Forwarded by Jane Clark at [log in to unmask]
From: Deron Lovaas, Challenge to Sprawl Campaign
Re: Message and Communications Strategy
Date: May 26, 2000
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In General
One of the key pieces in the sprawl puzzle is the transportation
piece. And, given the billions of dollars that are spent annually
($200 million a day, according to architect James Kunstler) in this
country maintaining and expanding our network of roads, it's one of
the most intractable pieces of the puzzle. There's a whole lot of
momentum behind it.
And the momentum isn't just a product of the road and car lobbies,
although they do their part. Americans are very, very attached to
their automobiles. For this reason, we need to tread very carefully
when we go out and advocate for a change in business as usual.
My advice on speaking out effectively on the transportation piece is
to remove from your head notions like "getting people out of their
cars" or fighting the car culture itself.
We need to speak along much more positive and hopeful lines. The key
word to keep in mind is choices. Driving is fine. And people should
have other choices available to them, too. The list of alternatives is
always the same: Rail, bus, bicycle, walking. These other ways of
getting around have been the victims of massive underinvestment in
decades. We need to reinvest in them so that people will have a whole
range of choices for getting around, and to make neighborhoods more
convenient so mom doesn't have to get into her car every time she
needs
a loaf of bread. (For more information go to
http://www.sierraclub.org/sprawl/transportation/designing.asp)
Induced Traffic
Of course we do need to lock horns with our over-reliance on
roadbuilding sometimes. One of the best ways to do this is by
highlighting the fact that new roads and lanes offer poor returns on
multimillion dollar investments. Not only do they chew up green space,
but they fill up almost instantly, since they act as magnets for new
traffic and develpoment. Seven new studies confirm this fact, which is
referred to as "induced traffic." "Building new roads and adding new
lanes to deal with traffic congestion is like buying a bigger pair of
pants to deal with a weight problem." is a soundbite I've used to good
effect in the past.
For more details on induced traffic, go to
http://www.sierraclub.org/sprawl/transportation/congestion.asp
Our Advantage: It Pays to Lead With Nature
According to a national survey (2/98, Beldon and Russonello) about the
reasons to control sprawl, an overwhelming majority (82-79%) found
that
the destruction of wetlands and water quality, the destruction of open
spaces and the destruction of natural habitats as "very" or "somewhat
convincing" reasons to control sprawl.
Other "very" or "somewhat convincing" reasons to curtail sprawl
included that it eliminates productive farmland (76%), leads to less
investment in cities (70%), creates traffic congestion (70%) and
increases taxes (68%).
Appeals that emphasized the high costs of owning a car (53%) or lack
of character in sprawling communities (53%) were less convincing.
It is important when crafting a message to keep in mind the reasons
why Americans think it is acceptable to sprawl. Large majorities find
that it is "very" or "somewhat convincing" to allow sprawl because of
a perception that it creates more choices about where to live (77%),
allows us to escape crowded cities (76%) and send our children to
better schools (76%).
Paradoxically, a strong majority (58%) see sprawl as acceptable
because they perceive that it allows people to live closer to nature.
Turn The Negatives into Positives
The values underlying these concerns -- a desire for freedom, a sense
of duty to our families, and a love of nature -- can be turned around
to fight sprawl. For instance, one could highlight how suburban sprawl
actually limits our choices by forcing us to drive for every chore,
how the air and water pollution that stems from endless driving harms
our family's health, or how out-of-control development is destroying
green space and wildlife habitat.
Underlying this all is a sense of suburban sprawl as inevitable. The
overwhelming majority of the focus group participants thought there
was little they could do to slow the growth of sprawl. Therefore, it
is crucial to emphasize success stories and solutions to counter this
perception.
Channeling growth so that it's near job centers and shopping
accomodates families wanting to escape long drives and reduces
congestion for all.
Semantics Matter: Language Do's and Don'ts
The KISS rule for grassroots organizing is especially important for
the sprawl issue: KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID. Solving sprawl often
requires expertise in jargon-filled disciplines like land use planning
and transportation planning. DON'T USE JARGON. KEEP SYLLABLE COUNT
LOW. Keep it simple.
If you ever need a reality-check in terms of how the average American
talks, watch your local nightly news. And use the list below of focus
group-tested terms. Shy away from the ones in the second column.
Use vs. Don't Use:
Suburban sprawl vs. Sprawl
Existing community vs. Older community or inner-city New Urbanist vs.
Mixed-use or neo-traditional
Green space vs. Open space
Poorly-planned growth vs. Rapid growth, or over-development
Well-planned vs. Compact, efficient, density, or cluster development
Good or better planning vs. Density
Planning vs. Control
Limits vs. Regulations
Choices vs. Modes
Commuter Rail vs. Trains
Our Basic Message
Poorly-planned growth threatens our environment and our quality of
life. Irresponsible developers and unresponsive politicians won't
listen. Haphazard development is gobbling up green space, polluting
our air and water and sapping our communities of financial resources.
The good news is that there are solutions to sprawl. By cutting the
subsidies that feed sprawl and by employing smart-growth practices we
can build safer, cleaner and more livable communities - for our
families, for our future.
Messages Regarding Specific Conservation Strategies
Smart growth refers to a range of techniques that seek to channel
growth into existing communities while protecting open space and
reducing our need to drive. Some concepts that fall under the smart
growth moniker include:
Greenbelts - Americans overwhelmingly support protecting open space.
But, many Americans express discomfort with terms like "Urban Growth
Boundaries." Another approach to the same problem is surrounding areas
with Green belts. Though the techniques are slightly different, they
achieve the same goal - preserving open space and wildlife habitat.
New Traditional Development - Building convenient communities along
the lines of older, traditional neighborhoods is one of the best ways
to combat sprawl. These communities mix shops, restaurants and housing
to facilitate walking and a sense of community.
Public Transportation - People shouldn't have to hop into their car
whenever they need to go anywhere. They should have more choices
available to them. We need to make rail, buses, biking, and walking
more safe, convenient, and attractive.
Some Surface Transportation Policy Project (STPP) Talking Points
STPP, a key ally on the transportation front came out with a report on
the connections between traffic congestion and sprawl. Attached below
are the talking points they sent out for the release of the report.
They're quite good, and contain both good language and factoids you
may
want to use.
For the entire report and more details, go to
http://www.transact.org/Reports/constr99/default.htm
"Why are the Roads So Congested? A Companion Analysis of the Texas
Transportation Institute's Data on Metropolitan Congestion."
Talking Points
Our current traffic congestion problems are not a result of the
normal, healthy growth of our urban areas. They are a result of
sprawling development patterns that require so much driving.
The sprawl-induced growth in driving makes it feel as if far more
people are on the road with you: in fact, it is mostly the same
people, driving farther and more often. While the population in all 68
metro areas studied grew by 22 million since 1982, the increase in
driving has crowded the roads with the equivalent of 70 million more
drivers. For example, in Washington DC, a population increase of
765,000 feels like an increase of more than 2 million on the roadways,
because each resident is driving 77% more.
The growth in driving magnifies the impact of normal population
growth. Overall since 1982, population has grown by 14.3 million
people in the 68 metro areas studied. However, because of the huge
increase in driving (70 percent since 1982), it feels as though there
are 76 million more drivers on the highways, more than five times the
actual population growth. Population in the metro areas studied grew
by an average of 22% while the amount of driving grew by almost 70%
since 1982.
The biggest factor contributing to the increase in congestion is the
increase in driving.
Most metro areas have built enough highways to keep pace with growth,
but they can't keep up with sprawl.
On average since 1982, the 68 metro areas studied have added roads at
a faster pace than they have added people.
If these areas attempted to build enough roads to keep up with the
growth in sprawl-induced driving, these areas would have to raise the
gasoline tax 17 cents a gallon over and above current levels.
Sprawl is the ultimate cause of our spiraling congestion problem.
Sprawling development requires that every trip be made by car, and the
increase in driving has fueled congestion.
69% of the growth in driving is caused by sprawl-influenced driving
behaviors such as driving farther and switching from other modes to
driving.
4. Road building has little effect on congestion. The one-third of
metro areas that added the most roads per person have a congestion
profile that is very similar to the one-third of metro areas that
built the fewest roads per person. In fact, the high road-building
areas have consistently higher congestion indexes than the low
road-building areas.
5. To tame congestion, we must tame sprawl and give people more
travel choices. By building our communities only for driving, we've
boxed ourselves into the spiraling congestion problem.
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