comprehensive

Organization

Year Initiated

Description

The PLACE3S method and geographic information system (GIS) tools have been used at both the regional and local scale to help develop and implement a regional growth management strategy and to engage citizens and the business community in transit-oriented development. Intended for use by planning agencies, the PLACE3S method was designed to mesh with and enhance standard planning procedures, resource management and economic development strategies. It employs a broad menu of sustainable urban planning and design techniques; quantifies the variables that link transportation, land use, the economy, and the environment; and uses specialized GIS technology to quantify net differences in resource consumption, cost, and social equity. By enabling well-informed and extensive grassroots citizen, business, and agency participation, PLACE3S guides stakeholders through a five-step planning, design and analysis process. It measures how well each alternative plan meets a desired goal and how an adopted plan meets its goals over time. Using PLACE3S, stakeholders can readily track and measure incremental progress toward long range goals.

San Diego’s Euclid Avenue Trolley Station area was the first in the country to use PLACE3S on a neighborhood scale. The site was chosen because of its transit accessibility, redevelopment potential, cultural uses, and active citizen participation. The community expressed an interest in a unique and ethnically diverse neighborhood that promoted education and an environment conducive to businesses and residents. Studies by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) indicated that the region would run out of developable land in less than 10 years and that higher density, inward-directed growth was critical in preserving resource lands to sustain economic growth. The planning process for the area employed PLACE3S to measure traffic, housing and employment, energy use, energy costs, air pollution and other critical factors that contributed to the realization of the community’s vision and values.

Results:

• Using PLACE3S, SANDAG was able to quantify the benefits of their Regional Energy Plan. PLACE3s revealed energy cost savings of nearly $1.5 billion, the creation of over 5,000 new jobs in energy efficient services, and the elimination of ½ million tons of air pollutants over 15 years.
• When used in Oregon’s Eugene/Springfield area, PLACE3S was used to illustrate the benefits of compact growth and transit supporting policies - a $10 million savings to the region over 15 years..

Vital Statistics:

• PLACE3S is an acronym for PLAnning for Community Energy, Economic, and Environmental Sustainability.
• As a customized database, PLACE3S GIS measures resource efficiency and provides a visual representation of different long-term planning scenarios

Key Player(s)

• California Energy Commission
• SANDAG
• City of San Diego
• CalTrans
• Criterion Planners and Engineers, McKeever/Morris, Inc.

Contact Info

References

• Euclid PLACE3S Revitalization Program
• http://www.energy.ca.gov/places/index.html