The Romney Framework for Building Great Communities

1. The Romney Framework for Building Great Communities Douglas I. Foy Secretary of Commonwealth Development Commonwealth of Massachusetts

2. Sprawl Means. . . • High land consumption per person and disinvestment in cities • Growth in daily miles of travel, nearly constant gridlock, no alternative to driving for many • Air and water pollution • Loss of forests, farms, other open space • Low housing production, limited to McMansions • Obesity and chronic health problems • Isolation of seniors – our fastest-growing cohort

3. Office for Commonwealth Development Fix It First/Infrastructure Commonwealth Capital Transit-Oriented Development Development-Oriented Transportation Smart Growth Zoning Act City and Town Center Redevelopment Highway Program: Communities First Environmental Policy Local Capacity Building Investing in Great Cities & Towns: 10 First Steps

4. (1) Office for Commonwealth Development • “Super-secretariat” linking transportation, housing, environment and energy agencies • Ensures consistent state support for growth in cities, town centers, and other walkable, infrastructure-rich areas • Infrastructure programs, other spending, regulation • Incentives for cities and towns to reform zoning

5. (2) Fix It First: Infrastructure • MassHighway: Roads and Bridges • Priority for repair and rehabilitation of streets, roads, structurally deficient bridges • Bridge program to be doubled • Dep’t of Conservation and Recreation: Parks • Merger and reform of state parks agencies • Capital budget doubled in 2004 • MBTA: “State of Good Repair” program • Public Housing: Introduce private investment?

6. Bridges: Aging Baby Boomers

7. (3) Commonwealth Capital • Common administration of discretionary capital spending to ensure • Consistency of projects with smart growth • Alignment of municipal policies and zoning with state interest in smart growth • Coordination of agency decision-making • Includes economic and community development, land protection, off-street parking, wastewater infrastructure and other programs

8. Commonwealth Capital • Reviviendo Gateway Project, Lawrence –Governor’s Smart Growth Leadership Award Winner

9. (4) Transit-Oriented Development • Commonwealth Development/MBTA Program • Community-based master planning -- stations with surplus MBTA property • Re-zoning by first group of communities underway • Funding • New $30 M program for parking, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, housing • $40 M for infrastructure to support early projects • MassHousing Priority Development Fund • $100 M, including planning grants and financing

10. Urban Transit-Oriented Development • Maverick Gardens Hope VI Mixed-Income Redevelopment, East Boston –Governor’s Smart Growth Leadership Award Winner

11. Suburban Town Center Transit-Oriented Development • 10-12 Summer Street, Manchester –Governor’s Smart Growth Leadership Award Winner

12. (5) Development-Oriented Transportation • “Fix it First” doesn’t mean “fix it only” – near-term transit and highway improvements support city- and town-center growth • Boston: Silver Line Phase III • Worcester: Route 146 • Pittsfield: East Street • Future transit and highway corridor projects will be conditioned on smart growth land-use plans and zoning

13. (6) Smart Growth Zoning Act(Chapter 40R) • Incentives to create “smart growth zoning districts” in • City, town, village centers/commercial districts • Around transit stations • Other “smart growth” locations • Criteria = infrastructure + walkability • Must have 8-20 units/acre, affordable units, housing or mixed use • Incentives: State $ for re-zoning and issuing building permits, priority in grant programs

14. (7) City and Town Center Redevelopment • State Historic Preservation Tax Credit signed into law • Focus on smart growth, affordable housing • Current cap: $15 million/year • Upper-story downtown redevelopment -- Housing Development Support Program (CDBG) funding doubled • “Rebirth of Older Industrial Cities” project with NAIOP, Northeastern University, 12 cities • Addressing barriers to urban economic development

15. Revitalizing Historic Downtowns • Amesbury –Governor’s Smart Growth Leadership Award Winner

16. (8) Highway Program:Communities First • New Highway Project Development and Design Manual to incorporate principles of • Context-sensitive design • Accommodation of all modes (inc. peds, bikes, transit) • Traffic calming • Being produced through open, collaborative process • Goal: most progressive manual in nation

17. (9) Environmental Policy • Environmental review and permitting • Fast track for smart growth projects • State Revolving Fund (water infrastructure) • Reforms to facilitate sewering for town center growth and get tougher on sewer extensions to outlying areas • Brownfields redevelopment • State support targeted to cities and town centers

18. Smart Brownfields Redevelopment • Heywood Memorial Library, Gardner –Governor’s Smart Growth Leadership Award Winner

19. (10) Local Capacity Building • Technical assistance grants to cities and towns • Priority Development Fund (Dep’t of Housing and Community Development/MassHousing) • Smart Growth Grants (Environmental Affairs) • Commonwealth Development agency staff support • mass.gov/ocd • Governor’s Awards for Smart Growth

20. Places to Watch: Lowell

21. Brockton

22. Haverhill

23. “Redevelop First” – The first of Massachusetts’s ten Sustainable Development Principles