Walk to Work Homes + Upward Mobility

1. Walk to Work Homes + Upward Mobility • Walk to work apts/condos for tech workers • The most cost-effective suburban traffic reduction policy (ever). SF  San Jose (swap) • Priority access to new housing for short commuters • $50 monthly price incentives for good commutes • Bad location decision creates “negative economic externality” for society. So, “internalize” the cost • ? Improve tech worker quality of life and leave low income folks farther behind ? • Low income upward mobility • {package deal: job, home, job training, better schools for kids, more family time.} Boost up the ladder.

2. 3 Steps for Housing Preference • 1) a city agrees to a preference scheme designating: • a) qualifications for entering households to achieve preferred status and • b) financial incentives for developers who adopt such schemes • 2) applicable rental/for-sale housing units are priced to ensure high demand (must have a waiting list) • 3) preferred people are granted priority for those housing units • Monthly $ incent continued co-location • NOT: teacher / police preference • INSTEAD IT IS: “commute impact.”

3. Most cost-effective congestion reduction • Tumlin: “most cost-effective peak hour trip reduction: provide housing for workers.” GUP: 0 new net trips • Anthony Downs (Still Stuck in Traffic): a) learn to cope with traffic congestion in the short run, b) in the long run, jobs and housing will eventually co-locate • Cervero: co-location hasn’t been happening. "Average journey to work distance has been increasing, jobs/hsng continues to exacerbate" • Thus, need co-location policy • Potential: 1M DUs in 200 largest office parks.

4. Active Research: Thought Leaders • “Virtual think tank” with 50 thought leaders • William Fulton • ULI, HUD, EPA, MTC, SVLG, Fannie Mae, TLUC • Larry Rosenthal, Berkeley Program on Housing • Jim Grow, National Housing Law Project • Linda Nichols, CA State Housing & Community Development – housing policy • Mark Stivers, CA Senate transportation and housing committee • Mariia Zimmerman, Reconnecting America • Joe Molinaro, National Association of Realtors • 2 examples: Novato’s Hamilton Field, Stanford Housing • 17 teacher/police schemes in Bay Area • 2 SF “coffee roundtables,” 1 in DC • Proposal for 25K DU Coyote Valley new town • 100M annual VMT reduction.

5. Culture: Low Mileage Community • Non auto-centric culture • Good Samaritan-ism (make it easy. Comes out in TDM interviews) • EBay’s online community phenomenon • Make friends, achieve social status • Self polices bad behavior.

6. Low Mileage Scheme • New 100 DU residential complex • Everyone signs low mileage pledge • Entry condition to obtain housing • Manufacture a tipping point – it’s cool to be green • Currently, it’s often dumb to be green • Positive peer pressure • Problem-solving think tank. Online & in person • Carpool to grocery store • Ex: Biking learning curve: route, gear, defensive • People love to share such self-discovered expertise • Delivery services, etc.

7. Digital Hitchhiking • Exploit GIS patterns • Bus + safe hitchhiking • RFID & cellular.

8. END: Not covered: • Superblock transformation into new urbanist, walkable with PRT to span arterials • Gated, automated, paid smart parking • Bowling alone • Small murphy bed housing • Grocery shopping w/o trunk  • Homeless • Evil office facilities managers • Kitchen sink: green construction, gray water recycling, etc..

9. Call to Action • Get 100 folks to view the Redmond/MS animation • Join an online social network: O2 yahoo groups, planetwork.net (IT + envt) • 15 to 39 year-olds are crucial • Live a “62 MBTU / year” life. Early green adopter • Get involved in Redmond’s Overlake Plan • Write a thorough efficient city vision paper.