| PRESS RELEASE: September 1, 2000 From: Philip J. Bona, AIA, President American Institute of Architects San Mateo County, California RE: Regional Urban Design Charrette on November 4-5 at the San Mateo County Expo Center "Silicon Valley Region: Housing the Next 1 Million A Study in Land Use, Transportation, and Housing." THE BACKGROUND For over one hundred and fifty years, it has been considered the San Francisco Bay Area with San Francisco at the forefront of California Cities. Founded on commerce, banking, and shipping the City grew to fill its geographic boundary with businesses and housing. The City, became full of tall buildings, culture and opportunity and over time began to lose touch with the countryside. What started as summer homes and country stores outside of the City, after the 1906 earthquake, soon evolved into the suburbs. After the depression urban sprawl began to eat up much of that countryside. With Oakland and San Jose competing with San Francisco for economic and demographic growth, most of the buildable land in between these cities filled up with smaller buildings on small lots. The historically lush rural countryside open space around the bay succumbed to pockets of still lush green belts along an undulating band of development. While San Francisco's fog has been the natural air conditioner for the bay area, the climate in the north, south and east bay regions remain generally the most consistently temperate microclimates available in the Country. With the best climate and some of the best opportunities nationwide for cultural and recreational activities, available open space, quality family lifestyles, housing, high paying employment and diversity of jobs, the Silicon Valley germinated in the 1970's and has become globally recognized as the economic center of the electronics industry and the Information Age. In 1998, California's Population was determined to be 33.5 million. At the current rate of growth it could exceed 47.7 million residents by the year 2020 according to State Demographic sources. The Bay Area Council has stated recently that the entire Bay Area added 93,000 new non-farm jobs in 1999 and more than 540,000 new non-farm jobs since the end of 1994. With a spring 2000 regional unemployment rate of 2.3 percent, prosperity is stronger than ever. For the Silicon Valley Region, it means growth will be enduring. Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network is a nonprofit regional collaborative established in the mid 1990's to track that growth and to enhance the economic vitality and quality of life in Silicon Valley. Their goal has been to bring people together from business, government, education and the community to identify and act on regional issues. In 1998, Joint Venture's Vision Leadership Team prepared an in-depth study considering the economic, environmental, societal, and regional strengths and challenges which lie ahead in the next decade. At the current rate of growth they have calculated that in the next 10 years the healthy Silicon Valley economy could create 173,000 new jobs adding 175,000 to the current population and causing an increase of 71,440 new households in the region. THE OBJECTIVE The American Institute of Architects, San Mateo County, Santa Clara Valley, and East Bay Chapters are jointly hosting a Regional Urban Design Charrette to explore ways for the Greater Silicon Valley Region (focusing on the south bay regional land area) to absorb an additional one million residents by the year 2040. The purpose of the Charrette (an intensive two day design and planning study) is to illustrate alternatives for less land-intensive habitation models, to support urban design implementation tools, to help local decision-makers deal more effectively with the impact of growth on this region, and to promote a new regional thinking for our local communities. THE DESIGN CHARRETTE The word, "charrette," is unique to the field of architecture. It has nothing to do with a building or a design or an historic style or a method of construction. Rather, a charrette is a process. Translated from French, the word charrette means, "cart." We understand from our predecessors in the field that such a cart was drawn through the drafting rooms of a famous French school of architecture to collect student projects as the deadline for submittal drew near. Clerks would pull the cart full of drawings to a storage space for later evaluation by a faculty jury. Students, who had been working long hours over their drafting boards, would place their drawings on the cart as it passed by their stations. Over the years whether in architecture schools or in architectural practice, the term charrette has come to mean a continuous, intense effort, usually many hours long, to complete design and presentation drawings by the assigned hour. Since 1984, members of the American Institute of Architects of San Mateo County, a non-profit service organization, have volunteered to apply their normal professional skills to plan and conduct a day's work for the good of the community. In a Charrette organized by the AIA SMC, Architects assemble in one space to work together in one intensive effort to generate ideas and illustrate visions of what might be the seed of good solutions to a set of issues that exist in a particular community. The results of the effort gives the community a graphic vision of what could be. Our Charrette is a two-day event preceded by a great deal of planning and preparation. It gives the community an opportunity to see what architects can do and how they do it. As a process, the charrette is a "jump start" needed by the community and the region to see its issues, help define its goals and to form an attitude of optimism that the goals can be achieved. It has a strong purpose to coalesce agencies and community groups, politicians and citizens. On the second day of the Charrette, all are invited to a presentation reception, so that each can see the vision in the light of the others' interests and concerns. Working with allied professionals such as city planners, landscape architects, and traffic engineers, these visions hope to be more comprehensive and pragmatic in demonstrating the wisest growth patterns and urban solutions for the Silicon Valley Region. THE FUTURE OF THE SILICON VALLEY REGION Once known as the "Valley of Heart's Delight", the Silicon Valley has evolved over the past 50 years from fruit orchards to manufacturing plants to the heart of the semiconductor industry to the heart of the world's software development industry. Bordered by the San Francisco Bay, the Santa Cruz Mountains and the western edge of the Diablo Mountain Range, Silicon Valley has a diverse natural landscape ranging from wetlands to foothill woodlands and coniferous forest. While development in the Valley has been pervasive, the extensive natural resources and much of its attractiveness as a place to live has remained intact. Protecting the remaining open space is a high priority. Thousands of acres of farmland have already been converted to commercial and residential use. From it's roots in Sunnyvale, the Valleys regional growth boundary has absorbed much of the previously undeveloped portions of San Jose, Cupertino, Morgan Hill, Monte Sereno and part of Gilroy. It's boundary is not complete nor permanent. It is at an important evolutionary stage - no longer rural or suburbs. With proper care, it can "evolve into a more sustainable metropolitan form, one that blends the best of our natural environment with the vitality of a metropolitan urbanized area." In 1998, Silicon Valley housed more than 7,000 technology-based companies. It extended across 30 cities, including San Jose (3rd largest city in California), and parts of San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda and Santa Cruz counties. "This regional economy includes more than 1.2 million jobs and 2.3 million residents." The growing workforce has had a major impact on transportation and the development of surrounding areas. Much of the labor force who can't find housing or afford housing within the region live in outlying areas and travel up to 100 miles on south bay freeways and bridges to get to and from work. The SVJV Vision for 2010 is simply stated. "We will use our innovative, entrepreneurial spirit to create a strong foundation of regional stewardship, so future generations can enjoy Silicon Valley's broad prosperity, healthy and attractive environment and inclusive communities." It represents four goals for Silicon Valley in 2010: Goal #1: An Innovative Economy Lead the world in technology and innovation; Our economy grows from increasing skills and knowledge, rising productivity and more efficient use of the region's resources; Economic growth improves the quality of life for lower-income people; There is economic opportunity for all people, especially the disadvantaged, to have access to training and jobs with advancement potential. Goal #2: A Livable Environment Meet high standards for improving our air and water quality, protecting and restoring the natural environment, and conserving natural resources; Increase the amount of permanently protected open space, publicly accessible parks and green space; Promote efficient land re-use by recycling land (including contaminated Brownfield sites), rezoning to allow higher densities and mixed use developments in the more urban cores, and maintaining a distinct edge between developed land and open space; Create vibrant community centers where housing, employment, schools, places of worship, parks and services are located together, all linked by public transit and other alternatives to driving alone; Prioritize developing well-designed housing options that are affordable to people of all ages and income levels. Goal #3: An Inclusive Society Education becomes more of a bridge to opportunity where all students gain the knowledge and life skills required to succeed in the global economy and society; Create transportation choices, overcoming transportation barriers to employment, and increase mobility by investing in an integrated accessible regional transportation system; Access to high quality, affordable health care that focuses on disease- and illness-prevention becomes available for all people of the region; All people are safe in their homes, workplaces, schools and neighborhoods; Arts and cultural activities reach, link and celebrate the diverse communities of our region. Goal #4: Responsible Regional Stewardship All residents, business people and elected officials think regionally, share responsibility, and take action on behalf of our region's future; Local communities and regional authorities coordinate transportation and land use planning for the benefit of everybody. City, county and regional plans, when viewed together, add up to a cohesive sustainable region. Economic responsibility assures that cities, counties and other public agencies have reliable, sufficient revenue to provide basic local and regional public services. THE PROBLEM The problems facing the Silicon Valley Region, as a result of future economic and demographic growth, include the unavailability of affordable housing, commuter traffic gridlock, inadequate public transportation, and increasing pollution,. The Region's future economic and demographic growth will affect local government finances, transportation and infrastructure systems, housing demand, educational facilities, water supply, air quality, recreational lands, and the remaining open space. Using existing growth patterns produced from an historic sprawl development mindset, it will deplete more of the region's small rural agricultural communities unless there is a paradigm shift by city and county municipalities from local to regional planning policies. If Architects, Engineers and Planners act in the year 2000 with visualizations of the regional future for Silicon Valley, could the regional policy-makers and local governments use this information to create new local regulations founded in Regional Stewardship so that by 2010, the course toward regional smart growth has been set? Can this process begin to educate the public about the long term benefits of Regional Stewardship? The participants in the Charrette will provide insights into the types of development issues and potential solutions addressing the following critical issues: How and where will we accommodate the additional million people projected to live in the Silicon Valley by the year 2040? How can the Bay Area's existing public transportation system infrastructure be maintained (upgrading CalTrain and ACE Train Service) and expanded with new systems (including high speed rail, BART extension, Ferry service, and extended light rail connections) into the South Bay Region most cost-effectively over the next 40 years? The San Mateo Peninsula, San Jose, and portions of the East Bay are essentially built out. Where are there suitable infill sites, or redevelopment sites or recycled land that might intelligently allow higher densities and mixed use developments in close proximity to transit stops as Transit Villages? The South San Jose, Morgan Hill, Gilroy Pleasanton and Livermore areas are susceptible to urban sprawl growth. Instead, how can we create new growth areas with vibrant community centers where housing, employment, schools, places of worship, parks and services are located together, all linked by public transit and allowing a distinct edge between developed land, small rural agricultural communities, and open space? What alternative habitation patterns can be developed for individual towns and cities as well as for sub-regions of the Valley? Where are the best regional locations for developing well-designed housing options that are affordable to people of all ages and income levels? What kinds of tools can we develop that will include not only the "visions" to guide this future growth, but also the political and legislative processes necessary to implement these visions, respecting local history, traditions and culture? How can we demonstrate that new planning and design concepts can be financially consistent with current building and development practices? How can we, as design professionals stimulate a discussion of alternative responsible growth patterns? What new choices and opportunities can we provide for developers and property owners who seek economic development and housing while insuring livable communities and a healthy environment? How can we provide assistance and support for communities who wish to implement their visions? How can we demonstrate and provide for resource conservation methods for water, power, and other resources whose usage will increase with a growing population? Can we provide new concepts of urbanization that can be replicated in other regions of the state, the nation and the world confronting similar issues? THE CHARRETTE EVENT In many ways this event will be modeled after the California Central Valley Vision Competition: Housing the Next 10 Million. Hosted by AIA San Mateo County, AIA Santa Clara Valley, and AIA East Bay, the Chapters will jointly participate in a two day Regional Urban Design Charrette to be held at the San Mateo County Expo Center Conference Facility on November 4th and 5th, 2000. Each chapter will assemble 4-6 teams of volunteer architects, planners, civil and transportation engineers to explore innovative solutions for future development of infill sites, recycled land, and new growth areas. Within the theme of "Smart Growth", we will analyze existing zoning land use patterns, transportation system improvements, and pre-select certain local site areas or regional areas to plan and design for. We will assemble each team of 8 in advance of the event and bring as many ideas as possible with us. We invite local city planners, policy makers, and public stakeholders to join the teams. Planning, designing and rendering for about 12 hours on Saturday, the 12-18 teams will create graphic visions of general and specific, regional and local development solutions. On Sunday, the teams will return to organize the images from the prior day's work and permanently mount the work on presentation boards. At 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, 5 November 2000, the American Institute of Architects will host a Public Reception displaying all of the boards and presenting them to those in attendance and the media. State and local government representative will also be invited to attend. We are reaching out to the Volunteers in our Community including architects, engineers, planners, businesses, and involved citizens to assist in the fundraising efforts, public relations, creation of the Website, gathering of necessary maps & drawings, scanning, and community outreach. THE WEBSITE A unique aspect of this Charrette will be the Website Workplace which will be created in October prior to the event. Demographic, land use and zoning data as well as scanned maps and existing building digital images will be posted on the Website. During the event the Website will be used to create a virtual design environment in a kind of graphic chat room with AIA architects all over the Country also able to participate in the design process real time. THE OUTCOME The three AIA Chapters in cooperation with the Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network, and The American Institute of Architects, California Council will disseminate the results of this event in a number of ways through public exhibitions, inclusion on the Website, post-Charrette presentations, and featuring a "Silicon Valley Regional Urban Design Guideline" publication that will help the local and regional decision makers better direct the Valley's growth over the next few decades. OUR CURRENT SPONSORS San Mateo County Expo Center - Donation of Facility, Furnishings & Parking for Charrette (Seeking additional Sponsors) |
