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Challenge
Sprawl
Smart
Growth and Affordable Housing:
A Partnership for Success
 Affordable
Housing Crisis Plagues America
More Americans than ever before live in inadequate housing or spend
more than half of their monthly income on housing. As the growing
population's demand for housing increases, we are failing to provide
affordable, convenient options. Strip malls and cookie cutter housing
developments do not represent the needs or wishes of most Americans.
Suburban sprawl and limited transportation choices often fail to
provide affordable housing. Even middle income Americans are feeling
the affordable housing crunch as new home prices escalate.
Sprawl pulls investment and the tax base away from existing communities,
and forces the expensive construction of new roads, sewer lines
and other infrastructure. Smart Growth provides a solution to sprawl
and the affordable housing challenge. Fighting sprawl can and should
include Smart Growth and affordable housing.
More
Parking, Less Affordable Housing
Requirements for excessive parking force builders to use land for
parking rather than compact growth or affordable housing. Sprawl
worsens the problem by separating jobs farther from affordable housing
and transit, forcing low-income citizens to drive to work. Transit
and pedestrian communities reduce the need to build parking spaces
or use a car.
Gentrification:
An Unnecessary Evil
Many residents of inner cities fear revitalization projects. If
their community becomes a more desirable place to live because of
improved services, accessible jobs, and business opportunities,
won't housing prices rise? To prevent gentrification-the displacement
of current residents by more affluent newcomers--community members
can create a development plan that incorporates inclusionary zoning,
fair-share housing, and rent controls to keep housing affordable.
Replacement ordinances make sure affordable housing is not lost
in the construction of better communities. Giving all citizens a
voice in planning is the key to Smart Growth. Revitalization does
not need to drive out low-income residents.
 Building
a Community for All People
A mixture of housing options, attractive public areas, streets friendly
to walkers and bicyclists, and a mixture of available amenities provides
a better community than commercial strips and parking lots.
Team
for Fairness: Fight Sprawl and Protect Affordable Housing
Instead of building more big houses in inaccessible sprawling suburbs,
communities should revisit the affordable housing possibilities in
the urban core. Fixing up abandoned or vacant buildings can provide
housing for lower income families. Revitalizing already-used land
reduces the need to sprawl onto farms or wetlands and uses compact
growth to stop sprawl. Urban neighborhoods were often designed for
pedestrian use, so residents won't have to rely on cars to get to
jobs or shopping. Redevelopment in cities uses existing resources
rather than forcing taxpayers to subsidize the building of new roads
or sewer lines. Smart Growth provides housing and transportation choices
and limits the costs of sprawl. When citizens combat sprawl and the
affordable housing shortage together, they preserve the character
of their communities.
Spotlight
on Transportation: The Location Efficient Mortgage
In communities with lots of jobs, housing, and accessible public transit,
housing prices are often not affordable for low-income folks. However,
reducing the need to drive can save up to $6000 per year. Some banks
allow mortgage lenders to count those savings towards the income of
people applying for a new mortgage. Living in a vibrant community
with easy transit access just got more affordable! Innovative ideas
such as the location-efficient mortgage address the goals of stopping
sprawl, providing transportation choices, and protecting affordable
housing. With this system, participants live locally, use public transportation,
and save money on the cost of a home.
Source: Surface Transportation Policy Project, "Driven
to Spend."
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Solutions
for Access, Mobility, and Affordability
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Mixed use zoning that locates housing near jobs
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Transit-oriented
development that integrates housing with convenient public
transit so citizens can reduce their transportation costs
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Public
involvement in the planning process that gives low-income
and minority individuals chances to participate
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Compact
growth to reduce the cost of infrastructure, create a
sense of community, and encourage neighborhood walking
and biking
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Redevelopment
of existing communities to preserve open space
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Reducing
public subsidies to sprawl and forcing developers to pay
impact fees for infrastructure and service costs
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Fair
Share housing to promote neighborhoods, create a vibrant,
diverse community, and meet the needs of a variety of
income levels
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Inclusionary
zoning that provides incentives for affordable housing
developments
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Public
trust funds to insure equity financing for affordable
housing construction
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how
to contact Challenge to Sprawl
New
Roads Are Not the Answer:
Avoiding Traffic Congestion Through Transportation Choices
If
You Build It, They Will Come
Traffic congestion has become an everyday reality for most Americans.
Taxpayers are frustrated as more and more money is spent to
expand roadways while most drivers still find themselves stuck
in traffic. The average American now spends 443 hours per year
behind the wheel. Why is this happening? It is called Induced
Traffic. Studies show that new and expanded roads cause an increase
in driving. Building new roads actually creates more congestion. |
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 The
Vicious Cycle of Induced Traffic
Congestion plagues a road, the road is expanded, and more people
can now drive on the road. Public transit or carpool riders
switch to driving, drivers switch routes and take longer trips,
and congestion reappears at a greater level than before the
construction. More traffic is dumped on local streets. Welcome
to Induced Traffic. The short term benefits of increased road
capacity result in long term suburban sprawl and reduced quality
of life for residents. Roads in undeveloped areas soon attract
new housing, shopping, and business centers. More people will
now have to drive a longer distance in traffic to reach home,
school, shopping, or work. Often, cities that spend the most
on roadbuilding end up with the worst congestion.
Ridership on all major forms of public transit has increased
in recent years. Subways (heavy rail) and electric trains (light
rail) saw the largest rise. Americans clearly want alternatives
to driving.
Source: American Public Transportation Association
2000 Ridership Report |
Solution:
Transportation Choices
Real solutions to traffic jams do not include building and
widening highways. A balanced transportation program funds a
variety of travel options that will provide people with more
choices. The American economy added 30 million new commuters
since 1980, and many have chosen to use public transit rather
than drive. |
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 Wasting
Time Stuck in Traffic
The rise of sprawling malls and decentralized housing explains
the increased miles Americans have travelled in the last fifty
years. Building more roads does not cut the amount of time we
spend trapped in a car, and we must recognize that more sprawl
and smog producing highways cannot fix the problem. Communities
should consider the impact of induced traffic when planning
their transportation future.
 Fight
Pollution, Fight Congestion, Fight Sprawl
More traffic, pollution, and congestion from new roads are not
inevitable. Communities can plan a variety of transportation
choices so residents aren't always forced to drive. Transportation
policy can help enhance communities for the future and eliminate
the need to build more roads.
For every 10% increase in lane mile capacity, a 9% increase
in traffic results.
Source: Hansen and Huang, Transportation Research
A, 31. 205-218. 1997.
Experience
a More Convenient Community with Travel Choices
Combining transit and development produces a mixture of land uses
and easily accessible transportation options for all citizens, including
bicyclists, pedestrians, children and the elderly. To see more about
how transportation enhancements can transform your community, visit: www.sierraclub.org/sprawl/community/transformations/index.asp
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