Pacific Northwest Tour

Smart Growth in Small Towns
February 1-3, 2010 — Seattle, WA

Small towns are often flexible enough to bring about Smart Growth change faster than large metropolitan areas. The Pacific Northwest has been a leader in the Smart Growth and healthy communities movements. To highlight the potential of all North American towns, small to mid-size and larger, we have chosen a variety of towns for study.

All participants will experience the original good "bones" of older villages and neighborhoods, as well as discover how suburban towns are reshaping and remaking their built environment to be healthy, socially engaging and financially sound. Local achievers join national experts and diverse participants to explain the history, breadth and depth of changes that have occurred or are underway. These select towns represent the potential for many small to midsize towns to build a prosperous future. You will walk through the best village and urban labs anywhere.

There is no better team to discover the Pacific Northwest's suburban and rural coastal, inland and island towns and villages... this is a part of North America undergoing dramatic changes to become the most walkable, bicycle-, transit- and people-friendly. Cities and towns in this region are focused on building places for people, and not pampering their cars. And these towns are all doing quite well. The tour will draw a mix of planners, engineers, urban designers, city administrators, elected leaders, advocates, environmentalists and developers. On this tour you learn from one another, as well as your guides.

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!
Download Tour Registration Form (PDF; 103 KB)
Email or fax registration form to Erin Hauge:
Fax: 916-448-8246
Email: erin 'AT' lgc 'DOT' org

What To Expect?

Tours start promptly at 8:00am each day (after breakfast), ending around 8:00pm each evening (following a relaxed dinner). If you want leisurly do not sign up for this tour. This is an information-saturated, highly active, shared learning experience. Courtesy to others means you will rejoin your group on time after independent exploration and photo shoots. Participants should be in good health and be ready for a full day of activity, including walking, with intermittent travel by coach bus and ferry. Meals will be a mix, from quick breakfasts, to relaxed lunches to comfortable dinners.

DAY ONE

High Point Neighborhood, Seattle
We start our tour on a high note, checking out one of America's greenest neighborhoods. High Point is an old barracks-style public housing project that has been replaced into one of the nation's greenest, diverse, mixed-income and mixed-use neighborhoods. The future is here and it works.

University Place
(pop. 30,000) This city received Walkable Communities, Inc. "Most Courageous City" honor in 2001. City staff throughout North America come here to see the transformation of a suburban bedroom community into a walkable, bicycle-friendly town. You'll see great examples of Complete Streets, road diets, roundabouts and the development of a new town center. Local leaders will explain how they are doing it, the challenges they've faced and their hopes for the future.

DAY TWO

Mercer Island
(pop. 23,000) Mercer Island is one of the top-rated communities in Washington, and its new higher density town center core provides a glimpse into the future of other prosperous areas seeking a more balanced municipal budget, achieved through increased density. Urban Designer Mark Hinshaw, principal designer of the town core, will show us around.

Kirkland
(pop. 45,000) One of the best city remakes anywhere; with waterfront-packed placemaking, a charming town center, parks and plazas, a new TND, three of the nation's highest performing road diets, lane diets and crossings. The first city in Washington to adopt a Complete Streets policy, Kirkland is specifically targeting improvements to pedestrian, bicycle, and equestrian facilities.

No suburban city has come further along in walkability and urban village making in such a short time... then seen the economic return.

Mill Creek
(pop. 13,000) A series of visioning workshops in the mid-1990s has led to the development of a small mixed use town center and creation of a "there" there. The City's achievements now extend to street-making, parking, open space and housing development and make this a great example of a small town maturing into a place.

Snohomish
(pop. 9,000) A quintessential traditional downtown on the Snohomish River. In recent years, the upper stories of the 1880's buildings have been filled by office uses including design firms, software companies, and Internet-related activities employing local residents. New infill projects, trails and other placemaking arts offer us a smorgasbord of discovery, and provide a hint of how historic towns will favor restoration as a key to prosperity.

DAY THREE

Langley
(pop. 4,500 in region) Langley has one of the most rural, protected and loved town centers in the region. A series of well-planned changes make Langley and its neighboring town of Bay View good studies in rural/village land use sensitivities. They provide secrets on how to turn small towns around to embrace quality growth while retaining compelling rural scenes, lifestyles, and charming village centers. While in Langley developer Ross Chapin will show us the nation's first "pocket neighborhood."

Port Townsend
pop. 11,000) A Victorian port town with a very active population focused on placemaking. Port Townsend is perhaps the smallest town in the U.S. that has both a downtown and an uptown, and a large historic neighborhood that surrounds them. Both areas are thriving. New street-making is resulting in new roundabouts and narrow green streets. Also known as the "San Francisco of the North" and the "City of Dreams," Port Townsend became the town that Dan and Lys Burden settled into after studying hundreds of other towns.

Our tour will explore the town by walking. We'll see a town-owned store operated and used by children, an improved waterfront, a small portion of its 52 miles of bike trails, Fort Worden, a new "green" city hall, and another "pocket neighborhood."

Bainbridge
(pop. 22,000) This affluent bedroom community has been especially concerned with preserving green space while investing in sensitive, attractive and functional residential, commercial and mixed use development. Following a group dinner we return by ferry to Seattle.

The tour ends at the Sheraton Seattle, the designated hotel for the Ninth Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference.

For information on the New Partners for Smart Growth conference check out: www.NewPartners.org

Features, Details and Tour Options

Included:

The price of $625 (double room) or $740 (single room) includes all planning, coordination, administration, guide services, lodging for two nights (double room occupancy), meals, bus coach, ferries and other direct costs. Taxes and tips to service providers are included. Space is limited so please reserve as early as possible. A $200 deposit will hold your place. If you are sharing a room and have a rooming preference let us know who you wish to stay with. (EARLY BIRD SPECIAL: Reserve by December 18 and get $50 off.)

Not Included:

You must provide and schedule your transportation to and from Seattle. Schedule your flight to arrive at SeaTac Airport no later than 12:00 noon on Monday, February 1, 2010. Tour starts at SeaTac Airport and ends at the Seattle Sheraton Hotel the evening of Wednesday, February 3. Many participants will stay for the New Partners for Smart Growth conference, which starts at the Seattle Sheraton on February 4th. (February 3rd hotel is not included.)

How Fit Should I Be?

You should feel comfortable walking, touring and photographing twelve hours each day. This is not a leisure tour. Fancy clothes are out. Comfort is in. People in good health will find this tour moderate in its challenge. Bring rain gear, and hope for lots of fun in the sun.

Tour Leaders:

Dan Burden, is considered North America's walkability guru with over 30 years of experience in designing for pedestrians and bicyclists. Since he founded Walkable Communities in 1995, Dan has visited and worked in over 200 communities every year and has traveled extensively throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Paul Zykofsky, AICP, is Director of the Center for Livable Communities at the Local Government Commission. Over the past 15 years he has worked with local jurisdictions on creating walkable, livable communities that incorporate the best principles of Smart Growth and placemaking.

Balance and Diversity

Towns were chosen to provide small to medium town experiences. The smallest town has only 1,000 people, the largest 45,000. Some towns are transforming suburbs, others are preserving and enhancing historic centers. All selected towns are Smart and Healthy, making money in tough times. If you want to see the Future, pack your bags now.

Style of Travel

All participants will want good digital cameras and spare batteries. Each town visit includes local experts to explain their history of achievement. On average, 30-40% of the time you will be free to roam with a friend or associate, record and discover what makes each area unique. Plenty of discussion follows each site.

Act Now!!! Space is limited!
Registration Ends January 15, 2010
Early Bird Special
Register by 12/18/09, get $50 off.