Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Transformative
Infrastructure
Paul A. Yarossi, PE
Executive Committee
Executive Vice President and President, HNTB Holdings Ltd
Edward McSpedon, PE
Executive Committee
Executive Vice President and Director of Corporate Development, HNTB Holdings Ltd
Robert Stromsted, PE
Executive Committee
Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer, HNTB Corporation
Kenneth R. Graham, PE
Chief Executive Officer, HNTB Infrastructure
THINK is published by the Corporate Communications and Brand Stewardship Department of the
HNTB Companies, P.O. Box 412197, Kansas City, MO 64141.
Patricia Mosher, vice president, pmosher@hntb.com Phyllis Schallenberg, editor, pschallenberg@hntb.com
HNTB is a professional firm of engineers, architects and planners providing planning, design, construction,
program management and consulting services nationwide.
HNTB is an equal opportunity employer M/F/V/D.
4 Achieving Transformation
Leveraging existing infrastructure to enhance quality of life.
5 Transformative Infrastructure
HNTB explores how to be creative with our infrastructure.
16
Transformation in Texas
John Lettelleir, director of development services for the city
of Frisco, Texas, shares how growth is transforming the city.
T
Technology
Use current and emerging technologies to increase efficiency
and improve people’s experience with infrastructure
R
Revival
Generate interest and investment in communities that are seeking
to restore their attractiveness to businesses and residents
A
Aesthetics
Step beyond building purely utilitarian structures to creating
iconic community assets
N
Nature
Accentuate and leverage natural features to improve utility,
beauty and efficiency
S
Sustainability
Reduce environmental impact by relieving highway congestion,
lowering energy consumption and increasing green space
F
Funding
Undertake novel approaches to paying for infrastructure creation
and long-term maintenance
O
Orchestration
Align expectations of stakeholders by clearly determining goals
and priorities
R
Reunification
Revisit existing divisive infrastructure to unite neighborhoods and
connect people to natural features
M
Mobility
Create a multimodal system that meets our current and future
mobility needs
• Intelligent transportation systems that combine computers and sensors to predict and
ease roadway jams
• Digital readouts at bus and train stations to inform commuters of wait times
• Sophisticated tolling and parking systems that link pricing to demand at various times
of the day and week
• Interactive meetings that let stakeholders register opinions in real time, informing planners
and defusing resistance
• Comprehensive and quantitative demonstrations of how commercial enterprises can gain
in the revival of the community
• Programs that encourage businesses to place and maintain tables, chairs, umbrellas and
other equipment with the expectation of greater foot traffic and revenues
• Elegantly designed pedestrian bridges that project iconic power at a fraction of the cost
of vehicle bridges
• Transit stations and airports that reinforce the community’s distinct character and attract
commercial development
• Downtown plazas and pedestrian malls that incorporate trees and plants, locally developed
sculpture and places to visit and relax
• Create rain gardens to filter and redeploy rainwater, enhancing beauty and saving on
long-term maintenance costs
• Recapture a section of riverfront, an ocean pier or other waterfront property to create
a place for gathering, fishing and picnicking
• Leverage unusual terrain features to create a terraced public garden, hillside picnic area,
or scenic viewpoint in the midst of a city
• Use of rooftop greenery, trees and shrubs to reduce energy usage and carbon dioxide levels
• Variable highway message signs to inform drivers of upcoming traffic issues and suggest
alternate routes that will cut their idling time
• Promote public transit, bicycling, walking and other alternatives to commuting by auto
• Close down sections of streets to create new pedestrian malls that make it easier to congregate
and patronize businesses
• Pedestrian bridges that connect neighborhoods across highways, rivers and rail lines
• Re-route roads or create tunnels to keep neighborhoods intact and create new open spaces
for recreation
• Invest in rail systems and better bus systems to make commuting safer, more predictable
and more efficient
• Networks of bicycling routes and trails allow for safe commuting as well as ready recreation
• Use of roundabouts (traffic circles) and traffic-calming techniques to maintain traffic movement
and preserve safety of pedestrians and cyclists
The nation’s infrastructure is the central policies that sustain America’s infrastructure
nervous system of our $13 trillion economy. for the long term?
This physical platform enables us to move The U.S. Chamber of Commerce launched
around by air, road, rail and waterway; supplies the Let’s Rebuild America initiative in August
us with the energy and water needed for our 2007 to help answer this question. The initiative
homes, businesses and farms; and provides focuses on driving public awareness, expanding
the vehicle by which we transmit information research and building strong political action
at ever faster speeds. Once one of America’s toward four long-term goals:
proudest achievements and biggest challenge, • Establish infrastructure as a core economic
our infrastructure now has enormous potential issue and a high priority for all levels of
to boost the U.S. economy. government
We are all aware of the challenges and now the • Engage the public to support sound policies
demands on our critical infrastructure, which and greater public and private infrastructure
will continue to grow as the U.S. population soars investment
from 300 million to an expected 420 million • Remove obstacles to private investment in
by 2050 — that’s the equivalent of adding 11 Los infrastructure capacity and promote policies
Angeles-size metropolitan areas. This means we that streamline project delivery
need to determine how we transform our current • Ensure adequate public-sector investment is
infrastructure to accommodate more people and guided by effective policies and programs
goods, while also explore multiple modes
of transportation. Spur Private Investment
For the longest time, other nations looked to in Infrastructure
the United States as a model for infrastructure. First, we need to increase investment. The
Now, we are looking to see how other countries economic stimulus is a short-term investment
are managing growth and transforming their boost, but we need to put in place a financing
infrastructure. For example, high-speed rail in system that will meet our needs. We must
parts of Asia are light years ahead of the United find additional revenue streams and tap both
States. We allocate 2 percent of our GDP to public and private sources. In some states
infrastructure; European governments, about and localities, public-private partnerships are
5 percent; and China, between 9 percent and gaining popularity. Still, the private sector is
12 percent. holding back billions of additional infrastructure
So, what needs to be done to transform our dollars because of burdensome regulations.
infrastructure to become more competitive, The Chamber’s Let’s Rebuild America initiative
spur economic growth and establish effective will identify and seek to reform those rules
Restriction regulations cause the private Reform rules that obstruct use of new
sector to hold back billions of infrastructure investment strategies, such as public-private
dollars due, and the federal highway fund is partnerships and raise federal gasoline tax
woefully underfunded. to bolster Highway Trust Fund.
Projects can take decades to go from Review regulations to define ways to move
planning to completion because they must forward on projects more rapidly while
endure a gauntlet of environmental and still addressing key issues, such as
other regulations. environmental preservation.
In the past eight years the population of Frisco, energy efficiency based on the Environmental
Texas, has grown from fewer than 34,000 Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR®
to more than 102,000, making us one of the designation, and homes must be inspected and
fastest-growing cities in America. This growth rated individually by trained experts. Homes
has created a range of challenges as our leaders also have to meet certain thresholds for indoor
have sought to reshape our community and air quality and water conservation. The builders
infrastructure to meet escalating needs, while even have to follow guidelines for how they
preserving the city’s beauty and character. dispose of construction waste.
While you may not be familiar with Frisco, We were very inclusive as we turned our
there’s a good chance that you or one of your green homes proposal into actionable building
associates is grappling with some of the same standards. We formed a task force of builders to
growth issues we are. We don’t claim to have all ensure that the standards made sense on paper
the answers, but some of our experiments and and in practice. One of the first things we did as
approaches might provide ideas for solutions a group was to perform “blower door and duct
that will work in your community. Here are just blaster tests” on existing new homes, a process
a few for your consideration. that tells how well a home and ductwork are
sealed. Sealing is a huge factor in keeping the heat
Green Homes — A Mandate for outside in the summer and inside in the winter.
the Future Before taking the ordinance to the City
In May 2001, Frisco became the first city in the Council, we met with council members one-on-
U.S. to launch a mandatory Residential Green one to review the proposed draft, answer their
Building Program. The program began as an questions and incorporate their suggestions. To
outgrowth of a larger effort to clarify the city’s strengthen the proposal, our office developed
building standards. One of our staff members a relationship with Environmental Protection
formulated the idea of making Frisco homes Agency officials who shared a wealth of
more energy efficient by mandate. The idea information and ideas with us.
became a proposal, which was unanimously As a result, Frisco not only revamped
approved by the City Council. The belief is that its building codes, but it established an
by making green building standards mandatory environmentally focused theme that would
for all single-family residences we are saving permeate all of our efforts to transform our
energy and money in the short term and giving development standards for the future.
future generations a cleaner environment as well. It is important to note that these standards
Frisco’s green standards for single-family are for single-family homes. We have yet
residences include a minimum standard for to apply these standards to commercial or
John Lettelleir, AICP, is the director of development services for Frisco, Texas. He formerly
was the city’s director of planning, and also has served in the cities of Plano, Texas, and
Grand Prairie, Texas.
THOUSANDS 150
100
50
0
2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030
YEAR
Frisco’s projected growth between 2000–2030 using data from the North Central Texas Council of
Government’s Traffic Survey Zones
These suburbs also are often marked by A key factor in improving the success of
a monoculture of development that lacks a these communities is linking residential and
sense of place. This makes it hard for people commercial developments more seamlessly.
to connect with the neighborhood, so they Our goal is to break down barriers, to make
move out. In fact, most people start to look at it easier for people to walk or bicycle in and
these neighborhoods as short-term residences around their neighborhoods, to access retail
because they feel no sense of belonging. We are stores and natural resources, such as creeks. As
addressing the concept of place-making as we future development occurs, we need to focus on
update our ordinances and focus on our older place-making that creates value by celebrating
neighborhoods. our natural features and open spaces, which
Working with our City Council, we have will directly impact property values.
looked for ways to build commitment in our
older neighborhoods. One of our efforts is to try Sharing Water and
to understand what’s happening in a particular Preserving Beauty
neighborhood by analyzing a range of factors. Although we envision having enough water
Two years ago, we began tracking things like in the coming decades to meet population
the number of rental properties, age of homes, growth in Frisco and in the region as a whole,
number of fire/police responses and number water management has become an important
and severity of public works issues. When priority. One major problem is runoff. Due
viewed together, these factors tell us that a to the prevalence of impervious surfaces,
particular neighborhood may require special precipitation takes only minutes to reach our
focus to create resident commitment and action creeks, causing erosion, transport of pollutants
to resolve issues. We schedule a meeting with the and sediment loading.
neighborhood and include representatives from This run-off problem is complemented by
other departments to discuss their questions, massive amounts of irrigation both by businesses
concerns and develop an action plan. and homeowners. They use more water than
In some cases, we connect with citizen necessary, and the situation is compounded
action groups to help them with a specific when the irrigation is occurring during windy
issue. For example, some groups might help days — wasting water as it is blown away.
to mow lawns of vacant properties to make To address this, we amended the landscape
them code compliant. We also meet with ordinance so evapotransportation (ET)
landlords of rental properties to gain their controllers are required for new construction.
commitment in improving upkeep. We These devices monitor soil moisture, wind speed
have coordinated with non-profits to assist and freezing temperature to help people irrigate
homeowners with improvements they could when it’s necessary and when conditions will
not afford. In a similar vein, we have dialogues maximize water absorption into the ground. The
with homeowner associations and created a Public Works Department, which we partnered
Congress of Neighborhoods to bring issues with to amend the landscape ordinance, has
forward so we can deal with them proactively created a public outreach program on water
and comprehensively. efficiency. Part of this program provides a free
Transformative Infrastructure: Key Questions Are there ways to integrate our natural
assets — a river, lake, forest or hill — in ways
What is needed to attract businesses
that accentuate them and make them a
and talented workers for a new century?
community asset?
How do we reduce carbon emissions,
How can we build a financial support
preserve natural land and sustain our
system for infrastructure improvement so
clean water supply?
we both can build it properly and ensure
What are some ways to improve mobility? that it can be sustained?
What methods should be used to connect
neighborhoods, magnetize city centers and Go to hntb.com/think to post a comment. Share
make it more attractive to live in denser, with other industry leaders what you think. n
more efficient environments?