Paul Page Dwellings

A ½ penny for our city will benefit every neighborhood in Little Rock.  A ½ penny will generate an estimated 22 million dollars for City Parks. Those 22 million dollars could be used to finance a bond that would make “City in a Park”a reality, now!  One-fourth of the penny would be for capital and the other fourth for operations and maintenance. The capital would be for a limited campaign to upgrade all our parks, including the Zoo and Bike Trails. The O/M would continue to be devoted to upkeep now and in the future. The 2001 Master Plan for Parks would be the roadmap, the promise to every citizen that they would gain from this quality of life issue.

The obvious value to a “City in a Park”, that includes a eight-block strategy for walkable neighborhoods is a quality of life, a quality of health, a quality of family life! These amenities attract economic activity. They help bind the community together!

In the UALR racial attitudes studies, trust in city government is faltering in less affluent neighborhoods. City in a Park + ½ Penny is a way to restore some of that community trust. Rebuilding our Parks is unifying and welcome by most. The trust gap needs to be mended. In the UALR study Whites and African Americans responded overwhelming, (80%) that we can make the community better, which bodes well for a ½ penny for Parks and our City.

The EPA has decided that CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gases pose a danger to the public. Will the Congress or the EPA take responsible actions? Legislation or Regulation seems more likely now. Instead of Cap and Trade or a Tax of some form, I prefer to be proactive.  Little Rock and our surrounding region could offset our transportation, agricultural and buildings carbon emissions.

We could use Density, to offset our CO2 emissions. Recent studies in New Urban News show that people who live in cities and near transit generate substantially lower greenhouse emissions. A study by the International Institute for Environment and Development looked at 12 cities, and found that city dwellers generate far fewer CO2 than folks who live in the suburbs or rural areas. Households that live near transit produce 43 percent less greenhouse gases and those in central business districts produce the least emissions of all.

If Little Rock could embrace the benefits of Density in our urban core and public transit in its aggregate, then we should use Density to aid in lowering our CO2 emissions in our City and Region. In a concentrated core we could live healthier, more productive lives and contribute locally and globally.

A strategy to reintegrate downtown, using a transit investment, as a catalyst for economic development and place making to shape our community.

• Main Street-3^rd to 17^th Street, then 6^th Street or Capitol Street to the State Capitol
• 150 Blocks of potential development
• Takes in 3 blocks either side of proposed transit line, Walkability
• Connects and takes full advantage of Government  workers, buildings to create workforce housing, leading to more retail
• Government, Business Leaders, Health, Cultural and Civic Institutions would be connected
• Turn Greyscape,(surface parking) to Offices,  Housing, Retail Amenities
• Would create a strong political collaboration
• Re-populate downtown,  preserves schools, tax base, decreases commutes, increases our use of our existing infrastructure
• Take advantage of  our current President’s agenda to help Urban areas and infrastructure needs to bolster the economy
• Careful planning and collaboration among developers, government agencies, and community groups can build trust and acceptance of downtown transit
• Help stabilize and promote surrounding areas in central  Little Rock, thus benefiting neighborhoods and decreasing safety concerns
• A vibrant downtown will attract more sustainable economic activity