, AND THEN IF YOU'RE NOT A PLANNER, UH, OR A LAWYER OR SOMEBODY WHO'S JUST A ZONING NERD, UH, YOU CAN FIND THESE, UM, CODES TO BE PRETTY CONVOLUTED AND JARGON HEAVY.
UM, EVERY STATE, BY THE WAY, HAS ZONING.
EVERY STATE, UH, ENABLES LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO ENACT ZONING THROUGH THE STATE.
ZONING ENABLING ACT, WHICH STARTED OFF IN THE 1920S IS PRETTY SIMILAR.
UM, THEY'VE ALL, THEY'VE ALL BEEN MODIFIED THE STATE'S, UH, ZONING, ENABLING ACTS OVER THE YEARS, SOME MORE DRAMATICALLY THAN OTHERS.
UM, AND AGAIN, THAT HAS, UM, I DID WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO OUR AMAZING TEAM, UM, IN, UH, FOR THE NATIONAL ZONING ATLAS.
[00:45:01]
AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY.WE'RE ABOUT TO ANNOUNCE SEVEN NEW PEOPLE WHO WILL BE HIRED BY A NEW AFFILIATED NONPROFIT.
UM, OUR INTERNS, UM, WHO ARE AWESOME TOO.
HE'S THERE, UH, FIFTH FROM THE FIFTH FROM THE LEFT AT THE BOTTOM.
HE'S AT YIMBY TOWN TODAY, OTHERWISE HE WOULD BE HERE, UH, AS WELL.
UM, SO JUST A SHOUT OUT TO THE STAFF THAT'S BUILDING IT.
UM, AND TO SAY THAT AS OF TODAY, WE HAVE ABOUT 40 MILLION PEOPLE, UH, COVERED BY ZONING ATLAS TOWNS.
SO THIS IS A MAP IN PURPLE OF THE PLACES THAT HAVE BEEN COVERED TO DATE.
SO OF COURSE, CONNECTICUT'S COVERED RHODE ISLAND, NEW HAMPSHIRE AND HAWAII ARE FULL, HAVE FULL STATE COVERAGE TODAY.
AT THE CONFERENCE, I ANNOUNCED THAT WE WOULD BE COVERING COLORADO, ARIZONA, ALASKA, UTAH, GEORGIA, AND NORTH CAROLINA IN FULL.
UM, WE HAVE SOME TEAMS GOING IN TEXAS.
I'LL SHOW YOU AN IMAGE OF THAT IN A, IN A MOMENT.
WE HAVE A DALLAS-FORT WORTH, UH, TEAM, THE SPACE OUT OF UNT THAT WILL BE FINISHING THAT UP.
I WAS HOPING TO HAVE AUSTIN TODAY OR SAN ANTONIO.
UH, BUT WE DIDN'T QUITE MAKE IT IN TIME.
WE ARE, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING, UH, ON THE GULF COAST, UH, AND WE HAVE A FEW JURISDICTIONS AROUND AUSTIN, UM, IN TOTAL.
AGAIN, THIS IS JUST TO ZOOM OUT IN CASE THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS.
UM, WE HAVE ABOUT, UH, 8,000 JURISDICTIONS IN PROGRESS ACROSS AROUND 30 STATES, COUPLE THOUSAND JURISDICTION COMPLETED.
UM, FOUR STATE, AND THEN A BUNCH OF REGIONAL ATLASES COMPLETED.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE THOSE 13 FULL-TIME STAFF, BUT WE ALSO HAVE ABOUT 320, UM, CONTRIBUTORS TO THE PROJECT TO DATE, UH, FROM 85 COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS.
SO THIS HAS GOTTEN SOME REALLY GOOD PRESS.
WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THE MOMENTUM THAT HAS BEEN BUILT.
UM, BUT 40 MILLION IS NOT THE WHOLE COUNTRY, AND SO WE ARE WORKING AS FAST AS WE CAN TO GET IT DONE.
SO, JUST A QUICK WORD TO SAY, AUSTIN IS COMING SOON.
I'M COMMITTED TO THAT, AND I PROMISE YOU IT WILL BE UP, UH, UP SOON.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO ZOOM IN.
UH, AND TO DO THAT, YOU GO TO, UH, THE BOTTOM LEFT OF YOUR SCREEN.
IF YOU'RE ONLINE, GO TO ZOOM TO TEXAS.
UM, AND THEN YOU CAN EITHER ZOOM TO TRAVIS COUNTY UNDER THE COUNTY.
UH, ACTUALLY YOU DON'T WANNA ZOOM TO TRAVIS COUNTY, YOU WANNA JUST KIND OF ZOOM INTO THE GENERAL AREA, UM, FROM TEXAS, IF YOU WANNA SEE EVEN MORE.
UM, THOSE AREAS IN GRAY IN THIS SLIDE DO NOT HAVE ZONING.
MOSTLY THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS WITHIN COUNTIES.
THE OTHER WHITE PLACES ARE IN PROGRESS JURISDICTIONS.
UM, I DID HAVE A, A FRIEND IN COLLEGE WHOSE PARENTS LIVED IN LAKEWAY.
SO I WAS DELIGHTED TO SEE, UH, LAKEWAY DONE.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, AGAIN, SOME OF THESE OTHER, UH, SURROUNDING JURISDICTIONS, WHICH HAVE EXACTLY THE KIND OF ZONING CHARACTERISTICS THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT, MOSTLY PRIMARILY RESIDENTIAL, NOT A LOT OF INDUSTRIAL USES.
UM, YOU MIGHT NOT SEE TOO MUCH INDU INDUSTRIAL IN AUSTIN.
I WILL POINT OUT THOUGH, UM, THAT IF YOU ARE IN THE ZONING ATLAS AND YOU GO TO SHOW, SHOW ME WHERE, AND YOU CLICK ON SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, THAT ONE TOGGLE, YOU'LL GET THE IMAGE IN THE RIGHT, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY THE EXACT SAME IMAGE AS I SHOWED YOU BEFORE, UH, CONFIRMING THAT VIRTUALLY ALL OF THESE COMMUNITIES THAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR PRIMARILY DO ALLOW SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING.
THEN IF YOU TOGGLE, UH, SO RELEASE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES AND THEN TOGGLE FOR OR MORE FAMILY HOUSING YOU SEE HERE, UM, VIRTUALLY NONE OF THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES IN AUSTIN, UM, ALLOW FOR MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING.
THE REASON THAT THIS IS RELEVANT TO THE CITY AND THE CITY'S CONTEXT IS BECAUSE IT SHOWS YOU POTENTIALLY THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE THE CITY THAT'S PROVIDING THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING.
YOU HAVE AN IMPERATIVE, A GREATER OBLIGATION TO, UM, TO ENABLE THAT KIND OF HOUSING, UM, BECAUSE YOUR NEIGHBORS ARE NOT DOING IT.
AND OF COURSE YOU CAN'T FORCE THEM TO DO IT, UM, YOURSELF AS A CITY.
SO I JUST ENCOURAGE YOU TO, AS WE GET ALL OF THE JURISDICTIONS IN, UH, TRAVIS WILLIAMSON AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES ONLINE, UM, THAT YOU EXPLORE THIS.
UH, IT IS INTERESTING THOUGH TO NOTE HOW MANY JURISDICTIONS DON'T DO NOT HAVE ZONING.
UM, SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE TO KEEP AN EYE ON.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT STORY PLAYS OUT, UH, IN THE FUTURE, BUT IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING AGAIN, TO KIND OF KEEP YOUR EYE ON.
I'LL ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU IN THE, IN THE ATLAS TO CHECK OUT NASHVILLE.
UH, SO AGAIN, THESE ARE NOT ENTIRELY, UH, UH, SIMILAR CITIES.
NO TWO CITIES OF THESE SIZES ARE ALIKE.
NASHVILLE IS MUCH LARGER IN LAND SIZE, 526 SQUARE MILES VERSUS 305 SQUARE MILES, UM, IS SMALLER IN POPULATION, WHICH MEANS IS MORE SPREAD OUT.
UH, AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE STATS HERE, 700,000 VERSUS ALMOST A MILLION.
UM, BUT FROM AN ECONOMY AND CULTURE PERSPECTIVE, FROM A, WHO'S MOVING IN, WHO'S MOVING OUT? WHO'S BEING DISPLACED? DISPLACED, UM, AGAIN, SIMILAR TO BOSTON.
SO IF YOU DON'T THINK BOSTON'S A GOOD COMPARATOR CITY, CHECK OUT NASHVILLE AND BOSTON WILL BE UP AT SOME POINT.
UM, BUT BOSTON IS SO COMPLICATED, IT'S SO COMPLICATED.
IT'S TAKING US MUCH LONGER THAN WE HOPED.
UM, BUT NASHVILLE IS UP, AND IT MIGHT BE ANOTHER PLACE FOR YOU TO, TO CHECK OUT.
[00:50:02]
UM, HERE'S AN IMAGE OF NASHVILLE ON THE ATLAS.WE ALSO HAVE THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS AT THE BEACON CENTER IN TENNESSEE.
UM, WE HAVE, THEY DID NASHVILLE AND THEY DID THE SURROUNDING, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS.
AGAIN, THEY'RE ONE OF THE 85, UH, COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS.
UM, AGAIN, YOU SEE IN NASHVILLE PROBABLY WHAT WE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'LL SEE IN AUSTIN, ACTUALLY, I DON'T WANNA VENTURE TO GUESS, BUT IT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE.
SINGLE FAMILY ON THE LEFT VERSUS MULTIFAMILY AS OF RIGHT WITHOUT PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THE RIGHT.
UM, SO CONCENTRATED AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE DOWNTOWN, OF COURSE, THE COMMERCIAL SPINES, AND YOU CAN FOLLOW THE ZONING ATLAS ALLOWS YOU TO FOLLOW THE TRAIL OF WHERE THESE THINGS GO.
YOU CAN REALLY SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING IS ALLOWED.
IT'S ON THOSE CENTRAL QUARTERS AND ALONG THE HIGHWAYS.
UM, SO I THINK THEY COULD, I COULD LITERALLY TALK ABOUT ZONING FOR EIGHT HOURS A DAY.
UM, BUT I THINK I SHOULD, WE'RE RIGHT AT AT TWO O'CLOCK.
SO I THINK I'LL STOP THERE AND WE CAN JUST MAYBE EXCHANGE DIALOGUE.
AND I'D LOVE TO ACTUALLY LEARN FROM YOU ALL, UM, WHAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT AND, AND LEARN FROM YOU.
SO WE'RE A LITTLE BIT, UH, I, I GUESS OUR BUDGETS ONLY IF WE'RE TWO MICROPHONES, SO WE'LL BE PLAYING THIS BACK AND FORTH A LITTLE BIT.
UM, BUT YEAH, WE'LL, UH, OPEN UP TO QUESTIONS, BUT REAL QUICK, I I I, I WANTED TO ASK, UH, COULD, YOU MENTIONED FORM-BASED ZONING AND, UH, JUST, I KNOW THAT PROBABLY EVERYBODY HERE KNOWS WHAT THAT IS, BUT IF THERE'S ANYBODY ELSE OUT THERE, ANYBODY'S WATCHING A RECORDING LATER, I, THERE'S A COUPLE OF APPROACHES TO ZONING.
THERE MIGHT BE OTHERS, I DON'T KNOW.
UH, DO YOU, COULD YOU LIKE, JUST KIND OF MAYBE BRIEFLY EXPLAIN THEM BRIEFLY,
SO MAYBE I'LL, I'LL EX EXPLAIN THEM AND THEN I'LL ANSWER THE SECOND QUESTION.
UM, SO IN THE 1920S, THE SUPREME COURT CONSIDERED A CASE CALLED, UM, VILLAGE OF EUCLID VERSUS AMBLER REALTY, ABOUT AN OHIO CITY THAT, BY THE WAY, HAS BEEN POSTED IN THE NATIONAL ZONING ATLAS.
SO YOU CAN SEE EXACTLY HOW IT ZONES TODAY.
IT WAS ONE OF OUR TOP OHIO PRIORITIES OF ALL PLACES.
UM, BUT, UH, THE CITY OF EUCLID, UH, THE VILLAGE OF U EUCLID RATHER HAD, UM, HAD A ZONING CODE AND IT WAS AN EARLY ZONING CODE, SO AGAIN, 1920S.
AND, UH, IT WAS SUED BY A COMMERCIAL DEVELOPER FOR BEING A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNER, FOR BEING UN UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
THE SUPREME COURT SAID, NO, THIS IS CONSTITUTIONAL, YOU CAN REGULATE ON THE BASIS OF USE.
UM, AND BY THE WAY, THE SUPREME COURT THREW IN A, A, A PHRASE THAT SAID THAT APARTMENT BUILDINGS WERE QUOTE, MERE PARASITES ON THE SINGLE FAMILY ZONE.
UM, SO YOU CAN TELL HOW THE SUPREME COURT, UH, FELT ABOUT, UH, APARTMENT, UH, UNIT APARTMENTS, UM, IN A SENTIMENT THAT SOMETIMES, UH, YOU EXPERIENCE TODAY.
UM, THE CODE IN THE CITY OF EUCLID WAS ACTUALLY PARAMETAL, WHICH MEANT THAT EVERY, SO IN, IN AN INDUSTRIAL ZONE OR WHAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED INDUSTRIAL ZONE, ANY USE THAT WAS ALLOWED IN THE CITY WAS ALLOWED.
AND THEN IT GOT SMALLER AND SMALLER, SMALLER UNTIL THE TOP OF THE PYRAMID WAS THE SINGLE FAMILY ZONE AND ONLY THE SINGLE FAMILY ZONE WAS ALLOWED.
BUT IN THE, LET'S SAY, IF YOU START WITH SINGLE FAMILY, THE NEXT ONE, YOU COULD HAVE SINGLE FAMILY, TWO FAMILY, THE NEXT ONE YOU COULD HAVE SINGLE FAMILY.
SO WHEN I THINK OF EUCLIDEAN ZONING, I THINK OF THAT PARAMETAL ZONING.
UM, BUT PARAMETAL ZONING IS NOT IN USE TODAY.
SO PEOPLE REFER TO EUCLIDEAN ZONING AS MAYBE YOU WOULD CALL IT TRADITIONAL ZONING, ZONING THAT REGULATES ON THE BASIS OF USE.
UM, FORM-BASED ZONING IS REALLY A, MAYBE A CONCEPT THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN AROUND BECAUSE WE'VE ALWAYS HAD LIMITATIONS ON HEIGHT.
UM, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD LIMITATIONS ON BULK, UM, AND ON DENSITY.
SO IN SOME WAYS YOU COULD SEE, SAY EVEN EARLY ZONING CODES, UM, HAD, UH, THAT THOSE KINDS OF FORM PARAMETERS.
UM, BUT THE PHRASE BECAME MORE POPULAR WITH THE RISE OF THE NEW URBANISTS IN THE 1990S.
UM, AND THEIR FIRST MORE FORM-BASED CODE, ALTHOUGH IT'S STILL REGULATED USES IN SEASIDE, FLORIDA.
AND SO AGAIN, FOR THOSE WHO ARE STUDENTS OF PLANNING HISTORY, YOU KNOW, ALL ABOUT THIS.
UM, BUT THE CITIES THAT HAVE ADOPTED FORM-BASED CODING, AND THERE'S SEVERAL HUNDRED OF THEM TODAY THAT HAVE, UM, CITYWIDE FORM-BASED CODES, THEY, THEY TRY TO ARTICULATE, UM, GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPMENT.
SOMETIMES THEY DO IT CITYWIDE, SOMETIMES THEY JUST DO IT FOR CERTAIN ZONES, INCLUDING LIKE A DOWNTOWN OR SOMETHING.
UM, CONNECTICUT HAS, UH, A COUPLE OF CITYWIDE, UH, FORM-BASED CODES, BRIDGEPORT AND HARTFORD.
UM, AND THEN OTHER PLACES LIKE SIMSBURY AND UH, AVON HAVE JUST NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, CODES, UH, CANTON.
UM, SO YOU CAN DO IT A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
UM, IF THE FORM-BASED CODE REQUIRES GOLD LEAF, UH, ON THE EXTERIOR OF YOUR BUILDINGS, THEN IT WILL BE MORE EXPENSIVE.
UM, SO IT'S HARD TO SAY WHETHER ONE IS NECESSARILY MORE EQUITABLE THAN THE OTHER.
IF, HOWEVER, YOU DO HAVE A REASONABLE FORM-BASED CODE, UM, THAT
[00:55:01]
SETS OUT, YOU KNOW, WITHIN SOME GUIDELINES, UH, THE KINDS OF, UH, SHAPES, SIZES, ROOF TYPES, AND WHATEVER, UM, YOU MIGHT WANNA SEE THAT COULD ACTUALLY BE MORE EQUITABLE BECAUSE IT ENABLES FOR PROPERTY OWNERS IS KIND OF BESIDES THE POINT IT'S GROWING.UM, SO, AND ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT IT IS WHETHER THE FORM-BASED CODE CAN ENABLE, UH, APPROPRIATE ADAPTATION TO THAT GROWTH.
SO I WOULD, I CAN'T ANSWER THE SECOND QUESTION DEFINITIVELY, BUT AGAIN, UM, WELL I GUESS THE GOLDIE FACTORY IN HARTFORD IS CLOSED, SO WE DON'T HAVE A GOOD SOURCE FOR THAT, UH, REGARDLESS.
SO DON'T, DON'T PUT THAT IN YOUR COAT.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, UH, IN THE AUDIENCE HERE? EVELYN'S MAKING HER WAY TO YOU.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, EQUITABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, AND I NOTICED YOU USED INCLUSIONARY ZONING AS A TOOL TO ENCOURAGE SOME OF THAT.
UM, HAVE YOU SEEN ANY SUCCESS CASES IN STATES LIKE TEXAS OR TENNESSEE WHERE INCLUSIONARY ZONING IS OUTLAWED? OH, YOU MEAN AT THE STATE LEVEL? LIKE AN INCLUSION MANDATE? YEAH, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THERE.
IF THERE ARE STATE STATUTES THAT, UM, THAT PREVENT IT, UM, THERE ARE DIFFERENT, I WOULD RECOMMEND, UM, I THINK CLAUDIA AIKEN DID A REPORT ON INCLUSIONARY ZONING, UH, AND IT'S THE PRINCIPLES FOR SUCCESS AROUND THE COUNTRY, AND SHE WAS LOOKING AT LOCAL LEVEL, UM, CODES.
UH, IN GENERAL, UM, INCLUSIONARY ZONING CAN WORK WELL IN THOSE PLACES WHERE THERE IS A LOT OF DEMAND AND, AND THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR DISPLACEMENT OF EXISTING COMMUNITIES.
UM, UH, AND WHERE THERE, AGAIN, WHERE THERE IS ACTUAL DEMAND FOR CONSTRUCTION.
SO I'LL USE AS AN EXAMPLE OF A CITY THAT, UH, HAS BEEN TRYING AN INCLUSIONARY ZONING ORDINANCE, BUT NOT DOING A GOOD JOB AT IT IS PITTSBURGH, WHERE MY SISTER JUST MOVED FROM AUSTIN.
UM, SO I HAPPEN TO ANY, ANY PLACE MY FAMILY MEMBERS LIVE, I JUST READ THE ZONING CODE, UM,
SO PITTSBURGH, UM, THAT'S ALMOST A JOKE, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY TRUE
UM, ANYWAY, SO PITTSBURGH, UM, UH, RECENTLY ADOPTED AN INCLUSIONARY ZONING ORDINANCE.
UM, AND IN SOME PLACES IN PITTSBURGH THAT, UH, MIGHT BE, UH, A GOOD WAY TO KEEP, UH, IT, TO, TO ENSURE THAT, THAT A WIDE VARIETY OF PEOPLE CAN LIVE IN, UH, A HIGH DEMAND PLACE.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S A CITYWIDE ORDINANCE.
UM, I BELIEVE NOW, AND, UM, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF DEMAND FOR, UH, NEW RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IN PITTSBURGH.
SO WHAT DEVELOPERS HAVE DONE IN RESPONSE IS THEY'VE STOPPED BUILDING, UM, AT LEAST TO THE SCALE THAT WOULD TRIGGER THE INCLUSIONARY ZONING ORDINANCE.
SO THEN IT'S LIKE, WELL, WHICH IS BETTER, YOU KNOW, HOUSING AT ALL, OR, OR, UH, THE INCLUSIONARY, UM, MANDATED HOUSING.
UM, SO I PUT IT UP THERE AS AN OPTION.
UH, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING TO CONSIDER FOR SURE, IN A PLACE LIKE AUSTIN WHERE THERE'S CONSTANT DEMAND FOR DEVELOPMENT, IT SEEMS LIKE A MORE, UH, A PLACE THAT'S MORE AMENABLE TO THAT, BUT YOU MAY NOT EVEN WANNA DO IT AS A BLANKET RULE HERE IN EVERY PLACE.
UM, SO I THINK I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO, TO CHECK OUT THE DETAILS OF THAT, WHAT MAKES A GOOD INCLUSIONARY ZONING ORDINANCE, UM, AND, AND FIGURE OUT, UM, AND MAYBE WORK BACKWARDS FROM WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE.
SOMEONE CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I BELIEVE WE CAN'T USE INCLUSIONARY ZONING IN AUSTIN DUE TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE'S DECISION.
THAT HAS BEEN MY UNDERSTANDING AS WELL, AND THAT'S WHY WE USE THERE.
THIS IS WHY I'M LEARNING THAT'S YEAH, YEAH.
AND IF THERE'S ANY OTHER, UM, SUCCESS STORIES ABOUT ENCOURAGING DENSITY AND AFFORDABILITY THROUGH OTHER MEANS.
I KNOW WE HAVE INCENTIVE, UH, STRUCTURES, RIGHT? WE DO THE, THE BONUSES THAT, YEAH, I MEAN, THE OTHER THING YOU COULD DO IS TO DEAL WITH IT THROUGH UNIT SIZE.
UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, INSTEAD OF SAYING THAT, UM, A UA CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF UNITS HAS TO BE RESTRICTED TO, UH, CERTAIN PEOPLE WITH CERTAIN INCOME, YOU COULD SAY A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF UNITS HAS TO BE EFFICIENCIES.
A CERTAIN PERCENT OF UNITS HAS TO BE, YOU KNOW, SHARED, UH, AMENITIES IN SOME WAY.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER WAY TO DO IT.
UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOME OF THOSE UNITS WOULD BE SNAPPED UP BY PEOPLE WITH HIGHER OR MIDDLE INCOMES, UM, ANYWAY, BUT IT MIGHT PROVIDE THAT ENTRY POINT ON THE BASIS OF UNIT SIZE.
UM, BUT IN THE, IN THE REVERSE DIRECTION THAN THE WAY UNIT SIZE HAS BEEN USED IN THE PAST, WHICH IS TO EXCLUDE WITH A MINIMUM HERE, YOU WOULD SAY NO, YOU HAVE TO BUILD BELOW A MAXIMUM FOR A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF UNITS.
I MAY TRY TO TACKLE IT THAT WAY.
ANYBODY ELSE? RIGHT THERE? I, UNLESS IT'S NEEDED FROM LINE, I, I WON'T USE THE, OKAY.
WELL, I'LL SPEAK AT A LOWER VOLUME THEN.
[01:00:01]
UNDERGONE SUCCESSFULLY, UH, COMPLETE OVERHAUL, ARE THERE ANY TOOLS OR DATA POINTS THAT HAVE, UH, BEEN PARTICULARLY HELPFUL OR RELIED UPON TO PUSH THOSE, UH, OVERHAULS FORWARD? I'M THINKING ARE THERE MAPS, COMPARISON TOOLS, PARTICULAR ATTRIBUTES WITHIN DATA SETS THAT PEOPLE HAVE CONSISTENTLY RELIED UPON? I THINK A LOT OF IT DEPENDS ON WHAT PEOPLE ARE USED TO GETTING.SO, AND, AND HOW, SO I WOULD USE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE I WOULD, I'LL COMPARE A, A CITY OF AUSTIN POPULATION WITH THE CITY OF HARTFORD POPULATION.
SO IN HARTFORD, WE DIDN'T HAVE, UM, WE KNOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE ISSUED REPORTS AND DATA ABOUT HARTFORD AND ITS NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, THE CONNECTICUT DATA COLLABORATIVES, THE GREAT ORGANIZATION THAT DOES PROFILES, UM, ON NEIGHBORHOODS ON HEALTH EQUITY AND, AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T HAVE TO SHOW THE PEOPLE AT CITY OF HARTFORD THAT THEIR COMMUNITIES WERE LIKE NOT BEING SERVED IN THE, IN THE RIGHT WAY.
WE DIDN'T HAVE TO TELL THEM THAT, OH, YOU HAVE AS FAST FOOD AND CAR WASHES AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, DO YOU THINK THAT'S GOOD OR NOT? THEY, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE I THINK HAD A REALLY GOOD INTUITIVE SENSE AS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHICH NEIGHBORHOODS THEY FELT HAD BEEN LEFT BEHIND.
AND FRANKLY, A LOT OF IT WAS A RESULT OF ZONING.
UM, SO IN THE FIFTIES AND SIXTIES, UM, IN TANDEM WITH, YOU KNOW, QUOTE UNQUOTE WHITE FLIGHT, UH, FROM HARTFORD, UM, THE ZONING CODES WERE CHANGED TO MAKE, UH, THIS A CITY WHICH WAS ONCE EXTREMELY DIVERSE.
AND IT STILL IS VERY INTERESTING.
IT STILL IS DIVERSE, BUT YOU KNOW, BACK, BACK THEN, THEY, THE IDEA FOR CITY LEADERS WAS, OH MY GOSH, THESE PEOPLE ARE LEAVING.
LET'S ZONE IT SO THAT, UH, THEY CAN GET BACK AND FORTH IN THE SUBURBS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO EASILY.
SO, UH, HARTFORD'S ZONING COMPLETELY FLIPPED ON ITS HEAD, BECAME AN EXTREMELY CAR ORIENTED, UM, CITY DESPITE ITS COMPACTNESS, DESPITE ITS WALKABILITY, MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS ULTIMATELY RESULTED IN TEAR DOWNS OF STRUCTURES EVERYWHERE.
UM, SO THE, THE, THE EFFECTS OF, OF, YOU KNOW, THESE BAD POLICIES IN THE PAST WERE PRETTY CLEAR.
IT WAS OUR JOB ON THE COMMISSION TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHY ZONING WAS THE PROBLEM, AND TO SAY, WELL, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD? YOU KNOW, THINKING THAT WE PROBABLY HAD SOME IDEA AND, YOU KNOW, CONFIRMING IT AND GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH, WITH COMMUNITIES AND BUILDING A LEVEL OF TRUST.
UM, VIRTUALLY ALL OF OUR COMMISSION MEMBERS DID PUBLIC HEARINGS AND PUBLIC MEETINGS.
I DID PROBABLY 75 WITH DIFFERENT GROUPS, UM, MYSELF, UM, AS THE CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION.
AND IT WAS REALLY JUST, YOU KNOW, HAVING A MEETING SAYING, OKAY, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHANGE? TYING THAT TO SPECIFIC ZONING PROVISIONS, PUTTING IT IN THE DRAFT CODE, SHOWING THEM WHERE IT WAS IN THE CODE AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS? I THINK THIS IS GONNA HELP SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.
THEN THEY WOULD SAY YES OR NO.
AND, AND WE WOULD GO BACK AND FORTH THAT WITH A CITY OF 125,000, I WOULD CONSIDER THAT TO BE, YOU KNOW, ALMOST RETAIL.
IT'S NOT POLITICKING, BUT ALMOST SORT OF RETAIL LIKE, YOU KNOW, WITH NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS, WITH BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS, WITH MAIN STREET TYPE ORGANIZATIONS, UM, WITH, YOU KNOW, LOCAL, UH, RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, JUST THE WHOLE NINE YARDS.
I WOULD THINK IN A CITY OF LIKE AUSTIN, WHERE YOU HAVE, UM, A MUCH MORE MAYBE ZONING, YOU'VE HAD SO MANY ZONING CONVERSATIONS PUBLICLY, YOU'VE PROVIDED PEOPLE WITH ALL KINDS OF DATA.
I MEAN, IS IT THE DATA THAT THEY NEED? DO THEY NEED MORE DATA OR DO THEY JUST NEED SOMEBODY WHO'S GONNA BE A PASSIONATE CHAMPION AND A TRUSTWORTHY FIGURE THAT'S GONNA CARRY A, A ZONING PROPOSAL THROUGH? UM, SO I THINK IN SOME, IT, IT DEPENDS ON THE CITY.
UM, PEOPLE IN AUSTIN, I, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'VE BEEN INUNDATED WITH DATA AND THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT DATA.
I, I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT DRIVES WHAT DRIVES PEOPLE HERE.
UM, I DO THINK YOU NEED POLITICAL CHAMPIONS AND YOU, AND YOU KNOW, FROM WHAT, WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT TODAY, IT SEEMS LIKE MAYOR WATSON IS VERY INTERESTED IN LAND USE ISSUES AND, AND HOPEFULLY WILL HELP TO CHAMPION WHATEVER, UM, IS THE BEST PLANNING PRACTICES, UM, WHICH I, YOU KNOW, HOPE THAT HE WILL.
UM, MY QUESTION IS SORT OF AROUND AUSTIN IS, HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY, UM, RENTER CITY, RIGHT? AND SO WE HAVE JUST A GROWING SHARE OF THE POPULATION THAT LIVES IN RENTAL UNITS.
AND PART OF THE INEQUITY THAT WE ARE SEEING IS ALSO JUST THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, SORT OF STAGNANT, UM, HOME OWNERSHIP GAP BETWEEN POPULATIONS OF COLOR AND, AND WHITE POPULATIONS.
AND SO HOW DO WE BALANCE SORT OF BEING THE PROVIDER OF MULTIFAMILY UNITS, MULTIFAMILY HOUSING, AND THOSE SORT OF INEQUITIES THAT WE STILL SEE, UH, AROUND HOME OWNERSHIP? AND I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE SAID THIS AT THE BEGINNING, WHICH IS THAT, YOU KNOW, ZONING IS ONLY ONE PART OF IT.
SO THERE'S SO MANY, UH, ORGANIZATIONS WORKING NATIONALLY, AND I THINK HOPEFULLY HERE IN TEXAS TO TRY TO ADDRESS THE BARRIERS TO HOME OWNERSHIP BEYOND JUST WHETHER THERE'S ENOUGH HOUSING TO GO AROUND.
UM, ZONING CAN DICTATE WHETHER THERE'S ENOUGH HOUSING TO GO AROUND.
FINANCING CAN DICTATE WHETHER THAT HOUSING GETS BUILT.
[01:05:01]
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, OTHER POLICIES, INCLUDING LENDING POLICIES AND SO ON, CAN DICTATE WHETHER PEOPLE WHO SHOULD GET, YOU KNOW, ACCESS TO WHETHER THROUGH DOWN PAYMENTS, THROUGH DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, UM, THROUGH, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, OTHER ARRANGEMENTS, UM, UH, CAN ACTUALLY GET INTO THE HOMES THAT ARE CREATED.UM, SO ZONING, YOU KNOW, MY, MY LITTLE PART IS ZONING, AND SO I CAN'T REALLY, YOU KNOW, ANSWER THAT IN, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE FINANCING ASPECTS.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE MUCH MORE EXPERT AT, AT THAT THAN I AM, OTHER THAN TO SAY, IF HOUSING CAN BE BUILT AND THE MARKET CONDITIONS ALLOW IT TO BE BUILT, THEN THERE'S MORE HOUSING TO GO AROUND AND MORE PEOPLE CAN ACCESS IT.
SO I, I REALLY DO BELIEVE, AND THE RESEARCH SHOWS, UM, THAT, UH, SUPPLY OF ANY KIND CAN HELP A HOUSING MARKET WITH, UH, A LOT OF DEMAND ON IT, UH, TO ENABLE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE TO, UM, TO, TO GET HOUSING.
I MEAN, AS FOR THE SPLIT BETWEEN RENTERS AND, AND HOMEOWNERS, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, ZONING DOESN'T, DOESN'T DICTATE, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S A, IT'S A RENTAL OR A, A BUYER SITUATION, OR AT LEAST SHOULDN'T.
UM, BUT I THINK THERE IS A LOT OF QUESTION, UH, RIGHT NOW ABOUT WHETHER HOME OWNERSHIP IS, IS IN AND OF ITSELF, THE, THE NUMBER ONE GOAL, BECAUSE FOR SOME PEOPLE THAT HAS RESULTED IN, UM, ACTUALLY NEGATIVES, UM, TO HAVE HOME OWNERSHIP.
I MEAN, ON THE OTHER HAND, THAT'S THE AMERICAN DREAM.
UM, SO I THINK FOR ME ANYWAY, THERE'S, THERE'S MORE TO, TO KNOW AND MORE TO LEARN ABOUT THAT.
I'M DEFINITELY NOT AN EXPERT IN, IN THAT, THAT PIPELINE.
ANYONE ELSE? DAN? UH, THANK YOU.
I'LL JUST, UH, GO TO OUR, UM, FIRST QUESTION ONLINE.
UH, THE, SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND READ THIS.
UH, THERE'S A PATTERN OF THE, UH, URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT THAT SHOWS RESIDENTIAL SUBURBAN AREAS HAVE HIGHER SURFACE TEMPERATURES IN COMPARISON TO THEIR SURROUNDING AREAS, EVEN INDUSTRIAL USES.
AND DESPITE SOME VEGETATION, TEMPERATURE GOES HIGHER BY MORE STREET WIDTH AND PHYSICAL STRUCTURE WHEN IT IS NOT ORGANIZED.
AND EUCLIDEAN, WHICH WE ALL KNOW WHAT THAT WORD MEANS.
NOW, WOULD YOU SUGGEST THE CHANGE OF VEGETATION FROM GRASS TO TREES, UH, COULD HELP WITH DECREASING TEMPERATURE? YEAH, SO, SO LOTS OF STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT, UM, THAT TREES, MATURE TREES, UM, WHICH NEED TO BE PLANTED NOW, BEST TIME TO PLANT A TREE, RIGHT? UM, PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT ENERGY EFFICIENCY BENEFITS, UH, COOL BUILDINGS, UH, AND EVEN REDUCE CRIME.
SO I'M A BIG BELIEVER IN, IN TREES IN TREE CANOPY.
AND, UH, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT THAT, UM, THERE ARE SOME, UH, CITIES, UH, ESPECIALLY CENTRAL CITIES AND, AND MANY NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE YOU CAN JUST SEE IT ON GOOGLE EARTH PLAIN AS DAY THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TREES, THEY DON'T HAVE SHADE, AND, AND, UM, THUS THEY, THEY LOSE OUT ON SOME OF THOSE, UH, PLEASANT EFFECTS OF TREES.
I THINK THEY'RE THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT A CITY CAN MAKE.
UM, I THINK THAT, UM, STREET DESIGN HAS TO BE, UH, RETHOUGHT TO ACCOMMODATE TREES.
UH, ONE THING I DIDN'T MENTION TODAY WAS THAT IN THE CITY OF HARTFORD ZONING CODE, WE HAVE AN ENTIRE CHAPTER, CHAPTER NINE ABOUT STREET DESIGN.
AND THE REASON THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN MOST ZONING CODES IS THAT, UH, MOST ZONING CODES STOP AT THE INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY LINE.
THEY DON'T, UH, REALLY, UH, THINK ABOUT WHAT'S, UH, IN THE STREET BEYOND AND HOW THAT WORKS FOR A COHESIVE WHOLE.
BUT UNLESS YOU HAVE A STREET PATTERN, UM, AND STREET AMENITIES, INCLUDING STREET TREES, UM, THAT COMPLIMENT THE SURROUNDING INDIVIDUAL LOTS, UM, YOU'RE REALLY MISSING OUT ON AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHAPE A NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO I ARGUE, UH, IN A BOOK THAT IS COMING OUT IN OCTOBER, IT'S CALLED KEY TO THE CITY, AND I JUST GOT ON MY WAY HERE, SOME PAGE PROOFS FOR IT, SO I'M SO EXCITED, UM, THAT IT'S COMING OUT.
BUT, UM, THERE'S A WHOLE CHAPTER IN THAT BOOK ON, ON STREETS AND WHY THERE'S A LEGAL ARGUMENT, A LEGAL JUSTIFICATION FOR CITIES WHO HAVE ZONING AUTHORITY, WHICH IS EVERY CITY, UM, EXCEPT FOR HOUSTON, WHO DOESN'T CHOOSE TO EXERCISE IT, AT LEAST ON A CITYWIDE BASIS, UM, TO, UH, THAT THERE'S A LEGAL JUSTIFICATION FOR THEM TO ENCOMPASS STREETS INTO, UM, THEIR ZONING PURVIEW.
UM, CITIES OWN STREETS, A LOT OF TIMES IN THE PAST, CITIES HAVE EXEMPTED THEIR OWN PROPERTIES FROM ZONING, UH, BUT THEY CAN ALSO NON-EXEMPT THEIR OWN PROPERTIES FROM ZONING AND SUBJECT THEM TO ZONING.
AND SO COORDINATE WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, WHICH RIGHT NOW, UH, DESIGNS OUR STREETS IN ACCORDANCE WITH A STREET MANUAL THAT'S MADE BY A COALITION OF TRAFFIC ENGINEERS.
UM, NOT BY PEOPLE WHO WANT BEAUTIFUL STREETS, MAYBE THEY WANT BEAUTIFUL STREETS, BUT IF YOU THREW OUT THAT CODE AND GAVE IT TO PEOPLE WHO WANTED BEAUTIFUL
[01:10:01]
STREETS, YOU'D SEE A LOT DIFFERENT STREETS TODAY.SO THE GREEN BOOK, UM, THAT'S USED TO DICTATE HOW OUR STREETS ARE DESIGNED IS NOT SOMETHING THAT THAT REALLY, UM, UH, RELATES TO GOOD URBANISM.
SO I ENCOURAGE CITIES TO HARNESS, UH, AND CHANGE THAT USING THE NTO GUIDE, WHICH I KNOW, UH, AUSTIN USES.
UM, BUT ALSO TO INCORPORATE THAT INTO ZONING SO THAT ANYTHING THAT A PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER DOES OR CAN DO TO COMPLEMENT A CHOSEN DESIGN FOR A WHOLE STREET, THEY WILL DO.
AND SO I, I KIND OF ENCOURAGE THAT.
UM, AND, AND ISSUE AND SHOULD BE, UH, EITHER AS A PERCENTAGE OF CANOPY OR AS A NUMBER OF TREES IN SMALLER RESIDENTIAL AREAS BE DICTATED BY, UH, THE CITY'S, UH, ZONING CODE.
YES, WE DO HAPPEN TO LOVE OUR TREES IN AUSTIN.
UH, THIS IS ALSO FROM, UM, FROM ONLINE, AND THIS IS A, IT RAISES A A GOOD POINT THERE.
GENERALLY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AFFORDABLE, UH, UNITS, IT'S SORT OF A DEFAULT ASSUMPTION THAT IT'S APARTMENTS OR MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENT.
SO I GUESS, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION IS, WHY, WHY CAN'T SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING? WHY ISN'T SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS EVER, YOU KNOW, IN THE, THE FOREFRONT OF OUR BRAINS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT IT, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, OH, WHOSE BRAINS IS IT IN THE FOREFRONT OF? MAYBE THAT WAS THE, I MEAN, I DON'T, I THINK WHEN PEOPLE THINK ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, MAYBE I'M MIS MAYBE I'M MIS MAYBE I'M FLIPPING YOUR QUESTION.
I THINK WHEN PEOPLE, WHEN THEY HEAR THE PHRASE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THEY'RE THINKING OF MULTIFAMILY HOUSING.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE THING THOUGH THAT IS BECOME INCREASINGLY OF INTEREST TO ADVOCATES, AND MAYBE THIS IS WHERE THE QUESTION IS GOING, UM, IS SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING ON SMALL LOTS OR SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING ON NO MINIMUM LOT SIZE OR SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING THAT'S, YOU KNOW, MORE LIKE A TOWNHOUSE TYPE DEVELOPMENT OR EVEN TINY HOMES.
UM, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IF WHAT I UNDERSTOOD THE QUESTION TO BE IS, IS WHAT IT, UH, YOU KNOW, IT MAYBE THE, THE PREMISES THAT, YOU KNOW, WE AS AMERICANS LOVE OUR AMERICAN DREAM, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO WHATEVER THAT, WHATEVER NOTION WE THINK THAT WAS, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOUR OWN HOUSE AND YOUR OWN LOT AND YOUR LITTLE PLOT OF LAND, EVEN IF IT'S VERY SMALL.
UM, SO AFFORDABILITY CAN COME IN IN DIFFERENT FORMS. UM, AND I, I DO THINK THOUGH, AND MAYBE THAT'S ME THINKING IN TERMS OF OPPOSITION TO THE WORD AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHEN PEOPLE THINK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THEY THINK IT'S GONNA BE SOME, UM, WILDLY DESTRUCTIVE PARASITIC TO USE THE PHRASE OF THE SUPREME COURT MULTIFAMILY BUILDING.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S, THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
AND, AND BY THE WAY, THERE'S A, A LARGE NUMBER OF STUDIES THAT SHOW THAT APARTMENT BUILDINGS DON'T HAVE THE SAME, ACTUALLY ARE MORE EFFICIENT FOR CITY SERVICES ARE, ARE, YOU KNOW, DON'T HAVE THIS FEARED CRIME AND, UM, DON'T HAVE THIS INFLUX OF UNWANTED CHILDREN THAT WILL BE A BANE ON YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND SO ON.
I MEAN, THE STUDIES JUST PROVE NONE OF THOSE FEARS ARE, ARE, ARE WELL FOUNDED.
BUT MAYBE THAT'S SOME INSIGHTS.
YEAH, NO, I, I THINK YOU NAILED IT.
I THINK THAT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE TIMES WHEN YOU HAVE THESE, THESE DISCUSSIONS, PEOPLE WILL SAY THAT SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING IS THE, YOU KNOW, MOST EXPENSIVE FORM OF HOUSING.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU GET TO A POINT WHERE IF YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LOT SIZES OR OTHER IMPLICATIONS LIKE THAT, YOU ACTUALLY, YOU CAN GET IT BACK TO NOT SO MILLION DOLLAR MANSIONS.
BUT, UH, I THINK WE HAVE ONE QUESTION OVER HERE.
SO YOU HAD MENTIONED A QUESTION BACK ABOUT NDO AND KIND OF THESE MORE NATIONAL GUIDES FOR STREET, STREET PLANNING, STREET DESIGN.
UM, I'VE HEARD TALK ABOUT STATES ACTUALLY TRYING TO DO SOME ZONING REFORM OR SOME SORT OF ZONING REFORM FROM THE STATE LEVEL.
CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME STATES THAT HAVE EXPLORED THAT OR WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FROM A STATE DOWN LEVEL? UM, YEAH.
AND ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT ZONING? UM, SO, UH, YEAH, THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF STATE, UH, ZONING, UH, REFORM, UH, EFFORTS.
UM, CONNECTICUT, UH, AFTER WE, UH, DEVELOPED THIS COALITION, DID ADOPT ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT REFORMED STATEWIDE, UM, DID ONCE AGAIN BAN, EVEN THOUGH THE SUPREME COURT HAD ALREADY BANNED IT, UH, MINIMUM UNIT SIZES, MANDATED TRAINING FOR PLANNING COMMISSIONERS, UM, AND, UH, ALMOST BUT NOT QUITE PAST A TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT REQUIRING THOSE COMMUNITIES TO UP ZONE THOSE, UH, COMMUNITIES WITH TRANSIT SYSTEMS. UM, THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, SMALL POTATOES COMPARED TO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT CALIFORNIA HAS BEEN DOING.
UM, CALIFORNIA LEGALIZED WITH VERY FEW RESTRICTIONS AT ALL ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS, UH, STATEWIDE, UM, OVER THE COURSE OF MAYBE THREE OR FOUR LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS.
UH, FINALLY NOW WE'RE SEEING IN CALIFORNIA ACCESSORY DWELLINGS BEING AMONG THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF NEW PERMITS PULLED,
[01:15:01]
UH, IN MANY, ESPECIALLY THE LARGE CITIES.UM, MONTANA, JUST WHAT, UH, HAD, WE SAW WHAT WAS CALLED THE MONTANA MIRACLE, AND I JUST MISSED THIS MORNING, UM, MEETING, UH, THE HEAD OF THE FRONTIER INSTITUTE, KENDALL COTTON, WHO DEVELOPED THE MONTANA ZONING ATLAS, THE SECOND ZONING ATLAS AFTER CONNECTICUT, UM, TO BE DONE, NOT THE FULL STATE, BUT MOST OF THE BIG CITIES IN THE STATE, UM, OR ALL OF THE BIG CITIES IN THE STATE, I GUESS.
UM, AND, UM, UH, BUT THEY DID A, A BIG, UH, REZONING EFFORT IN MONTANA, UH, ON A STATEWIDE BASIS, UH, MINIMUM LOT SIZE ON NUMBER OF UNITS AND SOME OTHER, AND ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS AND SOME OTHER THINGS.
UM, THE GOVERNOR OF MONTANA IS GONNA BE AT THAT CONFERENCE AS WELL, TO, TO SPEAK ABOUT, UM, TO SPEAK ABOUT HIS EFFORT, A LAUDABLE EFFORTS IN THAT REGARD.
UM, I THINK THOUGH, USING THOSE TWO STATES IS, AND THEN THERE'S MANY OTHER, UH, VERMONT, UH, HAS DONE A LOT.
SO, CALIFORNIA, VERMONT, UM, THERE IT HAVE BEEN SOME, UH, THERE'S A NEW BILL IN KENTUCKY.
SO YOU, YOU DO SEE, I GUESS MY POINT IS JUST TO SAY THAT UGC STATES ALL OVER THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM, UM, AND LEADERS FROM ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM, UH, AND, UH, GROUPS INVOLVED IN THE, IN THE NATIONAL ZONING ATLAS ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM, ALL REALLY DISINTERESTED IN HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, UM, OR PROPERTY RIGHTS OR ALL OF THE ABOVE.
UM, AND, UH, AND WORKING FOR CHANGE.
UM, SO THERE ARE A FEW STATE TRACKERS OUT THERE.
UM, I THINK STEVE MENEN, UH, FROM UC, BERKELEY HAS ONE.
AND THEN, UM, THE TURNER CENTER AT, AT, ALSO AT CLE UC, BERKELEY HAS, UH, SOME, SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.
UM, YBI ACTION ALSO HAS, UH, SOME GOOD RESOURCES FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN, IN SOME OF THE RECENT STATEWIDE EFFORTS.
AND THEN DESEGREGATE CONNECTICUT SLASH OTHER STATES, I THINK IT IS, UM, HAS SOME OF THE, THE RECENT UTAH, UH, IS ANOTHER STATE, INTERESTINGLY, THAT GAVE ITS LARGER CITIES A MENU OF OPTIONS.
SO CITIES HAD TO CHANGE THEIR ZONING CODE TO DO SOME NUMBER OF THINGS WITHIN THE LIST OF MAYBE 15 OR 20 THINGS.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN A LOT OF, BUT IS ANOTHER MODEL, UM, OTHER THAN JUST THE, THE TOP DOWN MANDATES AT THE STATE LEVEL TO OVERRIDE LOCAL ZONING.
I WOULD LOVE TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
THE BIDEN WHITE HOUSE HAS COME UP FOR, IT'S, THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION IS FOR IT.
UH, THERE'S, IN CALIFORNIA YOU HAVE CERTAIN LEADERS LIKE SCOTT WIER AT THE, UM, IN THE, THEIR LEGISLATURE WHO WERE TRYING TO DO STUFF, VERY PROGRESSIVE PEOPLE HERE IN TEXAS.
LAST SESSION, LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WE HAD, UH, A SORT OF A MORE REPUBLICAN LED EFFORT TO TRY TO CHANGE ZONING STATEWIDE ZONING REAL STATEWIDE IN CERTAIN CITIES.
SO, YOU KNOW, GIVEN ALL THIS BROAD SUPPORTS ON FEDERAL AND STATE LEVEL ISH, WHY IS IT SO HARD TO CHANGE ON THE CITY LEVEL? I THINK IT'S BECAUSE INDIVIDUALS CARE WHAT THEIR NEIGHBORS THINK ABOUT THEM.
AND SO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING A LOT OF DECISIONS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, UH, HEAR FROM THEIR NEIGHBORS DIRECTLY, PEOPLE THAT THEY KNOW, UM, WHERE IT'S MAYBE MORE ABSTRACT, MAYBE ONCE REMOVED IF YOU'RE AT A STATE LEGISLATOR, UM, REPRESENTING FAR MORE PEOPLE THAN YOU MIGHT ON A CITY COUNCIL OR A TOWN PLANNING COMMISSION.
UM, I ALSO THINK YOU KIND OF, UM, YOU JUST HAVE TO DECIDE THE, THE LEADER THERE HAS TO BE A LEADER AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, AND THEY JUST HAVE TO DECIDE THAT THEY'RE GONNA DO IT, YOU KNOW, NOT COME HELL OR HIGH WATER, NOT IF IT'S SOME AWFUL IDEA, BUT THAT, THAT THEY'RE JUST GONNA BE COMMITTED TO DO IT.
AND THAT'S WHAT SOMETHING LIKE THE PLA A PLANNING DEPARTMENT NEEDS.
IT NEEDS AN EXTERNAL CHAMPION, A POLITICAL CHAMPION.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.
IT COULD JUST BE, YOU KNOW, THE SPOUSE OF THE ELECTED OFFICIAL, YOU KNOW, THE POPULAR SPOUSE OR THE LOCAL, YOU KNOW, NONPROFIT CHARITABLE FOUNDATION LEADER OR SOMEBODY WHO JUST, OR THE, THE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION LEADER, SOMEBODY WHO HAS CLOUT AMONGST A, A GOOD CONSTITUENCY AS A TRUSTED PERSON.
UM, AGAIN, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THE ELECTED OFFICIAL, BUT IT HAS TO BE AN IMPORTANT ENOUGH PEOPLE IN THE TOWN TO GIVE COVER TO ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO AREN'T BRAVE ENOUGH TO START THAT COMMITMENT, YOU KNOW, ON THEIR OWN.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT SPEAKING ABOUT AUSTIN, THIS IS JUST SPEAKING GENERALLY.
UM, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, TRYING TO DO, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, I REALLY DON'T CARE WHAT, WHAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WE, THEY, WE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE GONNA GET IT DONE, UM, IN A GOOD WAY, IN A UNANIMOUS WAY, IN A COLLABORATIVE WAY.
BUT I THINK PEOPLE REALLY KNEW, AT LEAST FROM, FOR ME, LIKE WE WERE GETTING THIS DONE.
AND BECAUSE CONNECTICUT IS THE ONLY STATE IN THE COUNTRY WHERE THERE ARE NO, THAT, WHERE A CITY CAN OPT OUT OF THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS BEING INVOLVED IN ZONING.
OUR COMMISSION WAS THE FINAL VOTE.
UM, SO AS CHAIR OF THAT COMMISSION, I SAID, WE ARE GONNA PUT THE VERY BEST
[01:20:01]
PRACTICES THAT WE KNEW OF AT THE TIME IN 2016, UM, WHICH I THINK STILL ARE PRETTY GOOD PRACTICES TODAY, YOU KNOW, SEVEN YEARS LATER, UM, WE'RE GONNA PUT THE VERY BEST IN HERE, UM, AND WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT WORK.WE'RE GONNA MAKE PEOPLE EXCITED ABOUT ZONING.
AND TO SOME MAYBE TINY EXTENT WE DID, UM, AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE PEOPLE WHO WOULD, WHO WOULD TALK TO US ABOUT, ABOUT THE ZONING CODE AND, AND GOT INTO IT.
AGAIN, WE MET WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE, BUT I THINK IT'S JUST SOMEBODY SAYING, THIS IS, THIS IS HAPPENING.
I THINK IF YOU HAVE THAT PERSON, AND THEY DO NOT MIND, THEY, I, YOU KNOW, THEY DO NOT MIND BEING CRITICIZED.
THEY CAN ARTICULATE THE VISION, THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, HELP TO PERSUADE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, BUT ALSO TAKE IT IN AND HAVE THAT OPENNESS AND THAT TRUSTED IS, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S A UNICORN, BUT I THINK EVERY CITY HAS ONE.
UM, WHETHER AUSTIN OR OTHERWISE, THAT IS STARTLING, THAT STARTLING.
BUT IT'S, IT'S CERTAINLY SHOCKING THAT, UH, CONNECTICUT OFFICIALS CAN OPT OUT OF THAT.
I, I THINK I HEAR 10 OR 11 COUNCIL MEMBERS IN AUSTIN WHO ARE BUYING PLANE TICKETS RIGHT NOW, UH, SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE THEIR LIVES EASIER.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS IN PERSON HERE? NEGATIVE.
SO, UH, MY QUESTION IS IN REFERENCE TO THE, UH, NATIONAL ZONING ATLAS, ASIDE FROM A, UM, LIKE CITY OF AUSTIN PLANNING DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE, JUST AS A, LIKE CITIZEN, ALL OF US FROM DIFFERENT PLACES JUST AROUND THE US, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP CONTRIBUTE TO THAT EFFORT AT ALL? YOU KNOW, I, I GOT THE SAME QUESTION.
UM, I GET THE SAME QUESTION IN A LOT OF TALKS RIGHT NOW.
WE DON'T HAVE A WAY FOR AN INDIVIDUAL WHO WANTS TO, LET'S SAY, INPUT THEIR JURISDICTION TO INPUT IT.
UM, WE HAVE THESE SORT OF TEAMS THAT HAVE MET A CERTAIN, YOU KNOW, KNOWLEDGE OR COMMITMENT STANDARD WHERE WE SAY, OKAY, YOU'RE GONNA BE ON TEAM X AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA TRAIN YOU AND GO THROUGH THE PROCESS JUST BECAUSE OF THE, THE METHODOLOGY, WHICH I DIDN'T SHOW HERE, BUT IT'S 150 PAGES.
THERE'S 120 DIFFERENT ZONING CHARACTERISTICS COLLECTED FOR EACH ZONING DISTRICT.
SO MULTIPLY THAT BY 60, WHATEVER.
UM, AND THEN YOU GET THE SENSE THAT, OH GOSH, THIS IS LIKE A HUGE HEADACHE.
UM, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE, I MEAN, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AGAIN, IS HOPEFULLY, UH, GOING TO BE DONE SOON.
I'M SURE YOU GUYS HAVE OPEN DATA, SO WE CAN AT LEAST HAVE A STARTING POINT FOR THE GIS.
BUT EVEN WITH THAT, WE CLEAN IT, WE, WE, UM, UH, WE DO A LOT OF CLEANING, EVEN FOR PLACES WITH OPEN GIS I'M SURE AUSTIN'S WILL BE PERFECT.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEN WE GO THROUGH THE ZONING CODE LINE BY LINE AND ANALYZE IT.
UM, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN DOING MORE THAN A TOWN, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN BEING PART OF A TEAM, JUST SHOOT US AN EMAIL AND WE'LL, UM, YOU KNOW, SEE WHAT YOUR LEVEL OF INTEREST IS.
BUT JUST BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF TRAINING THAT IT TAKES TO GET SOMEBODY ONBOARDED, UM, WE END UP, UH, WE END UP NOT BEING ABLE TO DO THAT.
THAT SAID, WE ARE WORKING WITH THE AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION TO TRY TO HAVE A PLANNERS PORTAL WHERE CITY PLANNERS, AND THIS IS MOSTLY FOR THE SMALL TOWNS AND MEDIUM SIZED TOWNS, WHERE THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO UPLOAD THEIR, UH, JURISDICTIONS, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD BE CONSIDERED MAYBE THE, A TRAINED, TRUSTED PERSON WHO CAN READ ZONING CODES.
THEY ADMINISTER THOSE ZONING CODES.
UM, AND, UH, ONCE WE GET THAT UP, AND THAT'S JUST GONNA DEPEND ON FUNDING.
WHENEVER WE GET FUNDING TO DO THAT, WE WILL, UM, WE WILL EMBARK ON THAT PROCESS.
BUT, UM, UH, YEAH, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING FOR INDIVIDUALS TO, TO DO ONE JURISDICTION.
WE WANT YOU TO COMMIT FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE.
ANYBODY ELSE IN HERE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? VERY GOOD.
THIS IS WHY I COME PREPARED WITH MY OWN.
UH, SO I, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF STUFF THAT WE'RE COVERING, UM, BUT COMPREHENSIVE REZONINGS, UM, I DIDN'T READ THE ENTIRE PAPER.
BUT, UH, IN ONE OF YOUR PAPERS, UH, YOU APPARENTLY CONTEND THAT COMPREHENSIVE, UH, REVISIONS HAVE THE MOST PROMIS IN CITIES WHERE GROWTH IS STAGNANT, UH, OR WHERE THE ECONOMY IS DEPRESSED.
OBVIOUSLY, AUSTIN GROWTH IS NOT STAGNANT.
STAGNANT, OUR ECONOMY IS VERY HAPPY AND VERY UNDEPRESSED.
SO IF, IF THAT'S THE CASE, WHAT DO WE STAND TO BENEFIT AND WHY SHOULD WE DO IT IF WE'RE NOT A HARTFORD OR A, OR OTHER COMMUNITY? WELL, DENVER WAS AT THE TOP OF THAT LIST, UM, HAVING DONE A COMPREHENSIVE REZONING EARLIER IN THAT PERIOD, I BELIEVE IN 2009.
UM, SO I WOULDN'T SAY IT YOU MAYBE, I, I WAS REALLY TALKING ABOUT HOW THAT COULD LEND ITSELF TO JUMPSTART, UM, A COMMUNITY, BECAUSE AS IS THE CASE IN HARTFORD, MANY COMMUNITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY IN THE 1950S AND 1960S, AGAIN, ESSENTIALLY FLIPPED THEIR ZONING CODES AROUND SO THAT THEY BECAME THESE MUCH MORE CAR DEPENDENT CODES WITH, UH, PARKING REQUIREMENTS
[01:25:01]
AND SO ON.SO, UM, I'LL NEW, I'LL, I'LL ADD A NUANCE TO THAT AND JUST SAY IT'S NOT JUST, UH, FOR CITIES THAT ARE STAGNANT, IT'S FOR, UM, IT'S, YOU KNOW, COULD BE USEFUL IN ANY CITY.
AND I THINK FOR WHATEVER REASONS PEOPLE THOUGHT CODE NEXT WAS A GOOD IDEA, YOU MAYBE SOME OF THOSE REASONS ARE STILL RE RELEVANT TODAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, WAS IT, UH, YOU KNOW, A BUREAUCRATIC PROCESS? WAS IT A, UM, UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHAT MIGHT BE PERMITTED? UM, WAS IT TOO MUCH DEVELOPMENT IN SOME PLACES, NOT ENOUGH DEVELOPMENT IN OTHER PLACES? YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WERE THE REASONS FOR A, A DESIRE TO HAVE COMPREHENSIVE REZONING THEN? UM, MAYBE THEY'RE STILL RELEVANT TODAY.
I WILL LEAVE THE ACTIVISTS AND THE POLITICIANS TO DECIDE THAT.
UM, BUT THAT THE, YOU DID MENTION THOUGH, THE, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE CERTAINLY SEEN IN AUSTIN BEFORE, WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN WITH THE CURRENT CODE, UH, A LOT OF THE DEVELOPMENT PRESSURES ARE KIND OF GOING TO AREAS WHERE LAND IS LESS EXPENSIVE.
AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY BLACK AND BROWN AND MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES IN PARTS OF TOWN.
UM, AND THERE'S A LOT OF FEAR THAT IF, IF WE DID DO A COMPREHENSIVE REWRITE, THAT WOULD JUST EXACERBATE THE PROBLEM.
SO I WONDER IF THERE'S, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE ANY, UH, UM, IS THERE ANY MERIT TO THAT AND HAVE OTHER CITIES, ARE THERE ANY OTHER EXAMPLES OF CITIES THAT SORT OF HAVE, HAVE FIGURED OUT HOW TO BALANCE CHANGE GOOD CHANGE BY NOT CREATING BAD CHANGE, OR EVEN REVERSING THE BAD CHANGE FROM THE DAYS BEFORE? YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK A LOT OF, I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S A VERY DIFFICULT QUESTION TO ANSWER JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORHOOD AND, AND CITYWIDE HOUSING DYNAMICS AND, AND GROWTH PATTERNS CAN BE SO DIFFERENT.
UM, I DO THINK THOUGH, THERE WERE A LOT OF PRETTY OBVIOUS THINGS THAT WE DID POORLY IN THE PAST THAT WE COULD REVERSE, UH, FOR THE BENEFIT OF, OF EVERYONE.
AND THEN THE QUESTION IS, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU MODERATE THE PACE OF CHANGE IN COMMUNITIES WHERE YOU ARE POTENTIALLY GOING TO SEE DISPLACEMENT? AND CERTAINLY THAT'S BEEN THE CASE IN AUSTIN, UM, WITH THE, JUST BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH GROWTH, PRESSURE, UM, ESPECIALLY EAST SIDE COMMUNITIES, UM, THAT HAVE SEEN AN INFLUX OF, OF PEOPLE WHO MIGHT'VE LIVED DOWNTOWN OR MIGHT'VE LIVED, UH, IN AND AROUND THE UNIVERSITY, ARE NOW LIVING ON THE EAST SIDE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, RENTING OUT, UH, BUYING AND THEN RENTING OUT HOUSING, UH, FOR THE COLLEGE OR GRADUATE STUDENTS OR, OR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS OR WHATEVER, WHO DID NOT NECESSARILY LIVE THERE BEFORE.
UM, SO IS ANYBODY DOING IT PERFECTLY? NO,
UM, DIFFERENT CITIES ARE TRYING DIFFERENT THINGS.
UM, BUT THE, THE REALITY IS, IS AS A, AS A COUNTRY, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH, UM, ENOUGH DIVERSE, UH, ZONING, UM, AND ENOUGH ZONING THAT ENABLES US TO CREATE HOUSING IN THE PLACES WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE THERE.
UM, I THINK THERE'S SOME COMMUNITIES THAT ARE DOING IT REALLY BADLY.
SO YOU'RE NOT ONE OF THOSE JACKSON, WYOMING, MAYBE, OR ASPEN, I DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, PLACES WHERE YOU SEE WORKERS WHERE SERVING THE COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY THE SMALLER TOWNS, RESORT TOWNS LIVING TWO AND THREE HOURS AWAY.
UM, SO THEY'RE, UM, YOU KNOW, TO THE EXTENT ZONING IS A SMALL PART OF THAT, THOSE ISSUES, UM, PROTECTED, YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT OF PROTECTED LAND AND THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF BUILDING IN SOME OF THOSE PLACES OBVIOUSLY ALSO CONTRIBUTES.
I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU NO, WHICH COMMUNITIES SHOULD WE, SHAME? NO.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS HERE REAL QUICK BEFORE WE GO ON? IF NOT, EVELYN, COULD I BRING, COULD, COULD YOU BRING THAT MIC TO ME SO WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THE SHUFFLE? AND THEN IF ANYBODY DOES THINK OF SOMETHING, LEMME KNOW.
UM, SO GOING BACK TO THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PUT MORE PEOPLE IN, YOU KNOW, EQUITABLY IN PARTS OF TOWN? UH, WE'RE DOING PROJECT CONNECT, WHICH IS THE LIGHT RAIL AND TRANSIT HIGH CAPACITY TRANSIT.
UH, PROJECT CITY IS DOING, UH, IS WORKING ON THE ETOD POLICY, THE EQUITABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED A POLICY.
WE'VE SEEN THIS, THIS KIND OF PIGGYBACKS ON A QUESTION THAT I, I, YOU KNOW, ASKED EARLIER.
UH, WE'VE SEEN THIS IN COMMUNITIES LIKE CHICAGO, I THINK KIND OF SPEARHEADED E-E-T-O-D, BUT THEY WERE DOING IT IN AN EFFORT TO KIND OF DRIVE DEVELOPMENT IN DEPRESSED PARTS OF TOWN.
WHEREAS IN AUSTIN, WE'RE VERY, BEING VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT TRYING TO PREVENT DISPLACEMENT WHILE CREATING NEW HOUSING AND WORK OPPORTUNITIES FOR OR LOWER INCOME PEOPLE.
UH, HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ANYBODY DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT BEFORE? UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, AGAIN, IT'S HARD TO, TO TO SAY, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHERE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU'RE RUNNING INTO THE MOST ISSUES.
[01:30:01]
UH, DONE AS DEEP A DIVE INTO THE SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE CURRENT ZONING, SO I CAN, I'M NOT GONNA BE, UH, WELL EQUIPPED TO KIND OF TELL YOU, OKAY, WELL, IN THESE TYPES OF COMMUNITIES, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO ZONE FROM TWO FAMILY TO FOUR FAMILY AND, UM, AND SO ON.UM, YEAH, I MEAN, I CAN'T, I, I DON'T KNOW.
I, I DON'T HAVE LIKE, ANY, ANY MAGIC ANSWERS OTHER THAN THE KINDS THAT I'VE BEEN, THAT I'VE BEEN KIND OF, UH, SPOUTING OUT.
YOU TRIED AND YOU SUCCEEDED ADMIRABLY.
UM, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF, UH, WE STILL HAVE LIKE 20 MORE MINUTES.
IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS, FEEL FREE.
YOU DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT ZONING.
SO I THINK I HEARD YOU SAY YOU'RE FROM HOUSTON, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS HEAR THAT HOUSTON DOESN'T REALLY HAVE ZONING.
YOU MENTIONED MAYBE HISTORIC PRESERVATION IS COUNTING AS ZONING THERE, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED WITH THE HOME, PHASE ONE HERE WAS A PRESERVATION PIECE WAS ADDED ON DURING THE PUBLIC PROCESS.
AND SO JUST WANTED TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT WHERE PRESERVATION FITS INTO THE CONVERSATION.
UM, ALSO BECAUSE ONE OF THE CHAT, OR ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WE HAD IN THE CHAT MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, COMMENTING ON HOW ALL OF THE NEW AD, EVEN THOUGH AD ARE BEING BUILT, SMALLER, SMALLER HOUSING, STUFF LIKE THAT, THEY'RE STILL VERY EXPENSIVE.
AND MY REACTION TO THAT IS, OH, IT'S 'CAUSE THEY'RE NEW.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR YOUR EXPERTISE ON WHERE PRESERVATION FITS IN NEW VERSUS OLD THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
YEAH, I MEAN, PRESERVATION HAS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE TO PLAY IN, UM, AND THE PRESERVATION COMMUNITY, UH, HISTORIC PROPERTIES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN, UH, MORE AFFORDABLE, UH, UM, OFTEN BEEN MORE AFFORDABLE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE KINDS OF, UH, DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED BY THE FEDERAL REHABILITATION TAX CREDIT, OVER 600,000 UNITS OF HOUSING THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED, UH, THROUGH THE TAX CREDIT, UH, ALONE, NOT TO MENTION STATE AND FEDERAL CREDITS SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE GOOD FIGURES IN THE NUMBER OF HOUSING UNITS THAT HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN CREATED.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT WHERE NATURALLY OCCURRING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, OCCURS, IT'S OFTEN IN OLDER COMMUNITIES, UH, WHERE PEOPLE HAVE DIVIDED UP HOMES, UH, OR ALWAYS HAD AN ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE HOUSING STOCK AND SO ON.
UM, SO I DO THINK THAT, UH, IN SOME CASES, CONTEMPORARY DEBATES, UH, AND OPPORTUNITIES, QUOTE UNQUOTE, UM, HAVE BEEN, UM, HAVE SKEWED, UH, SOME CONVERSATIONS TOWARD PEOPLE THINKING THAT PRESERVATIONISTS MAY NOT BE IN FAVOR OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR THAT HISTORIC PRESERVATION, UH, HISTORIC COMMUNITIES, UM, ARE BAD PLACES FOR IT.
UM, WE CERTAINLY DO SEE, AND AGAIN, THE LITERATURE SHOWS THAT A HISTORIC DESIGNATION DOES CORRESPOND WITH HIGH PROPERTY VALUES.
UM, BUT I THINK THERE'S A LOT MORE THAT NEEDS TO BE DUG INTO IN ORDER FOR US TO UNDERSTAND WHETHER, UM, THAT IS, UH, A, A REALLY A REFLECT THAT THAT IS A CHICKEN OR EGG PROBLEM, IS A DESIGNATION, A REFLECTION OF THE FACT THAT THE PEOPLE HAVE THE RESOURCES TO COMMISSION AND STUDY OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WOULDN'T DESIGNATE IT HISTORIC, UM, OR IN THE CASE.
UM, AND WE WERE JUST HAVING A, A ROUND TABLE ON PRESERVATION AND HOUSING IN CALIFORNIA, UM, THAT, UH, THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE, ARE, WHO ARE NOT REALLY PRESERVATIONISTS, ARE USING PRESERVATION BECAUSE OF, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, QUOTE UNQUOTE OPPORTUNITIES IN STATUTES THAT, UH, ENABLE PEOPLE TO, UM, MAYBE MANIPULATE THE PROCESS IN WAYS THAT WOULD PREVENT NEW HOUSING FROM BEING BUILT IN THEIR COMMUNITIES THROUGH A HISTORIC DESIGNATION.
I THINK PRESERVATIONISTS, UM, ARE GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF, OF ALL OF THAT AND ARE, ARE TRYING TO BE PROACTIVE IN THEIR SOLUTIONS.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT'S AN ONGOING, ONGOING CONVERSATION.
I MEAN, AS FOR THE AFFORDABILITY OF ACCESSORY DWELLINGS, I MEAN, THEY, THEY'RE NOT AS EXPENSIVE AS THE MAIN UNITS, PRESUMABLY IN THOSE SAME COMMUNITIES.
UM, AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN AT LEAST IN A RELATIVE SENSE, THEY'RE PROVIDING A SECOND UNIT ON THE SAME LOT, UH, IN A, UH, IN A MAYBE JUST SLIGHTLY LESS EXPENSIVE, BUT PRESUMABLY MOSTLY, UH, RELATIVELY LESS EXPENSIVE THAN RELATIVE TO THE MAIN UNIT.
UM, SO I GUESS, YOU KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU ANSWER THAT OR HOW DO YOU ADDRESS THAT? JUST TO SAY, UM, WELL, IF WE HAD MORE ACCESSORY DWELLINGS, THAT WOULD DRIVE THE PRICE OF ACCESSORY DWELLINGS DOWN BECAUSE IT WOULD BE MORE FOR PEOPLE TO CHOOSE FROM WHO WANT THAT KIND OF HOUSING.
UM, SO I WOULD, I WOULD CONTINUE TO PUSH FOR THAT SUPPLY ORIENTED, UM, RESPONSE.
I'M TRYING TO THINK OF AN INTELLIGENT WAY TO ARTICULATE IT THAT WOULD MAKE ME SOUND LIKE A GREAT INTERVIEWER, BUT, UM, I'M COMING UP WITH NOTHING.
SO MY QUESTION FOR YOU IS, UH, COULD YOU JUST TALK REAL QUICKLY ABOUT THE, THE INTERSECTION OF, OF, OF ZONING REFORM AND CLIMATE CHANGE? YEAH.
SO I TOUCHED ON THIS A LITTLE, A LITTLE BIT WHEN TALKING ABOUT MINIMUM LOT SIZES.
[01:35:01]
KNOW, IF, IF YOU HAVE PEOPLE LIVING MORE DENSELY IN GENERAL, UM, THEY'RE USING LESS LAND.THEY'RE, UH, USING, UM, UH, LESS ROAD, FEWER ROADS, A LOT SHORTER ROADS, UM, THEY DON'T REQUIRE, UH, THE SAME KIND OF, UM, UH, UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE BUILT OUT AS FAR.
UM, SO YOU DO HAVE, UH, FROM COMPACT DEVELOPMENT A, A CLIMATE, UM, ANGLE THAT IS, UM, CERTAINLY, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU SEE IN STUDIES OF THE, THE TRANSPORTATION IMPACT OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY VERSUS PEOPLE WHO LIVE, I DON'T KNOW, LET'S SAY HOUSTON.
UM, AND JUST LOOKING AT THEIR, THE FOOTPRINT OF THE GREENHOUSE GASES THEY EMIT, UM, WE DID DO SURVEYS IN CONNECTICUT, UM, INCLUDING, UH, UH, INCLUDING IN THAT, UM, UH, REPORT ON TRANSIT ORIENTED COMMUNITIES THAT I SCREENSHOTTED, UH, IN THE PRESENTATION.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK AT THAT.
UM, OFTEN, AGAIN, IT'S CORRESPONDING TO LOCATION OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIVE TO TRANSIT AND THE USE OF THE CAR.
SO I THINK WE'RE KIND OF WINDING DOWN HERE, BUT I WANNA ASK YOU THIS, 'CAUSE UH, ZONING IS OBVIOUSLY THE MOST EXCITING THING IN THE WORLD YEAH.
BUT I MEAN, IT, IT TRULY IS, YOU KNOW, LIKE I, I MENTIONED EARLIER THE BIDEN WHITE HOUSE IS TAKING A, A, A, TAKING NOTICE, THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION, IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PUBLICATIONS LIKE CITY LABS AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S, THERE'S A LOT OF ATTENTION THAT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN GETTING OVER THE YEARS, UH, AND IT'S NOW IN POLITICAL FIGHTS AT STATE HOUSES AND CITY HALLS EVERYWHERE ELSE.
AND, UH, I I JUST WONDER, IN ALL YOUR TIME, UH, FOLLOWING AND LIVING AND BREATHING AND EATING ZONING, IS THIS NOT THE MOST EXCITING TIME FOR YOU? YEAH, I MEAN, THAT'S A GREAT, UH, LAST QUESTION, WHICH IS, UH, I DO THINK THAT IT'S, UH, IT'S A GREAT TIME TO BE INVOLVED IN ZONING CONVERSATIONS.
IT'S A GREAT TIME TO BE AN ADVOCATE FOR HOUSING, UM, BECAUSE AS MUCH OF A CRISIS AS WE'RE IN, UM, I THINK THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE WHO ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO IT.
AND THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE WHO ARE, ARE OUTWARDLY SHOWING MAYBE WHAT THEY WERE KEEPING INSIDE EARLIER, WHICH IS THAT THEY CARE ABOUT HAVING NEW NEIGHBORS, THEY CARE ABOUT SEEING NEW HOUSING, AND THEY WANNA DO IT IN AN EQUITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE WAY.
AND SO I APPLAUD THE CITY FOR TAKING ON, UH, AND THE, THE CHUNKS OF THE CODE, THE PIECEMEAL APPROACH THAT THEY'RE PURSUING, THAT YOU GUYS ARE PURSUING NOW.
AND, UM, I'M GLAD TO HAVE BEEN HERE TODAY.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR INVITING ME, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING AUSTIN GROW, UH, IN EXACTLY THAT EQUITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE WAY IN THE COMING YEARS.
WE'LL, SEE, TO ME, IT, IT FEELS LIKE BEING A, A, A COMIC BOOK FAN GROWING UP IN THE NINETIES AND ALWAYS GETTING PICKED ON AND THEN NOW THEY'RE THE MOST POPULAR THING IN THE WORLD.
AND I FEEL SO VALIDATED THAT WE'RE THE COOL KIDS NOW.
UM, WELL, SARAH, ARE THERE ANY, ANY FINAL WORDS? I MEAN, YOU JUST KIND OF WRAPPED IT UP THERE, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD OR ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY, THANK, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR HAVING ME.
ALRIGHT, WELL, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF ANN IS GONNA COME BACK UP AND CLOSE US OUT.
I SHALL DO SO
UH, SO THANKS EVERYONE FOR, UH, FOR SHOWING UP OR WATCHING ONLINE.
UH, THAT WAS, UH, SARAH BROIN FROM, UM, CORNELL UNIVERSITY AND, UH, JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE ELSE.
UM, IF ANYBODY WANTS TO FOLLOW YOU OR KNOW MORE ABOUT YOU, IS THERE A WEBSITE OR A TWITTER ACCOUNT OR JUST AT SARAH BROIN.
ON TWITTER OR LINKEDIN OR X OR ON VERY CHATTY, WHATEVER IT IS.
UM, YEAH, SO THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN AND, AND, AND SHOWING UP AND, UH, AND BEING PART OF THIS LATEST INSTALLMENT TO THE IMAGINE AUSTIN SPEAKER SERIES.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ZONING, UH, AND, UH, I, I'M ABSOLUTELY NOT ZONED OUT.
I'M TOTALLY ZONED IN RIGHT NOW.
I'M GONNA GO AND READ, UH, HARTFORD'S, UH, NEW NEW CODE AND, UM, AND STILL MARVEL THAT THEY DIDN'T YELL AT YOU WHEN YOU GUYS WERE REWRITING THAT.
UH, OTHERWISE EVERYBODY, THANKS FOR SHOWING UP AND, UH, I SUPPOSE WE'LL, UH, WE'LL KEEP Y'ALL POSTED ABOUT FUTURE IMAGINE AUSTIN EVENTS SERIES ON BEHALF OF CITY OF AUSTIN PLANNING DEPARTMENTS, UH, AND EVERYBODY WHO HELPED PUT THIS ON, UH, WHO I APPRECIATE.
UH, I'M KAYLA PRITCHARD WITH THE PUBLIC PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
GO OUT AND GRAB SOME LUNCH AND THINK ABOUT ZONING.
SO INFINITE, LOOKING BACK, LOOKING BACK, SOME WILL CLIMB.
THE FUTURE'S UNKNOWN, BUT THE TWISTED TIME WILL COME DURING ESSENCE IN GIFTS AND BOND.
IN THE LOOKING BACK, SOME WILL CLIMB, HIT.