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>> GOOD AFTERNOON-- I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE.
MY NAME IS RAY HINKLE.
I'M AN INSTRUCTOR IN THE ARCHITECTURAL DRAFTING--
I SAID THAT WRONG, DIDN'T I?
IT'S MECHANICAL AND ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN DEPARTMENT.
THINGS CHANGE, AND SOMETIMES I HAVE TO CATCH UP, SO...
UM...
I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE A FEW PEOPLE TODAY.
UM, AARON TOLFORD, WHO'S THE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.G.B.C.,
BILL FRIEBURG, WHO'S THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.G.B.C. CHAPTER
HERE ON CAMPUS, WHO IS SPONSORING THIS EVENT.
I'M GONNA M.C. THE LITTLE PRESENTATION.
UH, DAVE DYE, WHO'S DEPARTMENT CHAIRMAN OF THE ARCHITECTURAL DEPARTMENT ITSELF.
RAISE YOUR HAND, DAVE, SO WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE.
OKAY.
AND CHARLOTTE PEASE, ONE OF THE OTHER INSTRUCTORS IN THE DEPARTMENT,
AND ALSO AN ARCHITECT AS WELL.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO I'VE MISSED?
I GUESS NOT.
UM, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO FIRST,
IS AARON'S GOING TO DO HIS LITTLE SPIEL IN THIS PROCESS,
SO I'M GONNA LET YOU GO, AARON.
IT'S YOUR TURN.
FIRST OFF, THANKS EVERYBODY FOR COMING...
AND AS RAY ALREADY SAID, I'M AARON TOLFORD.
I'M PRESIDENT OF THE STUDENT CHAPTER HERE--
THE U.S.G.B.C. STUDENT CHAPTER-- ORGANIZATION, I SHOULD SAY.
ONCE AGAIN, WE'RE CHANGING THINGS AND WE ARE AN ORGANIZATION
AND NOT A CHAPTER.
SO, UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING.
UM...
I'M JUST GOING TO GIVE A QUICK, BRIEF, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT WHAT WE DO
AND WHAT CAN-- YOU CAN BENEFIT FROM-- BY BECOMING A MEMBER.
UM, SO THE U.S.G.B.C.--
OOP.
ALL RIGHTY.
U.S.G.B.C.-- UNITED STATES GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL--
UM, STUDENT ORGANIZATION OF GRAND RAPIDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
THAT'S WHO WE ARE, AND OUR MISSION IS TO EDUCATE STUDENTS
OF THE ACADEMIC COMMUNITY IN SUSTAINABILITY DESIGN
AND CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES.
UM, SO, WHO ARE THE U.S.G.B.C. STUDENT MEMBERS?
STUDENT MEMBERS ARE STUDENTS FROM MANY DISCIPLINES--
HEATING, VENTING, AIR-CONDITIONING, H.V.A.C.,
ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING, AND CONSTRUCTION--
THAT COME TOGETHER TO LEARN ABOUT AND ADVANCE U.S.G.B.C.'S MISSION
TO TRANSFORM THE WAY BUILDINGS AND COMMUNITIES ARE DESIGNED,
BUILT, AND OPERATED.
WHAT IS L.E.E.D.?
L.E.E.D. IS AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION SYSTEM
THAT PROVIDES THIRD PARTY VERIFICATION FOR A BUILDING OR A COMMUNITY.
IT'S AIMED AT IMPROVING ENERGY SAVINGS, WATER EFFICIENCY,
CO2 EMISSIONS REDUCTION,
IMPROVED INDOOR ENVIRONMENT QUALITY,
AND TO HELP US TO BE STEWARDSHIPS OF RESOURCES
AND SENSITIVITY TO THEIR IMPACTS.
WHAT IS THE L.E.E.D. GREEN ASSOCIATE?
THE L.E.E.D. GREEN ASSOCIATE
IS CREATED BY THE GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION INSTITUTE.
UM, IT HAS CREATED THE GREEN ASSOCIATE CREDENTIAL FOR PROFESSIONALS
WHO WANT TO DEMONSTRATE GREEN BUILDING EXPERTISE.
BY BECOMING A MEMBER, YOU ARE--
YOU WILL BE ABLE TO BECOME A GREEN ASSOCIATE PROFESSIONAL
BY PARTAKING IN OUR GREEN ASSOCIATE STUDY GROUPS.
UM, OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT WE PARTAKE IN
ARE PRESENTATIONS OF PROFESSIONALS IN ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING, CONSTRUCTION,
ON DIFFERENT SUSTAINABLE TOPICS.
ERIC HUGHES CAME IN, AND HE'S AN AWARD-WINNING DESIGNER
AND OWNER OF IMPACT DESIGN,
AND HE CAME IN AND TALKED ABOUT SUSTAINABLE RESIDENTIAL HOMES.
MARY BIGELOW, AN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY INSTRUCTOR
AND ENERGY CONSULTANT AT CONTRACTORS BUILDING SUPPLY,
CAME IN AND TALKED ABOUT RENEWABLE ENERGY--
ER, RENEWABLE ENERGY ALTERNATIVES.
IN ADDITION TO PRESENTATIONS, WE ALSO TAKE TOURS OF FINISHED
AND UNFINISHED BUILDINGS PURSUING L.E.E.D. CERTIFICATION
LIKE THE MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY SECCHIA CENTER
HERE ON MICHIGAN STREET IN GRAND RAPIDS.
UM...
NEXT...
ALL RIGHT, AM I TOO FAR AWAY?
IN 2010, WE-- OUR ORGANIZATION WENT TO CHICAGO,
AND WE ATTENDED THE "GREENBUILD 2010" CONFERENCE-- INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE.
THIS IS PUT ON BY THE UNITED STATES GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL.
ALSO, WHILE IN CHICAGO, WE WENT ON AN ARCHITECTURAL TOUR.
ALL RIGHT, SO BENEFITS OF BECOMING A MEMBER--
YOU WILL ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN THE GREEN BUILDING MOVEMENT
BY EXPANDING YOUR PROFESSIONAL NETWORK.
YOU WILL HAVE INFLUENCE ON THE ORGANIZATION'S ACTIVITIES.
YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT GREEN CONSTRUCTION BUILDING PRACTICES,
AND YOU WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY
TO BECOME A L.E.E.D. GREEN ASSOCIATE PROFESSIONAL.
SO, THAT'S ALL THAT I HAVE FOR YA.
ANY QUESTIONS?
ALL RIGHTY?
YUP, YUP? >> (indistinct speaking).
>> UM, $8 TO $10, ESSENTIALLY, AND-- (indistinct speaking)...
...(indistinct speaking).
>> OKAY-- THANKS, AARON.
THAT'S A LITTLE NERVE-WRACKING.
EVERY YEAR, WE TRY TO DO SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT
BY ENTICING NEW MEMBERSHIP IN THE U.S.G.B.C.
AND SO, UM...
IT'S ALWAYS AN ADVENTURE, I THINK, FOR STUDENTS
WHO TAKE ON THE ROLE AS PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT,
BECAUSE THEY HAVE A BIG LOAD OF THINGS THAT THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH
IN THEIR OWN PERSONAL LINES,
NOT ONLY FULL-TIME STUDENTS BUT ALSO PROBABLY WORKING, AS WELL, FULL-TIME.
SO, IT'S A TREMENDOUS EFFORT ON THEIR PART TO DEAL WITH THIS STUFF,
AND I UNDERSTAND IT AND, UM...
COMPLIMENT THEM FOR THEIR EFFORTS.
TODAY, WE HAVE THE HONOR OF HAVING SUZANNE SCHULTZ,
WHO'S THE DIRECTOR OF PLANNING FOR THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS,
AND I HAVE A LITTLE BRIEF BIO ON HER,
WHICH IS KIND OF IMPORTANT, I THINK, BECAUSE IN THE PAST-- IN THE FOUR YEARS--
SHE'S DONE THIS BEFORE FOR US, AND IT HAS-- IT'S ONE OF THE--
ONCE IT'S VIEWED ON GRCC T.V.-- QUITE A LOT-- THE OLDER ONES.
SO, THIS IS AN UPDATE TO THAT PROCESS.
AND WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO COMMENTED ON IT, WHO REALLY LIKED IT.
AND I'VE USED IT IN ALL MY CLASSES AND COURSE STRUCTURE
FOR STUDENTS TO GET AN IDEA OF WHAT THESE ZONING
AND PLANNING EFFORT IS INVOLVED HERE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S ESPECIALLY FOR MY BUILDING CODES CLASSES--
THAT WE DEAL WITH THAT,
WHICH I COMBINE PLANNING AS A PORTION OF THAT.
BUILDING-- LAND USE PLANNING IS A KEY COMPONENT, I THINK,
TODAY IN OUR EFFORTS.
WE COULDN'T BUILD A BUILDING
UNLESS THE LAND WAS SUITABLE FOR US TO BUILD ON IT.
SO, SUZANNE'S THE PERSON.
SO, IF YOU NEED TO KNOW SOMEBODY, THIS IS THE PERSON TO KNOW IN THE CITY.
>> (Suzanne laughing)
>> SUZANNE SCHULTZ IS A SMART GROWTH ADVOCATE
WHO BELIEVES IN QUALITY URBAN CENTERS.
OVER THE PAST 12 YEARS, SUZANNE HAS HELPED SHIFT POLICIES
AND LAND DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES IN THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS
TO CREATE A VIBRANT AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY.
SHE'S SERVED AS THE CITY'S PROJECT MANAGER FOR ITS PROGRESSIVE MASTER PLAN,
WHICH IS THAT FORM-BASED ZONING ORDINANCE,
AS ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE TAKEN MY CLASSES KNOW WHAT THAT'S ABOUT.
RECENT PLAN UPDATES TO THE "GREEN GRAND RAPIDS"...
AND NOW, THE MICHIGAN STREET CORRIDOR PLAN.
SUZANNE ALSO OVERSEES CITY DEVELOPMENT FUNCTIONS
ASSOCIATED WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION,
THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS, AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION.
SHE WAS APPOINTED BY GOVERNOR GRANHOLM
AS THE MICHIGAN MUNICIPAL LEAGUE'S REPRESENTATIVE
TO THE MICHIGAN "COMPLETE STREETS ADVISORY COUNCIL,"
OF WHICH SHE SERVES AS CHAIRPERSON.
PRIOR TO JOINING THE CITY, SUZANNE WORKED FOR SEVEN YEARS IN THE CONSULTING FIELD,
GAINING A DIVERSE BACKGROUND IN RESEARCH, MASTER PLANS,
ZONING ORDINANCES, AND PARKS AND RECREATION PLANS.
SHE GRADUATED WITH HONORS FROM MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
IN URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING.
AND AS A MEMBER OF THE MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF PLANNING,
AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION, AND AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF CERTIFIED PLANNERS--
THAT'S WHAT THE A.I.C.P. STANDS FOR AT THE END OF YOUR NAME--
SHE ALSO SERVES THE BOARD OF FAIR HOUSING CENTER OF WEST MICHIGAN.
SO, I'M...
I'M VERY HONORED TO HAVE HER HERE AT THIS TIME, AGAIN,
AND I'M PLEASED TO HAVE AND INTRODUCE SUZANNE SCHULTZ.
THANK YOU.
(applause)
>> AND IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE.
I THINK WE HAVE TO PUT IT ON THE-- HOW DO I DO THAT?
SO IT'S...
GONNA CLICK WHEN I PUSH THE BUTTON? (laughing)
>> (indistinct speaking). >> DO I NEED IT?
WHILE WE'RE DOING THAT, I JUST WANNA GIVE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW
OF WHAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT TODAY.
I'M GOING TO COVER-- 'CAUSE SOME OF THE HISTORY OF PLANNING
OF OVER THE PAST DECADE THAT WE'VE DONE--
I KNOW YOU'RE VERY FOCUSED ON SUSTAINABILITY.
AND REALLY, WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING OVER THE PAST DECADE OR 12 YEARS
HAS BEEN HIGHLY FOCUSED AROUND SUSTAINABILITY
AND NOT IN YOUR TYPICAL WAY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK AUTOMATICALLY, "GREEN BUILDINGS,"
BUT THERE'S A LOT MORE TO BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY
THAN JUST THE BUILDING ITSELF.
IT AFFECTS THE STREETS, WHERE THE STRUCTURE SITS ON A LOT,
HOW THE COMMUNITY IS ENGAGED, AND WHAT THE LONGEVITY OF THAT IS,
AS FAR AS COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS AND OWNERSHIP TO HELP TAKE THINGS
AND IMPLEMENT THEM.
IT'S NOT ALL CITY GOVERNMENT DOING THIS WORK.
THERE'S A LOT OF HEAVY LIFTING THAT'S DONE BY THE COMMUNITY
AND, UM, AND OUR PARTNERS, AS WE GO FORWARD.
SO, WHAT YOU'LL GET TODAY IS A PERSPECTIVE FROM THE PLANNING SIDE OF THINGS,
FROM THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS,
BUT A LOT OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE
HAS BEEN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS.
UM, NONPROFITS-- LIKE "FRIENDS OF GRAND RAPIDS PARKS,"
UH, "COMMUNITY LEADERS," UH, MAJOR INSTITUTIONS
AND OTHERS TO REALLY KINDA CREATE THIS ENVIRONMENT
WHERE THE EXPECTATION IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO
HIGH QUALITY DESIGN AS A COMMUNITY,
THAT WE'RE GOING TO REALLY MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO BE SUSTAINABLE--
EVERYTHING FROM OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS TO THOSE BUILDINGS.
SO, I'M REALLY GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
AND HOW THAT INTER-RELATES, SOMEWHAT AFFECTS POLICY
AS WELL AS ORDINANCES, TO GIVE YOU A FEELING FOR KIND OF THE WORK
THAT I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH OVER THE PAST 12 YEARS-- UNBELIEVABLE.
TIME FLIES WHEN YOU'RE HAVING FUN.
THIS GIVES YOU JUST KIND OF A LITTLE TIMELINE
OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.
IN 2000 TO 2002, WE DID A NEW MASTER PLAN.
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME IN 40 YEARS WHEN GRAND RAPIDS
HAD ACTUALLY DONE A CITYWIDE MASTER PLAN.
WE HAVE A 1923 PLAN, 1963,
AND THEN 2002, WE ADOPTED A NEW MASTER PLAN.
SO, A VERY INTERESTING TIME PERIOD--
THE '23 PLAN IS "CITY BEAUTIFUL" MOVEMENT--
REALLY FOCUSED ON MASS TRANSIT,
AND THEN, YOU HAD 1963, A VERY AUTO-ORIENTED AND URBAN RENEWAL.
AND THEN, THE 19-- ER, THE 2002 PLAN IS MUCH MORE TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEN, WE PROGRESSED TO DO THE NEIGHBORHOOD PATTERN WORKBOOK,
WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT.
BASICALLY, IT BECAME THE DIALOGUE WITH THE NEIGHBORHOODS ABOUT WHAT DOES--
WHAT'S THE CHARACTER OF YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?
SO THAT WE COULD THEN TAKE THAT INFORMATION
AND DEVELOP OUR FORM-BASED CODE WITH IT.
AND THEN, "GREEN GRAND RAPIDS," WE JUST RECENTLY UPDATED THAT,
AND THAT ACTUALLY WAS AN AMENDMENT TO OUR MASTER PLAN,
SO WE UPDATED THREE THEMES OF THE MASTER PLAN.
I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT AND PRESENT SOME OF THOSE FINDINGS.
I WON'T COVER THE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN TOO MUCH FOR THE CITY--
THAT'S-- IT'S A MORE CITY-WIDE POLICY DOCUMENT
THAT WE USE TO ACTUALLY GUIDE DECISION-MAKING
AT AN ORGANIZATION-WIDE LEVEL.
INSTEAD OF HAVING A THREE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN,
OUR PLAN IS A SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
AND IT'S BASED ON THE THREE LEGS OF THE STOOL--
ON ECONOMY, EQUITY, AND ENVIRONMENT.
WE'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING ON A "COMPLETE STREETS" PLAN,
WHICH IS AN IMPLEMENTATION MEASURE OUT OF "GREEN GRAND RAPIDS."
I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT,
AND THEN, IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT MICHIGAN STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
THAT'S JUST STARTING TO LAUNCH, WE CAN DO THAT AS WELL.
UM, I THINK MY BATTERY MIGHT BE DYING.
LET'S SEE HERE.
SO, I MENTIONED THE 1923 PLAN.
THIS IS A PICTURE FROM THAT PLAN,
AND YOU SEE KIND OF THIS VISION OF THE FUTURE.
UH, WHEN WE DO MASTER PLANNING,
YOU TRY TO LOOK AT A 20-YEAR TIME HORIZON
AND WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE THE CITY DEVELOP AS,
AND HERE, YOU SEE A VERY DENSE URBAN CITY WITH PARKS ALONG THE RIVERFRONT.
YOU DON'T SEE A WHOLE LOT OF CARS.
YOU SEE SOME ON THE BRIDGES, BUT KIND OF--
YOU DON'T SEE A LOT OF PARKING LOTS...
UH, COMPARED TO THE 1963 URBAN RENEWAL PLAN,
LIKE I MENTIONED.
KIND OF-- "WE'RE GONNA CREATE THESE PLAZAS
"AND THESE HIGH-DENSITY BUILDINGS
"AND THESE BIG SPACES AROUND THEM,"
AND A LOT OF THE DOWNTOWN, ESPECIALLY VANDENBERG PLAZA--
WHICH IS THIS AREA-- WAS LEVELED WITH--
FROM THE STOREFRONTS AND ALL THE MIXED USE WE HAD
TO SINGLE-USE BUILDINGS, LIKE CITY HALL, LIKE COUNTY BUILDING.
THE-- WHOOPS, I'LL GO BACK.
THAT-- WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PLANNING IN GENERAL, YOU KNOW,
IT'S THAT TIME HORIZON, BUT IT ALSO SETS A FRAMEWORK FOR DECISION-MAKING.
"WHAT DO WE WANT THE CITY TO LOOK LIKE?
"WHO ARE THE PLAYERS THAT NEED TO BE INVOLVED TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN?
"WHAT ARE THE POLICIES THAT NEED TO BE IN PLACE TO KIND OF LINE THAT UP?
"AND HOW-- WHERE DO WE HAVE CONSENSUS AS TO WHERE THAT'S GONNA GO?"
A GOOD EXAMPLE IS WE'VE HAD DEVELOPERS COMING INTO THE COMMUNITY
WHO WANT TO DEVELOP IN A REALLY SUBURBAN STYLE--
STRIP MALL WITH THE PARKING LOT IN FRONT--
AND BECAUSE OUR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
WAS REALLY EXTENSIVE WHEN WE DID THE MASTER PLAN
AND WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT WE WANT THE FUTURE TO BE,
AND CITIZENS SAID, "WE WANT THIS TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD PATTERN.
"WE WANT STOREFRONTS UP AT THE SIDEWALK."
AND THAT EXPECTATION WAS SET.
WHEN THEY COME-- WHEN DEVELOPERS COME TO THE CITY,
IF THEY'RE NOT FROM HERE, UM, THEY GET THE SAME ANSWER EVERY PLACE THEY GO.
THEY CAN GO TO A CITY COMMISSIONER,
THEY CAN GO TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION,
AND THEN SOMETIMES THEY'LL COME TO ME--
USUALLY IT'S IF THEY DON'T LIKE MY ZONING ORDINANCE,
THEY GO SHOPPING FIRST TO TEST THE WATERS, AND THEN THEY'LL COME BACK...
BUT THEY GET THE SAME ANSWER WHEREVER THEY GO,
BECAUSE EVERYBODY HAS THIS SHARED VISION
OF WHAT WE WANT OUR COMMUNITY TO LOOK LIKE.
AND THAT CONSISTENCY HAS LONGEVITY TO IT.
IT REALLY PROVIDES A GOOD FRAMEWORK FOR DECISION-MAKING.
EVEN IF YOUR POLICY LEADERS CHANGE, IF YOUR CITY COMMISSION MEMBERS CHANGE,
YOU STILL HAVE THIS COMMUNITY EXPECTATION THAT'S BEEN BUILT IN--
THAT THIS IS HOW WE DO THINGS IN GRAND RAPIDS.
UM, AND ALSO DEFINING THOSE VARIOUS ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES,
AS I MENTIONED,
THAT WE KNOW WHO SHOULD BE DOING WHAT, WHEN, AND WHAT THOSE EXPECTATIONS ARE,
AND REALLY SETS THAT POSITIONING OF BEING ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF--
TAKE OPPORTUNITIES WHEN THEY COME, IF THERE'S GRANT OPPORTUNITIES,
WE CAN TALK ABOUT HOW IT FITS IN WITH OUR PLAN
AND THIS VISION FOR THE FUTURE...
AND THAT HAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT.
WHEN WE DID THE FIX ON 196,
AND WE CLOSED 196 TO COMPLETELY OVERHAUL IT,
THE NEIGHBORHOOD-- THE BELKNAP NEIGHBORHOOD--
RIGHT ACROSS FROM SPECTRUM HOSPITAL, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF FREEWAY,
HAD DONE A PLANNING PROCESS,
AND THEY HAD TALKED ABOUT THE COIT STREET BRIDGE
AND HOW IMPORTANT THAT BRIDGE WAS AS A CONNECTOR TO MEDICAL MILE.
AND SO, IN THEIR PLANNING,
THEY HAD TALKED ABOUT MAKING SURE THEY HAD BIG SIDEWALKS.
SO, WHEN M.D.O.T. CAME THROUGH AND SAID,
"WELL, WE'RE GONNA BE RE-DOING THIS BRIDGE,"
WE WERE ABLE TO SAY, "WELL, WE WANT BIG SIDEWALKS."
SO, WE GOT 12 FOOT-WIDE SIDEWALKS AND 12 FOOT-WIDE TRAVEL LANES,
AND THEY JOKE THAT IT'S THE BRIDGE THAT THEY BUILT FOR PEDESTRIANS.
BUT, UM-- BUT REALLY, IT'S THIS IDEA THAT THIS IS WHAT WE WANT
AND WE CAN EXPRESS IT AND DOCUMENT IT,
AND THEN WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY ARISES,
THEN WE CAN-- WE HAD THAT JUSTIFICATION.
IT'S NOT SOME RANDOM THOUGHT THAT WE HAD THAT SOUNDED GOOD.
SO, THERE'S SOME LOGIC TO IT.
OUR MASTER PLAN IS BASED OFF "SMART GROWTH" TENETS.
AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY,
THIS IS, TO ME, ONE OF THE FOUNDATIONAL PIECES
OF HOW YOU BUILD A COMMUNITY.
THERE'S TEN TENANTS, AND THE WHOLE IDEA OF MIXING LAND USES,
PROVIDING A VARIETY OF TRANSPORTATION CHOICES,
PROVIDING FOR A RANGE OF INCOMES AND OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, THE...
FOCUSING TOWARDS EXISTING DEVELOPMENT AND EXISTING COMMUNITIES.
SO, WE ALREADY HAVE ALL OF THESE ASSETS AS A COMMUNITY.
WE'VE ALREADY INVESTED IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE
AND THE TRANSPORTATION, THE WATER AND SEWER LINES.
LET'S FOCUS IN ON THOSE AREAS BEFORE WE GO AND SPEND MONEY
FURTHER OUT INTO RURAL AREAS AND CONSUME MORE LAND.
WE ALSO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW,
"HOW DO YOU MAKE THIS A STRONG SENSE OF PLACE?"
SO, PLACE-MAKING AS A HUGE PIECE OF WHAT WE DO WITH "SMART GROWTH"
AND IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN GRAND RAPIDS.
AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S INCLUDED
AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
THAT IDEA OF COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP IS HUGE.
AND IF YOU TRAVEL IN KIND OF CIRCLES
IN THE OTHER COMMUNITIES OR IN OTHER STATES--
AND WE HAVE OTHER VISITORS WHO COME TO GRAND RAPIDS--
THEY ARE ASTOUNDED BY THE AMOUNT OF COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIPS
THAT HAPPEN HERE.
THIS IS UNIQUE AND IT DOESN'T HAPPEN EVERY PLACE,
WHICH, YOU KNOW, FOR US, IS SECOND NATURE
THAT WE JUST WORK TOGETHER-- "IF I HAVE AN ISSUE, I KNOW WHO TO CALL."
BUT IN A LOT OF COMMUNITIES, THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
PEOPLE DON'T TALK WITH ONE ANOTHER, THEY DON'T PROBLEM SOLVE TOGETHER.
AND SO, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOW COME GRAND RAPIDS
IS DIFFERENT THAN THE REST OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN--
WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS--
"HOW COME GRAND RAPIDS HAS BEEN MORE RESILIENT IN THIS ECONOMY
"THAN OTHER COMMUNITIES?"
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE POINTING TO THIS SENSE OF COLLABORATION
AND PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE, THAT REALLY MAKES US STAND APART.
SO MUCH SO THAT THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF CHICAGO
HAS IDENTIFIED GRAND RAPIDS AS ONE OF THE LEADING COMMUNITIES
IN THE MIDWEST TO WATCH, SO IT'S PRETTY INTERESTING.
OUR PLAN IS BASED OFF OF SEVEN THEMES-- "GREAT NEIGHBORHOODS" IS ONE OF THOSE.
AND I'M JUST GONNA FLIP THROUGH, BECAUSE THE BULLETS AT THE BOTTOM
ARE BASICALLY A REITERATION OF "SMART GROWTH" PRINCIPLES.
SO, "GREAT NEIGHBORHOODS," "VITAL BUSINESS DISTRICTS,"
THAT WE HAVE A MIX THE LAND USES AND STRONG SENSE OF PLACE.
"STRONG ECONOMY."
AND THE "STRONG ECONOMY" IS VERY INTERESTING
'CAUSE YOU'RE TRYING TO BALANCE INSTITUTIONAL AND INDUSTRIAL GROWTH
WITH NEIGHBORHOODS,
AND KIND OF HOW DO YOU ALLOW FOR THAT GROWTH TO HAPPEN
AND KEEP THAT QUALITY OF LIFE THAT YOU WANT TO MAINTAIN?
"BALANCED TRANSPORTATION"-- AGAIN, THAT VARIETY OF TRANSPORTATION CHOICES
CAME OUT STRONGLY WHENEVER WE'VE DONE ANY PLANNING PROCESS.
"A CITY THAT ENRICHES OUR LIVES,"
SO THE "QUALITY OF LIFE" PIECE IS VERY IMPORTANT.
"A CITY IN BALANCE WITH NATURE," AND WHEN WE GET FURTHER INTO DEVELOPMENT,
WE PARTICULARLY TALK ABOUT STORM WATER
AND "HOW DO YOU MANAGE URBAN STORM WATER?"
BECAUSE THAT IS A HUGE ISSUE, AND IF YOU'RE INTO THE GREEN BUILDINGS--
UM, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT GREEN ROOFS OR HOW YOU DO RAIN GARDENS,
AND YOU DO THAT STORM WATER MANAGEMENT,
THAT'S A HUGE PIECE IN DEVELOPMENT THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUALLY ADDRESS,
AND IT CAN BE VERY EXPENSIVE FOR DEVELOPERS.
UH, AND "PARTNERSHIPS."
AGAIN, THAT THEME OF WORKING TOGETHER.
OUR FUTURE LAND USE MAP IS OUR BASIS FOR DECISION-MAKING
WHEN WE LOOK AT KIND OF WHAT THE DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS
OF THE CITY SHOULD BE.
THE RED DOTS THAT YOU SEE ON THE MAP, ACTUALLY,
ARE TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT NODES,
AND WE TOOK THE MAP FROM THE RAPID-- THEIR WHOLE BUS MAP--
AND OVERLAID THAT WITH OUR LAND USE MAP
AND IDENTIFIED KEY COMMERCIAL AREAS AND NODES,
SO WE KNOW WHERE TO FOCUS HEAVY DEVELOPMENT.
IN PARTICULAR, IF YOU LOOK AT DIVISION,
WHERE THE NEW SILVER LINE IS GOING TO COME--
UH, THE BUS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM.
THE B.R.T. IS GOING TO BE THE FIRST ONE
IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, UH, STARTING IN 2014,
WHERE WE ACTUALLY HAVE PHYSICAL BUILT STATIONS
THAT YOU PAY BEFORE YOU BOARD, UM, AND THE PLATFORMS
ARE BUILT RIGHT UP TO WHERE THE BUS WILL COME RIGHT UP,
AND YOU CAN ROLL YOUR BIKE OR STROLLER OR WHEELCHAIR RIGHT ONTO THE BUS.
ALL THE DOORS OPEN AT ONCE.
THE TYPICAL WAIT TIME AT THE STATION IS 14 SECONDS,
AND THEY'RE OFF.
THEY HAVE DEDICATED LANES.
SO, DIVISION RIGHT NOW IS FOUR LANES, IN MANY LOCATIONS.
AT PEAK, IT'S GOING TO BE TWO LANES,
AND THE OTHER TWO LANES WILL BE DEDICATED TO BUS-ONLY TRAFFIC.
SO, WE'RE GOING TO START DOING SOME REALLY CRAZY STUFF PRETTY SOON.
ONE THING THAT WAS A REALLY INTERESTING IN DOING THIS MAP
AND, SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ZONING ORDINANCE IS THE AREAS AROUND THE RIVER--
THE TURQUOISE AREAS THAT YOU SEE AS "A" AND "B"--
THOSE USED TO BE ALL INDUSTRIAL.
THAT WE HAD THE HEAVY INDUSTRY, YOU KNOW, TIED TO THE RIVER
AND KINDA "THAT'S THE WAY IT WORKS."
SO, WHEN WE REDID OUR ZONING ORDINANCE,
WE ACTUALLY CHANGED 40 PERCENT OF THE LAND THAT WE HAD ZONED FOR "INDUSTRIAL"
TO "MIXED USE."
SO, THIS WHOLE CHANGE OF LAND USE FROM INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURING
TO "MIXED USE" AND "OFFICE" AND "RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT"
THAT YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE,
REALLY IS, YOU KNOW, GUIDED BY SOME OF THE SHIFT
WITH THE LAND USE THAT WE ENVISIONED
BUT ALSO DEVELOPMENT TRENDS AND WHERE THE WHOLE MARKET IS HEADED.
UM, THAT WORK FROM THE MASTER PLAN
RESULTED IN THE "NEIGHBORHOOD PATTERN WORKBOOK."
AND THE MASTER PLAN WAS REALLY INTERESTING,
'CAUSE WE HAD AN EXTENSIVE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.
WE INVOLVED OVER 3,000 CITIZENS IN 250 MEETINGS.
AND THEY CONTINUALLY TALKED ABOUT THE CHARACTER OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD,
AND IT DIDN'T MATTER IF THEY LIVED BY 28th STREET OR IN HERITAGE HILL,
PEOPLE LIKED THE CHARACTER OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
WELL, IF I'M GONNA TRY TO IMPLEMENT THEIR VISION
FOR PRESERVING THE CHARACTER OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD,
HOW DO I DO THAT?
AND SO, WE SET OFF TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT,
"HOW DO WE-- HOW DO WE KINDA CAPTURE CHARACTER?"
AND BE ABLE TO DESCRIBE IT IN A WAY THAT I CAN THEN CODIFY IT
AND REGULATE IT
TO BE ABLE TO PRESERVE IT OR ENHANCE IT.
AND SO, THE "NEIGHBORHOOD PATTERN BOOK" WAS A WAY
THAT WE LOOKED AT THE COMMUNITY THROUGH YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT--
"WHEN WERE THESE NEIGHBORHOODS BUILT?"
AND WHAT WAS THE RANGE THAT SEEMED TO FIT FROM--
THEY WERE DISTINCT ENOUGH, WE COULD CREATE DIFFERENT ZONE DISTRICTS OUT OF.
AND WE ACTUALLY ENDED UP WITH THREE DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD TYPES...
AND IT BECAME A VERY--
AND THAT'S THE FOUNDATION OF OUR ZONING ORDINANCE.
SO, IF YOU'VE ALREADY LOOKED AT THE ZONING ORDINANCE,
THAT'S REALLY HOW IT HAPPENED.
OUR STREET NETWORK-- WE HAVE, REALLY, THREE MAJOR STREET TYPES,
BUT REALLY, THE BIG TWO DISTINCTIONS,
IF YOU LOOK AT PRE-WORLD WAR II AND POST-WORLD WAR II--
AND I CAN GO ON AND ON ABOUT STREETS ALL DAY,
ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY AND HEALTHCARE
AND ALL THE THINGS THAT GO WRONG WHEN YOU DON'T DO STREETS RIGHT.
BUT BEFORE WORLD WAR II, WE DEVELOPED IN A STREET-GRID PATTERN,
AND TYPICAL STREET BLOCK LENGTHS WERE 300 FEET--
VERY PREDICTABLE, VERY INTEGRATED.
IT WAS A WHOLE NETWORK.
AND AFTER WORLD WAR II, WE STARTED TO KINDA SEPARATE OUR LAND USES APART,
BUILD BIGGER ROADS, HAVE THEM LESS CONNECTED,
YOU SAW MORE CUL-DE-SACS,
UM, TO THE POINT WHERE A TYPICAL BLOCK LENGTH NOW--
TO GET AROUND THE BLOCK-- COULD BE A HALF MILE OR A MILE.
IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH TOWNSHIP DEVELOPMENT,
YOU KNOW, TOWNSHIPS ARE BUILT ON THOSE MILE ROADS,
YOU'LL TYPICALLY SEE A SQUARE MILE,
AND WITHIN THAT, YOU'LL HAVE CUL-DE-SACS ALL COMING IN, OFF OF THAT,
BUT ALL THE TRAFFIC DUMPS ONTO ONE STREET.
AND SO, WHEN YOU GET FURTHER OUT OF THE CITY,
YOU COULD CLOSE THE S-CURVE DOWNTOWN,
AND NOBODY REALLY KNEW WHERE ALL THE TRAFFIC WENT
BECAUSE IT COULD DISPERSE INTO THE WHOLE GRID SYSTEM,
BECAUSE THERE'S MULTIPLE WAYS TO GO.
BUT IF YOU DID THAT TO THE EAST BELTLINE,
YOU KNOW, WHERE WOULD THE TRAFFIC GO?
THERE'S NOT THAT CONNECTIVITY,
THERE'S NOT THAT VARIETY OF CHOICE AND LOCATION,
AND HOW TO GET THAT.
UM, THAT HAS PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACTS, ACTUALLY,
BECAUSE YOU'RE FORCED TO DRIVE IN THIS NEWER--
THE NEWER STREET PATTERN, BECAUSE YOU REALLY CAN'T CONNECT TO ANYTHING,
YOU DON'T HAVE ANY WAY TO WALK A BLOCK TO GET TO SOMETHING--
YOU HAVE TO DRIVE TO GET THERE.
AND SO, ACTUALLY, IF YOU LIVE IN THE MORE URBAN ENVIRONMENT
WITH THE STREET-GRID, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE SEVEN POUNDS LESS.
A LITTLE HAPPY TIP FOR ALL OF YOU.
UM, SEVEN POUNDS LESS 'CAUSE YOU'RE MORE LIKELY TO WALK IN A GRID SYSTEM
THAN IN A SUBURBAN ROAD SYSTEM.
AND ACTUALLY, FATALITIES ARE LESS WITH THAT STREET TYPE,
'CAUSE YOUR TRAVEL SPEEDS ARE LOWER,
AND THERE'S JUST A LOT OF DIFFERENT BENEFITS THAT YOU HAVE.
FROM THE LAND USE PATTERN STANDPOINT, THE SAME THING.
THIS IS THE SAME SQUARE MILE, UH, A TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD ON THE LEFT,
AND THAT IS THE UPTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD WITH FULTON, CHERRY, AND WEALTHY.
AND THE OTHER PICTURE ON THE RIGHT IS 44th STREET,
AND YOU CAN SEE, AGAIN,
THIS PATTERN OF WHAT WE USED TO DO IS MIX THESE LAND USES--
THE YELLOW IS RESIDENTIAL, THE BROWN IS MULTI-FAMILY,
THE RED IS COMMERCIAL, THE BLUE IS OFFICE.
AND SO, YOU CAN SEE HOW VERY WALKABLE A QUARTER MILE--
MAYBE TEN, FIFTEEN MINUTE WALK-- TO GET TO A SHOP OR A RESTAURANT
IN MORE OF A TRADITIONAL PATTERN
VERSUS IF YOU'RE OUT ON 44th STREET OR FURTHER OUT--
YOU'RE, AGAIN, WALKING A MILE TO BE ABLE TO GO SOMEPLACE
AND YOU MIGHT, IF YOU'RE LUCKY, HAVE A SIDEWALK TO BE ON.
YOU USUALLY DON'T SEE SIDEWALKS IN THE MORE NEWER FORMS OF DEVELOPMENT,
AND BECAUSE ALL THE TRAFFIC POURS ONTO ONE CENTRAL STREET,
YOUR TRAFFIC VOLUMES ARE EXPONENTIALLY HIGHER.
UH, INSTEAD OF MAYBE 10,000 CARS ON THE STREET--
WHICH IS STILL A BUSY STREET IN THE CITY--
YOU MIGHT SEE 25,000 CARS ON THE STREET.
AND THEN, YOU NEED A BIGGER STREET AND THEN YOU'RE NOT COMFORTABLE
AS A PEDESTRIAN BEING OUT THERE,
SO YOU'RE LESS LIKELY TO BE OUT AND ABOUT WALKING.
UH, RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT--
WHAT WE LOOKED AT WAS KINDA BUILDING PLACEMENT AND SETBACK
AND THE CHARACTER OF THAT DEVELOPMENT.
SO, DOES IT HAVE PORCHES?
WHERE'S THE GARAGE?
THE GARAGE WAS A BIG ISSUE FOR US, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THE MODERN--
YOU MIGHT SEE THE GARAGE AT THE FRONT IN THE HOUSE,
AND IN TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOODS, THE GARAGE IS IN THE BACK OF THE HOUSE.
AND SO, HOW DO WE REGULATE PARKING AND WHERE DOES ALL OF THAT FIT?
SAME THING WITH COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT...
TRADITIONAL STOREFRONTS,
UM, VERSUS THE WALMART WITH A HUGE PARKING LOT TO GET TO.
ONE OF OUR VERY-- TO ME, IT WAS VERY INTERESTING LEARNING,
WHEN WE ENGAGED DISABILITY ADVOCATES OF KENT COUNTY,
THE PERCEPTION THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE SIGHT-IMPAIRED
ON THE DIFFERENCES IN THESE TYPES OF BUILT ENVIRONMENTS.
BECAUSE IF YOU'RE PHYS-- IF YOU HAVE SIGHT OR PHYSICAL ISSUES
AND YOU CAN'T NECESSARILY GET AROUND AS EASY AS OTHER PEOPLE,
KNOWING WHERE THE BLOCK ENDS AND KNOWING WHERE THE FR--
YOU CAN FIND THE FRONT DOOR.
SO, IF THE STORE FRONT IS AT THE SIDEWALK AND YOU HAVE A RECESS ENTRY,
YOU CAN FIND THE FRONT DOOR.
IF YOU'RE DROPPED OFF BY THE BUS ON THE STREET SIDE AT 28th STREET
AND YOU'RE TRYING TO FIND THE FRONT DOOR OF THE BIG BOX,
AND YOU HAVE TO NAVIGATE A SEA OF PARKING,
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FEEL AS SAFE AND YOU'RE MORE LIKELY GET HIT BY A CAR
AND IT'S A TOTALLY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE.
SO, PART OF THE DISCUSSION WAS, YOU KNOW, DO YOU WANT THE BUILDINGS
AT THE BACK OF THE LOT?
HOW DO WE WANT OUR STREETS TO LOOK?
AND AGAIN, FROM A SUSTAINABILITY STANDPOINT,
THE MORE VEHICLE TRIPS WE CAN REDUCE, SO PEOPLE ARE WALKING--
'CAUSE YOU HAVE THE CONVENIENCE OF MIXED USE...
THE MORE DENSE WE CAN MAKE IT, SO AGAIN,
YOU HAVE A CONCENTRATION OF PEOPLE LIVING,
WHICH HELPS SUPPORT YOUR BUSINESSES AND HELPS THEM MAKE TRANSIT VIABLE.
ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE INTERRELATED.
SO, JUST REALLY QUICKLY, YOU KNOW, "WHERE DO YOU PLACE THE BUILDING?"
YOU KNOW, "HOW DO YOU TREAT THE STREET?"
"HOW DO YOU MAKE THIS A PLACE
"WHERE PEOPLE WANNA BE AND LIVE AND ENJOY COMMERCE?"
AND SO, YOU CAN KINDA FILL IN ALL THOSE VOIDS AS YOU GO THROUGH,
AND NOW YOU'VE CREATED A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PLACE.
SO, WHEN WE DID THE PATTERN BOOK, THAT WAS REALLY THE VISION
THAT WAS SET FORTH BY THE COMMUNITY,
AND THAT RESULTED IN THE ZONING ORDINANCE.
AND SO, WE TOOK THAT FOUNDATION OF "SMART GROWTH"
AND BROUGHT THAT INTO THE ZONING CODES.
SO, HOW DO WE PROVIDE FOR THAT RANGE OF INCOMES, SO PEOPLE HAVE CHOICES?
HOW DO WE PROVIDE FOR A RANGE OF TRANSPORTATION TYPES?
SO, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A CAR, WHICH A THIRD OF THE POPULATION DOESN'T DRIVE--
INTERESTING LITTLE TIDBIT-- TOO OLD, TOO YOUNG, DISABLED,
BY CHOICE, BY LEGAL REASONS, UH, YOU CAN'T DRIVE--
A THIRD OF THE POPULATION.
AND WHAT'S INTERESTING IS THAT WHEN SENIORS ARE SURVEYED
ABOUT THEIR BIGGEST FEARS-- SENIOR CITIZENS--
THE A.A.R.P. HAS DONE A SURVEY--
IT'S NOT DYING THAT THEY'RE MOST AFRAID OF.
IT'S THE LOSS OF THEIR CAR KEYS.
THAT YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE AWAY THEIR MOBILITY, THEIR--
THAT THEY CANNOT CONNECT TO THE COMMUNITY,
THEY'RE STRANDED AT HOME, THEY CAN'T DRIVE.
SO, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU PROVIDE FOR THIS RANGE OF TRANSPORTATION TYPES?
HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE BEING ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND
AND MANAGING STORM WATER IN A WAY.
SO, THOSE ARE THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE.
AND THEN, WE ALSO FOLLOWED L.E.E.D.-N.D.--
"L.E.E.D. FOR NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT," WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT--
THE TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT I ALREADY MENTIONED,
WITH THE RED NODES AND THAT CORRESPONDS WITH THE RAPID'S MASTER PLAN.
AND THEN, WE ALSO USE CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN,
THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY CREATE PHYSICAL SPACES
WHERE YOU AUTOMATICALLY ARE DETERRING CRIME
JUST BY THE WAY YOU BUILD THE BUILDING, OR YOU PLACE THE BUILDING...
OR HOW YOU DEFINE THOSE EDGES.
L.E.E.D. FOR N.D.-- WE MENTIONED THE U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL EARLIER--
IT WAS DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE U.S.G.B.C.
AS WELL AS THE CONGRESS FOR THE NEW URBANISM
AND THE NATURAL RESOURCE DEFENSE COUNCIL.
AND REALLY, THE IDEA IS THAT YOU CAN HAVE A GREEN BUILDING
BUT YOU COULD ALSO PUT THAT GREEN BUILDING IN THE MIDDLE OF A CORN FIELD...
AND HOW GREEN IS THAT BUILDING, REALLY?
I MEAN, IF YOU HAVE TO DRIVE THERE, IF YOU CAN'T GET THERE BY TRANSIT,
IF IT'S NOT INTEGRATED INTO SOMETHING ELSE,
WHAT'S THE CONTEXT THAT YOU'RE PUTTING THIS GREEN BUILDING IN?
AND SO, L.E.E.D.-N.D. WAS KIND OF THAT REALITY CHECK FOR
"WHERE YOU PUT THIS STUFF, MATTERS."
AND SO, WHAT WE DID IS WE ACTUALLY TOOK THE L.E.E.D.-N.D. CHECKLIST
WHEN IT WAS IN PILOT PHASE,
MEASURED THAT AGAINST WHAT OUR PROPOSED ZONING REGULATIONS WERE,
AND FOUND THAT IF YOU JUST FOLLOW THE ZONING CODE
IN THE TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD PATTERN,
YOU COULD AUTOMATICALLY MEET THE THRESHOLD
FOR L.E.E.D.-N.D. CERTIFICATION.
SO, WE WANTED TO TRY TO MAKE IT VERY EASY FOR PEOPLE
TO GET ACCREDITED THROUGH L.E.E.D.-N.D.
AND L.E.E.D.-N.D. REALLY LOOKS AT SMART LOCATION AND LINKAGE.
SO AGAIN, THAT IDEA OF TRANSPORTATION MODES,
WHAT ARE THOSE PLACES THAT YOU'RE BUILDING?
NEIGHBORHOOD PATTERN AND DESIGN--
SO YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT NEIGHBORHOOD PATTERN BOOK
THEN TRANSLATES RIGHT INTO SOME OF THE CRITERIA
THAT THEY HAVE FOR L.E.E.D.-N.D.,
AND THEN GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND BUILDINGS.
AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE A NUMBER OF THINGS IN OUR ZONING ORDINANCE
THAT ACCOMPLISHES A LOT OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE COMPONENTS.
I'LL MENTION THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP AGAIN,
'CAUSE WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT SMART LOCATION AND LINKAGE,
AGAIN, HOW ARE WE CONNECTING AND CREATING THESE NODES
AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE MAINTAINING A STREET-GRID SYSTEM,
SO THAT YOU HAVE THOSE CONNECTIONS?
FOR DESIGN, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WALKABILITY
AND ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO WALK AND GET OUT OF THEIR CARS--
WHEN YOU LOOK AT BUILDINGS LIKE THIS AND THERE'S NO WINDOWS,
HOW COMFORTABLE ARE YOU, REALLY, WALKING BY THAT SPACE
VERSUS A NEWER BUILDING THAT HAS GREAT WINDOWS IN IT.
I MENTIONED CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN EARLIER,
AND THERE'S THIS WHOLE THEORY WITH SUBT--
ONE OF THE KEY PRINCIPLES IS SURVEILLANCE.
AND WHAT 7-ELEVEN FOUND, WHEN THEY KEPT GETTING HELD UP AS A PARTY STORE,
IS THAT IF YOU HAVE CLEAR GLASS WINDOWS
AND YOU FEEL LIKE YOU MIGHT BE WATCHED--
SOMEBODY COULD SEE YOU INSIDE THE STORE
OR YOU COULD LOOK OUT IN THE PARKING LOT AND SOMEBODY COULD SEE YOU,
IT'S A NATURAL CRIME DETERRENT.
AND SO, WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL THE NEW DEVELOPMENT HAPPENING IN GRAND RAPIDS,
BE IT THE WALGREENS AT MICHIGAN AND FULLER
OR MISS TRACY'S ON FRANKLIN STREET
OR WE'RE GONNA HAVE ANOTHER WALGREENS OVER ON LEONARD,
YOU'LL SEE THAT WE REQUIRE 60 PERCENT TRANSPARENCY--
THAT WE HAVE LOTS OF GLASS ON THESE BUILDINGS.
UM, BECAUSE IT'S JUST A NATURAL DETERRENT FOR CRIME,
BUT I ALSO CREATES A MUCH MORE WALKABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR PEDESTRIANS.
IF YOU LOOK AT A SHOPPING MALL, FOR EXAMPLE--
IF YOU'RE AT WOODLAND MALL AND YOU'RE WALKING FROM SEARS TO PENNEY'S,
IMAGINE IF HALF OF THOSE STORE FRONTS WERE ALL BOARDED UP.
WOULD YOU REALLY WALK FROM SEARS TO PENNEY'S
OR WOULD YOU GO TO YOUR CAR AND DRIVE AROUND TO GO TO THE NEXT LOCATION?
YOU PROBABLY WOULD DRIVE.
SO, THE SAME PRINCIPLE APPLIES TO URBAN ENVIRONMENTS
AND TRYING TO KEEP THOSE-- THE CONTINUITY OF THE STORE FRONTS,
THE STREET WALL, SO PEOPLE ARE COMFORTABLE WALKING.
AGAIN, I MENTIONED THAT HIGH DENSITY HOUSING AND MIXED USE,
AND WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF EXAMPLES--
THIS IS NEWBERRY PLACE ON THE LOWER RIGHT-HAND SIDE.
THAT'S IN THE BELKNAP NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT'S A NEW CO-HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
ACTUALLY, IT'S ALMOST THREE YEARS OLD NOW.
WE HAVE LIVE-WORK UNITS.
UH, THE ONE AT THE TOP IS AT THE CORNER OF DIAMOND AND WEALTHY,
RIGHT BEHIND THE MEANWHILE, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH WHERE THAT IS.
AND THEN, YOU ALSO HAVE EXAMPLES WITH THE ROUNDABOUT
IN THE LOWER RIGHT-HAND CORNER AND SAINT MARY'S.
UM, HOPE LODGE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE DEALING WITH CANCER.
SO, WE'RE SEEING KIND OF THAT PATTERN NOW DEVELOPING.
IT'S BEEN REALLY FUN TO HAVE THE ZONING ORDINANCE ADOPTED
AND, FIVE YEARS LATER, STARTING TO SEE ALL THE BUILDINGS COMING IN
THAT ARE NOW MEETING THE CODE.
WE ALSO HAVE A NEW SUBWAY BEING BUILT ON SOUTH DIVISION
AND A NEW SUBWAY BEING BUILT ON WEST FULTON,
UM, WHERE THEY'RE STARTING TO PUT 'EM AT THE STREET.
THE RYLEE'S ACE HARDWARE ON MICHIGAN.
UM, I MENTIONED THE WALGREENS.
SO, YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE HOW THIS PATTERN'S STARTING TO DEVELOP,
AND AS PROJECTS COME IN-- AND BIG-BOX STORES,
IF THEY REALLY WANT TO BE THERE, THEY WILL COMPLY.
YOU KNOW, AND THEY'RE FIGURING OUT NEW MODELS.
ACTUALLY, THE NEW STORE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE--
WALGREENS ON LEONARD--
THEY'RE SAYING IS A NEW PROTOTYPE FOR WALGREENS
TO TRY TO MEET ZONING ORDINANCES SIMILAR TO OURS.
SO, WE'RE THE FIRST ONE, SO I-- WE THOUGHT THAT WAS KIND OF COOL.
UM, WAYS IN WHICH WE'VE KIND OF TRIED TO IMPERVIOUS SURFACE,
TO BE MORE GREEN, UM-- PARKING IS A HUGE ISSUE,
ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE TALKING, YOU KNOW, THESE SEAS OF ASPHALT AND PARKING LOTS.
AND HOW DO YOU KIND OF INCENTIVIZE LESS PARKING?
OR YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE THEM PLANNED FOR CHRISTMAS PEAK,
YOU KNOW, TWICE A YEAR?
AND THE REST THE TIME, HALF THE PARKING LOT'S EMPTY.
SO, OUR ZONING ORDINANCE ACTUALLY HAS A MAXIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENT.
WE TYPICALLY END UP WAIVING IT.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION HASN'T QUITE GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE, YOU KNOW--
MOST PEOPLE, WE FIND-- THEY'RE PROVIDING THE PARKING THEY THINK THEY NEED,
BUT THEY'RE ALSO NOT BEING OVERLY AGGRESSIVE
IN HOW MUCH PARKING THEY WANT TO PROVIDE.
THE PARKING STANDARDS, WE SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED.
IN SOME CASES, WE HALVED THEM FROM THE FORMER ZONING CODE,
WHICH WAS DONE IN 1969.
THE 1969 ZONING ORDINANCE REQUIRED
THAT YOU HAD FIVE PARKING SPACES PER THOUSAND SQUARE FEET.
UM, IN THE NEW ZONING CODE, IF YOU'RE IN THE TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD,
IT'S TWO AND A HALF PARKING SPACES PER THOUSAND.
IN THE MORE SUBURBAN PARTS OF THE CITY, LIKE ALONG 28th STREET,
IT'S THREE AND A THIRD.
AND JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE SENSE OF AN IMPACT
THAT LITTLE CHANGE CAN HAVE, UM, WHEN MEIJER RE-DEVELOPED THEIR STORE
AT 28th AND KALAMAZOO--
AND THEY TORE DOWN AND THEY BUILT THE BRAND NEW BUILDING--
HAD THEY NEEDED-- HAD THEY NEEDED TO MEET THE OLD PARKING REQUIREMENTS
OF FIVE SPACES PER THOUSAND,
THEY WOULD HAVE HAD NEEDED TO PROVIDE 300 MORE PARKING SPACES ON THAT SITE.
BUT THEY'RE DOING JUST FINE WITH THE PARKING SPACES THEY'VE GOT,
AND THEY ENHANCED THE TRANSIT STOP ON THE LOCATION
WITH A FULL SHELTER THAT'S HEATED AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO, IT'S TRYING TO GET THIS MODE SHIFT BY KINDA REDUCING THE PARKING,
PROVIDING OTHER MODES.
THEY PUT A SIDEWALK IN ALL AROUND THE FRONT,
WE MAKE SURE THAT THE SIDEWALK GOES TO THE FRONT OF THE STORE,
THAT THERE'S SOME CONNECTION THERE.
UM, SO, YOU'RE TALKING 300 PARKING SPACES.
THAT'S HUGE.
AND YOU START TALKING ABOUT HEAT ISLAND EFFECT,
AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE LANDSCAPING TO COOL THE ASPHALT,
AND IT STARTS TO RAISE THE URBAN TEMPERATURE UP A BIT.
THERE'S ALL THESE "EVILS" OF PARKING, BUT IT'S ALSO THIS EVIL NECESSARY THING
THAT WE HAVEN'T QUITE TRANSITIONED TO BE COMPLETELY MASS TRANSIT-ORIENTED.
WE ALSO REQUIRE BIKE PARKING AS PART OF THIS.
I ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY, AS THE PLANNING DIRECTOR,
TO WAIVE PARKING.
AND THE AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION ACTUALLY USES OUR ORDINANCE
AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS YOU CAN DO.
BUT I CAN REDUCE PARKING REQUIREMENTS BY HALF,
IF THERE'S TRANSIT NEARBY, IF THERE'S SHARED PARKING,
IF THEY PROVIDE ADDITIONAL BICYCLE PARKING.
UM, ON STREET PARKING-- I MEAN, IF THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS
THAT PEOPLE CAN PROVIDE PARKING, IN DIFFERENT METHODS,
WE CAN CERTAINLY REDUCE THOSE REQUIREMENTS,
AND WE'RE VERY FLEXIBLE ABOUT THAT.
AND THAT'S A BIG PARADIGM SHIFT FOR A COMMUNITY TO GO THROUGH,
BECAUSE FOR YEARS, RETAILERS WERE TIED TO THIS PARKING RATIO
AND HOW MUCH PARKING HAD TO BE PROVIDED AND SO WERE COMMUNITY LEADERS,
THAT, YOU KNOW, "WE HAVE TO PROVIDE THIS MUCH."
AND YOU MAY HAVE FOLLOWED THE RECENT DEBATE ON CHERRY STREET ABOUT--
THERE'S A NEW SUSHI RESTAURANT GOING IN
AND THEY HAVE NO PARKING THAT'S BEING PROVIDED...
AND THEY'RE PROVIDING 75 MORE SEATS
AND PARKING IS ALREADY STARTING TO GET A LITTLE CONGESTED,
AND "SHOULD THERE BE METERED PARKING ON THE STREET?"
AND, "THERE'S NO MUNICIPAL LOT."
AND, "SHOULD WE BUILD A MUNICIPAL LOT?"
WHICH THE ANSWER'S GONNA BE "NO."
BUT YOU WANT A HEALTHY, VIBRANT COMMUNITY,
AND HAVING PEOPLE WALK A BLOCK OR TWO ISN'T GONNA KILL 'EM.
UM, BUT YOU GOTTA MAKE SURE, AT THE SAME TIME,
YOU'RE BUILDING A VERY WALKABLE ENVIRONMENT
WHERE THEY'RE COMFORTABLE DOING IT.
IF YOU GO TO DOWNTOWN CHICAGO, BEFORE YOU KNOW IT,
YOU'VE WALKED TWO MILES BECAUSE IT'S A REALLY ENGAGING ENVIRONMENT.
HOW DO YOU CREATE THAT ENVIRONMENT IN A CITY THE SIZE OF GRAND RAPIDS,
IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS DISTRICT?
SO YOU CAN WALK THREE OR FOUR BLOCKS
AND NOT FEEL LIKE IT TOOK FOREVER TO GET TO THE OTHER HAND?
SO, ALL OF THIS STUFF TIES TOGETHER.
I MENTIONED THAT THE BIKE PARKING THAT WE REQUIRE--
WE ALSO REQUIRE-- WHOOPS!
OH, THIS IS COOL.
I CAN SWITCH BACK AND FORTH WITH THE ROLLER!
UM, THE-- (audience laughing)
THE OTHER PIECES-- AND THIS--
YOU'LL SEE THIS MORE AT MICHIGAN AND FULLER WALGREENS HAS IT, TOO--
BUT THE CONNECTION OF THE SIDEWALKS.
I MENTIONED PEOPLE WHO ARE SIGHT-IMPAIRED, IF THEY CAN'T FIND THE FRONT DOOR.
SO, HOW DO YOU PROVIDE THAT PATH FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO SAFELY CROSS A PARKING LOT?
SO, WE REQUIRE THAT ALL THE CONNECTIONS,
EVEN IF THE BUILDING'S NOT RIGHT AT THE STREET,
YOU HAVE THOSE CONNECTIONS TO THE PUBLIC WAY,
AND THAT IT'S LOGICAL AND IT FITS AND IT'S CONVENIENT FOR PEOPLE.
SEE, NOW I KNOW THIS EVIL AND I'M NOT GONNA--
UH, GREEN REQUIREMENTS...
WE HAVE REQUIRED POROUS PA-- WE ALLOW POROUS PAVEMENT
FOR GREEN SPACE REDUCTIONS.
WE TOOK A DIFFERENT APPROACH WHEN WE DID THE ZONING CODE,
AND, UM, TYPICAL CODES WILL SAY--
THEY'LL HAVE AN "IMPERVIOUS SURFACE REQUIREMENT."
WELL, IMPERVIOUS SURFACES, NOW-- YOU CAN HAVE POROUS ASPHALT,
YOU CAN HAVE POROUS CONCRETE, BUT IT'S NOT REALLY GREEN.
I MEAN, IT MANAGES STORM WATER BUT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY GREEN.
SO, WHAT WE DID TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO CHANGE
HOW THEY MANAGED THEIR STORM WATER
IS WE ACTUALLY PUT A "GREEN SPACE REQUIREMENT" IN THERE--
NOT TOO AGGRESSIVE TO THE POINT WHERE PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE TO TEAR DOWN
THE BUILDING NEXT DOOR TO PROVIDE LAWN,
BUT ENOUGH WHERE YOU CAN HAVE THOSE REQUIREMENTS
IF YOU'RE PROVIDING POROUS ASPHALT OR CONCRETE, IF YOU DO A GREEN ROOF...
WE EVEN ALLOW, IF YOU WANT TO CONTRIBUTE TO, UM, THE...
THE KENT COUNTY BIO-- I'M TRYING TO THINK OF THE LAST NAME OF IT.
IT'S THE PLANT THAT WE HAVE THAT ACTUALLY TAKES BIOSOLIDS AND RE-PURPOSES 'EM--
UM, IT'S FROM THE SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT.
THEY DRY IT OUT, THEY CAN USE IT AS FERTILIZER ON FARM LAND,
AND THEY ACTUALLY BUY EASEMENTS ON FARMLAND
TO BE ABLE TO DISPOSE OF THE BIOSOLIDS.
AND SO, WE ALLOW CONTRIBUTIONS INTO THAT
TO HELP FUND THE ACQUISITION OF EASEMENTS ON FARMLAND,
AND YOU CAN GET SOME CREDITS THROUGH THAT.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS-- WE REQUIRE TREE PLANTINGS AND STREET TREES.
UM, NON-INVASIVE SPECIES ARE--
ER, INVASIVE SPECIES ARE NOT ALLOWED
AND WE TRY TO KEEP A BIODIVERSITY OF PLANT TYPES.
UM, GRAND RAPIDS HAS ALMOST HALF OF THE STREET TREES IN MAPLE TREES.
SO, IMAGINE IF WE HAVE A BUG THAT INFESTS ALL THE MAPLE TREES
AND WE HAVE TO LOSE THOSE.
UM, IT'LL MAKE THE EMERALD ASH BORER LOOK LIKE A SMALL DEAL.
EMERALD ASH BORER TAKES ABOUT 14 PERCENT OF OUR STREET TREES AND PARK TREES--
OUR ASH TREES RIGHT NOW, AND THEY'LL BE AFFECTED BY THE EMERALD ASH BORER.
UM, MAPLE TREES-- IF YOU HAVE HALF OF 'EM.
SO, WE WANNA TRY TO CREATE MORE BIODIVERSITY
IN THE STUFF THAT WE HAVE.
FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY, WE ALLOW RENEWABLE ENERGY,
WE ALLOW SOLAR PANELS, WE ALLOW THE SMALLER WIND TURBINES.
UH, WE LOOKED FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO ALLOW LARGER WIND FACILITIES IN THIS CITY,
PREDOMINANTLY IN INDUSTRIAL AREAS.
THERE'S A LOT OF CONSIDERATIONS THAT YOU HAVE TO DO
WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THOSE LARGER FACILITIES--
EVERYTHING FROM WIND FLICKER TO NOISE TO "HOW DO YOU MANAGE THAT,"
BUT WE HAVE OPENED UP THAT OPPORTUNITY IN OUR ZONING CODES,
SO THAT WE CAN DO MORE ALTERNATIVE ENERGY.
UM, I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IN "GREEN GRAND RAPIDS,"
BECAUSE THIS WAS AN UPDATE TO THE MASTER PLAN.
I MENTIONED THE THREE THEMES--
ER, YOU SAW THE SEVEN THEMES,
BUT THE THREE THEMES THAT WE FOCUSED ON HEAVILY
IN "GREEN GRAND RAPIDS" WAS "BALANCED TRANSPORTATION,"
"A CITY THAT ENRICHES OUR LIVES," RELATED TO QUALITY OF LIFE,
AND "A CITY IN BALANCE WITH NATURE," RELATED TO NATURAL FEATURES.
AND A LOT OF THIS PLANNING THAT HAPPENED, UM, STARTING IN 2007,
WAS A RESULT OF A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PRESSURES.
THE CITY HAS HISTORICALLY HAD A PARTNERSHIP
WITH GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT ALLOWED US TO SHARE FACILITIES
AS "JOINT USE OF FACILITIES" AGREEMENT.
G.R.P.S, AS THEY HAVE BEEN DOWNSIZING,
HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DISPOSE OF THEIR PROPERTIES.
WELL, IN MOST OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, THE PARK LAND IS OWNED BY THE SCHOOL.
TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF OUR PARK LAND IS ACTUALLY UNDER G.R.P.S. OWNERSHIP.
UM, AS THEY DISPOSE OF THAT PROPERTY,
THAT SUBSTANTIALLY AFFECTS THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO, YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF THIS PARTNERSHIP
THAT THE CITY HAS BEEN DOING WITH OJIBWE DEVELOPMENT
FOR EASTERN AND LEXINGTON SCHOOLS.
OAKDALE HAD AN INTERESTING TWIST TO IT,
BUT WE ARE EVEN WORKING WITH THE CHARTER SCHOOL AT OAKDALE
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PRESERVING AN ACRE OF LAND AS PUBLIC PARK,
AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE DONATING THAT LAND TO THE CITY,
SO THEN IT'S IN PUBLIC OWNERSHIP, WHICH IS GREAT.
AND I MENTIONED THE EMERALD ASH BORER--
WE WERE GETTING A TON OF REQUESTS FOR BIKE LANES.
UM, EVERYWHERE YOU GO, EVERYBODY WANTED BIKE LANES.
THAT WAS, LIKE, THE NUMBER ONE VOTE-GETTER WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS.
STORM WATER MANAGEMENT, AS I MENTIONED.
UM, BUT ALSO SHRINKING CITY RESOURCES--
KIND OF HOW DO WE ENSURE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR CITIZENS
BUT WE HAVE TO DO IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
WE CAN'T SUBSIDIZE OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT ANYMORE.
THE BUDGET FOR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT'S BEEN CUT BY TWO-THIRDS.
SO, HOW DO YOU STILL PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE FOR CITIZENS
WHEN WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF RESOURCES?
AND HOW DO WE CREATIVELY THINK ABOUT THAT?
AND WE WANTED TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION
WITH THE COMMUNITY.
SO, WE ENDED UP WITH A MASTER PLAN BASED ON SIX THEMES--
PARKS AND RECREATION, GREENING, CONNECTIONS,
NATURAL SYSTEMS, THE GRAND RIVER, AND LOCAL FOOD.
GRAND RIVER, IN PARTICULAR-- EVERYONE HAS VIEWED THAT
AS KIND OF THIS UNDER-UTILIZED ASSET.
AND HOW DO WE KIND OF MAKE MORE USE OF THE RIVER?
WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ONE OF THOSE COMMUNITIES
WHERE YOU HAVE ALL OF THE LITTLE RESTAURANTS
RIGHT AT THE RIVER'S EDGE.
NOT WHEN YOU HAVE A 12-FOOT RISE AND FALL OF THE RIVER, DEPENDING ON THE SEASON.
SO, THAT DOESN'T WORK.
BUT HOW DO YOU REALLY ACTIVATE THE RIVER?
REALLY, WE WERE POINTING TOWARDS RECREATION.
AGAIN, WE HAD AN EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
SIMILAR TO THE MASTER PLAN-- IT INVOLVED A LOT OF PEOPLE,
AND ACTUALLY CREATED A GAME CALLED "GREEN PURSUITS,"
UH, WHICH PRODUCED SOME REALLY INTERESTING RESULTS.
AND OUT OF THAT WHOLE PROCESS,
WE ENDED UP WITH SOME REALLY CORE RECOMMENDATIONS--
OR MULTIPLE RECOMMENDATIONS-- OUT OF THE PLAN PROCESS.
BUT REALLY, KIND OF THE BIG HIGHLIGHTS
WERE "MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING A PARK
"WITHIN A QUARTER MILE OF ALL RESIDENTS."
AND THAT RECOMMENDATION-- THIS IS KIND OF A HEAT MAP,
WHERE WE TOOK POPULATION DENSITY, UH, PARK LAND ACREAGE,
AND WALKING RADIUS, TO BE ABLE TO DEFINE,
"WHERE DO WE HAVE THESE DEFICIENCIES IN PARK LAND?"
SO, IF G.R.P.S. IS DISPOSING OF A PIECE OF PROPERTY,
WE KNOW HOW HARD WE NEED TO FIGHT TO BE ABLE TO ACQUIRE IT.
IF THERE IS A PROPERTY GOING THROUGH FORECLOSURE
THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE, MAYBE WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT.
UM...
AND SO, WE'VE BEEN ACTUALLY SYSTEMATICALLY LOOKING AT THESE AREAS
AND THE RED AREAS-- I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE A--
OOO, I CAN DRAG THAT LITTLE HAND.
UM, THIS AREA RIGHT HERE, UM, IS DOWN BY JOE TAYLOR PARK,
AND THAT AREA, WE ACTUALLY INCREASED THE PARK SPACE
FROM ONE ACRE TO TWO ACRES.
UM, AND THAT PARK IS ACTUALLY A GREAT EXAMPLE
OF HOW YOU GET MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY TO WORK TOGETHER.
WE ENDED UP CLOSING A STREET.
WE HAVE A STORM WATER FACILITY UNDERNEATH THE PARK
THAT HOLDS 240,000 GALLONS OF WATER.
IT TREATS 40 ACRES FOR WATER QUALITY.
IT ALL GOES INTO THAT, UNDERNEATH THE PARK.
UM, IT TAKES OUT THE HEAVY METALS,
AND EVERYTHING KIND OF LANDS DOWN AT THE BOTTOM--
IT'LL HAVE TO BE VACUUMED OUT FROM TIME TO TIME--
AND THEN, THE REST OF IT CAN CONTINUE ON UNTIL IT GOES TO THE GRAND RIVER.
UM, AND WE HAVE POROUS ASPHALT IN THE PARKING LOT,
WE PLANTED TONS OF TREES,
AND THE KIDS EVEN GOT A WATER PLAYGROUND,
AND THAT WATER IS RECYCLED TO WATER AT THE PARK.
SO, WE REALLY TRY TO USE SOME GREEN STRATEGIES
IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT.
WE ALSO HAVE OTHER LOCATIONS LIKE, UM, THIS BIG RED AREA,
WHICH IS THE SOUTH END OF HERITAGE HILL.
AND WHAT WE FOUND THERE
IS THE THE CORNER AT MADISON AND PLEASANT,
THE CITY WAS ABLE TO DO-- THROUGH A LAND SWAP--
ACQUIRE TWO ACRES OF LAND WHICH IS, RIGHT NOW, A TWO-ACRE PARKING LOT.
AND THE IMPACT AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD--
TURN A TWO-ACRE PARKING LOT INTO A GREEN SPACE, WILL BE HUGE.
AND WE ACTUALLY PLANNED THAT PARK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD,
AND IT WAS SOMEWHAT SURPRISING TO ME,
'CAUSE YOU'D THINK THAT EVERYBODY WOULD WANT EVERYTHING LOADED INTO THE PARK...
AND THEY SAID, "ALL WE WANT IS A SMALL PLAYGROUND, AND FIELD.
"WE JUST WANT A PLACE TO BE ABLE TO THROW A BALL,
"AN AREA TO PLAY SOCCER, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THAT,
"'CAUSE IT'S A DENSE NEIGHBORHOOD."
AND SO, THOSE STORIES HAVE BEEN VERY INTERESTING FOR US,
TO KIND OF SEE HOW PEOPLE PERCEIVE THEIR GREEN SPACES
AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO THEM.
UM, THIS IS THE JOE TAYLOR PARK EXAMPLE.
I FORGOT I PUT THIS-- I HAD PUT THIS IN.
BUT THE AREA TO THE RIGHT
IS WHERE THE UNDERGROUND INFILTRATION SYSTEM IS--
OR RETENTION SYSTEM IS--
AND THEN, WE DON'T HAVE THE COMMUNITY GARDENS IN THERE,
BUT EVERYTHING ELSE HAS BEEN CONSTRUCTED,
AND THIS IS THE FIRST FULL SUMMER IT WILL BE OPEN.
THE WATER PLAYGROUND IS GREAT, 'CAUSE YOU'LL SEE 50 KIDS
THAT ARE OUT THERE ALL DAY LONG, AND AFTERWARDS.
ANOTHER THEME WAS THE "GREENING" THEME,
AND YOU'LL FREQUENTLY HEAR THIS "40 PERCENT TREE CANOPY" GOAL.
THAT WAS REALLY IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE PROCESS.
IT'S BASED ON AMERICAN FORESTS' RECOMMENDATION
ON WHAT YOU SHOULD BE AS A CITY.
I MEAN, IT'S A PRETTY HIGH TARGET.
GRAND RAPIDS IS ABOUT 36.4 PERCENT RIGHT NOW.
SO, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE WE'RE THAT FAR OFF
FROM 40 PERCENT, BUT THAT MEANS...
IT'S 185,000 TREES. (audience laughing)
SO, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK-- TOTALED, WE NEED TO PLANT 185,000 TREES
TO GET FROM THAT 36 TO 40 PERCENT NUMBER.
SO, WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
THE CHALLENGES IS IS WE CAN'T DO ALL OF THAT.
WE CAN'T PLANT 185,000 TREES ON PUBLIC LAND.
WE JUST DON'T HAVE-- BETWEEN THE PARK LAND AND THE STREET RIGHTS-OF-WAY,
WE ONLY HAVE SO MUCH SPACE.
SO, HOW DO WE DO THIS WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CITIZENS
TO GET PEOPLE TO LOVE TREES AND WANNA PLANT TREES?
AND TREES ARE REALLY IMPORTANT
FROM A STORM WATER MANAGEMENT STANDPOINT,
FROM A COOLING STANDPOINT, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT HIGH-HEAT DAYS.
UH, EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING
AND WHETHER OR NOT IT'S REALLY HAPPENING,
BUT WHEN YOU TALK TO PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS
AND THEY'RE WATCHING THE NUMBER OF HIGH-HEAT DAYS WHEN THEY OCCUR,
THERE'S A CORRELATION BETWEEN HIGH-HEAT DAYS
AND STRESS ON VULNERABLE POPULATIONS--
THE ELDERLY, LOW-INCOME,
PEOPLE WHO CAN'T AFFORD AIR CONDITIONING--
AND WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S TREE CANOPY THERE.
SO, YOU START LOOKING AT THESE RELATIONSHIPS.
IT'S VERY INTERESTING.
SO, WE HAVE A TREE CANOPY GOAL OF 40 PERCENT-- THE 185,000 TREES.
AND I MENTIONED THE GAME EARLIER,
AND THE PICTURE ON THE LEFT ACTUALLY REPRESENTS
WHAT WE LEARNED FROM CITIZENS WHEN WE ASKED THEM TO MAP THINGS.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE ASKED WAS,
"IDENTIFY THE STREETS WHERE WE NEED MORE TREES."
AND SO, KIND OF THE COMPILATION OF THAT MAP,
BASED ON CITIZEN IMPUTS ON THE LEFT.
THE MAP ON THE RIGHT, UH, WE HAD PARTNERED
WITH GRAND VALLEY'S WATER RESEARCH INSTITUTE
TO DO THE FULL TREE CANOPY ANALYSIS,
SO WE KNEW WHAT PERCENT WE HAD, WHERE, AND BY NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND WE ASKED THEM TO PULL UP PUBLIC RIGHTS-OF-WAY
TO UNDERSTAND WHAT TREES WE NEED TO PLANT, WHERE, ON WHAT STREETS.
AND WHEN YOU COMPARE THE TWO MAPS, THEY'RE QUITE CLOSE.
UM, THAT CITIZENS INTUITIVELY KNOW WHAT WE NEED, WHERE.
AND SO, IT WAS A REALLY GOOD LESSON FOR US TO, YOU KNOW--
WE KNEW THAT ALREADY, FROM DOING THE MASTER PLAN,
BUT IT WAS JUST KIND OF THIS VALIDATION
THAT "PEOPLE INTUITIVELY KNOW THEIR COMMUNITY,
"THEY KNOW WHAT'S IMPORTANT, AND WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN."
IT'S JUST HOW DO YOU GIVE THEM THE TOOLS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT REAL?
CONNECTIONS-- UH, THE WHOLE THEME OF BIKE LANES, AGAIN,
CAME UP IN COMPLETE STREETS.
THAT A WHOLE RANGE OF TRANSPORTATION CHOICES
THAT WE WANT TO PROVIDE TO PEOPLE--
THAT THEY CAN RIDE TRANSIT, THEY CAN WALK,
THEY CAN BIKE, AND GO BY CAR.
YOU ALSO HAVE TO PLAN FOR FREIGHT, FOR TRUCK TRAFFIC.
BUT HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT DOING THAT?
AND ONE OF THE EASIEST TECHNIQUES, WHICH IS DEPICTED ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE,
IS PUTTING ROADS ON A "ROAD DIET."
SO, YOU GO FROM A FOUR-LANE CROSS-SECTION TO A THREE-LANE CROSS-SECTION.
SO, TWO TRAVEL LANES IN EACH DIRECTION TO ONE TRAVEL LANE IN EACH DIRECTION
WITH A CENTER TURN-LANE.
AND THAT SPACE-- THE EXTRA SPACE THAT YOU HAVE--
PROVIDES YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO THEN PUT BIKE LANES ON THE OUTSIDE.
UM, AND YOU'VE SEEN THIS HAPPEN IN A NUMBER OF GRAND RAPIDS STREETS.
UH, BURTON IS GONNA BE THE LATEST ONE THAT WE DO.
DIVISION-- IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH DIVISION,
WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT, AND I'VE GOT A PICTURE OF DIVISION--
UH, THAT WE JUST RECENTLY PUT ON A ROAD DIET
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
UM, AND NOW, THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY INSTITUTE IS REALLY PUSHING--
THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION IS REALLY PUSHING FOR ROAD DIETS
BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY DATA THAT'S COMING OUT.
UM, HIGH-IMPACT CRASHES IS REDUCED BY 60 PERCENT.
DEATH AND MORTALITY CAN BE REDUCED BY 30 PERCENT.
SOME OF THE NUMBERS THAT ARE COMING OUT ABOUT THE BENEFITS
OF DOING A THREE-LANE CROSS-SECTION VERSUS A FOUR-LANE CROSS-SECTION--
JUST BECAUSE OF THE WAY PEOPLE TRAVEL--
IT AUTOMATICALLY REDUCES YOUR TRAVEL SPEEDS,
BECAUSE THE LEAD CAR SETS THE PACE FOR THE REST OF THE PLATOON.
YOU DON'T HAVE PEOPLE JOCKEYING FOR POSITION AND TRYING TO PASS.
IF SOMEBODY'S TURNING A LEFT-HAND TURN-LANE,
THEY'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE CAR THAT'S CLOSEST TO THEM,
BUT THEY MAY NOT SEE THE CAR THAT'S TRYING TO PASS ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE
AND YOU GET A CRASH.
UM, SO, THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT BENEFITS
TO DOING THE ROAD DIETS.
AND TRAVEL TIMES ARE INCREASED JUST A--
WE FOUND ON DIVISION, TRAVEL TIMES WERE INCREASED BY 30 SECONDS...
BUT THE LIVABILITY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD
BASED ON WHAT WE'VE BEEN LEARNING IN THE HEARTSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD
FOR THOSE RESIDENTS, IT'S MADE A HUGE IMPACT.
IT'S EASIER TO CROSS THE STREET,
IT'S A QUIETER STREET, IT'S SLOWER TRAFFIC--
UM, IT'S MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE TO THEM AND THAT SENSE OF PLACE.
PLAINFIELD AVENUE IS ANOTHER ONE THAT WE DID--
UH, 18,000 CARS A DAY TRAVELED PLAINFIELD,
AND COMMUTERS DON'T LIKE IT
BECAUSE THEY CAN'T ZOOM THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT FOR THE BUSINESS DISTRICT, IT'S REALLY MEANT AN OPPORTUNITY
TO IMPROVE THE SHOPS
AND BUILD EXCITEMENT ABOUT WHAT COULD HAPPEN HERE.
AND JUST RECENTLY, THEY ANNOUNCED
THEY'RE GOING TO BE DOING BIO-RETENTION ISLANDS
AS MEDIANS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET IN PLAINFIELD, NORTH OF LEONARD--
THAT THE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION IS STRONGLY IN SUPPORT OF IT.
UM, AND IN FACT, THEY'RE PAYING FOR MOST OF IT, TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
SO, HOW DO WE TREAT OUR STREETS AS PLACES,
NOT JUST A PLACE FOR CARS?
ER, ER, ROADS FOR PEOPLE TO DRIVE.
SO, YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE MULTIPLE USERS
THAT ARE USING THE STREET NOW.
NATURAL SYSTEMS-- THE STORM WATER IMPACT.
THE GOAL IS TO CATCH THE STORM WATER WHERE IT FALLS...
AND THAT LEADS TO GREEN ROOFS AND RAIN GARDENS
AND RETENTION SWELLS
AND ALL OTHER THINGS TO TRY TO MANAGE THE STORM WATER,
UM, BECAUSE THE STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS,
AND IT AFFECTS THE WATER QUALITY THE GRAND RIVER.
IT ALL EVENTUALLY GOES INTO THE GRAND RIVER.
WE HAVE ONE OF THE TOP TEN URBAN FISHERIES IN THE COUNTRY.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT STEELHEAD, AND, UM, THERE'S JUST LOTS OF OPPORTUNITY
TO MAKE SURE THE WATER QUALITY IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY.
THE GRAND RIVER, UM-- WE REALLY FOCUSED ON WHAT COULD HAPPEN--
AS I MENTIONED, WE SAID WE WERE NOT GOING TO HAVE RESTAURANTS AT THE RIVERFRONT--
UH, RIGHT ON THE WATER-- WHEN YOU GOT BIG FLOOD WALLS
AND CHANGING ELEVATIONS OF THE WATER.
BUT REALLY, IT'S A RECREATION OPPORTUNITY.
THE GRAND RIVER HAS A TON TO OFFER.
UH, WE HAVE WATER SKIING AND ROWING-- NORTH, OVER BY RIVERSIDE PARK.
AND IN FACT, WHEN THE OLYMPICS WAS CONSIDERING
WHETHER OR NOT THEY SHOULD COME TO CHICAGO,
WE WERE ACTUALLY GETTING PHONE CALLS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES
THAT WANTED TO COME AND PRACTICE ON THE GRAND RIVER,
IN PREPARATION FOR THE OLYMPICS.
SO, IT'S A GOOD RIVER FOR ROWING.
UM, BUT THEN, WE ALSO, AS I MENTIONED, THE FISHERY IS FABULOUS.
AND HISTORICALLY, WE ACTUALLY WERE--
THE GRAND RIVER WAS A GREAT RIVER FOR STURGEON.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE KIND OF RESTORE THAT HABITAT?
WHAT DO WE DO WITH THOSE DAMS?
UM, AND HOW DO WE IMPROVE THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN IT?
THE GRAND RIVER AND THE DOWNTOWN OF GRAND RAPIDS
HAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO BE KIND OF THE HUB OF THE WEST MICHIGAN REGION
TO CONNECT TO MUSKEGON VIA THE MUSKETAWA TRAIL,
TO GO NORTH UP TO CADILLAC VIA THE WHITE PINE TRAIL,
WHICH ACTUALLY CONNECTS ALREADY DOWN TO RIVERSIDE PARK.
UM, IF YOU GO OUT TO WEALTHY STREET,
YOU CAN CONNECT TO KENT TRAILS AND MILLENNIUM PARK.
IF YOU GO SOUTH, CAN YOU CONNECT TO PLASTER CREEK TRAIL
AND THORNAPPLE TRAIL?
SO, AS A REGIONAL TRAIL SYSTEM, WE HAVE THESE MISSING PIECES YET TO FILL,
BUT THERE'S SOME WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT.
AND SO, WHAT WE DID DURING "GREEN GRAND RAPIDS" IS WE LOOKED AT,
"HOW DO YOU PROVIDE THOSE CONNECTIONS?"
THE PICTURE ON THE RIGHT SHOWS THAT THE TRAIL PATH THAT WE EXAMINED,
YOU KNOW, CAN YOU GET UNDER THE FULTON STREET BRIDGE?
CAN YOU GET UNDER THE 131 BRIDGE, GIVEN THE FLOOD LEVELS
AND THE HEIGHTS OF THE BRIDGE ABUTMENTS?
AND HOW DO YOU MAKE THAT WORK?
WE EXAMINED THAT.
WE ALSO LOOKED AT, CAN YOU PROVIDE A KAYAK COURSE IN THE GRAND RIVER?
AND THIS WORK'S ACTUALLY RESULTED IN A NEW NONPROFIT BEING CREATED--
"THE GRAND RAPIDS WHITEWATER"--
AND GRAND RAPIDS WHITEWATER RECEIVED FUNDING
FROM THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY AND FOUNDERS BREWING COMPANY
TO HIRE AN EXPERT TO EVALUATE THE RIVER
AND ITS HYDROLOGY AND THE RIVER BOTTOM-- ACTUALLY MAP THE WHOLE RIVER BOTTOM--
AND TO ALSO LOOK AT SEDIMENTATION
AND WHETHER OR NOT THERE WAS ANY CONTAMINATION
FROM THE INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES UPRIVER THAT MIGHT RESULT
IN BEING AN IMPEDIMENT TO REDEVELOPING THE RIVER.
WHAT THEY FOUND IS THAT THERE'S NO CONTAMINATION IN THE RIVER,
UH, IN THE SEDIMENT, WHICH IS GREAT NEWS.
UM, AND THEY ALSO-- I MENTIONED THE STURGEON HABITAT.
THEY FOUND THAT NORTH OF THE FOURTH STREET DAM,
THERE'S THESE LAND SHELVES THAT ARE FABULOUS FOR STURGEON HABITAT.
WE JUST NEED TO FIND A WAY TO BE ABLE TO GET THE FISH UP THERE.
AND SO, THE WHOLE DISCUSSION ABOUT, "WHAT YOU DO WITH THE DAMS?"
UM, AND SO, THEY'RE DEVELOPING PLANS TO NATURALIZE THE RIVER,
MAYBE TAKE OUT SOME OF THE LOW-HEAD DAMS
OR REDUCE THEM, CUT THEM DOWN.
THE LOW-HEAD DAMS ACTUALLY ARE QUITE DANGEROUS.
IF YOU GET CAUGHT IN THAT CHURN OF THE DAM, IT CAN BE FATAL.
SO, IN FACT, THE EXPERT THAT THEY'RE WORKING WITH
SAID THESE ARE SOME OF THE MOST UNSAFE DAMS HE'S EVER SEEN--
THAT THEY'RE VERY DANGEROUS.
SO, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE IMPROVE THE SAFETY OF THE RIVER?
HOW DO WE PRESERVE THE NATURAL HABITAT AND ENHANCE IT?
AND THE RECREATIONAL QUALITIES THAT WE'VE GOT.
SO, THAT'S GOING THROUGH EXAMINATION RIGHT NOW,
AND YET THIS YEAR, WE'RE SUPPO--
WE'RE GOING TO BE HEARING A REPORT ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S FEASIBLE.
THE LAST THING IS LOCAL FOOD,
AND YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH DOWNTOWN URBAN MARKET
THAT'S ABOUT TO BE DEVELOPED, SOUTH OF WEALTHY.
THEY'VE ALREADY CLEARED THE SITE
AND THEY'RE WORKING ON THE FOUNDATION WORK RIGHT NOW.
THAT'LL BE A YEAR-ROUND FARMERS MARKET.
THEY'LL HAVE INDOOR AND OUTDOOR VENDOR STALLS.
THE FULTON STREET FARMERS MARKET IS ALSO BEING UPGRADED
WITH A WHOLE NEW SHED AND, AGAIN, SOME YEAR-ROUND FACILITIES,
ON A MUCH SMALLER SCALE THAN THE URBAN MARKET.
BUT DO WE ALSO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS--
LIKE THE Y.M.C.A. ON THE WEST SIDE HAS ONE--
OR COMMUNITY GARDENS?
AND WHAT POLICY IMPEDIMENTS DO WE HAVE?
SO, DURING "GREEN GRAND RAPIDS," WE ACTUALLY DID A WHITE PAPER
ON POLICY IMPEDIMENTS THAT THE CITY HAS TO PREVENTING URBAN MARKETS
AND FARMERS GARDENS--
ER, FARMERS MARKETS AND COMMUNITY GARDENS--
TO BE ABLE TO FIND OUT IF THERE'S SOME THINGS WE SHOULD CHANGE.
AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, WE DID CHANGE THE ZONING ORDINANCE
TO MAKE IT A LITTLE EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO COME IN AND DO THOSE ACTIVITIES.
WHAT'S BEEN MOST INTERESTING WITH "GREEN GRAND RAPIDS"
IS THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS RESPONDED WITH,
THAT THE OWNERSHIP OF GROUPS LIKE "FRIENDS OF GRAND RAPIDS PARKS,"
"W.M.E.A.C."-- THE WEST MICHIGAN ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION COUNCIL--
"GRAND RAPIDS WHITEWATER," "GREATER GRAND RAPIDS BICYCLE COALITION."
UM, EVEN, YOU KNOW, WITHIN OUR OWN CITY,
OUR CITY DESIGN TEAM,
WHICH IS A COMBINATION OF MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS--
WATER, SEWER, STORM WATER, FIRE, TRAFFIC SAFETY, ENGINEERING, PLANNING--
WE ACTUALLY DESIGN ROADS TOGETHER AND DESIGN PROJECTS TOGETHER.
AND WHEN DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS COME IN OF A LARGER SCALE,
WE REVIEW THEM TOGETHER.
AND SO, KIND OF THIS EXPECTATION AS A TEAM THAT WE HAVE
TO SEE SOME OF THESE THINGS IMPLEMENTED HAS REALLY CARRIED THROUGH.
IN FACT, OUR TRAFFIC SAFETY DIRECTOR JUST GAVE THE CITY MANAGER TODAY,
A LIST OF RECOMMENDED STREETS TO PAINT FOR BIKE LANES THIS SUMMER
THAT WILL TOTAL 25 MILES, IF WE IMPLEMENT ALL OF IT.
AND SO, THAT'S BEING HA--
THAT'S NOW HAPPENING IN VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS
THROUGHOUT THE CITY, WHICH IS VERY EXCITING.
THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ALSO HAS BEEN VERY INVOLVED
WITH HOW DO THEY, AGAIN, MAKE DOWNTOWN REALLY AN ATTRACTIVE PLACE
AND ENHANCE THE RIVER WALK.
AND AGAIN, THEY'RE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE URBAN MARKET.
SO, EVERYBODY'S KINDA BEEN TAKING ON LITTLE PIECES,
WHICH HAS BEEN VERY EXCITING.
AND SO, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN BECOMING INVOLVED, YOU KNOW,
TRYING TO CONNECT WITH ONE OF THOSE GROUPS,
OR EVEN STARTING YOUR OWN INITIATIVE THAT SOMEHOW CONNECTS TO THOSE MAIN GOALS--
UH, WE'VE SEEN A NUMBER OF GROUPS JUST KIND OF POP UP THAT SAY,
"WE'RE GONNA GO PLANT 100 TREES" OR "WE'RE GONNA GO DO--"
YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT I HAD NOT EXPECTED,
AND THEY'RE ALL RELATED TO "GREEN GRAND RAPIDS."
AND SO, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PLANNING AND THE VALUE OF PLANNING
AND KIND OF THAT VISION GOING FORWARD,
AND THIS FRAMEWORK THAT YOU'RE CREATING
WHERE EVERYBODY KINDA KNOWS WHERE THEY BELONG
OR WHAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS--
UM, THIS PROJECT'S BEEN VERY INTERESTING FROM THE STANDPOINT
THAT EVERYBODY'S KIND OF TAKEN A PIECE ON THEIR OWN,
AND THEY'RE WORKING TO MAKE THAT REALIZATION, WHICH IS JUST--
IT'S JUST BEEN AMAZING.
WE'VE ALREADY HAD, BETWEEN GRANTS AND PRIVATE INVESTMENT--
IF YOU DON'T INCLUDE THE URBAN MARKET AND THE FARMERS MARKET AT FULTON--
WE'VE HAD ABOUT $3 MILLION WORTH OF INVESTMENT ALREADY
IN THE PAST THREE YEARS RELATED TO "GREEN GRAND RAPIDS,"
AND THAT DOESN'T COUNT THE THOUSANDS OF VOLUNTEER HOURS
THAT WE'VE SEEN.
SO, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BUILDING FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE,
I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE KEY CRITICAL COMPONENTS
THAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT,
YOU KNOW, HOW WE GO ABOUT DOING THAT.
AND THE COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP, AS I MENTIONED, AND THOSE PARTNERSHIPS
AND THE COLLABORATION
AND BEING WILLING TO TAKE THAT PIECE AND MAKE IT YOUR OWN,
IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE CAN'T DO IT--
ESPECIALLY WHEN EVERYBODY'S SO CONSTRAINED ON RESOURCES--
WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
THAT FOUNDATION OF SMART GROWTH IS REALLY IMPORTANT
'CAUSE THOSE ARE YOUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES, REALLY, THAT, YOU KNOW,
YOU'RE COMMITTED TO DOING MIXED USE
AND BALANCED TRANSPORTATION, AND A RANGE OF HOUSING CHOICES,
AND CONTINUING TO INVEST IN THE CORE OF THE CITY--
ARE REALLY KEY PRINCIPLES THAT WE CONTINUALLY LOOK AT.
LOOKING AT QUALITY DESIGN AND REGULATING FOR IT--
THAT YOU'VE NOT ONLY LAID OUT THAT COMMUNITY EXPECTATION
BUT YOU'D ACTUALLY CHANGED ORDINANCES TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
THAT'S NOW LAW, THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THIS COMMUNITY EXPECTATION,
AND WE'LL HAVE PEOPLE DEVELOP TO THAT... IS REALLY, I THINK, KEY.
AND THIS IDEA OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE-- HOW PARKS AND COMMUNITY GARDENS
AND, YOU KNOW, EVEN STORM WATER OR WATERWAYS AND THE RIVER,
ALL RELATE TO HAVING A GREAT QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND IT'S A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WANNA BE,
IT GENERATES ADDITIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND REALLY--
I'VE SEEN A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN HOW PEOPLE PERCEIVE THE CITY,
JUST BY PAINTING THE BIKE LANES THAT WE HAVE.
UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, "THIS IS A PLACE THAT'S STARTING TO GET IT."
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT CHICAGO OR SEATTLE,
BUT WE'RE DOING IT IN OUR OWN WAY AND IT'S WORKING.
AND THEN, KIND OF, HOW DO YOU MEASURE THAT SUCCESS?
THAT WE'RE CONTINUALLY WORKING TOWARD SOMETHING,
BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO CELEBRATE WHAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE,
AND RECOGNIZE THOSE INCREMENTAL CHANGES AS WE GO ALONG.
AND THAT SPEAKS TO THE LAST POINT OF "IT'S A PROCESS, NOT A GOAL."
THAT IT'S THIS CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, CONTINUOUS WORK, "YOU'RE NEVER DONE."
YOU SET OUT THAT VISION AND NOW YOU GOTTA CHANGE THE POLICIES
AND YOU GOTTA CHANGE THE ORDINANCES
AND GO BACK AND REEVALUATE
AND PLAN AGAIN TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION,
OR THERE'S NEW ISSUES YOU HADN'T ANTICIPATED THAT YOU NEED TO SOLVE.
BUT GIVEN HOW SUCCESSFUL I THINK WE'VE BEEN AS A CITY,
AND ALL OF THE GREAT ENERGY THAT'S HAPPENING, I THINK IT REALLY--
YOU CAN START TO SEE THAT PAY OFF,
AND YOU CAN START TO SEE THE BIG CHANGES THAT ARE HAPPENING
AND THE EXCITEMENT IT'S GENERATING.
SO, UM... IT'S A FUN JOB.
I'VE REALLY ENJOYED IT.
SO, UM, THANKS A LOT FOR HAVING ME.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?
YEAH?
>> I'VE SEEN YOUR VIDEO AND I LOVE IT.
WE SAW IT IN A.R. 103.
SO, A COUPLE QUESTIONS
IS WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION FOR THIS DESIGN,
THIS TOTAL REVAMPING OF THE GRAND RAPIDS ZONING ORDINANCES?
>> THE REVAMPING OF THE GRAND RAPIDS ZONING ORDINANCE
REALLY CAME FROM THE MASTER PLAN PROCESS
AND WHAT WE HEARD FROM CITIZENS.
I, UM, I FIRMLY BELIEVE IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
AND HAVING CITIZENS INVOLVED IN DIALOGUE,
AND THAT WILL GUIDE, KIND OF, WHERE WE NEED TO HEAD, AND, UM...
IT WAS FUNNY 'CAUSE DURING THE MASTER PLAN PROCESS
OR EVEN THE ZONING ORDINANCE OR "GREEN GRAND RAPIDS,"
I COULDN'T TELL YOU WHAT THE END PRODUCT WAS GOING TO LOOK LIKE
UNTIL WE WERE ABOUT THREE-QUARTERS OF THE WAY THROUGH THE PROCESS,
UM, BECAUSE I REALLY THINK THAT PROCESS IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE PRODUCT,
AND IF YOU'VE DONE A REALLY GREAT PROCESS, THEN THE PRODUCT FOLLOWS,
AND YOU DON'T HAVE CONTENTION, YOU DON'T HAVE PEOPLE FIGHTING.
IT'S-- EVERYBODY HAS KIND OF COME ONBOARD
IN ONE WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM, THROUGH THE PROCESS.
AND SO, FOR THE ZONING ORDINANCE, IT REALLY WAS THIS EVOLUTION
FROM THE MASTER PLAN,
AND PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS
AND WHY THEY LOVE THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS
AND THEY WANNA MAINTAIN THAT QUALITY,
AND THEN FIGURING OUT HOW TO WRITE THE CODE TO THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW--
THIS IS-- YOU KNOW, IF STOREFRONT WINDOWS ARE IMPORTANT,
OR IF YOU'RE A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAS ALL FRONT PORCHES
AND NOW PUTTING GARAGES ON THE FRONT IS GONNA KIND OF IMPAIR THAT QUALITY,
THEN WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE THAT.
SO, EVEN IN THE WRITING OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE,
WE HAD A GROUP OF ABOUT 20 TO 25 NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS
THAT WERE INVOLVED IN ACTUALLY REVIEWING THE TEXT,
AS WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS.
SO, I'D FINISH ONE ARTICLE,
GO MEET WITH THEM AND GET THEIR FEEDBACK,
AND REVISE, AND THEN DO THE NEXT CHAPTER.
SO, IT REALLY WAS THIS KIND OF REITERATIVE PROCESS
WITH THE COMMUNITY ABOUT LEARNING WHAT THEY WANT,
WHAT THEIR PRIORITIES WERE, AND HOW WE COULD GET THERE.
>> HAVE YOU BENCHMARKED--
HAVE YOU BENCHMARKED WHERE YOU WERE WHEN YOU STARTED?
AND THEN, HOW FAR ARE YOU ALONG-- PERCENTAGE--
OR HOW ARE YOU MEASURING YOUR SUCCESS?
>> WE USE OUR SUSTAINABILITY PLAN-- FOR SOME OF IT.
BIKE LANES, I THINK, ARE THE EASIEST THINGS TO MEASURE,
SO FAR, THAT WE'VE HAD...
THAT WE STARTED OFF WITH ALMOST ZERO--
THAT THE FIRST BIKE LANE WE DID WAS AT LAKE DRIVE,
BETWEEN CHERRY AND DIAMOND, KIND OF THAT AREA,
AND THAT WAS 1.2 MILES.
LAST YEAR, WE DID SEVEN MILES.
AND SO, IF WE DO 25 MILES THIS YEAR, IT'LL BE QUITE THE BANNER YEAR.
UM...
I THINK THERE'S THAT PIECE.
PART OF IT IS JUST SEEING THE PHYSICAL CHANGES,
AND WE HAVEN'T QUANTIFIED, NECESSARILY, THE NUMBER OF BUILDINGS
THAT HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED UNDER THE NEW ZONING ORDINANCE,
WHICH PROBABLY WOULD BE A GOOD EXERCISE,
BUT THERE'S ALSO THAT QUESTION OF "WOULD THEY GET BUILT ANYWAY?"
BUT I KNOW THERE'S A NUMBER OF PLACES THAT THEY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN BUILT
THE WAY THAT WE WANTED THEM, HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE ZONING ORDINANCE.
THAT, HAD WE NOT HAD THOSE REGULATIONS IN PLACE,
WE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY SAID, "EW."
I MEAN, "THIS IS JUST THE SAME AS EVERYTHING ELSE, EVERY PLACE ELSE,"
THAT "THIS DOESN'T HELP BUILD OUR COMMUNITY AT ALL--
"THE BUILDING'S IN THE BACK, THE PARKING LOT'S IN THE FRONT,
"AND I COULD BE ANYWHERE."
BUT INSTEAD, YOU GET GREAT STORES LIKE RYLEE'S ACE HARDWARE
OR, YOU KNOW, OTHER ONES THAT NOW ARE STARTING TO BE PART OF THE FABRIC
OF THE COMMUNITY,
INSTEAD OF JUST KIND OF THIS BLOBBY WHATEVER
ALL OVER THE PLACE.
SO, UM, THOSE PIECES, I THINK, ARE HARD TO QUANTIFY, IN SOME CASES,
BECAUSE YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ADDITIONAL PROPERTY VALUES
AND ECONOMIC RETURN
OR SOMEBODY'S DECISION TO INVEST IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF ANECDOTES FROM PEOPLE WHO--
WELL, ONE BUSINESS OWNER IN THE CRESTON BUSINESS DISTRICT
WHO SAID, "I WAS LOOKING FOR BUSINESS DISTRICTS TO LOCATE IN,
"I HADN'T MADE UP MY MIND, AND THEN, I SAW THE CRESTON NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN.
"AND THE PLAN TALKED ABOUT THIS VISION FOR THE BUSINESS DISTRICT,
"AND I KNEW THAT'S WHERE I WANTED TO BE."
SO, THERE'S THESE THINGS THAT YOU CAN'T QUITE QUANTIFY,
BUT IT'S MORE QUALITATIVE INFORMATION THAT WE GAIN OVER TIME.
SO, IT'S BEEN A LITTLE COMBINATION OF BOTH.
>> QUESTION OVER HERE.
>> YOU MENTIONED BUS RAPID TRANSPORTATION IN 2014.
WAS THE IDEA...
TO HAVE BUS ROUTES COMING EVERY 14 SECONDS--
WAS THAT ONLY GONNA BE, LIKE, ROUTES
THAT WERE GOING TO LEAD YOU TO CENTRAL STATION,
OR WAS THAT PLANNED TO BE ALL ROUTES IN GRAND RAPIDS?
OR WOULD YOU KNOW ANY MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT?
>> YEAH, THE HEADWAY TIMES FOR THE BUS RAPID TRANSIT
WILL BE ABOUT SIX TO TEN MINUTES.
THE WAIT TIME AT THE STOP'S ABOUT 14 SECONDS.
SO, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S UNDERSTOOD.
UM, THE SILVER LINE'S THE FIRST, HOPEFULLY, OF MANY LINES.
THE SECOND LINE THAT'S PROPOSED FOR THE BUS RAPID TRANSIT
WILL BE THE LAKER LINE--
THE NUMBER 50 BUS THAT GOES FROM DOWNTOWN OUT TO ALLENDALE.
THE ROUTE FOR THE SILVER LINE IS 60th STREET,
ALL THE WAY UP TO DIVISION, TO WEALTHY STREET,
AND THEN IT TURNS WEALTHY TO JEFFERSON,
UP TO FULTON STREET, AND THEN IT JOGS ONTO RANSOM,
AND THEN UP CRESCENT, UP TO MICHIGAN STREET,
AND THEN DOWN MONROE TO THE RAPID CENTRAL STATION.
SO, IT'LL RUN, LIKE, A LOOP.
BUT THAT WILL BE THE LINE,
AND THEN IT'LL CONNECT INTO OTHER TRADITIONAL BUS ROUTES.
BUT THAT WILL BE THE FIRST KIND OF-- UM, THE FIRST BUS LINE--
THEN, THE SECOND ONE WILL BE THE LAKER LINE.
THE THIRD LINE IS UNDETERMINED YET,
BUT IT'LL PROBABLY BE ON THE SOUTHEAST SIDE SOMEPLACE.
I MEAN, THEIR MASTER PLAN SHOWS THAT-- YOU KNOW, DOES IT GO OUT TO THE AIRPORT?
DOES IT CONNECT TO EAST GRAND RAPIDS?
KIND OF-- IT'S A BIG AREA THAT THEY KIND OF DEFINE IN THIS BIG SWATH.
BUT THE GOAL, WHENEVER THEY DO THAT,
IS YOU'RE CONNECTING MAJOR DESTINATION POINTS, MAJOR NODES.
SO, GRAND VALLEY IS AN ANCHOR IN DOWNTOWN-- DOWNTOWN--
ER, THE DIVISION LINE RIGHT NOW
IS ONE OF THE MOST HEAVILY-USED ROUTES IN THE CITY,
SO THEY PICKED THAT ONE AS THE FIRST ONE.
ALSO, THERE'S HUGE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL--
RE-DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL OF MANY SITES ALONG DIVISION,
WHICH IS ANOTHER REASON THEY CHOSE THAT ROUTE.
>> I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU,
WHICH IS BASED UPON THE HISTORY OF PLANNING IN THE COMMUNITY,
AND THAT IS, IS THAT I THINK MR. (indistinct) OVER HERE
HAD A COMMENT RELATED TO THAT,
AND COMING TO THE FRUITION OF UNDERSTANDING
ABOUT FORM-BASED DEVELOPMENT AND HOW THAT WORKS.
IT SEEMS TO ME YOU'RE HAVING TO ALSO EDUCATE DEVELOPERS
IN THE PROCESS,
AND THAT'S A PROBLEM, IT SEEMS TO ME, IN TERMS OF THE ECONOMY.
I KNOW WHEN WE DID THIS FOUR YEARS,
I SAID ONE OF THE BIGGEST FLAWS I COULD SEE
IS THAT NOW YOU GOTTA REALLY SPEND TIME IN EDUCATING THE BUILDERS
WHO ARE COMING IN TO DOING THIS WORK, AND PUT 'EM IN THE PROCESS.
HOW HARD IS THAT, THEN?
>> IT COMPLETELY DEPENDS, UM, ON THE DEVELOPER.
WE GET QUITE THE RANGE OF LEVELS OF SOPHISTICATION.
I MEAN, IF WE HAVE A BUILDER
WHO'S USED TO DOING SUBURBAN-STYLE DEVELOPMENT IN TOWNSHIPS,
AND THEY COME INTO GRAND RAPIDS,
THE CODE IS COMPLETELY FOREIGN TO THEM, AND IT'S REALLY AN EDUCATION PROCESS.
IF THEY'RE USED TO DEVELOPING IN AN URBAN CONTEXT,
IT'S KIND OF NATURAL TO THEM AND IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
SO, THEY REALLY HAVE TO UNDERSTAND CONTEXT.
SO, THE FIRST PIECE OF THE EDUCATION IS MAKING SURE THEY UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT
OF THE AREA THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE WORKING IN,
IF THEY'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH HOW OUR CODE WORKS.
SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S REASONS WHY WE REGULATE THIS WAY,
THAT THERE'S A CONTINUOUS STREET WALL,
THAT WE WANT WALKABILITY, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WANT WINDOWS FOR SAFETY.
AND SO, IT KIND OF BECOMES THIS KIND OF MENTAL SCRIPT THAT YOU HAVE
WHEN YOU'RE EXPLAINING WHY YOU HAVE ALL THESE THINGS.
I THINK PEOPLE RESPOND MUCH BETTER WHEN YOU EXPLAIN IT TO THEM.
IT'S NOT JUST, "HERE'S THE RULE,"
BUT "THIS RULE IS HERE BECAUSE OF" WHATEVER THE REASON IS.
AND ONCE THEY UNDERSTAND THAT, THEY'RE MUCH MORE SYMPATHETIC
AND WILLING TO WORK WITH YOU THAN IF YOU JUST SAID,
"THIS IS THE RULE AND THAT'S THE WAY IT IS."
ONCE THEY UNDERSTAND WHY IT IS AND HOW IT WORKS,
THEY TEND TO REALLY COME ALONG AND BE SUPPORTIVE.
BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE INFORMATION TO BE ABLE TO SHOW TO THEM
AS TO WHY YOU HAVE THAT REGULATION.
THE CHARTER SCHOOL EXAMPLE AT OAKDALE I MENTIONED,
IF WE DIDN'T HAVE "GREEN GRAND RAPIDS" AND HAVE THAT PARK DEFICIENCY MAP
AND BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN THAT, AS A VALUE, AS A COMMUNITY,
PRESERVING GREEN SPACE IN OUR URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS,
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE DENSITY AND A LOT OF PEOPLE,
YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE JUST WANT A PLACE TO THROW A BALL.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST A REALLY BASIC THING THAT MAKES A NEIGHBORHOOD WORK,
AND ONCE YOU HAVE THAT UNDERSTANDING,
THEN THEY CAN UNDERSTAND HOW HARD YOU'RE PUSHING
TO PRESERVE THAT GREEN SPACE
OR, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU'RE TRYING TO BALANCE PARKING WITH SOMETHING ELSE.
BUT YOU'VE GOTTA BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT DIALOGUE WITH 'EM,
AND I'VE REALLY NOT RUN INTO ANY RESISTANCE.
AND IN THIS ECONOMY, IT'S BEEN INTERESTING
BECAUSE YOU KINDA WONDER HOW MUCH PUSH-BACK YOU'RE GOING TO GET
FROM PEOPLE SAYING, "WELL, I COULD GO INVEST SOMEPLACE ELSE."
THAT "I DON'T HAVE TO COME TO GRAND RAPIDS.
"I COULD GO TO ANOTHER COMMUNITY AND BUILD MY BUILDING."
UM, WE'VE ONLY HAD THAT ONCE...
AND IT WAS THE KIND OF A DEVELOPMENT THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD
WOULDN'T HAVE SUPPORTED ANYWAY.
SO, UM-- BUT LIKE I SAID, WHEN YOU CAN HAVE MAJOR CHAINS LIKE WALGREENS
OR SUBWAY COME IN, AND THEY CAN MEET YOUR CODE,
YOU KNOW, IT CAN BE DONE, AND THAT'S A GOOD STORY.
>> AFTER ALL, THEY WANNA SELL THEIR PRODUCT
AND THEY HAVE PEOPLE HERE WHO WANT TO BUY IT,
SO THEY HAVE TO BE OKAY-- >> THERE'S CLEARLY A MARKET
THAT MAKES 'EM CHOOSE THAT LOCATION FOR A REASON.
>> I THINK WE GOT ONE MORE QUESTION.
HOLD ON-- DAVE'S RIGHT--
HOLDING ON. (laughing)
>> JUST ON THE PARKS TOPIC.
LIKE, IF YOU LOOK AT ALL THE CITIES IN SORT OF THE "RUST BELT"--
YOU KNOW, DETROIT, CHICAGO, PITTSBURGH, ALL ACROSS THE NORTHEAST THERE--
DOES THE CITY LOOK AT PARKS AND GREEN SPACES AS A TOURIST DRAW?
LIKE, ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT, LIKE, BIG-NAME ARCHITECTS?
LIKE, LOOKING AT WHAT THEY DID WITH MILLENNIUM PARK IN CHICAGO
AND SORT OF THE-- >> I THINK THAT'S COMING.
WE'RE NOT THERE.
WE'RE JUST PRAYING THAT THE GRASS GETS CUT, BECAUSE OF BUDGET CUTS.
YOU KNOW, THAT WE COULD GET MAYBE A COUPLE NEW PIECES
OF PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT.
I THINK THAT BIGGER VISION, WE TALK MORE REGIONAL PARKS.
I MEAN, THERE'S DIFFERENT SCALES OF PARKS.
THERE'S A SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD PARK THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE A LITTLE PLAYGROUND ON
AND A FIELD...
BUT, LIKE, RIVERSIDE PARK IS A MUCH MORE-- IT'S A REGIONAL PARK.
I MEAN, IT SERVES MULTIPLE DIFFERENT INTERESTS.
PEOPLE HAVE THEIR HEALTH WALKS OR THEIR FUNDRAISERS THERE.
I THINK, REALLY, WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IN THE FUTURE IS THIS CONVERSATION
ABOUT THE RIVER AS A PARK.
THE IDEA OF PUTTING A KAYAK COURSE AND THIS REGIONAL TRAIL SYSTEM
THAT CONNECTS TO EVERYTHING,
AND THE VIBRANCY OF BEING IN A DOWNTOWN
AND HOW YOU CAN CONNECT OUT INTO OTHER COMMUNITIES
WITH A TRAIL SYSTEM.
I THINK THAT VISION OF THE CHICAGO MILLENNIUM PARK--
I MEAN, WE HAVE OUR OWN MILLENNIUM PARK THAT IS VERY EXCITING
AND VERY WELL-DONE,
BUT HOW DO YOU BRING THAT INTO THE URBAN CENTER?
AND HOW DO YOU KIND OF REINVIGORATE THIS WHOLE RIVER SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE?
AND REALLY TAKE CARE OF THE GREAT ASSETS WE HAVE
WITH THE FISHERIES AND THE KAYAKERS AND EVERYBODY?
SO, I THINK THE BIG CONVERSATION AROUND PARKS
WILL BE AROUND THE RIVER, REALLY,
THAT WE'RE GONNA SEE IN GRAND RAPIDS.
>> THANK YOU, SUZANNE, FOR YOUR EFFORTS. (applause)