What makes a great public space? Some might say that a great place
can only be found in the eye of the beholder. But a professor at the
University of Denver has studied American and European models of public
spaces and has drawn some interesting conclusions about what makes a
public space great.
The first component to a great public
space is centrality. A great public space must be central to the people
which are intended to utilize the space. Popular right now in the
Planning world is the concept that citizens should be able to reach
about 90 percent of their daily activities within a 20 minute walk time.
This serves to identify a central area in a neighborhood which would be
ideal for a great public space.
Secondly, a great public
space must be connected. By this I mean a great public space should be
well connected by transportation networks. This specifically doesn’t
mean cars either. A great public space should be well connected to other
street networks, trail networks, transit routes, and sidewalk networks.
It needs to be easy for citizens to access on multiple levels from
walking to driving and should be an area hard to avoid when leaving your
neighborhood or community.
Lastly, having cachet is a vital
component of a great public space. Cachet, in this context, means having
a distinction or a uniqueness about the public space. Think about what
would make one public space different from any other. It may be a
fountain, a statue, a mural, unique architectural facades, or other
elements. In many European cities civic buildings or churches surround
the public space creating beautiful, unique “walls” to the public
space each uniquely different from the other. In New York City, the
“walls” of Times Square are animated with fluorescent and flashing
lights displaying larger-than-life advertisements providing something
unique to to Times Square visitors.
Great public spaces don’t
only have to be squares in the middle of a city, but can be specific,
tight areas that incorporate these elements, such as our downtown or the
West G Street commercial district near Kiwanis Park. We need to think
about how we can incorporate centrality, connectivity, and cachet into
areas in our communities to take them from public spaces to great public
spaces. Let’s talk about it
Monday, October 26, 2015
Monday, October 19, 2015
City and County Must Work Together for Economic Development
Last week I had the opportunity to attend the Governor’s Conference
on Economic Development in Nashville. It was a very exciting conference
and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
(TN-ECD) unveiled a series of new programs in order to help Tennessee
communities and counties. Some were simply technical assistance while
others were lucrative grant programs.
There are three big programs I want to discuss. The first is the Drive to 55 program. This program is a part of TN-ECD and the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and is associated with programs such at Tennessee Promise, Tennessee Reconnect, and Tennessee LEAP. The overarching goal of this program is the large need for the Tennessee workforce to attain higher levels of education either in the form of college or job certifications. The point of this program is that by 2025 it is estimated 50 percent of the workforce must have some type of college or vocational training in order to be an attractive place for businesses to locate. For ages 25+ years, Carter County currently stands at 41 percent so over the next ten years we need to increase this number to 50 or preferably 55.
Another program is the Main Street program. This is a popular program used around the nation with the purpose of helping small businesses on “Main Street” in every community prosper. This program was originally started to help communities revitalize their downtowns and served as a model to help make downtowns a destination and attractive in a community. The model and techniques used have proven to be highly successful in a range of communities. This program also comes with additional grant funding opportunities. Elizabethton does not currently participate in the Main Street program, but city staff have encouraged Main Street program guidelines to various downtown organizations.
The last program for today is the Select Tennessee program. This program helps counties in Tennessee identify and prepare properties prime for industrial development. These properties must then be provided with utilities, have environmental studies completed, be provided with transportation options, and owned or optioned by a governmental entity. The state will then certify such a site and help market the site to potential industries. Grant funding can also be provided to counties wishing to help pay for these expensive process.
This is just a glimpse of the programs the state has to help and encourage cities and counties in the state. The key, though, is that we must work together to accomplish these things. Many are expensive or require a combined effort at the state level. The city cannot do it without the county, and the county cannot do it without the city, but together we can make our county economy better. Let’s talk about it!
There are three big programs I want to discuss. The first is the Drive to 55 program. This program is a part of TN-ECD and the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and is associated with programs such at Tennessee Promise, Tennessee Reconnect, and Tennessee LEAP. The overarching goal of this program is the large need for the Tennessee workforce to attain higher levels of education either in the form of college or job certifications. The point of this program is that by 2025 it is estimated 50 percent of the workforce must have some type of college or vocational training in order to be an attractive place for businesses to locate. For ages 25+ years, Carter County currently stands at 41 percent so over the next ten years we need to increase this number to 50 or preferably 55.
Another program is the Main Street program. This is a popular program used around the nation with the purpose of helping small businesses on “Main Street” in every community prosper. This program was originally started to help communities revitalize their downtowns and served as a model to help make downtowns a destination and attractive in a community. The model and techniques used have proven to be highly successful in a range of communities. This program also comes with additional grant funding opportunities. Elizabethton does not currently participate in the Main Street program, but city staff have encouraged Main Street program guidelines to various downtown organizations.
The last program for today is the Select Tennessee program. This program helps counties in Tennessee identify and prepare properties prime for industrial development. These properties must then be provided with utilities, have environmental studies completed, be provided with transportation options, and owned or optioned by a governmental entity. The state will then certify such a site and help market the site to potential industries. Grant funding can also be provided to counties wishing to help pay for these expensive process.
This is just a glimpse of the programs the state has to help and encourage cities and counties in the state. The key, though, is that we must work together to accomplish these things. Many are expensive or require a combined effort at the state level. The city cannot do it without the county, and the county cannot do it without the city, but together we can make our county economy better. Let’s talk about it!
Monday, October 5, 2015
High Density Residential Could Breath New Life into Downtown
The last few weeks I’ve talked about transportation options for
Elizabethton’s future, but one major element of the conversation has
been left out -- land use. Land use is a term used in the planning
community which tells us how specific pieces of property are being used
by our citizens and businesses. For example, I would categorize most of
the Blackbottom neighborhood as a single-family residential land use or
the West Elk Avenue area as a retail commercial land use.
Land use gives us an idea of what types of uses the property currently is and commonly a descriptor lets us know what the density or category it is being used as. Land use is critical to transportation. If there is a high density residential land-use, for example, cities need to create wider streets for more cars, wider sidewalks for more pedestrians, and bike lanes for people to bike.
As we look to the coming year, the Planning Commission has shown interest in moving forward with creating higher densities in and around the downtown area. This type of density would allow for small condo buildings, townhomes, and apartments. Unlike other parts of residential we’re encouraging in downtown, this area will be strictly residential. With higher densities of people come the need for more and better sidewalks, the installation of bike lanes, and the need to make our streets more user friendly for multiple people, not just cars. Even golf carts can have a role to play in helping create this higher density residential district.
This type of land use will impact the types of transportation infrastructure we, as a city, offer and could result in narrower roads with different parking arrangements for Elk Avenue and E Street, the addition of bike lanes to Sycamore Street and Main Street, one or two transit bus stops in downtown, and don’t forget the addition of golf carts.
Now, all of this will certainly not happen at once and it may even take a decade to put all of the infrastructure in place. But higher density residential areas can bring a lot of positives to our community. The more people who live here, the more ways the city taxes are split, the more ways utility infrastructure costs are split, and it can help bring life back to our downtown buildings and businesses. Let’s talk about it!
Land use gives us an idea of what types of uses the property currently is and commonly a descriptor lets us know what the density or category it is being used as. Land use is critical to transportation. If there is a high density residential land-use, for example, cities need to create wider streets for more cars, wider sidewalks for more pedestrians, and bike lanes for people to bike.
As we look to the coming year, the Planning Commission has shown interest in moving forward with creating higher densities in and around the downtown area. This type of density would allow for small condo buildings, townhomes, and apartments. Unlike other parts of residential we’re encouraging in downtown, this area will be strictly residential. With higher densities of people come the need for more and better sidewalks, the installation of bike lanes, and the need to make our streets more user friendly for multiple people, not just cars. Even golf carts can have a role to play in helping create this higher density residential district.
This type of land use will impact the types of transportation infrastructure we, as a city, offer and could result in narrower roads with different parking arrangements for Elk Avenue and E Street, the addition of bike lanes to Sycamore Street and Main Street, one or two transit bus stops in downtown, and don’t forget the addition of golf carts.
Now, all of this will certainly not happen at once and it may even take a decade to put all of the infrastructure in place. But higher density residential areas can bring a lot of positives to our community. The more people who live here, the more ways the city taxes are split, the more ways utility infrastructure costs are split, and it can help bring life back to our downtown buildings and businesses. Let’s talk about it!
Monday, September 28, 2015
Is Public Transportation Viable in Elizabethton?
Last week I talked about a new alternative form of transportation
-- golf carts. Continuing on the transportation theme, I want to pose
another idea -- is public transportation a viable option in
Elizabethton?
We are at a unique crossroad for our community. The addition of the Tweetsie Trail has made alternative forms of transportation, such as pedestrian and bicycle, a reality. Before the Tweetsie Trail, no one would have ever thought to ride a bike on West G Street, West Elk Avenue, Milligan Highway, or even the US 321 four-lane to Johnson City. Now any citizen or visitor can easily get from ETSU to Downtown Elizabethton on a bike safely.
But this new feature has brought about other questions in our community about transportation. If public transportation in the form of a bus route came to Elizabethton would it be used enough to make it a viable solution for transportation.
We talked before about the future of Elizabethton as it relates to age and the future of the Tri-Cities region points to a growing Baby Boomer presence. As we look to accommodate for this population, we must also look to how they will move about a community and get the services they may need.
As they age, some may not desire driving a fast car which is where a golf cart or a bike may be an alternative form of transportation. Continue that trend and you end up with a portion of the population who may be unable to drive which is where public transportation enters as an alternative form of transportation.
More likely than not, as we age we tend to need more access to alternative modes of transportation in order to get to appointments and complete general household tasks. Public transportation provides this type of mobility so that an aging population can easily get to a doctor’s appointment, physical therapy appointment, or just go to the grocery store within their own ability.
And keep in mind, public transit is also highly beneficial for poorer citizens as well who may well work, but simply cannot afford a car. Public transit provides a highly affordable way to go about completing one’s daily tasks.
Public transit helps keep an older and poorer population mobile and self-reliant, which can also be good for their mental health. I would be extremely curious to know how many people would be interested in utilizing such a service should it be available in Elizabethton. The big question remains, if it were available would we use it? Let’s talk about it!
We are at a unique crossroad for our community. The addition of the Tweetsie Trail has made alternative forms of transportation, such as pedestrian and bicycle, a reality. Before the Tweetsie Trail, no one would have ever thought to ride a bike on West G Street, West Elk Avenue, Milligan Highway, or even the US 321 four-lane to Johnson City. Now any citizen or visitor can easily get from ETSU to Downtown Elizabethton on a bike safely.
But this new feature has brought about other questions in our community about transportation. If public transportation in the form of a bus route came to Elizabethton would it be used enough to make it a viable solution for transportation.
We talked before about the future of Elizabethton as it relates to age and the future of the Tri-Cities region points to a growing Baby Boomer presence. As we look to accommodate for this population, we must also look to how they will move about a community and get the services they may need.
As they age, some may not desire driving a fast car which is where a golf cart or a bike may be an alternative form of transportation. Continue that trend and you end up with a portion of the population who may be unable to drive which is where public transportation enters as an alternative form of transportation.
More likely than not, as we age we tend to need more access to alternative modes of transportation in order to get to appointments and complete general household tasks. Public transportation provides this type of mobility so that an aging population can easily get to a doctor’s appointment, physical therapy appointment, or just go to the grocery store within their own ability.
And keep in mind, public transit is also highly beneficial for poorer citizens as well who may well work, but simply cannot afford a car. Public transit provides a highly affordable way to go about completing one’s daily tasks.
Public transit helps keep an older and poorer population mobile and self-reliant, which can also be good for their mental health. I would be extremely curious to know how many people would be interested in utilizing such a service should it be available in Elizabethton. The big question remains, if it were available would we use it? Let’s talk about it!
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Alternative Forms of Transportation in...Golf Carts??
I’ve talked a lot about the importance and need for multiple
forms of transportation in Elizabethton. We obviously have a vast
network of streets for cars and trucks, miles of sidewalks for
pedestrians, and two different trail systems for pedestrians and bikers.
But what about other modes of transportation that you don’t typically
see on streets? What about golf carts?
Now you may be thinking golf carts are only used by old people, why would we want to encourage this type of transportation here? Well, actually, there is a lot of positives to doing this. Many bigger cities such as Los Angeles, Atlanta, and even Greenville, South Carolina are creating neighborhoods where golf carts can be used as a mode of transportation.
Golf carts provide yet another form of transportation between bicycles and cars. With a typical maximum speed of 25 mph, they are attractive for older citizens who may not desire the higher speeds or bigger size of a car for a majority of their daily activities.
Limited speeds of golf carts also limit the range in which someone will travel for their daily activities. For example, if you live near downtown and drove a golf cart, you may be more inclined to shop and eat there rather than traveling to Walmart or Johnson City. This encourages more localized living which helps the Elizabethton economy.
Because of their size, golf carts also take up a little more than a third of the space cars do. This would allow for less space dedicated to parking spaces and more space for building and development, which means more people could park and shop within our existing parking infrastructure than currently can.
Ultimately, golf carts provide yet another form of transportation which makes Elizabethton more comfortable for all generations and all people to live in. We want people who will move to Elizabethton when they graduate from college, raise a family here, and grow old here. This creates what we in the planning world call a lifecycle community. And just like different housing is needed for each phase of life, different types of transportation can help move us closer to a lifecycle community. Let’s talk about it!
Now you may be thinking golf carts are only used by old people, why would we want to encourage this type of transportation here? Well, actually, there is a lot of positives to doing this. Many bigger cities such as Los Angeles, Atlanta, and even Greenville, South Carolina are creating neighborhoods where golf carts can be used as a mode of transportation.
Golf carts provide yet another form of transportation between bicycles and cars. With a typical maximum speed of 25 mph, they are attractive for older citizens who may not desire the higher speeds or bigger size of a car for a majority of their daily activities.
Limited speeds of golf carts also limit the range in which someone will travel for their daily activities. For example, if you live near downtown and drove a golf cart, you may be more inclined to shop and eat there rather than traveling to Walmart or Johnson City. This encourages more localized living which helps the Elizabethton economy.
Because of their size, golf carts also take up a little more than a third of the space cars do. This would allow for less space dedicated to parking spaces and more space for building and development, which means more people could park and shop within our existing parking infrastructure than currently can.
Ultimately, golf carts provide yet another form of transportation which makes Elizabethton more comfortable for all generations and all people to live in. We want people who will move to Elizabethton when they graduate from college, raise a family here, and grow old here. This creates what we in the planning world call a lifecycle community. And just like different housing is needed for each phase of life, different types of transportation can help move us closer to a lifecycle community. Let’s talk about it!
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Positive Economies don’t just happen. They take work.
Since my time in Elizabethton I have heard many talk about the need
for new industry and especially high paying industry. While I certainly
can see the need and desire for new industry, we must first take a step
back and evaluate our economy and determine the feasibility of
recruiting new industry.
Recently, Site Selection Magazine (a premier professional magazine read by professional site selectors and economic developers) listed the top criteria that industries look for when determining a location. In order they are: (1) state and local tax schemes, (2) transportation infrastructure, (3) utility infrastructure, (4) land/building prices & supply, (5) ease of permitting & regulatory procedures, (6) existing workforce skills, (7) local economic development strategy, (8) legal climate, (9) availability of incentives, and (10) state economic development strategy.
We must reflect on these criteria and ask ourselves can we provide these criteria better than anyone else in the region can? For some, the answer is yes, but when we get to number land/building prices & supply we have a problem -- we have very little to offer.
On a scale of one consulting firm, many sites in our community rank as tier 1 on a scale of tiers 0 to 5. We have some land and some sellers who may be willing to sell the property, but neither Elizabethton, Carter County, Watauga, or Carter County Tomorrow have control of the property which is key to ensure the price of the property for an industry.
Industries typically will give priority to a site which is a tier 4 or tier 5. This requires the property to have environmental studies completed, all infrastructure including roads, water, sewer, gas, fiber optics, and electricity be brought directly to the site, any required permits acquired, and the site ready for immediate construction any day.
To get from where we are currently to a tier 4 or tier 5 site could take four or more years and, yes, it will take hundreds of thousands or even millions of public and private dollars, but the payoff new industries and hundreds of new jobs is well worth the expense. Positive economic growth very rarely happens by chance. It take time, money, endurance and a community with a vision to drive the local economy in the direction they desire.
Some people are for a county-wide economic development agency, some are for a regional, Tri-Cities-wide economic development agency, and still others are for doing little or no economic development. Whatever side you take, we must understand that we compete for capital, jobs, and businesses with every other city, every other county not only in the State of Tennessee, but in the nation and even the world. Regardless of which choice we make for the future of economic development in this county, our local economy will continue to develop in some direction with or without government assistance. The question is, will it develop into the economy we desire to have? The choice is ours. Let’s talk about it!
Recently, Site Selection Magazine (a premier professional magazine read by professional site selectors and economic developers) listed the top criteria that industries look for when determining a location. In order they are: (1) state and local tax schemes, (2) transportation infrastructure, (3) utility infrastructure, (4) land/building prices & supply, (5) ease of permitting & regulatory procedures, (6) existing workforce skills, (7) local economic development strategy, (8) legal climate, (9) availability of incentives, and (10) state economic development strategy.
We must reflect on these criteria and ask ourselves can we provide these criteria better than anyone else in the region can? For some, the answer is yes, but when we get to number land/building prices & supply we have a problem -- we have very little to offer.
On a scale of one consulting firm, many sites in our community rank as tier 1 on a scale of tiers 0 to 5. We have some land and some sellers who may be willing to sell the property, but neither Elizabethton, Carter County, Watauga, or Carter County Tomorrow have control of the property which is key to ensure the price of the property for an industry.
Industries typically will give priority to a site which is a tier 4 or tier 5. This requires the property to have environmental studies completed, all infrastructure including roads, water, sewer, gas, fiber optics, and electricity be brought directly to the site, any required permits acquired, and the site ready for immediate construction any day.
To get from where we are currently to a tier 4 or tier 5 site could take four or more years and, yes, it will take hundreds of thousands or even millions of public and private dollars, but the payoff new industries and hundreds of new jobs is well worth the expense. Positive economic growth very rarely happens by chance. It take time, money, endurance and a community with a vision to drive the local economy in the direction they desire.
Some people are for a county-wide economic development agency, some are for a regional, Tri-Cities-wide economic development agency, and still others are for doing little or no economic development. Whatever side you take, we must understand that we compete for capital, jobs, and businesses with every other city, every other county not only in the State of Tennessee, but in the nation and even the world. Regardless of which choice we make for the future of economic development in this county, our local economy will continue to develop in some direction with or without government assistance. The question is, will it develop into the economy we desire to have? The choice is ours. Let’s talk about it!
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