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Economist: Curb Sprawl And Tampa Grows

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By MICHAEL SASSO, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 24, 2007

TAMPA - During a lunch speech Tuesday, an economist from Portland, Ore. - a city known for its bicycle paths and hybrid car drivers - shared his vision for how the Tampa Bay area can succeed economically from Earth-friendly policies.

But amid his idealistic visions, a University of South Florida student gave the audience a harsh reality check.

'I'm outta here as soon as I graduate,' said Nikki Pike, 29, who rose from her seat at the Hyatt Regency downtown to pose a question to the economist.

To her, Tampa isn't a place of bicycle paths and charming cafes, but one of cookie-cutter suburban houses and traffic jams.

'I call Tampa the land of the strip malls,' Pike told a reporter after the speech.

Many residents would likely say she is overlooking the Bay area's positives, but the comment hit home with the theme of Tuesday's meeting: that the Tampa Bay area can do more to make itself more livable, particularly for affluent, educated young people, without hurting economic development.

During an hourlong speech, economist Joseph Cortright explained how Portland created its reputation for clean, orderly neighborhoods and pedestrian-friendly streets, and how Tampa can at least start to do the same.

The luncheon was sponsored by CreativeTampaBay, the Tampa Downtown Partnership and CEOs for Cities.

Known For Study
Cortright is known locally for studies including 'The Young and the Restless,' which suggested that the Bay area has a problem attracting and keeping 25- to 34-year-olds.

One feature in which Tampa needs improvement is sprawl, Cortright said. For example, ever-expanding housing developments have caused Bay area residents to drive farther and spend more time behind the wheel. The average person in the Bay area drives 28 miles per day, compared with a national average of about 24 miles a day.

In Portland, that average is just 20 miles per day, partly because Portland is more densely developed than Tampa.

If Bay area residents could reduce their daily commutes to match the national average - 24 miles per day per person - they could save $1.8 billion a year, based on the Tampa Bay area's population and other factors, Cortright said. That money could be put to other uses to boost the economy, he said.

Another opportunity: getting the community to back a light-rail system.

If You Build It ...

In Tampa, critics of a light-rail system often say the area lacks enough density of houses and businesses to make the trains viable.

However, Cortright called that a 'chicken-and-egg thing.' If you don't have enough density, people won't support light rail. But if you don't build a train system, people won't build around it and you won't get density.

In Portland, the community built a light-rail system and made it free to ride within the city's urban core. Because the system was free and convenient, people began building around it and density increased, Cortright said.

Reporter Michael Sasso can be reached at (813) 259-7865 or msasso@tampatrib.com.

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