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2 NATION’S CITIES WEEKLY JULY 19, 2010 Regional Growth Futures: Getting It Right by Neal Peirce Does it always take adversity to get an American region to “get its act together” in planning future growth? The Puget Sound area anchored by Seattle suggests “no.” Geology and modern economics have blessed the region in astounding ways. There’s the natural legacy of glistening snow-capped mountain peaks and lush Douglas fir forests beside sparking watersides. Economically, the region has had such world-renowned economic treasures as Boeing, Microsoft and Amazon.com, excellent ports and vibrant international trade. Yet there’s been a dark underside to the region’s exuberant growth — to 4.7 million people — over the last decades. I vividly recall a 1989 helicopter ride marked by spectacular views of Mount Rainier, a rainbow at Snoqualmie Falls and picturesque villages. But I could also see bulldozed “progress” — a plethora of scarred hilltops, deep cuts into the magnificent evergreen tapestry. Over the past 30 years, more than 2 million acres of Cascaderange forest and farmland have given way to sprawling development. In 1990, the state of Washington did pass a growth management act that restrained some helter-skelter expansion. But development has fragmented open spaces, including wildlife habitat and corridors. With rapid expansion of the urban footprint, added paving has intensified flooding and erosion. There’s concern that climate change will bring warmer winters with less snowpack, leading to summertime drought, water shortages and increased forest fire danger. Responding to the dangers, a “Cascade Agenda” was launched in 2005 — a 100year conservation and preservation plan for 1.3 million acres of the Puget Sound Nation’s Cities Weekly ★ ★ ★ ★ www.nlc.org ★ ★ ★ ★ VOLUME 33, NUMBER 27 | ISSN 0164-5935 | JULY 19, 2010 Official publication of the National League of Cities Donald J. Borut, Executive Director The NLC Mission: to strengthen and promote cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance Publisher: Donald J. Borut; Editor: Amy Elsbree; Managing Editor: Cyndy Liedtke Hogan; Writer/Editor: Cherie Duvall Jones; Coordinator, Editorial Services: Laura Turner Advertising Information: Contact Laura Turner at the National League of Cities; Phone: 202-626-3040; FAX: 202- 626-3043; E-mail: weekly@nlc.org Nation’s Cities Weekly is published weekly, except for the Monday after Thanksgiving and the Monday after Christmas, by the National League of Cities, 1301 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20004-1763, (202) 626-3040. Weekly@nlc.org is our e-mail address. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C., and additional mailing offices. Subscription rates: for NLC members, $59/one year, $89/two years, $114/three years; for others, $96/one year, $149/two years, $192/three years. Copyright 2010 National League of Cities. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this publication in whole or in part, its storage in a retrieval system, or its transmission in any form by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise – without prior permission of the publisher is prohibited. This publication available from NA Publishing, Inc., 1(800) 420-6272. Postmaster: Send change of address to Nation’s Cities Weekly 1301 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington DC 20004-1763 Nation’s Cities Weekly is printed on recycled paper with soybased ink. Over the past 30 years, more than 2 million acres of Cascade-range forest and farmland have given way to sprawling development. region’s most prized waters, mountains and communities. About 225,000 private acres have already been conserved under the plan, which is rooted in an imaginative transfer of development rights. But there’s concern that 700,000 acres of working farmland is being converted to 10and even 80-acre residential lots, translating to about 18,000 housing units over time. So there’s a new community discussion with city managers, focused on where new development should be channeled, says Gene Duvernoy, Cascade Land Conservancy president. Draft legislation would give the Puget Sound Regional Council authority to apportion the 18,000 housing units across the cities, granting them tax increment authority so that new development goes “up” in existing towns rather than “spread” across the landscape. But the process isn’t “antidevelopment,” Duvernoy insists, because developers, in the process, can still have a “product” — just producing it in towns and cities rather than in the form of outward sprawl. “Great communities, great landscape, a sustainable environment — they can only work in tandem,” he insists. “Built right, attractive, affordable city neighborhoods will be our best hope.” Regional leaders are now using the language of “ecodistricts” — chains of communities that feature not just low-impact development techniques and a range of housing types and costs but also frequent public transit, high efficiency district energy systems, and community space. The initiatives are all part of a package it’s hoped will show distinctive regionwide collaboration and innovation, qualifying the area for support under the federal government’s new Sustainable Communities grant program. It seems the Cascade Land Conservancy’s agenda is never complete. A top example — restoring neglected parks to their former glory. Seattle and four neighboring communities have joined a “Green Cities” program for massive, citywide park and open space restoration. More than 10,000 volunteers are involved. “It may be decades before we are all done. But it’s a far better investment in a city’s quality of life to restore a weed-choked park than purchase new land,” notes Duvernoy. And now, to match the Cascade Agenda, the Conservancy has organized an Olympic Agenda to cover the Puget Sound’s western neighbor — the entire Olympic Peninsula, which offers some of North America’s most dramatic scenery, ranging from glacierrich Mount Olympus to thick canopies of rain forest. Yet the collapse of the timber industry has hit hard, while farming and fishing aren’t providing the jobs they once did. Unemployment is high. Meanwhile, the peninsula is under economic pressure to fragment and convert private lands for private real estate development, raising dangers for both its rough-and-ready rural character and its pristine shorelines and estuaries. Proposed remedies have emerged in county-by-county dialogues that the Conservancy has organized. They range from rounding up capital to replace worn-out bridges and water systems to “green” infrastructure in the form of community-based forests and well-maintained trails to undergird both community life and tourism. The extension of regional dialogue from the Everett- Seattle/Bellevue-Tacoma axis to the neighboring Olympic Peninsula, from urban to rural, from income-rich to economically struggling territory, isn’t totally unique. But it represents the kind of imaginative citistatewide approaches that the times demand. Hard to quantify in the short-term, the benefits of thinking, planning and strategizing together — jointly exploring innovations and promising steps for the future — could in time be dramatic. More American regions should be emulating the model. Neal Peirce’s e-mail address is nrp@citistates.com. © 2010, The Washington Post Writers Group The opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of the National League of Cities or Nation’s Cities Weekly. Visit www.nlc.org to: Register for the Congress of Cities & Exposition, to be held in Denver, November 30-December 4.
JULY 19, 2010 NATION’S CITIES WEEKLY 3 New Municipal Action Guide Available on Improving Family, Friend and Neighbor Care by Michael Karpman With support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, NLC’s Institute for Youth, Education, and Families (YEF Institute) has published a new Municipal Action Guide on “Promoting School Readiness by Improving Family, Friend and Neighbor Care.” Why Care About FFN Care? The early years from birth to age 5 are a time when young children experience rapid cognitive, social and emotional development. The availability of stimulating early learning activities is a critical determinant of a child’s future educational success. In fact, several studies have shown that as much as half of the educational achievement gap that exists between disadvantaged children and their peers by third grade is already evident by the time they enter school, and that this gap will continue to grow over time. Recognizing the importance of early childhood success, local officials often direct their attention toward supporting formal child care settings, such as centerbased care and pre-kindergarten programs. Yet this approach fails to reach the nearly half of young children under age 6 who are in the care of a relative, family friend or neighbor. Family, friend and neighbor (FFN) care is the most common form of child care used by low-income families with young children. However, because of a lack of training information and support for FFN caregivers, an estimated onethird to one-half of FFN care settings may not adequately prepare children to enter school ready to learn. Helping FFN caregivers promote school readiness is therefore critical to the success of any efforts to close the educational achievement gap and address school dropout rates. Municipal Strategies and Action Steps NLC’s new Municipal Action Guide highlights strategies that city leaders can use to connect FFN caregivers with the information and support needed to promote early learning and healthy child development. Key municipal strategies include educating parents and caregivers about early learning and transition to kindergarten, connecting caregivers to community resources, promoting peer networking and support and encouraging training and professional development. These strategies were identified through a joint, two-year technical assistance initiative sponsored by the YEF Institute and United Way Worldwide with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The 2007-2008 project helped municipal and United Way leaders in Atlanta; Denver; Des Moines, Iowa; Nashville, Tenn.; Providence, R.I., and San Antonio promote school readiness and support informal caregivers. Local officials involved in this project and municipal leaders from other cities have taken some of the following steps to implement the strategies mentioned above: • Partnering with the local United Way, family-serving agencies, cultural and faith-based organizations and the business community to identify and reach FFN caregivers. For instance, the City of Madison, Wis., has worked with the local United Way and child care resource and referral agency to engage FFN care providers in early childhood development trainings. • Developing materials and activities that respond to the needs, interests and cultures of FFN caregivers. The cities of Denver and San Antonio translate materials to support FFN caregivers into Spanish, including Play and Learn group resources, family resource guides and training materials. • Creating places where FFN caregivers can come together for support and learning. The City of Fort Worth, Texas, funds several Early Childhood Resource Centers that offer parent and caregiver see page 12, column 1 NLC TV to Host Segment on Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Program by Cynthia Cusick Throughout the year, NLC is hosting a series of NLC TV segments highlighting its Capstone Corporate Partners and their work with and for cities. “Our NLC Corporate Partners Program promotes the exchange of ideas between businesses and local governments to strengthen and encourage economic competitiveness and civic involvement,” said Amy Elsbree, director, Center for Public Affairs and Member Relations, NLC. “It is a natural fit to collaborate with NLC TV and share our Capstone Partners’ expertise and work with cities.” Later this month, Wells Fargo will highlight the work being done to help revitalize neighborhoods, including providing sustainable homeownership and rental opportunities for low- to moderate-income families. The segment airs Tuesday, July 27 at 1 p.m. ET. After the segment airs, the show will be archived on NLCTV.org. Guests of the segment will include Stephen Porter, manager of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage’s REO Discounted and Donated Properties Program, and Tyler Smith, REO manager for Wells Fargo’s Premiere Asset Services. Wells Fargo is working with nonprofit organizations to help cities bounce back from a wave of foreclosures that have shuttered properties and reduced house-price values in many neighborhoods. Property donations are a part of its Leading the Way Home program, a national effort focused on preventing foreclosures, stabilizing communities and promoting sustainable homeownership through education. Cities can also use Neighborhood Stabilization Program dollars to seed property reclamation and redevelop- ment efforts. The Wells Fargo Housing Foundation works through Wells Fargo’s Premiere Asset Services to identify properties for donation The NLC Corporate Partners Program promotes the exchange of ideas between corporate leaders and the leaders of America’s cities in order to strengthen local government, encourage economic competitiveness and promote corporate civic engagement. For more information, visit www.nlc.org/ inside_nlc/Corporate_Programs. At Wells Fargo, we want to satisfy all of our customers’ financial needs, help them succeed financially, be the premier provider of financial services in every one of our markets, and be known as one of America’s great companies. to nonprofit groups. “Fixing up old housing stock in communities is a good way to preserve affordable housing in many neighborhoods,” said Porter. “These vacant and foreclosed homes create sustainable homeownership opportunities for first-time and low-income buyers.” Premiere Asset Services is a division of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage that manages and markets default real estate owned (REO) and pre-approves properties for donation. Generally, the properties have been on the market for more than 60 days and not generating interest from potential buyers. “When you can clean up a neighborhood, rebuild housing and then turn it over to deserving families, it has a way of changing a community,” Smith added. NLC Corporate Partners Program Wells Fargo Home Mortgage is one of the nation’s leading retail mortgage lenders and a leading service for one in every seven mortgage loans in the nation. As a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., it has a national presence in mortgage stores and banking stores, and also serves the home financing needs of customers nationwide through its call centers, Internet presence and third-party production channels. Wells Fargo Home Mortgage services loans for more than 8 million customers. For more information, visit www.wells fargo.com.
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