<\/p>\n
Getting to the airport from Seattle’s north side—its wealthier, whiter <\/p>\n So it was interesting to hear a south-side <\/p>\n I wasn’t blind to the fact that people live along <\/p>\n It was a message driven home by others at the <\/p>\n “What is the difference between Smart Growth and <\/p>\n She questioned the myth that revitalizing poor <\/p>\n Urban planners often look to build new <\/p>\n The environmental and social benefits of building Related Links:<\/strong><\/p>\n The people speak out in favor of stronger smog standards<\/a><\/p>\n Bring back Van Jones<\/a><\/p>\n
half—on public transit first involves a bus ride downtown. From there, as of two
months ago, you can take a new
light-rail line<\/a>, instead of another bus, to Sea-Tac Airport.
This north-side resident found the light rail underwhelming—the train chugs
along at street level at a modest speed, stopping 10 times, even stopping at
times for traffic lights. It’s still faster to take the express bus from
downtown.<\/p>\n
community organizer speak Wednesday about working during the light-rail planning
process to get precisely the things that annoyed me. “We [told transit
planners] we wanted more stops and we don’t want intersections cut off,” said Yolanda Sinde<\/a>,
who was speaking at the New
Partners for Smart Growth<\/a> conference in Seattle.<\/p>\n
the route, or that a new transit service could be disruptive. But Sinde’s
comments were a reminder that low-carbon development in cities—or
anywhere—isn’t always equally beneficial to all communities.<\/p>\n
urban-planning event: the principles of Smart Growth<\/a> may be climate-friendly, but they haven’t always benefitted
low-income and minority neighborhoods.<\/p>\n
gentrification? This is a big question,” said Deeohn Ferris<\/a>, an
environmental-health lawyer, consultant, and former official at the EPA and
National Wildlife Federation.<\/p>\n
neighborhoods requires outside residents, outside role models, and outside
businesses. This attitude fails to appreciate the social networks and
entrepreneurship potential already in those places, she said.<\/p>\n
developments on abandoned lots and industrial sites—but that strategy isn’t
necessarily popular with locals. “For
many, ‘Smart Growth’ means fancy infill from outside people,” Ferris said.
“‘Infill’ is a scary word to many communities.”<\/p>\n
better cities coincide with each other much more than they conflict (I look
forward to learning more about this at this week’s conference). But enthusiasts
of Smart Growth\/New Urbanism\/happy-walkable-what-have-you design would do well
to work with environmental-justice leaders like Sinde and Ferris, who have
decades’ worth of knowledge about what poorly crafted development can do to
neighborhoods.<\/p>\n
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