Greenfield Development Without Sprawl: The Role of Planned Communities Jim Heid Urban Land $ Institute About ULI–the Urban Land Institute ULI–the Urban Land Institute is a nonprofit education and research institute that is supported by its members. Its mis- sion is to provide responsible leadership in the use of land in order to enhance the total environment. ULI sponsors education programs and forums to encourage an open international exchange of ideas and sharing of experiences; initiates research that anticipates emerging land use trends and issues and proposes creative solutions based on that research; provides advisory services; and publishes a wide variety of materials to disseminate information on land use and development. Established in 1936, the Institute today has more than 20,000 members and associates from more than 60 countries representing the entire spectrum of the land use and development disciplines. ULI Working Papers on Land Use Policy and Practice. ULI is in the forefront of national discussion and debate on the leading land use policy and practice issues of the day. To encourage and enrich that dialogue, ULI publishes summaries of its forums on land use policy topics and commissions papers by noted thinkers on a range of topics relevant to its research and education agenda. Through its Working Papers on Land Use Policy and Practice series, the Institute hopes to increase the body of knowledge and offer useful insights that contribute to improvements in the quality of land use and real estate development practice throughout the country. Richard M. Rosan President About This Paper ULI Project Staff The Urban Land Institute is recognized as the leading Rachelle L. Levitt real estate and land use research and education organi- Executive Vice President, Policy and Practice zation in the United States. For more than 60 years, it Publisher has served as a forum for discussion among diverse par- Marta V. Goldsmith ties on a host of issues relating to real estate practice Senior Vice President, Community Outreach and land use policy. Gayle Berens Greenfield Development Without Sprawl: The Role of Vice President, Real Estate Development Practice Planned Communities is the second in a series of papers Jo Allen Gause by noted authors on land use policy and practice issues Senior Director, Residential Development of pressing concern to ULI members and the broader Project Manager real estate and land use community. In this paper, Jim Heid was asked to share his thoughts on a model for Nancy H. Stewart applying smart growth principles in suburban green- Director, Book Program fields, and the role of planned communities in a region- Micaela Porta, EngineBooks al greenfield strategy. The ideas and insights in this Manuscript Editor paper are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of all ULI members. David James Rose Copy Editor We believe that by publishing this paper and others like Betsy VanBuskirk it in our series ULI Working Papers on Land Use Policy Art Director and Practice, we continue to raise and illuminate topics of interest and importance to our members. We hope Anne Morgan this paper and others to follow accomplish that goal. Design and Layout Diann Stanley-Austin As always, your comments and insights are welcome. Director, Publishing Operations Richard M. Rosan President Cover: Aerial perspective of Addison Circle, Addison, Texas, RTKL, 1999 Recommended bibliographic listing: Heid, Jim. Greenfield Development Without Sprawl: The Role of Planned Communities.Washington, D.C.: ULI–the Urban Land Institute, 2004. ULI Catalog Number: 664A ©2004 by ULI–the Urban Land Institute 1025 Thomas Jefferson Street, N.W. Suite 500 West Washington, D.C. 20007-5201 Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved. No part of this report may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any infor- mation storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the publisher. ii A ULI Working Paper on Land Use Policy and Practice About the Author Acknowledgments I would like to thank the participants of a ULI forum Jim Heid on the topic of this paper held on March 13–14, 2003, that yielded many of the ideas contained in this paper A nationally recognized advocate for environmentally (see list of forum participants). I would also like to responsible land development, Jim Heid focuses on what thank Don Priest for his efforts in stimulating interest he calls “common-sense sustainability.” In 2002, he found- in this topic among members of ULI’s Community ed UrbanGreen, LLC, to act as a real estate developer and Development Council (CDC), Gold Flight. His working adviser. Heid also serves as executive vice president for paper, Planned Communities and the Smart Growth Bachmann Springs, a land development company in Movement, is discussed in this publication. I am indebt- Arizona, a position he has held since 2001. From 1994 to ed to CDC Gold members for reviewing a draft of this 2001, Heid served as chief operating officer and senior paper at their council meeting at ULI’s 2003 Spring vice president with EDAW, and from 1986 to 1993, he Council Forum in Baltimore. Their comments helped was a principal with Design Workshop. to shape and refine the final draft. Special thanks go to Steve Kellenberg; Pike Oliver; George Nolte, Jr.; As a consultant to communities and private developers, Frank Martin; Don Killoren; Roger Galatas; and Larry Heid combines his understanding of best practices Netherton for their insights and comments. And last with an ability to distill complex design ideas into easily but not least, I would like to thank the members of grasped techniques. Serving as a principal for both land ULI’s staff, in particular Jo Allen Gause, who provided development and urban infill projects, he also under- guidance and support for this work. This project draws stands the challenges presented by regulatory agencies its financial support from the Urban Land Institute. and the capital markets. Jim Heid Over 20-plus years of practice, Heid has led award-winning urban revitalization, new community, and resort develop- ment projects throughout the world. In 2003, his work on the Jinji Lake master plan in China was recognized by the American Society of Landscape Architects with a Merit Award for Design. He holds a master’s degree in real estate development from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in landscape architec- ture from the University of Idaho. Heid is a member of the Urban Land Institute and is a regular speaker at annual meetings and conferences. Since 1999, he has instructed the ULI/Conservation Fund’s workshop in environmentally sensitive development. Greenfield Development Without Sprawl: The Role of Planned Communities iii Smart Growth in Greenfields: The Role of Master-Planned Communities Forum Chair Roger L. Galatas Julia Koster Michael Pawlukiewicz President/CEO Director, Project Information Director, Environment and Roger Galatas Interests, LLC Governor’s Office of Smart Growth Policy Education The Woodlands, Texas Annapolis, Maryland ULI–the Urban Land Institute Washington, D.C. Participants Gregg Logan Managing Director Roger Platt Uri Avin Robert Charles Lesser & Co., LLC Senior Vice President/Counsel Associate Vice President Atlanta, Georgia The Real Estate Roundtable HNTB Corporation Washington, D.C. R. Randolph Lyon, Jr. Columbia, Maryland President/CEO Donald Priest Robert Dunphy Lake Nona Property Holdings, LLC Land Development Consultant Senior Resident Fellow, Transportation Orlando, Florida Tahoe City, California ULI–the Urban Land Institute Judy McGowan Perry Reader Washington, D.C. Senior Planner President Margaret Emblidge Santa Fe County Planning Division The Celebration Company Director, Planning Santa Fe, New Mexico Celebration, Florida The Bonita Bay Group Edward McMahon William Renner Bonita Springs, Florida Vice President Principal Gary Fenchuk The Conservation Fund EDSA President Arlington, Virginia Fort Lauderdale, Florida East West Partners Walter Nelson Will Rogers Midlothian, Virginia Vice President/General Manager President S. Gail Goldberg Terrabrook–Houston Division The Trust for Public Land Planning Director Houston, Texas San Francisco, California City of San Diego George Nolte, Jr. Daniel Slone San Diego, California CEO Attorney Jim Heid Nolte Associates McGuire Woods, LLP President/Founder Sacramento, California Richmond, Virginia UrbanGreen, LLC Stephen Nygren Thomas Weyandt, Jr. San Francisco, California Chairman of the Board Director, Comprehensive Planning Steven Kellenberg Chattahoochee Hill Country Alliance The Atlanta Regional Commission Principal Palmetto, Georgia Atlanta, Georgia EDAW, Inc. Sharon Pandak Rebecca Zimmerman Irvine, California County Attorney Partner Prince William County Design Workshop Prince William, Virginia Denver, Colorado iv A ULI Working Paper on Land Use Policy and Practice include local or regional access to employment, educa- Executive Summary tion, and personal growth resources, connections to Between 2003 and 2025, the United States will grow by commercial and recreation centers, and ways to meet almost 58 million people. Where will this new popula- neighbors and take part in the community. tion find housing? Many see infill—adding households Achieving these prerequisites seems to require what only a within revitalized city neighborhoods or inner-ring larger project can offer. This includes sizable resources up suburbs—as