Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Interactive Planning Tool for Sustainable Urban Planning in a Built, Urban Community
EPA Grant Number: SU833193Title: Interactive Planning Tool for Sustainable Urban Planning in a Built, Urban Community
Investigators: Irwin, Michael D , Stephens, Lauren A. , Sherman, Alexander J. , Weigle, Melissa J. , Garrett, Brittany L. , Dortenzo, Erica L. , Urbanowicz, Tabatha L. , Ulmer, Allison M. , Craver, Christina M. , Nazir, Mark M. , Miller, Rebecca S. , Vogel, Bryan T. , Becker, Jacob
Institution: Duquesne University
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: I
Project Period: September 1, 2006 through August 31, 2007
Project Amount: $10,000
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2006) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: P3 Challenge Area - Sustainable and Healthy Communities , Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Awards , Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Objective:
Dormont’s government believes that segregation of land use is no longer the solution. This only leads to areas of detachment and limits social interaction. Take Dormont’s current Zoning Ordinances which require a specific allowable land use for almost every parcel of the Borough. These ordinances were created and implemented no doubt by predicting the best use of the land. It is impossible to predict the future of a community and create ordinances based on assumptions. When Dormont was planned and developed the automobile was not in existence. This led to narrow streets and homes constructed without garages. With the onset of the automobile, parking has become a critical issue and zoning ordinances, “borrowed and recreated” from other communities, do not meet the needs, nor make much sense, in a Borough such as Dormont. Current zoning methods do not respect community history nor treat them as dynamic entities that are in need of regular change. Instead, they tend to stifle the change and much needed growth of these older communities due to technology, consumer preferences, and changes in society. At a practical level, Dormont’s zoning tends to foster development patterns that conflict with smart growth objectives while using a process objectionable to free market conditions. It restricts densities of projects that may have a market for a greater density, it prevents mixed land uses even though that may be the preferred design, and it requires parking ratios that assume most residents or customers will drive most places. With this type of zoning regulation, it should not be surprising that much of Dormont, looks disjointed and aesthetically challenged. The purpose of this study is to assess the community elements that might best maximize urban planning goals, identify areas and segments for the community that would benefit most from changes in zoning, and begin the development of citizen.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
Three research teams found the following:
Rehabilitating Dormont: Dormont’s Elderly and the Location of Health Facilities.
This team combined analyses of Census data (by block-group focusing on older populations and health limitation), combined this with evaluation of streets mapping, of health facilities and business location, as well as through direct observation to arrive at their conclusions. Using location assessment guidelines suggested by Central Place Theory (Christaller, 1966). The team concluded that Dormont’s elderly has adequate access to higher order (specialized) health facilities, but poor access to lower order (often needed) general health goods and services. The major barriers to these lower order providers are 1) busy roads coupled with pedestrian unfriendly lights, and 2) poor sidewalks. Specific changes suggested include 1) retiming traffic lights, 2) providing local van or trolley transportation to local businesses and 3) refurbishing sidewalks. The latter, if used in conjunction with rezoning that allows businesses to mix with residential areas would provide direct access for the elderly to needed daily health providers.
Crime and Civic Conditions: This team focused on the location of crime in Dormont and its relationship to three aspects of the built environment 1) street length and associated social characteristics, 2) residential density and 3) business location. Using urban concepts suggested by Jane Jacobs, they combined qualitative observation and quantitative data to evaluate how these conditions affect the spatial location of crime. Their observations suggest that the presence of community based businesses, of short walkable blocks and of higher residential population density are a deterrent to crime. Each aspect increases ‘eyes on the street’ that is likely to decrease the opportunity to commit certain types of crimes. Their work further identifies specific ‘gray areas’ in Dormont which feel unsafe and are areas where crime is more likely to occur. These areas are prime targets for rezoning to mixed business & residential, to increase foot traffic and business activity into the night and thereby increasing public safety.
Moving Into Dormont, Families, Children and Location: This team focused on zoning issues in relationship to families and children. Specifically, they used Census data to evaluate Dormont’s housing, educational and civic conditions relative to the two other municipalities that share this school district. By doing so this team holds a major component of residential location constant and evaluates the major factors attracting families to one community rather than another. Finding that the highest concentrations of families with children are in Dormont, they turn supplemented their secondary analysis with interviews with a local long term resident, and with observational studies of the advantages of this community relative to Castle Shannon and Green Tree. Their conclusion, like the others teams, stress the benefits of street life and small businesses on tangible social outcomes and recommend the extension of mixed zoning to other Dormont neighborhoods as a mechanism to build ongoing, sustainable civic conditions.
Conclusions:
Phase I clearly indicates benefits to rezoning selected areas of Dormont. Phase II will, in conjunctions with Domont Government, begin the process of rezoning implementation. This project was very successful in meeting several major proposed goals. Identifying social and economic implications of one aspect of zoning (mixed residential & business use) was of primary concern to Dormont’s government. These projects provide compelling qualitative evidence that this type of zoning has positive impacts in Dormont. Additionally these teams identified areas where rezoning for mixed use would be most effective for specific stakeholders in Dormont (the elderly, young adults and families with children) as well for the general citizenry of Dormont (by reducing potential crime in specific areas). By identifying these areas and discussing which stakeholders could best benefit from this aspect of rezoning, the teams provided valuable draft recommendations for Dormont rezoning. Additionally, these projects are producing quantitative analysis that estimate effects of rezoning on social and demographic neighborhood patterns. Finally, provision of social maps and community social capital inventories were achieved and will provide valuable tools for Dormont planning.
Proposed Phase II Objectives and Strategies:
The revised zoning ordinances will provide for the orderly development of the City, assist the community in its effort to maintain and enhance a pleasant living environment, and suit the anticipated Borough needs for the future. The university research team will take a unique and uncustomary approach to redesigning the Borough’s zoning ordinances, based on citizen input from the Social Maps and Social Capital Inventory Produced in Phase I. They will proceed with the assumption that individual land uses, neighborhoods, and communities are dynamic and constantly evolving as society, technology, and preferences change. The research team will look at zoning ordinances that will be based on the market place and community as well as promoting sustainability and protecting the environment. As part of the process the Duquesne University research team will develop from the produces of the initial process (Phase I) concerning how to transform the existing zoning ordinances into a more understandable, streamlined, defensible and effective plan implementation tool. The research team will provide effective principles for revising and updating city zoning ordinances.
Supplemental Keywords:
Social Policy, Sustainability , Land Use, Regional Planning, Public Policy,, RFA, Scientific Discipline, Sustainable Industry/Business, Sustainable Environment, Technology for Sustainable Environment, Urban and Regional Planning, sustainable development, decision making, environmental conscious construction, green building design, community based, collaborative urban planning, sustainable urban environment, pollution preventionThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.