The impacts of low density development and continued sprawl are two-pronged: one is economic, particularly related to the city’s budget, costs of services, tax revenue; the other is quality of life for residents, including vibrant walkable cities, more affordable housing, less dependence on automobiles and an increase in public transit options.
Raleigh is no stranger to the phenomenon of urban sprawl, as low-density development and separation of residential and commercial uses have been the norm for decades. In the period from 1950 to 2000, the population of Raleigh grew by 480%; meanwhile, the city’s land use grew by 1670%, nearly 3.5 times faster than the population. This pattern of development, which is further encouraged through investment in highways like the Beltline (I-440) and policies prioritizing single-family zoning, has resulted in a city for which the dominant land use continues to be low-density single-family development. As of 2015, this land use type represented 34,000 acres, or about 34% of the city’s land area. Currently, Raleigh is recognized nationally as one of the fastest growing cities – and while many find themselves butting up against this growth and wanting to preserve the character of their suburban-esque neighborhoods, it is undeniable that change is upon the city and it is necessary to make smarter development choices for the long-term economic, social, and environmental health of the region.
The term “smart growth” has been popularized as a type of development that is characterized by efficient land use, mixed-use zoning in which homes, businesses, and services are located close together, and better connections between streets and neighborhoods. Raleigh has been trying to move in the direction of smart growth over the last few years, though low-density residential development continues to be the biggest driver of land consumption and the issues created by this land use persist. For example, lack of density has contributed to the region’s housing affordability crisis and acute dependence on car travel, which creates traffic congestion, reduces air quality and contributes to climate change, and affects safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and families. Additionally, as development diffuses farther away from existing infrastructure, the city has to continually spend more to expand services, especially construction and maintenance of roads, water, and sewer infrastructure.
In fact, while Raleigh is commonly named one of the best places to live – which has driven the current wave of population growth and attracted major companies like Apple – the city has consistently ranked poorly in terms of sprawl, commuting, and affordability:
- A 2002 national sprawl study by Smart Growth America ranked Raleigh-Durham as the third for most sprawling metropolitan regions (an updated 2014 study ranked Raleigh-Cary #155 and Durham-Chapel Hill as #191 out of 221 metro areas)
- In 2010, Raleigh was named among the worst commuting cities in America in a report by CEOs for Cities due to trip distances and total travel times
- StreetLight Data, a transportation analytics company, released a 2020 U.S. Transportation Climate Impact Index report that ranked Raleigh 99th out of the top 100 metro areas based on six factors: per-capita vehicle miles traveled (VMT), per-capita bike travel, per-capita pedestrian travel, transit ridership, geographic density, and circuity (for per-capita VMT, Raleigh ranked 100th).
The reasons to mitigate sprawl are many, but generally fall into two categories: economic benefits for the city and social or cultural benefits for residents. First, it’s fiscally advantageous for city and municipality budgets to promote density and infill development (development of vacant or under-utilized parcels within existing urban areas). As people move farther away from the city center, the cost of services per capita increases. One study in the journal Urban Science found that lower density is associated with higher operational costs per capita for critical services like fire protection, streets and highways, parks and recreation, sewer, waste management, and water. Another review by the Brookings Institute found that more compact development can save governments billions of dollars in costs from building roads, water, and sewer infrastructure as well as annual operations and delivery of services. Additionally, overall economic performance and productivity increases with more density, and these economic benefits extend into the surrounding suburbs as suburban income, home prices, and population are found to increase with city income growth.
Compounding the additional costs associated with services, the single-family homeowners receiving these costlier services are not paying their fair share of taxes, as they are contributing less in taxes than residential properties with multiple units that use existing infrastructure and services. A report titled “Building Better Budgets” found that smart growth development generates an average of 10x more tax revenue per acre than conventional suburban development. In fact, a study of municipal property tax yield in Raleigh found that a six-story mixed-use building downtown generates 50 times more property tax revenue per acre than an average Walmart located outside of the downtown area. Even just a 3-4 story residential building downtown can yield more revenue per acre than the Crabtree Valley Mall. Increasing the per-acre revenue from property taxes relieves pressure to increase taxes for the existing tax base.
The second and perhaps more widely touted benefit of reducing urban sprawl is improved quality-of-life metrics for residents. In addition to reducing municipal spending and the burden on taxpayers, the economic benefits of density extend to greater investment in community amenities, supporting local businesses, and attracting new businesses and employers. More efficient land use goes hand-in-hand with increased mobility and transit, whether through more efficient and accessible public transportation options, reducing travel distances, and more trips made by walking and bicycling–which in turn has a lesser climate impact. Christopher C. Berggren wrote for Smart Cities Dive: “When cities rely on automobiles as their primary means of transit, they lack sustainability and quality of life choices that can only come about when urban fabrics are built for their human users rather than their cars.” While everyone benefits from a more connected city and efficient transportation, it particularly benefits the most disadvantaged of our communities who can’t afford or operate a private vehicle.
Over the last several years, there has been a concerted effort to expand and improve public transportation in the region. GoTriangle, CAMPO, and the Wake County Board of Commissioners adopted the Wake Transit Plan in 2016, which now has set aside $80 million for public transportation projects like Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). Public transit is most effective in corridors that are densely populated and have a mix of residential and commercial uses, which is why the city council has also pursued policies like Missing Middle, which allows for more housing types between single-family detached homes and large apartment buildings in residential neighborhoods; Transit Overlay Districts, a type of zoning which allows mixed-use development along planned BRT routes and promotes transit-oriented development; and a 2030 Comprehensive Plan that looks to move towards more mixed-use development and efficient land uses. These efforts again point to the interconnectedness of housing, transit, and climate.
Housing choice and affordability are also significantly approved with density, which benefits all residents but is especially impactful for renters, young families, the elderly, and low-income groups. This in turn reduces social segregation and promotes diversity and vitality of urban centers. Environmental benefits include more efficient energy use and reduced emissions within the city, preserving open space, wildlife habitat and ecosystems, and clean air and water around the city center, and increasing the use and value of recreational greenspaces within the city. These climate and sustainability benefits are also linked to improved public health, mental health, and environmental justice outcomes, particularly for vulnerable groups like children and marginalized communities.
While Raleigh and the surrounding region is still in the process of transitioning to a smart growth development approach, the good news is that we are well-positioned to make the changes to support more density, better public transit, and more affordable housing which leads to more vibrant, economically viable and healthy cities. While many cities and towns struggle with a declining population and loss of economic opportunity, Raleigh’s growing population and influx of businesses is a “good problem” to have.
Christina Perella is a part-time Policy Analyst with WakeUP Wake County. When not working with WakeUP, she is a full-time PhD student with the Center for Geospatial Analytics with the College of Natural Resources at NC State University. She also does research for the Southeast Climate Science Center at NC State.
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