El Paso like many cities has been spreading out further and further while the city centre declines. This week we had a number of tours and trips which foccussed on how el paso is adopting and implementing smart growth and new urbanism.
El Paso is at the beginning of this journey and had adopted a green building ordinance for it's public buildings. The city also offers a grant of up to $400,000 for multistory structures for green building retrofits. The city also has a number of other grants such as facade upgrades programs, and tax exemptions for historic buldings to encourage reinvestment.
The buildings and places we visited show how the challenges of sustainability, reducing ghg emissions, and building a viable and vibrant city can be achieved at the same time.
the inside of the lift had a mural all the way up the inside of the building
roller windows to ventilate the apartments and connect them to the street
In el paso's old warehousing district some privately owned buildings are being retofitted for office space and loft apartments using LEED green building principles. What both these places showed that simplicity was often a major theme in the retrofits with the buildings often stripped back to their bones, with natural lighting. Art and creativity were major themes and both buildings included a mix of uses.
Parallel to the investment in downtown the city is planning for Bus Rapid Transit stops which all lead to a central hub near the city centre. We visited two new bus terminals which had been built to LEED standards (but not yet certified). As in Austin, charging stations for electric vehciles is being thought of and the conduit has been laid in prepaprtion for the plug in facilities.
One of the stops was notable for the way it integrated a historic building housing a mini museum and public place, while the other showcased how a multistory parking facility can be integrated with transit faciltiies. Both also showed how the small things count (such as painting the ceiling of the parking building white) and how art can be used.
transit and high quality public space go hand in hand; on the left the mission trail visitor centre.
for more detail take a look at El paso's website www.planelpaso.org that showcases the work they have done on their comprehensive plan - a strategy for the redevelopment of the city.