On October 8th, we hosted The Sprawl Effect, the latest edition of Rochester Street Films. We examined the costs and consequences of our current auto-centric land use and how we can grow our communities smarter to deliver access, vitality & upward mobility.
It is well worth watching the panel discussion, video clips, and presentations on our YouTube Channel, but in case you don’t have the time, or prefer to read about it, we have put together a recap of the evening below.
Film Clips
CNBC: How Suburban Sprawl Weighs On The U.S. Economy
(Clips shown 1:49-4:20 & 9:48-10:55)
In the 1930’s the Federal Housing Administration provided loans to make mortgages more affordable yet the loans came with guidelines to standardize neighborhood design which directly contributed to sprawl and auto-centric infrastructure:
- No sidewalks (hostile to pedestrians)
- Minimum lot sizes (homes are more expensive to build and farther apart)
- Separated land use due to exclusionary zoning (homes far from amenities and difficult to reach without a car)
Not Just Bikes: Suburbia is Subsidized Here’s the Math [ST07]
(Clips shown 0:00-9:18)
When services are built far from homes this contributes to sprawl. It also costs more to subsidize auto-centric neighborhoods due to requirements such as more asphalt to support the parking requirements and more frequent road repairs due to degradation from heavy use. When we build transit oriented developments with a mix of high density residencies (instead of exclusively single family homes), along with commercial, office, and entertainment spaces in the same neighborhood; they financially outperform auto-centric suburbia every single time.
The diagram below from Urban 3 shows that cities are much more profitable and actually subsidize suburbs with their tax dollars. The revenue bars of the dense downtown area vs the expenses associated with sprawl is clear in the visual provided. While this graph is from Lafayette, Louisiana, Urban 3 found this phenomenon is true with every city they studied all over the country.
Presentation on Local Data & Stats
Cody Donahue, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Reconnect Rochester
(6:34-21:10 in our Street Film Video)
Even if you have access to a car and all of the expenses that come with it, losing access to basic amenities in your neighborhood deprives it of its usefulness and its character. Our sprawling land use patterns have a substantial human cost in limiting the ability of too many of us to access what we need. This stands in the way of upward economic mobility.
Thanks to the resource Zoning Atlas, we see that single family homes can be built virtually anywhere in Rochester. Yet building higher density homes such as apartments, ADUs, or even single family homes on small lots is more restricted.
Irondequoit and Penfield data is currently unavailable.
We believe connecting Monroe County with robust transportation options and utilizing less restrictive land use will increase the vibrancy of town centers, reduce harmful air pollution, and allow seniors to age in place without relying on driving. While understanding that we need to build on what we have, before building anything new we recommend considering the following:
- Using land that is located in town, village and city centers productively by building denser, mixed use buildings along transit corridors & filling in disused parking lots
- Choosing development patterns that make the car and car storage optional, not the center of the design
- Using new transit developments such as bus rapid transit or incentives to stimulate economic growth in areas well served by transit options or walkability
Special Remarks
Simeon Banister, President & CEO of Rochester Area Community Foundation
(22:30-32:18 in our Street Film Video)
Land use decisions are often attributed to organizations instead of people but Homer Hoyt is an actual person who made decisions that brought us many of the problems that we have discussed today. Hoyt was the Chief Land Economist for the Federal Housing Administration who approached his work through the lens of his preconceived biases about people of color and immigrants rather than letting data itself inform his research. He is the architect of redlining which led to zones of deprivation in our community and all across the United States. Hoyt made a choice based on fear, and we can do the same or make a choice for vibrant neighborhoods that embraces smart growth in transit policy.
Panel Discussion
(33:57-1:24:07 in our Street Film Video)
Moderator: Abigail McHugh-Grifa, Executive Director at Climate Solutions Accelerator
Panelists:
Aqua Porter, Executive Director of RMAPI
Kevin Kelley, Office of City Planning Manager
Miguel Velázquez, CEO of RTS
Aqua Porter emphasized that building power, autonomy, dignity, and belonging is key to upward mobility and economic opportunity. Exclusionary zoning and car-dependent infrastructure are costly and restrict residents’ autonomy. By addressing land use and embracing dense, mixed-use neighborhoods, we can offer people more choices in where they live and engage with their communities. This shift can help reduce social isolation, fostering more connected and vibrant neighborhoods compared to the isolating, sprawling suburbs created by single-family zoning.
Kevin Kelley discussed the Rochester 2034 plan and Zoning Alignment Project, which aim to promote density along transit corridors and address land use issues. However, he cautioned that Rochester’s history with a struggling market could present a barrier to building high density projects. He also highlighted the need for more inclusive zoning in suburbs and rural areas, along with increased state and federal funding for public transit. Raising awareness about zoning problems and solutions is key to making progress.
Miguel Velázquez discussed how frequent service is crucial for robust public transit, but RTS has faced decades of underfunding, limiting its effectiveness. He noted that land use plays a role, as many people want to get by without needing a car but are scattered across Greater Rochester. Miguel also emphasized the importance of involving RTS when large companies plan new facilities, as many opt for highway-adjacent locations with big parking lots instead of transit-accessible downtown sites. To address this, the NYS Assembly and Senate are considering bills to fund transit services when companies receive tax incentives for building in the region: S8563/A9225.
Get Involved
We hope that this discussion resonates with you and that you will consider watching the program in its entirety on our YouTube channel. While you’re over there, make sure to subscribe!
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- Want to help more directly? Sign up for our weekly Mobility Action Alerts to stay in the loop with opportunities of how to advocate for safer streets, bicycle infrastructure, and transportation options.
- Also please consider donating to support our advocacy work building a community connected by a robust transportation network that makes it easy for everyone—regardless of physical or economic ability—to get around.
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