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	Coalition for Smarter Growth PRESS RELEASE October 20, 2004 Contacts: Laura Olsen, (202) 244-4408 or David Goldberg, Smart Growth America (202) 412-7930
Survey Finds Lengthening Commutes Are Driving The Growing Demand For Walkable Neighborhoods Near Cities

A new national poll jointly commissioned by National Association of Realtors and Smart Growth America, reveals public opinion about what and where we should build next.

“Realtors? don’t just sell homes, we sell communities and neighborhoods,” said NAR President Walt McDonald. “This survey shows that most Americans prefer to live in walkable communities with a shorter commutes, sidewalks and amenities close by, a trend Realtors? have seen first-hand. Smart growth communities are the wave of the future, especially since they’re heavily favored by prospective buyers and minorities, who represent a growing share of the homebuying market.”

The poll found that despite the trend to build large housing developments on the edge of metropolitan areas, most Americans would rather see housing investments focus on older suburbs and cities to offer them shorter commute times, sidewalks, and shopping in walking distance. The survey also finds that most Americans believe traffic problems are more likely to be curbed by improving public transportation and building neighborhoods that are less dependent on driving, instead of building new roads.

“People understand traffic is caused by scattering development where people have no choice but to drive long distances. Convenient locations and transportation choices are what people want and what elected officials should provide,” said Laura Olsen, Assistant Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth.

People favor communities close to work where they can walk to shops and services.
Overall Americans prefer to live close to the city and the survey found that those who are in the market to buy a home are even more likely to say they want to be in or near a city than farther away (15% city, 38% suburb close to a city, 19% farther out suburb, 27% rural).

“Now, the bulk of new development leaves people no choice but long commutes and to drive for basic services. This isn’t what people want,” said Cheryl Cort, Executive Director of the Washington Regional Network for Livable Communities.

The poll confirms the market experience in the Washington area where housing near transit and in walkable communities is in extremely high demand.

“The Washington area has the capacity to meet the high demand for convenient housing near transit and in walking distance to services. Prioritizing development on the vast land at our Metro stations such as New Carrollton and Vienna makes fiscal sense and meets the desires of Americans,” said Olsen.

People believe we need more housing affordable for low and moderate income families.
The survey found that half of Americans (49%) think there is too little housing for people with low incomes in their communities. And, four in ten (39%) think there is too little housing for people of moderate incomes in their communities.

“People understand the need for affordable housing in each and every community in our region,” said Cort. “Until each jurisdiction adopts a comprehensive affordable housing strategy, many of the region’s workers from sales clerks and daycare workers to teachers and administrative workers will be forced into long commutes and unaffordable housing.”

One of the hurdles to securing additional affordable housing has been the building industry’s opposition to reasonable initiatives that are being put forward by Arlington and Fairfax Counties.

People want elected officials to prioritize investment in existing communities over building new communities at the edge of the region.
Nearly nine in ten Americans (86%) want the government to fund improvements in existing communities over incentives for new development in the countryside. A large majority of all groups favor improvements in existing communities, in fact, registered voters (89%) and African Americans (94%) ranked the highest.

“We believe that the best way to solve our traffic problems is through investment in transit and developing communities where people don’t have to drive for everything, yet speculative developers are doing the exact opposite, proposing new subdivisions three times the size of Manassas in the cow pastures of Loudoun County,” said Andrea McGimsey with Campaign for Loudoun’s Future. “This poll confirms what we are hearing from residents -address our existing needs first.”

People believe transit & smart development patterns, not roads are the answer to traffic problems.

In the report, Belden, Russonello & Stewart note, “Consistently over the past four years, improving public transportation and developing communities where people do not have to drive long distances have been more popular than building new roads.”

Half of Americans (50%) choose improving public transportation when given three options to solve long-term traffic problems in their states. A third of the public (31%) believes the best answer is developing communities where people do not have to drive long distances, and less than two in ten (18%) believe the answer is building new roads.

“People know transit and shifting development is the solution to traffic problems, yet the State of Maryland is only considering a six-lane toll-highway to address traffic problems in Montgomery County,” said Brian Henry of Audubon Naturalist Society. “The State should be studying transit and land use alternatives to an Intercounty Connector. It makes sense and it's what voters want.”

This poll highlights the citizen consensus on transit funding as a priority which runs counter to the difficulty Metro has faced in getting commitments for maintenance, operations and new rail car purchases. Arlington and Fairfax will both have bond measures on the ballot this fall to fund Metro needs.

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The full poll report and national release can be found online at: or www.SmartGrowthAmerica.org or www.realtor.org .