Local Partners to Host Workshop “The Dollars and Sense of Development Patterns”
May 18, 2015
Keynote speaker Joe Minicozzi will describe the impacts of varying development patterns on county and municipal budgets
GREENVILLE, SC – According to Joe Minicozzi, if county and city decision-makers understood the economic impacts of their land-planning decisions, they would likely make those decisions differently. In Greenville on May 19, Mr. Minicozzi will provide a clear demonstration of how city design and varying land development patterns impact the bottom lines of both counties and their incorporated municipalities in a workshop entitled “The Dollars and Sense of Development Patterns,” Minicozzi is nationally recognized for his development of award-winning analytic tools that break down complex data so communities can have informed decisions regarding the way they choose to grow and develop.
The event will also feature Robert Dietz from the National Association of Homebuilders to report on market trends as evidenced by a recent national consumer preference poll. Mr. Dietz will focus on the millennial generation – the largest in history – which is just beginning to enter the market.
Rounding out the workshop will be Greenwood City Manager Charlie Barrineau, who will discuss the benefits that the City of Greenwood has realized from investing in its downtown core.
“Upstate Forever seeks opportunities to educate elected officials and the general public on the ramifications of land use decisions. Those decisions greatly impact our quality of life, not to mention our cost of living,” said Lisa Hallo, Sustainable Communities Program Director at Upstate Forever. “We were very excited to partner with the Greater Greenville Association of Realtors and the Greenville Homebuilders Association to bring Mr. Mincozzi to the Upstate.”
“Twenty years ago the market demanded sprawl. That is not the case today. The millennial generation is the largest in history. Their buying choices will have a real impact on the way we build for years to come. Unlike their parents, millennials may be willing to give up the big lots and big homes for a nice affordable single-family detached unit that is walkable to restaurants and other amenities,” says Michael Dey, Vice President of the Greenville Homebuilders Association. “The problem is that land use regulations don’t make that product very easy to build. Minimum lot sizes, single-use zoning and parking requirements all impact the ease of building what these millennials are saying they’ll want when they buy their first home.”
According to Chris Bailey of the Greater Greenville Association of Realtors, “We need to stop categorizing development as purely suburban or urban. There is a new category – walkable suburban – that makes good economic sense and that the market is demanding. The subdivisions of the past were single-use, where residents could reach other locations only by driving. Much of the needed residential development of the future should bemixed use or exist within close proximity to some restaurants, shops or other amenities.”
This workshop will begin at 3:00 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza on Congaree Road in Greenville. The cost to attend is $10 and advance registration is required. This event is the second in the 2015 Shaping Our Future Speaker Series. For more information or to register, see www.UpstateForever.org or www.TenatTheTop.org. The series aims to inspire informed community dialogue regarding the connections between land use decisions and county and municipal budgets, quality of life, and the environment. Series partners include Ten at the Top, Upstate Forever, the Greater Greenville Association of Realtors, the Riley Institute at Furman University and the Upstate SC Alliance.
For more information on the Shaping Our Future Speaker Series, contact Lisa Hallo at[email protected] or (864) 250-0500.
About Upstate Forever
Upstate Forever is a nonprofit, membership-based organization promoting sensible growth and the protection of special places in the Upstate region of South Carolina. Our three program areas are Land Trust, Sustainable Communities, and Clean Air and Water. Founded in 1998, Upstate Forever now has nearly 2,000 members, two offices, and a staff of 18. For more information, visit www.upstateforever.org.
