Sustainable Economic Perspectives in the Texas Triangle

1. Sustainable Economic Perspectives in the Texas Triangle September 25, 2009

2. “Better Luck This Time” " Exhilaration over clean energy has so thoroughly swept Silicon Valley.....The problem 30 years ago was doing something environmentally sound required asceticism and sacrifice. That is no longer required. No one is asking you to huddle in the dark, shivering and eating beans by candle light to save the planet." - "Better Luck this Time" Atlantic Monthly Aug 2009 2

3. ECOTOPIA vs. Texas Triangle

4. The Third Wave? “The first wave of environmentalism was conservation. The second was regulation.” “We believe the third wave is investment.” - Van Jones

5. Old Economy vs. Sustainable Eco-economy Source: Texas Business Review, University of Texas at Austin

6. Consuming vs. Sustaining Source: Texas Business Review, University of Texas at Austin

7. Evolution of Economic Development Strategy in Texas Source: Texas Business Review, University of Texas at Austin

8. Funding for green jobs flowing — but what exactly is a ‘green job?’- September 2009.

9. Green Jobs • Renewable Power Generation • Energy Efficiency • Renewable Transportation Fuels Source: Green Jobs in US Metro Areas, October 2008, Global Insight

10. Talent Attraction US 18 to 34 year olds say that living in a city that they define as sustainable is an important factor in deciding where to locate (7 or 8 on a 10 point scale) 70% or more define sustainability in terms of clean air and water, and open space versus 20% in terms of downtown living, 30% green buildings or 40% transit Source: Collective Strength and Harris Interactive June 2009

11. 2008 US City Sustainability Rankings 1. Portland, OR 2. San Francisco, CA 3. Seattle, WA 4. Chicago, IL 5. New York, NY 6. Boston, MA 7. Minneapolis, MN 8. Philadelphia, PA 9. Oakland, CA 10. Baltimore, MD 11. Denver, CO 12. Milwaukee, WI 13. Austin, TX 14. Sacramento, CA 15. Washington, DC 16. Cleveland, OH 17. Honolulu, HI 18. Albuquerque, NM 19. Atlanta, GA 20. Kansas City, MO 21. San Jose, CA 22. Tucson, AZ 23. Jacksonville, FL 24. Dallas, TX 25. Omaha, NE 26. San Diego, CA 27. New Orleans, LA 28. Los Angeles, CA 29. Louisville, KY 30. Columbus, OH 31. Detroit, MI 32. Phoenix, AZ 33. San Antonio, TX 34. Miami, FL 35. Charlotte, NC 36. Houston, TX 37. Fresno, CA 38. El Paso, TX 39. Fort Worth, TX 40. Nashville, TN 41. Arlington, TX 42. Long Beach, CA 43. Colorado Springs, CO 44. Indianapolis, IN 45. Virginia Beach, VA 46. Memphis, TN 47. Las Vegas, NV 48. Tulsa, OK 49. Oklahoma City, OK 50. Mesa, AZ Source: SustainLane.com

12. Sustain Lane City Rankings Source: SustainLane.com

13. Massive Change “The new mobility culture considers not only transit but also prosperity, health, education, housing, waste and other social needs. No transportation system is an island, it must coordinate all shared systems for maximum effect.” - Massive Change

14. Central Texas Core Beliefs Driving is just going to get more and more expensive in the future I just can't afford to drive as much as I used to I'd like to be able to drive a little less I drive because I have to, not because I want to I’m concerned about traffic congestion I’m concerned about air pollution I’m concerned about climate change N = 802 I would like to take public transportation but it is not available or convenient Survey of 5 Central Texas Counties Source: Environmental Defense Fund/ Collective Strength Q1 2009

15. Employer Transportation Benefits N = 802 Q: For each of the following transportation benefits that are offered by employers tell me whether it is available to you now, whether you use it now and if not, if you would be willing to use it in the future? 15

16. Employer-Sponsored Transportation Programs • Morning service starts at 5am • Pick up as far as 54 miles away • Operates through private transportation company “Google’s aim is to make commuting painless for its pampered workers — and keep attracting new recruits in a notoriously competitive market for top engineering talent.”NY Times, March 10, 2007 “It’s the most useful Google fringe benefit.” Employee “Bus system was a factor in turning down job offer from Apple.” Employee 16

17. Message to Leaders: Balance Our Mix 17 N = 802 Q: Which of the following priorities do you want your elected officials to focus on in the next year to help with transportation problems? Tell me if each should be a high, medium or low priority

18. Investment Priorities: Implications for Stimulus $$ Adding carshare, carpooling and employee vanpools $14 Maintaining existing or building new roads $33 Adding sidewalks $14 Non-road Investments $88 Adding bike lanes $14 Building city rail and regional train systems $27 Expanding bus service $19 N = 802 18 Q: If your elected officials are able to allocate funding for transportation, how do you want them to spend it? Assume they have $100 dollars to invest, how much of it should they invest in

19. Comparison of Differing Forms of Development -- Sustainability 200 unit developments with varying footprints, infrastructure need and utility usage Source: Terry Mitchell, Momark Inc

20. Texas Triangle Key Issues What set of economic indicators in terms of jobs, income, education, sustainability to use? How to develop mega-regional collaboration as a core competency? How to engage the “Masters of the Universe?” How to restructure tax incentive policy for job creation and economic development around sustainability criteria?

21. Texas Triangle Key Issues How to Brand and Market the natural beauty, cultural uniqueness and unlimited sense of opportunity that is inherent in the Texan mystique along with sustainability attributes necessary for talent attraction? How to maximize and leverage energy, telecom, computing, green building, port, aerospace and bio tech expertise in new combinations – new generation of incubators and to innovate far beyond just “clean energy?” Focusing the political and business “will” to succeed in a highly competitive context framed as WINNING OR LOSING vs. OTHER MEGA REGIONS.