Should Suburbs Rally Behind Alternative Fuels ?

by Dan Reuter, AICP, GPA President

We live in a state that is fairly easy to develop residential property. We permit construction in most of Georgia if you have 1 acre of land or even 1/3 acre with sewer. We have invested primarily in road infrastructure versus transit. Therefore suburban and rural areas of the state have good access to state highways, interstates and county roads.

But many individuals consider suburban development at best a necessary evil. Planners and others will describe suburban development as using too much land, a greater amount of public funding for infrastructure and services on a per capita basis, degrading the environment and of course dependence on automobiles.

While some of these challenges can be addressed through better development design, automobile dependence is going to be a characterization of suburban areas in Georgia for a long time to come. Our state economy is very dependent on oil. However, most of the world’s oil is not under American control. In addition, with energy consumption worldwide anticipated to double in the next 25 years, we will be sharing oil with many more consumers in the future.

Oil dependence is a long term problem for Georgia. Many suburbs cannot easily be supplied with efficient transit services because of low densities and dispersed destinations. For these reasons fuel efficient vehicles and alternative fuels need to become a greater focus. While we can continue to discuss the ills of suburban expansion, if all suburban dwellers were driving cars that achieved 80 miles per gallon or operated on bio-diesel, the points to argue would be substantially diminished.

The February 2007 edition of National Geographic magazine presents an eye opening overview of oil exports from Nigeria. Nigeria is the sixth largest exporter of oil worldwide (45 billion dollars in 2005) behind Saudi Arabia, Russia, Norway, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. 40% of Nigerian oil exports go to the U.S. yet most Nigerians live on less than one dollar per day. Few Americans consider these facts when they turn the key to their car.

While our state economy is very dependent on oil, not aggressively advancing strategies to diminish that dependence is not only foolish but in many ways immoral. Increasing demands for oil worldwide, countries with proven reserves that are lukewarm or openly hostile to the U.S. and the many other fiscal, environmental and social difficulties associated with delivering gasoline to our cars is a big problem. More fuel efficient cars and alternative fuels should be a larger part of the solution.

March 8 – 10, 2007
GPA Spring Conference, Buckhead – Atlanta, GA
for more info please email rlebeau@atlantaregional.com

March 10 – 14, 2007
Congressional City Conference, Washington, DC
for more info please visit their website at www.nlc.org

March 21 – 23, 2007
Paying for Sustainable Water Infrastructure:  Innovations for the 21st Century,  Atlanta, GA
for more info please visit their website at www.gmanet.org

March 22 – 23, 2007
Greenprints Conference, Atlanta, GA
for more info please visit their website at www.southface.org

Visit the GPA Calendar of Events website page for a full listing...

District 2 –Toccoa Rocks, The Northeast Georgia Mountains

submitted by Kip Padgett, District 2 Director
written by Chip Wright, GA Mountains RDC

Is that thunder echoing in the hills of Northeast Georgia? No, that is actually the sound of the concrete canopies in downtown Toccoa tumbling to the ground. The City of Toccoa has been experiencing some major changes lately that will have a tremendous visual impact on the community’s historic business district. The canopies are large concrete edifices that are attributed to a late 1960s revitalization plan. Originally perceived as a way to enhance the downtown business district, these structures inadvertently obscured rich architectural details and limited proper maintenance and upkeep on the surrounding buildings. Local business owners are thrilled that sunlight is now allowed to stream into their stores and offices. Many individuals are currently working with city officials to restore the historical appearance of their buildings while following procedures laid out by the National Register of Historic Places. The appropriate rehabilitation of historic income producing properties carries a wealth of opportunities, including property tax abatements, historic preservation grants, rehabilitation tax credit, and charitable contribution deductions. Economic incentives such as these make downtown business opportunities viable opportunities. This new project will re-open the district to through traffic as well as improve pedestrian amenities. Plans also call for a landscape design that will increase green space. These steps will further enhance local appeal and herald in a new future for Toccoa.

February 13, 2007 was a hallmark occasion for the city. It was on this day that citizens and public officials braved the threat of inclement weather to formally celebrate the removal of the canopies. Toccoa Mayor David Austin welcomed everyone to the party. Other speakers on hand at the event included Bruce Schafer, husband of State Senator Nancy Schafer, Appalachian Regional Commission Manager and Department of Community Affairs James Thompson, State Director of the USDA Rural Development Commission F. Stone Workman and Georgia Department of Community Affairs Director of the Office of Downtown Development Billy Parrish. Attendees received foam picks and pens in the shape of picks to commemorate the demolition and the long anticipated reopening of Doyle Street.

F. Stone Workman presented a ceremonial check for $75,000 for the purchase and installation of suitable street lighting, benches, waste receptacles, and landscaping. “Improving the climate for small businesses is essential for building a diverse economy,” Workman said. “Protecting our historical buildings is also important and enhances tourism.” There are 39 small businesses currently operating in the downtown area that will benefit from this rehabilitation project, saving or creating 86 jobs.

The completed project will remove existing safety hazards posed by the deteriorating canopies, afford better street access and improve overall economic viability for the downtown.