Jeff Taebel Handout Gulf Coast Green Symposium 2009, Houston, Texas

1. Smart Planning for
Inevitable
Growth

2. Livable Centers: A Strategy for
Sustainable Mobility
Jeff Taebel, FAICP
Director, Community & Environmental Planning

3. Sustainable
Mobility?

4. Sustainable Mobility?
$157 billion investment in 2035 RTP

5. Sustainable Mobility?
• High Gas Prices
• Environmental Impacts
– Air quality
– Carbon emissions
– Stormwater runoff
• Funding Shortfalls
– State
– Federal

6. RTP Goals
Improved access Coordinated planning
Regional Transportation Plan
Healthier environment
More transit

7. Paradigm Shift
• Reduced Congestion
• Reduced Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT)
• Reduced Single-Occupant
Vehicle (SOV) Trips

8. Livable Centers

9. Livable Centers

10. Livable Centers

11. Regional average
51 miles
Downtown
9 miles
1
2
5
3
4
Westchase
Medical
27 miles
Center
Uptown 5 miles
16 miles
Greenway
14 miles
Daily Vehicle Miles Traveled per Employee

12. Centers and Transit
Downtown: 36% work trips via transit TMC: 8% work trips via transit

13. Types of Centers
center type
pop. + jobs range
Neighborhood
3,000 – 10,000
Center
Museum District
Town Center
10,000 – 50,000
Galveston
Regional Center
50,000 – 100,000
Uptown
Urban Core
100,000+
Downtown

14. Measuring Impacts
SOV Trip
10%
Reduction:

15. 10% =
250 Neighborhood Centers
OR
85 Town Centers
OR
18 Regional Centers
OR
10 Urban Cores

16. 10% =
50 Neighborhood Centers
AND
25 Town Centers
AND
7 Regional Centers
AND
1 Urban Core

17. H-GAC Livable Centers Projects:
2008-2011 TIP
Planning Implementation
• East End Mgmt Dist: • Woodlands Town Center
Navigation/S. Jensen • McGowen Improvements
• Houston: Code • Midtown Phase V
Enforcement
• Galveston Seawall
Building/EnsembleTOD
Ped/Transit Connections
• Houston: Gillette Street
• Uptown Street
• Houston: Urban Corridors Improvements*
• Tomball: Downtown • Upper Kirby District*
Urban Design Plan
• East End District*
• Waller: Town Square
* Currently on contingency list for federal stimulus funding

19. The Woodlands Town Center

20. Livable Centers: Uptown

21. Main Street TOD/Code Enforcement Bldg

22. Greater East End Management District

23. Greater East End Management District

24. Subregional Planning Initiative
• Coordination
– Integrating local
plans
• Strategies
– Creating an
implementation
toolbox
• Investments
– Funding projects
aligned with RTP
goals
• Local actions,
regional benefits

25. Smart Planning

26. Questions?
Jeff Taebel, FAICP
jeff.taebel@h-gac.com
713-993-4560
www.h-gac.com/livablecenters

27. 2005 Population

28. 2035 Population

29. 2035 Population – Alternative Scenario

30. Reliant
Stadium
Parking Area

31. Greenfields
Preserved =
14 Reliant
Stadium
Parking Areas