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Lloyd Crossing Sustainable Urban Design Plan soon to be realized?
05.04.2009 Mithun, Bert's Blog
Perhaps a bit ahead of its time in 2004, the Lloyd Crossing Sustainable Design Plan, commissioned by the Portland Development Commission (PDC), now has a great opportunity to be realized. Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski moved the project forward with an action to designate the Lloyd Crossing District as an Oregon Solution's project. This puts organizational leadership and funding in place to begin a stakeholder process aimed at achieving a "Declaration of Cooperation" by July 2009 that will establish the Lloyd Green District.
Co-conveners of the stakeholder group are Sam Adams, Mayor City of Portland; David Bragdon, Council President Metro; and Jeff Cogen, Multnomah County Commissioner. Forming the "Lloyd Green District," the group includes sponsors (Portland Development Commission, METRO, City of Portland and Lloyd TMA/BID), invited property owners, employers and developers in the proposed district area and other local and state agencies and civic organizations. Their goal is "to create a premier sustainable multi-use development district within an urban center." The District "will become a lifestyle community of choice for residents, workers, and visitors, and a showcase demonstrating Portland's leadership in creating economically viable earth-friendly development."
The Lloyd Green District concept document designates the project's objectives as follows:
- Management and Financing Models. Pulling from the Lloyd District case study, there is tremendous opportunity to explore and refine both finance and management models; for example, reinvesting operational cost savings back into infrastructure improvements and maintenance. Creating new, dynamic financing and management models that evolve, adapt and change over time is crucial, as is having stakeholders that are comfortable with exploring and trying systems that are not the norm. A district wide entity may be needed to perform a variety of functions, including assessment of the state of the natural and built environment and other conditions, performing life cycle assessments of materials, services and other aspects, arranging long term and other financing for outcomes not embedded in project financing, aggregating beneficial outcomes like making carbon credits into marketable services, managing common services such as parking, laundry, stormwater, green roofs, coordinated deliveries, etc., evaluating results and many other services.
- Energy and Carbon. The district will be a net energy producer and reduce the current carbon footprint. Buildings will be encouraged to incorporate solar, wind, biomass or other alternative technologies. Energy efficiency, including natural lighting and ventilation, low energy artificial lighting and appliances, and high performing insulation will be designed into new buildings and major renovation projects. A co-op or other governance structure (see below) may be formed to take maximum advantage of financing opportunities, including aggregation and sale of carbon and other credits. To the extent necessary to achieve carbon neutrality, there will be opportunities for voluntary contribution of carbon offsets outside the district.
- Water and District Scape. Rainwater and stormwater will be collected, stored and treated, as required, to reduce the need for City water for landscaping, roof and garden irrigation and, where treated, for internal building uses such as flushing, water features, laundry and other non-contact uses.
- Tourism and Education. Green features will be marketed through existing or innovative channels to attract visitors from around the world to visit and stay in the District.
In our market-based economy, governance and financing have always been critical components in bringing the Lloyd Crossing Plan to life. This group will tackle those key issues. Should the "Declaration of Cooperation" be successful, they will have some great tools complemented by unique potential under Oregon law. For example, governance opportunities include the ability to create a special district called a "People's Utility District" (using ORS-190, which allows two public agencies to combine and form a new agency), the formation of a 501 C6 non-profit organization (such as the existing highly successful Lloyd Transportation Management Association), a cooperative corporation, or a private corporation.
Mithun and the law firm of Foster Pepper have been collaborating to develop a concept for Washington State called the Climate Benefit District (CBD) that is loosely modeled on the Lloyd Crossing Plan. While Washington State does not have Oregon's unique governance mechanisms or certain financial tools, such as Tax Increment Financing, many other tools could be employed or created to accelerate and financially reward synergistic green urbanism. Governance and finance solutions are keys for any state to create "neighborhood-level responses that integrate the essential components of livable, climate-friendly urbanism" as the Climate Benefit District outlines and the Lloyd Green District envisions.
For any of these initiatives to be successful, it is critical to capture the tremendous opportunities that can be found through multidisciplinary design, systems-based thinking, and the careful integration of private and public realms. This means bringing all parties together to function as a synergistic whole - collaborating beyond our current levels in districts, campuses, or neighborhoods. [PDF Presentation]
For 21st century cities, solutions to social, environmental and economic challenges will require the combined strategies found in visions and initiatives that create holistic, integrated and synergistic neighborhoods. These solutions will elevate the human spirit and maximize value. They will endure.
With Lloyd Crossing, it appears that time is now.
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