“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
– Albert Einstein
One of the most rewarding parts of my position here at Esri is that I get to talk with planning, housing, and economic development leaders from across the country and globally to learn about their respective visions, goals, and challenges. It helps bring understanding about how GIS can be leveraged to help clear each new hurdle and drive these organizations towards achieving these objectives.
For decades, planning and economic development often operated in separate silos, sometimes (maybe even often) at odds with one another. Planners prioritized long-term land use and more sustainable growth, while economic developers focused on business recruitment and expansion, sometimes leading to conflicts over zoning, density, and infrastructure investments. I’ve been to more than a couple of cities in years past where the planning department and economic development department was convinced the other’s policies were going to doom the community to failure.
A Planner and an Economic Developer Walk Into a Housing Crisis
How times have changed! Today’s housing capacity and affordability crisis has forced both fields to rethink their approaches. The old models of managing growth separately have contributed to housing shortages, affordability issues, and economic stagnation in some areas. To be fair, the housing crisis is a highly complex situation with multiple variables, many of which were and are out of control of local planners and economic developers (e.g. interest rates, labor and material shortages, supply chain issues, etc.) Now, planners and economic developers must work together to address the crisis in ways that neither could solve alone.
Einstein’s quote underscores the need for a new framework of collaboration—one where housing policy is no longer just a planning issue, and economic growth is no longer just about business incentives. The problem requires fresh, integrated thinking.
From Siloed to Synchronized
Earlier this week, I attended and spoke at the International Economic Development Council’s Leadership Summit. When I submitted my session to talk about housing, I was a little hesitant. I knew it was a timely topic, but I wasn’t sure it would register with today’s economic development leaders. Thankfully, I was wrong. The session on The Geographic Approach to Housing and Economic Development was packed. I fielded about a dozen questions after the presentation (and many more via e-mail). They weren’t packing the room to see me. They were packing the room because they are all dealing with the same problem and they need to know how to tackle it. In fact, there were two other sessions, including a townhall discussion, devoted specifically to housing strategies. Attendees packed those rooms, too.
EDOs know that a lack of housing capacity and affordability have a debilitating effect on their economic development initiatives. If they are unable to house the workers in their communities, it leads to traffic congestion, loss of revenue, lack of economic mobility, and a lower standard of living. All of these make recruitment and BRE efforts exponentially more difficult.
It (Always) Starts with Geography
Cities and counties across the nation are scrambling to update legacy zoning ordinances that currently do not allow for the types of developments desired by younger generations and those looking for more diverse housing options. In the meantime, there are many communities already undertaking a geographic approach to identify specific projects that can help alleviate acute housing shortages and provide greater opportunities for economic mobility for its lower and middle-income households.
Mesa, AZ is using ArcGIS Urban and ArcGIS CityEngine to design transit-oriented development (TOD) around its light rail lines. The plan aims to promote compact mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly environments, particularly around the 11 planned transit stations.
Sandy Springs, GA also used Urban and CityEngine to redevelop the Crossroads neighborhood to help accommodate denser, more affordable housing options for hundreds of middle- to lower-income households. This made access to nearby jobs and services more accessible.
Dickinson, TX used ArcGIS, as well as a gaming engine, to realistically visualize a new downtown development that would provide greater quality of life for its residents by creating an attractive and sustainable destination.
A Common Goal Requires a Common Direction
The housing crisis in America is not going to be fixed quickly, nor is it a simple problem with one facet to correct. But the hopeful and inspiring aspect of it to me is that now we have multiple agencies in local governments that have a vested interest in seeing this changed. At IEDC’s Leadership Summit, I laid out a game plan for economic developers:
- Know that GIS has a greater role in EDOs than just site selection
- Engage in regular communication with planning leadership to understand the constraints and opportunities of your community’s existing zoning ordinance.
- Quantify and qualify proposed economic developments and the impact that proper (or a lack of) housing options will have on them.
- Leverage scenario planning to design, analyze, and coordinate with developers, site selectors, administrators, and other stakeholders.
This data-driven approach is not a silver bullet, but it will provide an enormous advantage in delivering the amount and types housing and complementary developments needed for a sustainable and thriving community.
