City studies parking situation on Ninth Street; can new parking deck be in the works?

In the last year I have covered many planned construction and development projects around Ninth Street, including the controversial Harris Teeter, the Circle Nine apartments, the renovation of the space formerly occupied by George's Garage, and other miscellaneous projects. 

But while growth -- smart or otherwise -- is on the way, questions have been raised by local businesses and residents alike about the future of Ninth Street Shopping District, particularly in light of the attention the newly revitalized downtown Durham has grabbed in the imagination of the local leaders and the national media.

One such concern, expressed very clearly by several business owners of Ninth Street establishments, as well as  the commenters to this WRAL article about Ninth Street, is the lack of parking. Aside from street parking, shoppers can park at a city-leased lot directly across the street the Regulator Bookshop Shop. There are also some parking lots on Hillsborough Road and on Iredell St. but no clear guide or path to find parking for a person who is not familiar with the area. 

So it was with some interest that I have recently learned that the City Council has recently commissioned a comprehensive parking study for Ninth Street and Downtown, retaining Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. to provide professional consultant services on the situation. 

If, as I suspect, the consultants determine that there is a lack of sufficient parking to attract additional shoppers to Ninth Street, the most logical remedy would be to build a well-designed and unobtrusive parking deck somewhere in the strip, perhaps replacing the surface parking lot. If designed and built correctly - this new parking deck can be a boon for business, giving new shoppers an easy and clearly demarcated way to park without subtracting from the overall pedestrian and small-town feel of the area. 

Why are urban neighborhoods are the future of housing

A pair of interesting articles on Salon and Atlantic Cities examine the long-term demographic shifts that are increasingly favoring smaller, walkable, and urban neighborhoods like ours over the dominant housing style of the the previous half century - the suburban development. The authors point to a great convergence of two large demographic groups - the Baby Boomers (1946-1964) and the Millennials (1981-2000) both of which are increasingly interested in communities that are easily accessible and pedestrian friendly.

While the Baby Boomers are downsizing and seeking smaller houses with less upkeep and closer to community centers, hospitals, restaurants, and parks, the Milleanials are outright rejecting their parents' suburban lifestyles in favor of higher density neighborhoods. This is evidenced by surveys showing that Americans are driving fewer miles and that fewer young drivers are getting drivers' licenses. Even more striking is the fact that  46% of drivers aged 18-24 said they would choose internet access over owning a car.

While it may be premature to celebrate the end of American's love affair with the car -- and surely some of the conclusions are due to the terrible economy and its disproportionate impact on young people -- the long-term trends are unmistakable: the demand for urban, walkable neighborhoods is going to far outstrip the supply for many years to come.

The graph below demonstrates this better than I can the representation of demand for transit-oriented development via-a-vis the supply. 

This data is further confirmed by the 2011 Community Preference Survey by the National Association of Realtor's, which indicated that 58% of all responds indicated a preference for "a neighborhood with a mix of houses and stores and other businesses within an easy walk."

All of this suggests a continued, strong interest in urban real estate but it also raises a question: will the pent-up demand translate into higher real-estate prices or more rentors. After all, the other great story about this recession has been the rise of rental housing nationwide, including the Triangle, which hit the highest occupancy rate of rental properties in a decade.

Although I am personally ambivalent on rent vs. own debate, the folks at Trulia Trends have devised a really neat tool which shows in which metro area it is cheaper to buy a home rather than rent. Not surprisingly, in our region it is still more affordable to buy than it is to rent. 

Sidewalks, connectivity, and corporate irresponsibility

Courtesy: capl@washjeff.edu

One of the things that makes urban core of Durham special is a fairly mature system of sidewalks and trails that contribute to a pedestrian-friendly environment in and around the Ninth Street Shopping District. The  fact that residents and visitors can easily walk to most places adds to the neighborhood's attractiveness both in terms of development and home values. When compared to suburban neighborhoods on the periphery of Durham or towns such as Greensboro or Fayetteville, the city has done well maintaining and enhancing its sidewalk infrastructure.

But there is one glaring hole in this otherwise encouraging story; namely the sordid tale of corporate indifference exhibited by the railroad company Norfolk Southern.   It owns the right-of-way to many (if not all) railroad crossings around Durham. The best example is located in our neighborhood -- just take a look at the sidewalk running alongside Swift avenue, as it crosses Main and Durham Freeway.