Sprawled Out: The Search for Community in the American Suburb

New Report: “Bright Flight” means younger, more affluent cities. And suburbs sit on their collective hands.

ABOVE: Cities, like Washington, D.C., are attracting a younger, more affluent, white population. Photo by Poldavo (Alex).

From “Bright Flight” Means Younger, More Affluent Cities | TheCityFix.com:

A new study from the Brookings Institution, “The State of Metropolitan America,” shows that, for the first time, America’s suburbs are more likely to be home to minorities, the poor and a rapidly growing older population, while younger, educated whites move to cities for better jobs and shorter commutes. The report analyzes census data from 2000-2008 in the United States’ 100 largest metropolitan areas, revealing a reversal of historical demographic trends. (See an interactive map here.)

So, the question is: What will suburbs like mine do to meet this challenge?

I can tell you what Franklin, Wisconsin is currently doing: Nothing.

No initiatives, projects, forums, or incentive programs. In fact, we just pledged a half million dollars to a neighboring community for a superfluous highway interchange, a move that tells the world that Franklin is still about a decade behind the curve.

And, unfortunately, the collegial environment depicted in the photo above is virtually nonexistent in my suburb, and it's something savvy first-time home-buyers are much more aware of now than they were, say, ten years ago (I, for one, was not a savvy home-buyer when it came to judging the community surrounding my house.)

Last year I proposed, via my position on the Economic Development Commission, an city-sponsored effort to work with a developer to encourage creation of a coffee shop/co-working space next to the Franklin library. A member of the Commission argued for "green space" instead - next to a park. Another wanted to add a "friendly amendment" to the Commission's recommendation stating that no money whatsoever be spent on the effort.

So much for that.

Many trade city living for the traditionally strong school districts found in suburbs; "Sure, I'm isolated and can't get anywhere without a car, but my kids are in a good school." However, strangled as they are by ill-fated TIF deals and taxpayer revolts ("My property tax is too high!"), suburban school districts are facing imminent decline. Franklin's school district is cutting an alarming number of positions, and the high school is an old relic.

Suburban public amenities? "Community columnists" decry funding community libraries!

Why bother anymore?

We may be looking at a whole new attitude toward the idea of home ownership. From The Atlantic website:

Houses make sense when you're rooted, financially and geographically. The future of the America is itinerant, flexible, and wary of burying money in an immobile "economic trap." Throw in the 100 million Americans we're expected to add in the next four decades, and you've got a congestion problem that suggests we should replace front lawns and sedans with apartments and trains. 

The blog's author, Derek Thompson, is referring to opinions set forth in Richard Florida's new book, THE GREAT RESET (which is the very first e-book I purchased for my iPad).

Thompson quotes the following from Florida's book:

We've reached the limits of what George W. Bush used to call the "ownership society." Owning your own home made sense when people could hope to hold a job for most or all of their lives. But in an economy that revolves around mobility and flexibility, a house that can't be sold becomes an economic trap, preventing people from moving freely to economic opportunity. Not only has that piece of the American Dream grown dark, but it's also clear that financial excess in the housing sector was one of the central causes of the economic crisis. The rate of home ownership has been on the decline for some time now. Many of those who still choose to buy homes will choose smaller ones, while many more will opt for rental housing.

Our new way of life is likely to depend a whole lot less on the car. In October 2009, The New York Times reported "...After more than a century in which an automobile represented the American dream, car enthusiasm may no longer be a part of Americans' DNA." Car culture no longer exerts the powerful pull it once did. More and more families are deciding to share cars, and young people are putting off buying them and using public transit, bikes, their feet or Zipcars (membership-based, easy-access short-term car rentals) instead. It's not just that oil and gas have become expensive, it's that traffic and gridlock have become a deadweight time cost on us and our economy.

Compared with the end of 2008, the average household is now spending an extra $135 a month for fuel. But, to repeat: My suburb just pledged $500,000 to build a highway interchange that we don't need in a neighboring community. And it's not just money that will be going to the edge of town and over the border, it will be development as well. Why build a neighborhood-based coffee shop when you can toss up an offramp-serving drive-thru java shed right next to the freeway?

At the same time, Franklin is pouring money into a streetscape design for a commercial strip that all but ignores transit options like dedicated bus lanes and Zipcar facilities. Instead, our big-ticket item on 27th Street is "enhanced lighting"  - the seventh most popular item mentioned on preference surveys, as Franklin Alderman (and 27th Street Steering Committee Chairman) Steve Olson is fond of reminding us.

If success and sustainability are a destination, perhaps it's time suburbs - mine in particular - realize that the road that brought them here won't get them there.

Shared Work Spaces - WSJ.com

The Wall Street Journal takes a look at co-working spaces, which I have proposed for Franklin.

Telecommuters, entrepreneurs, and the self-employed all grapple with the logistical challenges of working alone. At home, workers face isolation and domestic distraction. At the corner coffee shop offering free Wi-Fi, there's insufficient privacy, too few electrical outlets and the nuisance of latte orders shouted out through the day.

A growing number of workers face these hassles every day. As of November 2009, there were nine million self-employed workers in the U.S., according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Meanwhile, the volume of workers telecommuting at least once a month for employers grew 17% between 2006 and 2008, to 33.7 million workers, according to WorldatWork, a human-resources research firm in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Read the rest at: Cranky Consumer | A Test of Shared Work Spaces - WSJ.com

Building on good bones vs. making room for a drive-thru

The Former Herda's True Value Hardware Store in St. Martins

With last week's Economic Development Commission meeting canceled due to lack of a quorum (mass illness), I was able to attend and listen in on an organizational meeting of a group called Franklin Citizens for Community Development (formerly known as "Franklin First"), a project organized by blogger Greg Kowalski and James Mullarkey (a Franklin Community Development Authority Commissioner). I wanted to get a sense of their intent.

I listened as they discussed possible mission statements. At first, I heard a lot of "we need a water park," "we need a performing arts center," "why aren't we Mequon?" "high-end amenities!" etc.

I brought with me a picture of the empty hardware store down in St. Martins, which is a beautiful building, and reminded them that the city has some good "bones" to build on; their organization would do well, in other words, to exploit current assets before crying out for more new construction. This seemed to be enthusiastically received.

I also introduced the term "sustainable" to their discussion. One look at the city's budget will tell you that the current way of doing things is not going to work for much longer. Perhaps Citizens for Community Development could use their energy and voices to promote the small steps that are needed in order to create a more economically vibrant city. For instance, promoting small businesses in town is an excellent way to enrich the local economy: For every dollar spent at a local business, 45% is reinvested locally. Spent a dollar at a corporate chain and a mere 15% is reinvested locally.

(We will hopefully be talking more, by the way, about the building above on this blog in the near future.)

Meanwhile, Kowalski's Franklin Today blog reports a rumor that the now-vacant Sentry store on 76th and Rawson may be purchased by neighboring Walgreens, and - amazingly - razed to make room for a drive-thru window.

That's right: Torn down for a drive-thru window.

The bar is once again lowered.

Co-Working: Start-Ups Share Space to Shave Costs

Hoping to explore this direction here in Franklin via my coffee shop/co-working space concept:

From: Start-Ups Share Space to Shave Costs - WSJ.com:

For three years, Tobias Roediger and a friend spent their spare time in Mr. Roediger's basement working on a dream: starting a small digital-film and visual-effects company. When Mr. Roediger lost his full-time job as a computer-lab supervisor in June, the friends decided it was time to launch the company -- and move out of the basement.

They were able to afford the move by "co-working," a rental arrangement in which the tenants -- usually small-business owners and professionals -- share space and office equipment, and pay short-term leases, usually month to month. Some co-working spaces feature groups of desks positioned in open rooms; others have individual offices. Many provide certain amenities such as a receptionist, kitchen or game room.

Tobias Roediger runs his digital-film company in a shared office space he rents from Qwirk for $500 a month.
For entrepreneurs, it's a cheaper and more flexible alternative to renting or buying space of their own. The 32-year-old Mr. Roediger and his partner contracted with Qwirk Columbus Corp., a recently opened co-working space in downtown Columbus, Ohio, to pay $500 a month for two desks in an office, computers with Wi-Fi, use of conference rooms, a shared printer/copy/fax machine, espresso maker and more. Mr. Roediger estimates he's saving $300 to $400 per month on utility bills and not having to rent space he doesn't need.

It's also a much more social setting than Mr. Roediger's basement. "The thing that really drew me was the ability to work with a lot of other creative people," says Mr. Roediger, who adds that the shared space is good for networking, too: He says he's been talking to an advertising company on the premises about a possible deal.

Sharing office space with other businesses isn't new, but the tanking economy has prompted many small-business owners to consider it as they look for any practical way to lower overhead costs.

Some providers of co-working space are also offering reduced rates and even giving entrepreneurs opportunities to barter their services in return for paying no rent at all.

In February, Office Nomads LLC of Seattle started giving a "Pink Slip Special" to customers who were recently laid off, offering a free one-month membership worth $375. Overall, a dozen people took advantage of the offer, which ended last month, says Susan Evans, co-owner of Office Nomads.

Winnie Fung, a manager of the Change You Want to See Gallery, a nonprofit co-working space in Brooklyn, N.Y., says she sees a lot more bartering than she did a few years ago. At least three or four people from the 10 in her co-working space have partially or fully bartered their services for desk space, she says.

Ms. Fung says a few months ago she made a deal with one of her members, a tech start-up owner, to look after the building's computers and Internet service in return for free space.

Glenn Okun, clinical professor of management and entrepreneurship at New York University's Stern School of Business, say that the co-working environment presents an opportunity to tap into the collective expertise of the group and create business deals with other business owners, who are just a cubicle away.

Other experts, though, say small-business owners should be wary about the loss of privacy in such a workplace.

Sara Beckman, a senior lecturer who has taught a course on workplace design issues at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, suggests that entrepreneurs should consider these drawbacks: "Am I sharing the space with people who are direct competitors? How do I draw boundaries around the information I can and cannot share with people who don't work in my organization?"

Michael Patino of Fairfax, Va., who was laid off in October from an executive-search firm, started his own firm, Patino Associates LLC, and says he saw co-working as a better alternative to working from home. It's a more professional place for clients to visit, and a businesslike environment in which to make calls and conduct interviews.

But he didn't want a work space that was airy and open. "I needed four quiet walls," he says, to evoke the image of confidentiality, especially when he needed to interview candidates for executive positions.

For six months he worked at home, while also taking care of two kids. But "in a field where you spend most of your time on the phone, [home] is not the best dynamic in the long term," says Mr. Patino.

He started looking for a suitable co-working space for his company and found one in McLean, Va., owned by Preferred Offices LLC, which has nine locations in the Washington area. Mr. Patino signed a 12-month lease in June. He says he spends $2,000 a month, which includes the lease, utility, telephone and Internet charges, and a receptionist, who works for all the businesses on the floor.

"It's wonderful so far," he says. "There's an extra layer of credibility when there's someone picking up the phone for you."

Write to Raymund Flandez at [email protected]

The New Shape of Office Space | Planetizen

The New Shape of Office Space | Planetizen.

"Coworking is rapidly emerging as a meme for the reorganization of knowledge work among entrepreneurs, programmers, writers and even, as we learned during our visits, sustainable furniture designers. The majority of discussions of the social implications of the Internet on the evolution of work and cities revolve around concepts such as the virtual office, online collaboration, and telecommuting. But, coworking communities (and related phenomenon that have grown out of the culture of the open source movement such as MeetUps and BarCamps) illustrate the ways in which these emergent forms of organizing are deeply embedded in physical places and, at the same time, enabled by new technologies such as laptops and wireless networks.

As the material artifacts of offices – messages, documents, photos and plans - are digitized and stored on servers, physical spaces have the potential to become increasingly open, flexible and sharable. Data security concerns aside, one can imagine a future scenario when most of the tools that we need to work effectively will be accessed and stored in “the cloud”. This allows the dynamic reorganization and co-location of people, firms and activities that have been separated since the early days of industrialization, the advent of the hierarchical firm and the rise of cities themselves. For example, an office building might house a conference room that doubles as an entertainment room for the co-located apartments. Such arrangements will require new ways of thinking about private and semi-private spaces, trust and security, and ownership and property."

Baby steps: Request for Council Action

 
ABOVE: A rather ambitious vision of co-working space

To move mountains, start with a scoopful of sand.

Here is the admittedly low-ball request for council action (hard to say "no" to something that costs nothing and obligates no one) related to my community co-venture coffee shop/co-working space scheme:

_______

At their regular meeting on 4/26/09, the Economic Development Commission discussed an item that proposes the City encourage a community-based development on the site of the former Schleutter residence adjacent to Fire Station 1, the Library and Lions Legend Park. The discussion centered around development of a coffee shop with facilities for “co-working” space, with a patio area. The presentation suggested that the development act as a community incubator and involve various educational and private commercial entities—including possible philanthropic grants—to co-fund and operate the facilities; thus, it is an economic development project with educational and community-building elements.
 
The Commission now requests that the Common Council permit members of the EDC to enter into discussions with numerous groups regarding the concept and development of such a project, and hold these discussions as representatives of the city.
 
It is important to remember that the idea is at the conceptual level and many issues must be dealt with prior to returning to the Common Council for formal approval of a plan and commitments being made.
 
 
Council Action:
 
Motion to authorize various members of the Economic Development Commission to discuss the possibility of a mixed-use community-based “coffee shop/co-working space” with interested parties and develop a plan for possible implementations.

Franklin EDC meeting notes, Part 3: Get creative

I promised part 3 would end my report on Monday night’s Economic Development meeting on a high note. Frankly, I had no where to go but up (see part 1 and part 2).

My last item on the agenda was titled simply: “Discussion Relating to City-Owned Land Between Fire Station and Public Library - Member Michlig.”

Call it a challenge. Call it a symbol. Call it tilting at windmills.

Some background:

Franklin has never had any sort of “downtown”; in fact, city leaders have long disagreed on where the “city center” is. The strip mall intersection at Rawson and 76th? The new Shoppes at Wyndham Village? Sendik’s and long-languishing Fountains of Franklin at Rawson and 51st?

In truth, the only real -- and well-used, by the way -- public space in Franklin is the Public Library. It’s next to a public park, which in turn is next to a subdivision that has paths connecting it to the large play areas, tennis courts and shelters. Rental housing and apartment buildings stand on the other park border, and City Hall is in the same area. Senior apartments are only a few yards south. It’s a unique multi-purpose area in town. I’ve blogged before about the incredible amount of available space in this area -- the library is surrounded by a huge lawn, for instance.

So what’s missing? Despite the presence of residential (owners and renters, young and old), municipal (library, city hall, police station) and park zones, a piece is badly needed.

As it happens, the city recently bought a house that sits between the library and the firehouse. The property is on a corner, separated from the library by a street and the residential areas by the park. Because of asbestos contamination, the whole structure will be removed, leaving an empty parcel of land.

Click to embiggen

Here is a short sketch of the proposal/challenge/Quixotic quest I described to the EDC:

The city of Franklin, along with partners that will become apparent, builds on the site where the residence once was a COFFEE SHOP and CO-WORKING SPACE. Two stories, built right up to the sidewalk (no setback) on two sides (no drive-thru), with a courtyard in back that segues into the park - a beautiful public space that sits at the intersection of the library and the park that residential neighborhoods can easily access on foot.

The missing piece!

Following a model established at the Blatz building in Milwaukee, where Milwaukee School of Engineering students run the building’s cafe, the city partners with Milwaukee Area Technical College; the students, as part of MATC curriculum, run the coffee shop, handling everything from accounting to grinding beans. Franklin High School can also be involved, as students can work there for credit.

Want to learn business? Run a business!

Want to encourage wonderful public space around a commercial amenity? Build an example for others to follow!

Corporate sponsorship is not at all out of the question: OfficeMax, FedEx/Kinkos, Starbucks, Dunn Bros., Starbucks, Northwestern Mutual Foundation, etc. A community/educational/economic development effort like this is something great to be associated with.

• The project acts as a "development laboratory," wherein the city can show by example what sort of development we'd like to see. Along the way, we'll also learn a lot about flaws in the developer-city process and relationship that we can address as they appear.
• In tough economic times, planning and building a community asset like this acts as a potent symbol of our confidence in Franklin. Why should we expect business to take root here if we're not willing to do it ourselves as well?
• At long last, a vibrant,  multi-use city center will begin to emerge.
• The facility is an educational asset to MATC and Franklin High School.
• The project will bring together the talents and passions of the community: local craftsmen and contractors pitching in; creative minds devising site plans and architecture; business leaders donating assets and money; etc.
• Open space adjacent to the cafe can be used for, among other events, monthly or bi-monthly Farmers' Markets coordinated with market events held in St. Martins.
• Franklin will at last have a "third place" for people to lounge, work, surf the net, read and meet. No more driving to Borders and Barnes & Noble in Greenfield.
• The co-working facilities -- both paid-by-the-month space and free work areas -- will be desirable to the growing corps of "free agents," newly freelance, and mobile workers.
• It'll be a great stop for residents of Waterford and Burlington on their way to and from the freeway.

As they advise in vaudeville, go out on a high note.

After facing blank stares (and worse) earlier in meeting while talking about complete streets, smart growth, and preparing for transit (see part 1 and part 2), this idea seemed to resonate with everyone in the room.

So it's off to the Common Council to get authorization for a subcommittee to pursue the idea.

I'll call it a happy ending. For now.

Parade Prep

Parade Prep, originally uploaded by johnruexp.

What a beautiful day.

On my way to the library to set up yet another remote office (this time on the little outdoor deck, where I am right now), I met some forward-thinking Franklinites who are already setting up for tomorrow's 4th of July parade. They're getting a TENT up right now, and invited me to stop by tomorrow for bloody marys.

I will probably take them up on that.

But, once again, I'm reminded that the Franklin Library's barren and broad front lawn could sure use a coffee shop and/or public courtyard.

Fountains of Franklin: No tenants, but looking to build. Here's a suggestion -

(Image above from Cooltown Studios)

Let me make a (in light of my current situation, rather selfish) suggestion to the developers of Fountains of Franklin: TWO STORY BUILDINGS with co-working spaces up top - - WiFi, phones, electric, desks and chairs - - that collect nominal monthly/weekly/daily "user fees" whether or not the commercial spaces below are leased. Maybe a handy FedEx Kinko's Office and Print Center moves in. Starbucks loves these gatherings of coffee-swilling laptop pounders who can be counted on to show up every day (better yet, let a locally-owned coffeeshop get in there).

Imagine - - actual all-day foot traffic! People coming and going! Impromtu meetings in the greenspace! Bike racks!

Truth is, you should have done that with the ANDY'S building, which now has attractive empty windows on either side of the service station section of the building - no tenants.

C'mon - think outside the box already. Shoppes at Wyndham Village is certainly no threat to do something the least bit innovative or outside their build-a-stripmall kit - - make yourself stand out! Create a positive vibe over there!

Or build another strip mall.

See also:
Third place coffeehouses and coworking sites as economic development tools
Attract more creatives with 'anchored coworking'

From FranklinNow.com:

For the second time in six weeks the Plan Commission conditionally approved a plan for the next phase of the Fountains of Franklin Sendik's development. The Common Council has yet to cast its vote on the plan.

The $25 million to $30 million project would feature two commercial buildings totaling 39,700 square feet. Both structures, which do not have tenants yet, would be adjacent to the 61,500-square-foot Sendik's Fine Foods, a popular store that opened in November.

After reviewing revised architectural plans, the commission on June 19 conditionally approved a revised certified survey map for the next phase of the multiphase development in the 5300 to 5400 blocks of West Rawson Avenue. The commission called for more tweaking, particularly to the larger building's south elevation, which will face Rawson Avenue.

The commission approved a similar plan last month, but it was rejected the the Common Council on May 20.

Free Wi-Fi is all Starbucks needs to conquer the world - and it arrives Tuesday

This could be the final nail in the coffin of locally-owned coffee-houses: Affordable (read: FREE) Wi-Fi at Starbucks.

Frankly, free Wi-Fi is probably the number one factor for me in choosing a spot to sit and drink expensive coffee - - a "third place" where I can escape the home office for a bit. I imagine this'll bring in the laptops by the bucketful.

From USATODAY.com:

Starbucks offers new flavor: Free Wi-Fi
By Bruce Horovitz, USA TODAY

Thirsty for more business during the worst slump in its history, Starbucks will try to lure more customers by offering two hours of free AT&T Wi-Fi a day.
The Wi-Fi freebie will be available starting Tuesday to customers who purchase a minimum $5 reloadable Starbucks Card, register online for the Starbucks Rewards Card program, and use the card at least once a month. The two hours must be consecutive. New members also receive a voucher for a free drink.

Starbucks' 7-year-old relationship with T-Mobile for Wi-Fi service is being phased out in 2008.

For the coffee chain, the move is an attempt to entice its shrinking customer base — cutting back on pricey treats during the economic downturn — to return. Traffic and sales have been shrinking for months as founder Howard Schultz searches for a way to revive the brand. He's hoping the Wi-Fi freebie will attract more traffic to its 7,000 company-owned U.S. stores.

"Customers have let us know they want to be recognized for choosing Starbucks," says Brad Stevens, vice president of customer relationships. Particularly, he says, at a time when "budgets are tight."

While the Starbucks Card is 6 years old, the rewards program attached to it was rolled out in April. Rewards program members who register online already receive free syrup and milk options with drinks as well as free refills of hot and iced brewed coffees and a free drink when they buy a pound of coffee beans.

One brand experts says Starbucks still has a ways to go to revive the brand's image.

"They are desperate to keep the traffic going in their stores," says Eric Zeitoun, president of Dragon Rouge USA, a brand consulting firm. "But free Internet access won't get you there. Starbucks needs to fundamentally rethink the environment of its stores."

But Stevens says that free Internet will become a "core benefit" of the rewards program.

The Starbucks Card has become a behemoth — with more than $1 billion loaded onto cards last year.

Nearly 14% of all U.S. transactions at Starbucks are paid for using the Starbucks Card, says Stevens.

The card's new rewards program gives Starbucks an opportunity to gather personal information on its best customers (if they opt in), including details on what they like to eat and drink, and even when.

Starbucks is trying to figure out ways to market individually to consumers based on those preferences. "The Holy Grail is to reward customers with exactly what they want," says Stevens.

If you buy a scone each time you visit Starbucks, the chain is looking at programs that would reward you in the future with a free scone from time to time, he says.

Starbucks also is looking at ways to put card data on key fobs, cellphones and even travel mugs.