'First-ring' suburbs getting second look
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Columbus neighborhoods such as Merion Village and Eastmoor could be mini-boomtowns in upcoming decades as younger and
older residents choose houses close to work, shopping and recreation.
That's what the leader of the Urban Land Institute told a group of academics and planners last weekend in Raleigh, N.C., while
discussing how to reimagine and redevelop "first-ring" suburbs and neighborhoods for the 21st century.
Those communities will be on the minds of local leaders, too, as they gather Feb. 25 to discuss principles for a long-range
strategic vision for what Columbus and central Ohio will look like in 2050.
There are lots of similar initiatives, including the Columbus 2020 economic development plan and the Central Ohio 2015 project.
But nobody has looked this far out, said Jennifer Evans-Cowley, a member of the Urban Land Institute's Columbus chapter who is helping
to lead the group's "Columbus 2050" initiative.
That's because significant demographic shifts are forcing planners and other leaders to rethink what people want from their neighborhoods.
At the same time, the nation's population is expected to grow by 150 million by 2050, with the vast majority of those people living in urban areas.
"If we don't start planning now, that's not a good thing," said Joe Reidy, the local effort's chairman.
The Urban Land Institute found that both baby boomers and Generation Y - people in their 20s and 30s - want to live in more
pedestrian-friendly areas that are close to work, shopping and mass transit, said the institute's chief executive, Patrick L. Phillips.
That makes first-ring neighborhoods and suburbs increasingly attractive, he said this week.
"The close-in suburbs appear to be pretty well-positioned," Phillips said.
Years ago, developers continued to build homes, stores, restaurants and office buildings farther and farther out from cities.
These areas are now the inner rings and include Bexley and Grandview Heights.
But Columbus neighborhoods such as Merion Village, Clintonville, Eastmoor and the Fifth by Northwest area north of Grandview Heights
also fit the bill, said Vince Papsidero, the city's planning administrator.
"They're very stable because of the quality housing stock and access to assets such as parks and neighborhood retail," he said.
And high gas prices might force people to reconsider living in far-flung suburbs and exurbs (semi-rural areas), Papsidero said.
Communities also should build off growing employment hubs, such as universities and hospitals, Phillips said.
That what's happening in Weinland Park, at Grandview Yard and near Nationwide Children's Hospital, where new houses are being built
and older ones are being restored, said Reidy, a partner in the Schottenstein, Zox and Dunn law firm who represents developers including the Wagenbrenner Co.
Dublin also is looking to create a denser, more walkable community around its town center, Reidy said.
Along those lines, the Columbus 2050 group will focus on making the best use of the existing infrastructure - roads,
utilities, parks - as leaders work to redevelop neighborhoods, Reidy said.
A $25,000 grant from the Galbreath Family Foundation is helping to pay for the initial effort.
And the Limited Brands Foundation and Easton Community Foundation are sponsoring a "City in 2050" display at Easton beginning March 1.
There will be a series of public meetings, Reidy said.
In 1960, Columbus leaders envisioned what the city could look like in 2010, said Evans-Cowley, an assistant professor of city and
regional planning at Ohio State University.
"There is a picture of floating buildings Downtown," Evans-Cowley said. "That part didn't happen."