Category — Happening Elsewhere

A recent article talks about a cyber-city that is in the making near Shah Alam, and it will offer amenties such as city-wide broadband, advanced security, “smart” parking lots, and “apps-on-tap” for businesses. It will also feature sci-fi-like technologies such as laser light shows and images on buildings. This is not fantasy, but a real development of some 70+ acres in the making. Think that Denver is progressive, check this out.

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PORTLAND, Ore.

Peter Yates for The New York Times
There are no parking spaces for Mary Stonecypher-Howell at the Moda condominiums in Seattle.
ANNEMIEKE CLARK and her boyfriend, Daniel Pasley, do not spend a lot of time driving. Ms. Clark, a 29-year-old nursing student at Oregon Health and Science University, takes the bus to school. Her boyfriend is a “crazy bike rider,” she said.

So when they decided to buy their first home last winter, they chose a one-bedroom unit in the Civic, one of the first new developments in Portland to market condominiums without parking spaces.

Ms. Clark said they bought the $175,000 condo, which will be ready next summer, because “it was absolutely the cheapest one selling.” Mr. Pasley also hoped a unit without parking would inspire Ms. Clark to sell her 1992 Subaru.

“So, part of it was idealism — that we would get rid of the car,” Ms. Clark said.

Although condominiums without parking are common in Manhattan and the downtowns of a few other East Coast cities, they are the exception to the rule in most of the country. In fact, almost all local governments require developers to provide a minimum number of parking spaces for each unit — and to fold the cost of the space into the housing price.

The exact regulations, which are intended to prevent clogged streets and provide sufficient parking, vary by city. Houston’s code requires a minimum of 1.33 parking spaces for a one-bedroom and 2 spaces for a three-bedroom. Downtown Los Angeles mandates 2.25 parking spaces per unit, regardless of size.

Today, city planners around the country are trying to change or eliminate these standards, opting to promote mass transit and find a way to lower housing costs.

Minimum parking requirements became popular in the 1950s with the growth of suburbia, said Donald Shoup, a professor of urban planning at the University of California at Los Angeles and the author of “The High Cost of Free Parking” (American Planning Association, 2005). “They spread like wildfire,” he said.

But in the 21st century, skyrocketing housing prices and the move toward high-density urban development are bringing scrutiny to the ways in which cities and developers manage the relationship between parking and residential real estate. Once a tool of government, parking requirements are increasingly driven by the market.

Last year, for example, Seattle reduced parking requirements for multifamily housing in three of the city’s major commercial corridors. Next month, the City Council will vote on a proposal to eliminate minimum parking requirements in Seattle’s six core urban districts and near light-rail stations. In June, San Francisco replaced minimum requirements downtown with maximum standards allowing no more than 0.75 parking spaces per unit. In Portland, where central city parking minimums were eliminated six years ago, developers are breaking ground on projects with restricted parking.

“In the future,” Dr. Shoup said, “we will look back at minimum parking requirements as a colossal mistake. Change will be slow, but it’s happening now.”

The Civic, a 261-unit project, includes 24 condos without parking. The building is six blocks from downtown and near a major bus and light-rail line, and will offer residents a rental-car-sharing arrangement.

“We’re always looking for ways to promote smart growth,” said Tom Cody, a project manager of the Gerding/Edlen Development Company, which developed the Civic. “We decided to test the water and see if there was a market for units without parking spaces.” The 24 condos sold out, he said.

In San Francisco, more downtown housing has been approved over the last few years than in the last 20 years combined, said Joshua Switzky, a city planner. The booming real estate market there inspired local officials to revoke minimum-parking requirements in the central core, Mr. Switzky said. “The city’s modus operandi is ‘transit first,’ ” he said. “Everyone recognized the existing rules didn’t match the policy.”

Under San Francisco’s new parking maximums, downtown developers are also required to “unbundle” the price of parking from the price of the condo. “Buyers aren’t obligated to buy a parking space, and developers don’t have the incentive to build spaces they can’t sell,” Mr. Switzky said.

Sustainable development is not the only factor driving changes to parking standards. “We talk about affordable housing as the most critical thing facing cities and the nation,” Mr. Cody said. “But we never talk about the costs of the automobile.” Since individual parking spaces cost about $40,000, reducing or eliminating parking is an effective way to lower housing prices, he said.

At the Moda condominiums, a development under construction in Seattle, only 43 out of 251 units have assigned parking. Eighty-three units have no parking and the remainder have access to a permit parking system. The building is in the downtown Belltown neighborhood, where the average condo has one and a half parking spaces.

Peter DaSilva for The New York Times
In San Francisco, One Rincon Hill allows for one space per unit.
“I wanted the least expensive unit,” said Mary Stonecypher-Howell, a computer database specialist who bought a Moda studio without parking for $170,000. Ms. Stonecypher-Howell said it was the only downtown condo she could find for less than $200,000. “In the city, it’s simpler not to have a car,” she said. Moda units with parking cost about $30,000 more than units without.

Lenders traditionally balk at financing projects without parking, said David Hoy, who developed the Moda condos. The concern is that they would be difficult to resell. “But in a high-density urban environment, there’s a strong demand and a shortage of supply,” Mr. Hoy said. Moda, which is financed by United Commercial Bank, sold out in less than a week, he said.

Other cities are also reconsidering parking standards. In Houston, for example, a committee is reviewing parking minimums along the light-rail line, according to Suzy Hartgrove, a spokeswoman for the city’s planning and development department.

But not everybody is enthusiastic about the piecemeal changes taking place around the country, especially because often-arcane parking codes vary from district to district and city to suburb.

In the Rincon Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, where the new luxury tower One Rincon Hill is selling for $1,000 a square foot, parking standards allow a maximum of one space per unit. Just a few blocks away, downtown requirements undercut that figure by a quarter, making One Rincon Hill more attractive to buyers with cars.

“It gives them a marketing advantage,” said Victor Gonzalez, director of development for Monahan Pacific, a local company that has built condo properties downtown. “You’d be killed if you tried to do a project in the suburbs without parking,” he added.

Others point to the free-market parking situation in Manhattan, where monthly rates now exceed $500 a month.

Planners are undeterred. In the United States, “housing is expensive and parking is cheap,” Dr. Shoup said. “We’ve got it the wrong way around.”

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USGBC News
Title: World Trade Center Going for LEED Gold
Author: Taryn Holowka, Communications Manager
Source: USGBC
Date Written: 9/12/2006

New York Announces Energy and Environmental Package:
World Trade Center Complex Will Go for LEED Gold Certification
(New York, NY) September 12, 2006 - Five years after the devastating attacks on the U.S, New York Governor George Pataki announced a groundbreaking new package of energy and environmental measures that will be incorporated into the design of the World Trade Center redevelopment. Plans for the Freedom Tower and other facilities at the World Trade Center site will feature state-of-the-art energy technologies to better protect environmental resources, utilize renewable energy sources, and maximize energy efficiency.

The Governor announced that the Freedom Tower, World Trade Center Office Towers 2, 3, and 4, as well as the World Trade Center Memorial and Memorial Museum will all be designed to achieve the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED® Gold certification requirements. These buildings join over 580 million square feet of building projects already involved with the LEED program, including World Trade Center 7, which was certified as LEED Gold in March of 2006. These facilities will also be built to a design standard that is 20 percent more efficient than the New York Energy Conservation Construction Code.

“The decision to achieve LEED Gold is a fitting tribute to the importance of the reconstruction of Ground Zero. Using LEED sends a clear message that our buildings must not only be safe, but must also be healthy places for us to live and work,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “New York is to be commended for its leadership; the World Trade Center buildings will stand as a symbol of New York’s courage and commitment to a healthy and sustainable future.”

Governor Pataki also announced an agreement with Silverstein Properties that calls for the Freedom Tower and each of the World Trade Center Office Towers to utilize cutting edge fuel cell technology to increase efficiency and provide secure clean on-site power generation. These fuel cell installations, totaling 4.8 MW of power generation, will together constitute one of the largest fuel cell installations in the world.

“The redevelopment will be a global example of green building design and a constant reminder of our commitment to break the cycle of dependence on foreign energy,” said the Governor. “By moving forward with state-of-the-art design and guidelines, New York will once again show the world our ingenuity, innovation and commitment to building a stronger, brighter future for all.”

The creation of a “green” World Trade Center site builds on the progress in Battery Park City, the neighborhood closest to the site and one of the most environmentally responsible neighborhoods in the country. Battery Park City is home to The Solaire, a the world’s first green residential high rise and LEED Gold building, and Goldman Sachs is constructing a new office tower that will be designed to earn LEED Gold certification.

“LEED certification for the rebuilding of the World Trade Center complex demonstrates the resiliency of the United States,” Fedrizzi continued. “Not only is our nation restoring the areas devastated by the terrorist attacks, but we are also doing so in a way that highlights our commitment to—and belief in—the future.”

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While in Santa Fe we had the best breakfast at a Pasquals. What makes this breakfast nook so comfortable is the family style seating. The large table in the center of the room is constantly filled on a rotation with single, two, three, and four person breakfast diners. When you sit at the table you are welcomed by those already there, and its your duty to welcome whomever joins while you are there.

During our dining experience we met a very sweet woman who had been visiting Santa Fe as part of a group session. She had come into Pasqual’s the day before and loved it so much she had to come back. It’s nice to find a place that makes people feel like that. Our breakfast was delicious, the coffee was tasty, and the company of people we got to meet were friendly.

My favorite was the HUEVOS MOTULEÑOS - Eggs Over Easy on Corn Tortillas with Black Beans Topped with Sauteéd Bananas, Feta Cheese, Green Peas, Salsa Fresca Served with Green Chile or Tomatillo Salsa. AWESOME!! Don’t let the green peas scare you.

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I am just coming back from a wonderful weekend in Sante Fe. After a last minute decision and desire for a road trip this weekend we shot to Sante Fe and stayed at the amazing St. Francis hotel. Here are a few tips.

First of all, call for last minute cancellations. Not only did we get into the St. Francis calling the day we were planning to arrive, we got a great rate. Then we called 10,000 Waves for a private bath and they were all booked up, so we left our number. No more than three hours later, we were still driving, we got a call and a great private bath opened up. Last minute travel, while not for all people, can really offer some great advantages. Lets face it, people cancel at the last minute and that can mean some great opportunities.

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This was just on the BBC and I thought it would be good to share. Guess who is one of the richest people in China. Turns out it is a very bright woman who made her fortune buying recycled paper and importing it from the USA to China.

Karma baby, pure Karma. Great to hear these kind of stories!

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Just a follow up to an earlier blog item.

The mysterious Free-Hug man has spoken up. He was recently interviewed and there is an article take from the Sydney Morning Herald that shares his story.

I just thought this was a great thing to have happen, and how wonderful that with the web the world got to share this story.

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While I think everyone in the world has seen this already, I just think its awesome!! If you haven’t seen this yet, all I can say is to check it out. And yes, it is reportedly real.

The Free Hugs Campaign!

How do you think this would do our our fair city of Denver?

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