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New Mixed Use project in Imperial Beach. This new project will create 6 parking spots for 12 units. There will be a bike repair shop, parking for bikes, as well as subsidized transit passes.

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New Mixed Use project in Imperial Beach. This new project will create 6 parking spots for 12 units. There will be a bike repair shop, parking for bikes, as well as subsidized transit passes.

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(Courtesy of the city of Imperial Beach)

Another mixed-use project in Imperial Beach that provides incentives for tenants to forgo driving and use bicycles or public transportation got the green light last week.

City Council members approved the development, which calls for providing residents with bicycle racks, a self-repair bike station and subsidized monthly bus passes for the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System.

The project consists of demolishing two single-family homes that sit on a 7,000-square foot lot fronting Calla Avenue, between 10 th and Emory streets, and building a three-story mixed-use building. It would have nearly 800 square feet of commercial space, a patio and one residential unit on the ground floor.

The remaining 11 units, two of which will be restricted to very low-income applicants, will take up the top two floors. There will be one, two and three-bedroom units, ranging between 548 square feet and 1,147 square feet in size, each with a balcony.

An art mural is expected to adorn the property's east side, where Amazon lockers will be provided to tenants.

The 12-unit development will only have six parking spaces on-site and be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, said Colin Lowry, who is the project's architect. Under state law, the developer is not required to provide a parking spot for each dwelling unit if the building is located within one-half mile of a transit stop, as is the case with this site.

"I think it's gonna incentivize people to use other methods of travel, whether that's bus or train or bike," he said. "Or, if you don't have a car or don't want to pay for the parking, then you don't necessarily have to."

These types of projects, for both residential and commercial properties, are becoming more common, he added.

In March 2019, for example, San Diego approved eliminating parking requirements downtown, where residents are close to mass transit and are more inclined to walk, bike, use rideshare services, or hop on the bus.

The first large-scale project to test this out came before the San Diego Planning Commission last June. It approved a 443-apartment building with only 52 parking spots.

Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that bans cities from requiring developers to build a specific number of parking slots if projects are near public transit. It's all part of the goal that the state and many cities, including San Diego, have to curb emissions by building neighborhoods where people can live, work and play without driving a car.

Councilmember Jack Fisher said the Imperial Beach project "might be a formula that works for others to get occupants into transit systems."

The Calla Avenue development will have bike racks for both the residential and commercial units, a kiosk for transit and rideshare information and its repair station will have tools for tenants to make basic fixes to their bikes. There will also be spaces dedicated to electric vehicles.

It's not the first project in Imperial Beach designed to provide renters with incentives to ditch their cars.

In March, the City Council approved the development of another three-story, mixed-use building with 10 residential units and commercial space on Florence Street. It plans to have 11 parking spaces, but calls for a 3 percent rent reduction incentive for tenants with no vehicles. All units will come with one electric bike, and tenants will be able to charge them at an on-site station.

With the property about 150 feet from a bus stop, there will also be signage for public transportation showing bus routes and schedules.

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Fewer parking spots, more incentives to ride your bike: Imperial Beach OKs new mixed-use project

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The 12-unit development will offer only six parking spots. It will have a bike-repair station and subsidized transit passes.

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Reflection on the imperial beach mixed use development.        This new development is a very small change according to the paper it is only replacing 2 houses on 8000 square feet into a 12 unit apartment building. It would only have parking for half of the units. The Bike repair shop may or may not work because of the danger of roads. The subsidized transit pass will probably help with commuting.

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Reflection on the imperial beach mixed use development.        This new development is a very small change according to the paper it is only replacing 2 houses on 8000 square feet into a 12 unit apartment building. It would only have parking for half of the units. The Bike repair shop may or may not work because of the danger of roads. The subsidized transit pass will probably help with commuting.

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First phase of San Diego Riverwalk development under construction. This 200 acre development on an old golf course into a 4300 unit development. 152k space of retail space will be available. 1 million square feet of office space and 100 acres of parkland including a really nice new park on the San Diego River.

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First phase of San Diego Riverwalk development under construction. This 200 acre development on an old golf course into a 4300 unit development. 152k space of retail space will be available. 1 million square feet of office space and 100 acres of parkland including a really nice new park on the San Diego River.

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First phase of mixed-use development breaks ground in San Diego

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The first phase of Riverwalk San Diego, a 200-acre transit-oriented mixed-use development, has broken ground in the center of San Diego. When completed, the project will transform the Riverwalk Golf Club in western Mission Valley into a 4,300-unit multifamily community. The residences will be for rent and will range in size from studios to townhouses.

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Reflection on San Diego riverwalk development. This new development is far larger and might actually improving housing availability. My concerns are that it isn't enough, if the rents will be affordable or if there will be ownership of these new living spaces. Rents will be lower apparently if you forgo a car.

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Reflection on San Diego riverwalk development. This new development is far larger and might actually improving housing availability. My concerns are that it isn't enough, if the rents will be affordable or if there will be ownership of these new living spaces. Rents will be lower apparently if you forgo a car.

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This study shows how mixed use development will help with climate change.

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This study shows how mixed use development will help with climate change.

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This post is the second in a series on transportation system efficiency. The first post focused on policies to support mass transit, walking, and biking.
Dense, mixed-use neighborhoods that combine affordable housing, workplaces, and amenities can reduce climate pollution from cars and improve residents' sense of community. But policymakers have often pursued land use that has instead encouraged car-dependent housing in sprawling suburbs while underinvesting in transit and other forms of low-carbon transportation like biking and walking. This leads to higher transportation cost burdens for many low-income families.

More equitable land use can be a step toward righting the wrongs of past policies-such as redlining -that harmed disadvantaged communities. To move away from heavy reliance on cars for transportation, policymakers need to enact land use policies to support a built environment that accommodates dense and affordable urban neighborhoods.

Land use policies can reduce GHG emissions from transportation

Personal vehicles are the country's largest source of transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. Unfortunately, car-centric zoning codes often incentivize- and sometimes only allow -detached single-family homes, which means that communities are more spread out and cannot support transit, bicycling, or walking.

Local governments can improve location efficiency with smart growth zoning strategies

To produce compact, mixed-use development, local governments can adopt smart growth strategies, including zoning that promotes transit and density, anti-sprawl policies, and codes that emphasize buildings that are compatible with their surroundings rather than codes that narrowly focus on how buildings are used. Conventional zoning codes organize communities and urban spaces by their uses; for example, a typical zoning code may only allow residential buildings (and prohibit commercial uses) in some areas. Instead, form-based codes allow for multiple uses to be near each other provided they are of appropriate scale, making it more likely residents are closer to their destinations. Zoning rules can also allow modifications from the standard zoning code in specific cases, like adding transit- and density-related requirements, which can reduce trips by car.

Some cities have begun to rethink their central business districts, as these areas, previously zoned almost exclusively for commercial uses, have not fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to remote work for many office workers. This makes central business districts good candidates for additional housing. Cities can encourage the of some commercial buildings to housing through zoning codes. This would allow residents to live in job-, transit-, and amenity-rich areas and decrease reliance on personal vehicles.

Local governments can encourage denser development with other smart growth strategies, particularly policies that limit urban sprawl. Portland, Oregon, for example, instituted growth containment boundaries, which encourage density by setting limits for how far urban areas can expand, limiting sprawl. Policies like building moratoria that control the number of building permits issued in suburban areas can limit sprawl and promote density in urban areas, encouraging commuters to switch from personal vehicles to transit.

Governments in urban areas can also lower or remove minimum parking requirements. Requiring buildings to have a minimum number of parking spaces can increase costs and encourage people to drive more. Eliminating parking requirements also creates more space in cities for new housing and amenities, and for street designs that make it easier for residents to use low-carbon forms of transportation, such as bike lanes.

Newer buildings often lack units with three or more bedrooms, which contributes to sprawl as families move to the suburbs in search of housing that accommodates their needs. Land use and zoning regulations can encourage additional bedrooms through density or height bonuses or require some developments to include larger units to avoid pushing families out of cities.

Land use policies must center equity

Historically, federal, state, and local governments have weaponized zoning codes against disadvantaged communities, leading to inequitable outcomes. Residents may be skeptical of additional land use changes, so local governments should engage community-based organizations and disadvantaged community residents, encouraging them to take an active role in neighborhood land use and transportation planning and ensuring their needs are met. Engaging with these communities can limit unintended consequences such as gentrification and housing displacement when investment and development increases in neighborhoods.

Beyond community engagement, local governments can also act directly to prevent displacement and gentrification. Washington, DC, for instance, bought low-cost land and preserved it for affordable housing development. Local governments can also require developers to allocate a certain percentage of new or rehabilitated units to low- and middle-income households. However, policymakers should note that this approach is most successful when coordinated with other local governments in the surrounding metropolitan area because the effectiveness of these policies can depend on regional housing market conditions.

Many cities and localities have robust climate goals that will require substantial reductions in transportation emissions. Expanded transit and micro-mobility, more efficient land use, and reduced reliance on automobiles are practical tools to meet those goals. Cities should center equity in their planning and work with disadvantaged communities to create better places to live and work for all residents.

This Article Was About

Homes and Multifamily Buildings Commercial Buildings Building Policies and Codes Local and Community Initiatives Transportation System Efficiency

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Mixed-Use Development Is Vital to Reducing Transportation Emissions

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More equitable land use policies can help support a built environment that accommodates dense and affordable urban neighborhoods

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This video is about how mixed use development will save the environment.

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This video is about how mixed use development will save the environment.

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This is a video on the riverwalk development project.

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This is a video on the riverwalk development project.

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Council Approves 195-Acre Riverwalk Neighborhood In Mission Valley

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Reflection on padlet. I choose these articles because even though I didn't grow up in San Diego, I visited every other weekend growing up and I love the city. I also choose this because mixed use development is the most obvious way to fix housing shortages in cities. It also helped that I had the articles and videos already ready to go. 

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Reflection on padlet. I choose these articles because even though I didn't grow up in San Diego, I visited every other weekend growing up and I love the city. I also choose this because mixed use development is the most obvious way to fix housing shortages in cities. It also helped that I had the articles and videos already ready to go. 