Spring 2009 T H R I V E - blogs...COALITION FOR LIVABLE COMMUNITIES Promoting Healthy Growth in the Memphis Region Spring 2009 T H R I V E T H R I V E is the newsletter of the Coalition

COALITION FOR LIVABLE COMMUNITIES Promoting Healthy Growth in the Memphis Region

Spring 2009

T H R I V E T H R I V E is the newsletter of the Coalition for Livable Communities. Representing a diverse group of local stakeholders, the CLC supports the development and redevelopment of healthy, vibrant, and economically sustainable communities throughout the greater Memphis region. We do this by educating residents, building consensus on a shared vision of livable communities, and promoting public policies that further that vision.

HOW WE GOT STARTED: In 2005, a diverse group of community developers, environmentalists, transportation activists, financial institutions, and philanthropic foundations convened to explore a community wide response to the effects of sprawl. They shared the common goal of supporting equitable and efficient growth in Shelby County and the greater Memphis region. The CLC was created as an initiative of the Community Development Council of Greater Memphis. It’s goals include: building a broad base of support, researching patterns of growth expenditures, providing education on issues that effect community vitality, and offering a grassroots input into policy decisions.

1548 Poplar Avenue Memphis TN 38104 www.livablememphis.org (901) 725-8370

The Coalition for Livable Communities (CLC) has outlined five core values. (See the left hand column inside the newsletter.) If embraced when making development decisions, these values would go a long way toward creating a livable Memphis. What exactly do we mean by “livable?” A Livable Memphis would be home to great neighborhoods that offer residents efficient, effective, and (hopefully) pleasant ways to accomplish their daily needs – getting to and from work, school, play; access to and options for housing, work, food, education, services, and recreation. A Livable

Memphis looks at the entire region as a community. The needs of one neighborhood cannot be sacrificed for another.

Livability won’t just happen. It needs to be planned. (The alternative is haphazard development that drains resources from existing neighborhoods: e.s. SPRAWL.) The City of Memphis and Shelby County have the ability to design our region for livability. The Sustainable Shelby initiative, under the leadership of Mayor AC Wharton, does exactly that. Great neighborhoods, environmental protection and localized economic development are on the horizon through this new plan, which is aligned with the values of the CLC. Mayor Wharton convened over 100 local leaders to catalog issues facing Shelby County. In doing so, he boldly stated that our “present course is unsustainable on the basis of public finances, environment and land use, disposable neighborhoods, deteriorating health, and declining quality of life.” Committees of citizens and experts tackled major issues and outlined recommendations for the Sustainable Shelby staff. These recommendations are currently being translated into real implementation strategies for moving toward the vision that this collaborative group created. (Clearly the CLC value of community input and collaboration was embraced.) As the process nears public release, the CLC is excited for another tool for promoting healthy growth in the Memphis region. The theme of Great Neighborhoods is an overriding priority of the agenda. A

Sustainable Shelby Embraces CLC Values by John Lawrence

(continued on page 4)

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Spring 2009

1548 Poplar Avenue Memphis, TN 38104 www.livablememphis.org (901) 725-8370

Our Values:

Balanced Development. Growth should be planned and managed in a way that balances both private and public interests. Future growth must address the entire community’s need for economic development and healthy, diverse neighborhoods.

Shared Benefits & Costs. All Shelby County residents must share in the economic benefits of growth, as well as its costs. Public expenditures (tax dollars) should be spread equitably among both new and existing neighborhoods.

Access & Choice. All residents deserve equal access to jobs, schools, shopping, transportation, and neighborhood facilities. Citizens also must have choices in housing type and location, as well as multiple transportation options.

Community Input &

Collaboration. All residents should have a voice in how the community is developed. Venues for effective citizen input should be well-publicized, timely, and accessible.

Environmental Protection. Open space, natural habitats, and landscapes must be protected and preserved for the benefits of citizens and the greater community.

Our Accomplishments: The CLC has mapped infrastructure expenditures, showing vast spending discrepancies between the urban core and the outer suburbs. The CLC hosts an annual Summit for Neighborhood Leaders. We have surveyed residents on highlights of their neighborhoods and obstacles to livability. Participants in CLC events and workshops represent over 100 Memphis area neighborhoods in 30 zip codes across the Memphis region! Please join the coalition in creating thriving, livable communities.

Free Workshops for Your Community:

PIZZA WITH PLANNERS This on-going, free series is a citizens guide to how your

city works. Each session, the CLC and the Memphis & Shelby County Department of Planning will host an evening workshop that focuses on one element of planning process. From zoning to transportation, from public works to public health, this series will give citizens the knowledge and tools to shape your community.

COMMUNITY MAPPING Learn more about where you live. This workshop is designed to show you how close you might live to your nearest bus stop, grocery store, bank, school, or park. Mapping guides you to recognize the obstacles in your neighborhood, like a busy road, an alley or drainage ditch. Develop a sense of place and learn tips on making your community more livable.

BUILDING BETTER NEIGHBORHOODS This tool teaches how neighborhoods can be redesigned with livability in mind. BBN defines urban sprawl and explains the implications and causes of unfettered growth. The workshop highlights the 10 principles of Smart Growth and shows how intentional growth can benefit both urban and suburban communities. This workshop empowers you to envision the potential of your own community.

Call 725-8370 or email [email protected] for more information.

Welcome New Members!

Teresa Addison, Waynoka & Hayden Place Neighborhood Watch�Andrew Cole�Connie Binkowitz�Karl Birkholz, Irene Neighborhood Association�Bill Byrne, Frayser Community Association�Daniel Drew, Normal Station�Bo Grahm, VECA�

Michelle Harris, Elmore�Jaqueline Jenkins, Gardenview/South Memphis Neighborhoods, Inc.�Philip Laster, Sea Isle Park Neighborhood Association�Ian Randolph, Annesdale-Snowden�Aaron Shafer, VECA�Anthony Siracusa, Cooper Young�Brian Stephens, Cordova Leadership Council�Lynn Strickland, Colonial Acres/Mallory Heights 35th Ward�Maura Black Sullivan, Plaza Garden Association�Irma Tabor, Handy Holiday Community Club�John Weston, Laurel Tree Homeowners Association

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Spring 2009


COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: by Andrew Cole

Designing a Neighborhood; Encouraging Growth and Kinship in Rozelle-Annesdale

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The residents of Rozelle-Annesdale are taking an active role in determining the future of their community. Partnering with the Urban Planning Department at the University of Memphis in 2005, the residents of Rozelle-Annesdale, led by long time resident Stoy Bailey, articulated a plan for healthy, sustainable and progressive development for their area. The borders of Rozelle-Annesdale neighborhood are Southern Avenue to the south, and Evelyn to north, McLean to the east, and Melrose to the west. Slicing the neighborhood in half is the busy street of Lamar. The area is rich with potential, both residential and commercial. The Rozelle-Annesdale Neighborhood Redevelopment plan seeks use this potential to the fullest. The immediate goal of the plan is to create an environment that encourages people to walk, bike or even board; whatever will get them out of their cars and outside. More time spent walking or biking in the neighborhood means more interaction between the residents. Neighbors and Planners working together on the plan saw interaction as crucial for creating a stable and viable community where folks look out for one another, the core of a community. This sense of togetherness deters crime, enables the accomplishment of neighborhood projects, and builds a collective strength when the neighborhood faces outside influences. To promote more foot traffic, resident-planners created various places in the neighborhood that would be attractive to pedestrians. Some proposed locations include an exercise park, a community garden, commercial development on Lamar. Easier access between adjacent neighborhoods and attractions welcomes more people into the community. Currently, the community is home to a neighborhood park. Maintained and operated by local residents, it serves as a meeting place and cookout venue for the neighbors. The park is an excellent example of the kind of place that inspires a tight knit community. The Redevelopment plan aims to create this in other places throughout the neighborhood. The redevelopment plan is the most recent addition of initiatives for the community. Other notable accomplishments include a rezoning of the area to residential-single-unit households. The neighbors successfully petitioned to revise the building codes and convert a stretch of Lamar from “highway commercial” to “local commercial.” Southern Avenue was widened to ensure all industrial traffic from the railroad switchyard would no longer travel through residential streets. Industrial traffic has been passing by Rozelle Elementary, causing a major safety concern. The road widening was paid for by a Rozelle-Annesdale block grant. The proactive efforts of the residents of Rozelle-Annesdale are an inspiring example of what can be accomplished when determined and savvy citizens stop relying on outside sources for answers and take the fate of the community into their own hands. Residents of Rpzelle-Annesdale have are a wonderful example of a neighborhood that embraced the idea: Live Where You Live.” The residents are active, involved, and support their community. To learn more about Rozelle-Annesdale and see their plan, follow the link from the CLC’s website.

A Map of The Rozelle-Annesdale Neighborhood Redevelopment Plan

commitment to reviewing the social impacts of development decisions recognizes the importance of access and choice. Sustainable Shelby promotes smart planning and balanced development. Revitalization of commercial corridors and public realm investments encourages the redevelopment of adjacent existing communities.

Sustainable Shelby addresses the need for all County residents to equitably share both economic benefits and costs of development. Sustainability benchmarks will become a measure to assess projects that will receive incentives from public sources. Locally owned businesses may find assistance easier to come by, especially when they can stimulate neighborhood-centric opportunities. From parks to water quality, environmental protection is on the Sustainable Shelby agenda. Highlighting the relationship between reduced resource consumption and economic savings, Portland economist and Sustainable Shelby presenter, Joe Cortright calculated that by decreasing their average daily drive by 1.6 miles, Memphians could “generate $260 million in annual savings that could stimulate the local economy.” Simple recycling measures and sophisticated energy consumption audits could further create a green ethos throughout the community – and save money! The CLC supports Sustainable Shelby’s commitment to building public awareness and offering opportunity for continued collaboration. A Green Center and Office of Sustainability would further embed sustainable practices among local governments, private industry, and the community at large. Sustainable Shelby’s ability to succeed is strengthened by its promise of balanced development, equitable distribution of costs and benefits, and providing access and choice to community members – all under the umbrella of environmental protection. And, CLC members may have been given a resource to promote with pride and enthusiasm. Learn more about Sustainable Shelby at www.dpdgov.com.

And of course, we will keep you posted about the Implementation Strategy unveiling. Subscribe to

receive updates on our website: www.livablememphis.org.


Spring 2009


(Sustainable Shelby Embraces CLC Values continued from front page)

In the Next Issue:In the Next Issue:In the Next Issue:In the Next Issue:

SAVE THE DATE!

Creating Livable Communities; The Third Annual Summit for

Neighborhood Leaders. June 6. Register now!

And . . And . . And . . And . .

Riverview Kansas Grant Update

Please welcome our new intern, Andrew Cole. If you see him at one of our events, pat him on the back and tell him THANK YOU!

Coming soon. . . Members Only Events

We have grown so much! And we want you to meet each other! The CLC will be hosting Members Only Events this spring. Here are some ideas for exciting Members Only field trip experiences:

• Tour TERRA House to learn about green residential design • Tour member neighborhood Handy Holiday’s community

pavilion and learn how they did it! • Tour BRIGDES Center to learn how Memphis is educating

middle school students about green buildings • Learn how your neighborhood can start a group like the Midtown

Security Community (www.midtownsecuritycommunity.org)

Any other ideas? Let us tour of something that your neighborhood has accomplished! We will put you on our calendar!

Do you want to be invited? Make sure you are a member! It is free! Call 725-8370 or email [email protected] for an application!

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JOIN US TODAY! Membership to this powerful network is FREE!JOIN US TODAY! Membership to this powerful network is FREE!JOIN US TODAY! Membership to this powerful network is FREE!JOIN US TODAY! Membership to this powerful network is FREE! A coalition brings together the strengths of each group. It keeps us connected by building a broad foundation of education and communication. Together, we can create a common voice that actively pursues a livable Memphis. To find out how, email: [email protected]@[email protected]@livablememphis.org

Don’t Miss the Next PIZZA WITH PLANNERS by Mary Baker

So far we have held two meetings of Pizza With Planners; A Citizen’s Guide to How Your City Works (PWP). At the first

meeting Terry Langlois from the Office of Planning and Development’s (OPD) Comprehensive Planning staff made a presentation on the process of developing a neighborhood plan. He explained how planners employ the charrette process to assist citizens creating a vision for their neighborhood. Citizens identify existing conditions and then developing a plan to cure problems and take advantage of opportunities. At this same meeting, Steve Lockwood, Director of the Frayser Community Development Corporation talked about Frayser Futures; the plan for his community. Steve shared of the significance of having a comprehensive vision for the community and emphasized that he uses the plan on a daily basis to steer direction of the Frayser CDC. The Neighborhood Planning session was very well attended by over 40 citizens representing diverse neighborhoods from across the City and County. The discussion following the presentations was lively and many stayed late to continue the exchange of information and ideas. This model of collaboration between government (OPD) and citizens representing neighborhoods continued in the second session of PWP on transportation planning. 70 Neighborhood Leader participated! At this meeting OPD was represented by staff planner Tim Moreland and by consultants, James Collins and Kenny Monroe who assisted OPD in developing the Long Range Transportation Plan for the Memphis Area. Together, they uncovered some of the mystery of how transportation planning happens. Citizen and bicycle activist, Anthony Siracusa gave an inspirational speech which began with a nemesis of the bicyclist in the urban area: the pothole. He pointed out the necessity for citizens to organize as neighborhoods and become involved in government planning and decision making. Otherwise, the pothole may never get fixed! A spirited discussion among the presenters and participants followed the presentation part of the program. As a result the CLC is forming a committee to address transportation policy and advocacy. Neighborhood and transportation plans provide the vision and set policy for the future shape and character of our community. The next step after planning is to adopt the regulations which implement the vision. Tommy Pacello is an assistant city attorney for Memphis who has also completed the planning curriculum at the University of Memphis. He will be next on stage at the April 23rd PWP to present the new Unified Development Code (UDC). The UDC is a combined set of zoning and subdivision regulations for Memphis and Shelby County. Don’t Miss it!

Space is limited so reserve your seat today. Email [email protected] call 725-8370.

Neighborhood Leaders learn about transportation planning

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THANK YOU!THANK YOU!THANK YOU!THANK YOU! The Coalition for Livable Communities is a program of the Community Development Council of Greater Memphis. The CLC is made possible through a generous grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis.

Have You Seen This? Check it out at

www.livablememphis.org

Want One? Ask about your free bumper

sticker when you become a

member of the CLC.

LIVE WHERE YOU LIVE means supporting your community by

becoming an advocate, and by living your life locally: shopping,

eating, playing in your neighborhood.

LIVE WHERE YOU LIVE is not an explicit call for government action;

rather it is intended to be a clean and simple grassroots effort to build a commitment to a more livable Memphis.

Let others know that you are willing to LIVE WHERE YOU LIVE!

Share your stories with us. Tell us what you love about your neighborhood and what makes you feel good about Memphis. Call 725-8370 or email us at [email protected] Everything you need to know on a napkin.

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On March 11, the Urban Land Institute –Memphis (ULI) hosted Exploring the Transformative Roles

of Greenways. Guest speaker Jim Langford shared his experience organizing the Atlanta BeltLine, a 22-mile greenway loop circling Atlanta’s urban core. He spoke about energizing communities around the potential economic development, transit, and recreation opportunities that come when greenways

are used to connect communities throughout an urban area. In his presentation, Langford noted that “walking, jogging, and biking trails ranked #1 as the most important amenity that homebuyers over the age of 55 considered when buying a home in a community.” A panel representing key greenways efforts in Greater Memphis followed. ULI summarized Landford’s recommendations to the panelists: • View current efforts as demonstration projects for how greenways can enhance the quality of life in our communities. • Turn NIMBYs (Not in My Back Yard) into WIMBYs (Want It in My Back Yard) as a way to increase grassroots

support for greenways projects. • Develop an umbrella that unites current efforts and that is all-inclusive. • Understand the role of that Downtown Memphis plays in the success of the Greater Memphis and Midsouth are. From

there, begin to explore how to seek engagement from all of the neighborhoods, communities, and municipalities in Greater Memphis/the Midsouth.

• Evaluate nearby large acreages that are valuable conservation areas for the urbanized and development areas. How can these be developed as conservation areas and become amenities improving the quality of life in the urban metropolitan area?

• Explore the question of what the right programming that builds the linkages between the urban and suburban areas might be. How does this programming look? How does access to the river/water become a key asset for the urban metropolitan area? Learn more about ULI-Memphis at www.memphis.uli.org

Documents

Spring 2009 T H R I V E - blogs...COALITION FOR LIVABLE COMMUNITIES Promoting Healthy Growth in the Memphis Region Spring 2009 T H R I V E T H R I V E is the newsletter of the Coalition