John Landis,

Other articles by John Landis:

Taste for detached homes helps fuel sprawl

Health Care
Sierra Tucson
Eating Disorders Program Coordinator Trades/Construction
RANCHO RESORT
MAINTANANCE POSITION General
A1 Communications
Cable Techs

Q Given the divide in core values that separates the public, how can we develop an analysis that overcomes core fundamental differences?

AYou can't. But what you can do is to identify those issues for which values are held in common (e.g., open space protection) versus those in which there real differences (e.g., rate of development).

Once commonalities and differences in values have been identified, it may be possible to identify shared interests or agendas. This process of collaboratively identifying common and different values and common and different interests goes a long way toward building trust.

QWhat are some examples of cities that have instituted a requirement that employers pay a "living wage"?

AThe only city I know that has done this is Santa Cruz, Calif., and it applies only to firms that do business with the city. To my knowledge, it has had no ill effect on the city's economy. On the other hand, Santa Cruz is relatively small, and is not really competing for outside business.

QWould regional cooperation in growth planning such as a regional land use plan that includes regional water use, transportation et cetera be enhanced by creating a city-county regional government such as Miami/Dade County, Fla.?

AThere is no doubt that having some form of regional government (as in Portland) enhances a region's ability to create and then implement a good regional plan incorporating water, transport and land use issues.

At the same time, there are plenty of examples of combined city-county governments (Jacksonville, Indianapolis, and Miami/Dade) that are not doing any better job managing development than their nearby, non-combined counterparts. The core criteria is whether the regional plan enjoys sufficient support and legitimacy to be able to withstand the fragmentary nature of local politics, particularly when times are tight and municipal budgets are stressed.

QHow can the power surge of the county, cities, and town managers be channeled to provide for infrastructure planning, development and beneficial use for the region, and not just an entity?

AProbably the best way to do this is for the local council of governments to seek the authority to issue bonds to fund regional infrastructure, whether roadways, mass transit, parks and open space, sewer and water, or cultural facilities.

Gaining cooperation over capital investments is easier than gaining cooperation over regulation and land use planning.

QCan Tucson do away with zoning laws and still be a beautiful community? Why is it working well in Houston?

AIt isn't working well in Houston. Houston has some of the country's worst sprawl and uncoordinated infrastructure problems, and it's precisely because it doesn't use zoning as (one) way of developing and implementing its plans.

Zoning by itself can't produce a good community, but it can help avoid bad communities and, in the case of Houston, dysfunctional regions.

Having said this, Houston's lack of zoning does make homebuilding much easier, which does make the market more competitive and help keep down the price of housing.

By the way, Houston also has some of the country's most lax sign ordinances, and it is the presence of so many big ugly commercial signs that adds to Houston's less-than-beautiful character.

QHow did Portland and Sacramento begin their metro visioning process?

APortland's was required by state law and by a local initiative in 1992 giving Portland Metro regional land use power conditional upon the development of a plan.

In Sacramento, the local council of governments, SACOG, took the lead as part of the normal process of updating its federally required Regional Transportation Plan.