How to make the region greater? We asked ChatGPT

You might have heard of ChatGPT, a chatbot developed by a firm called OpenAI and launched in November 2022. What advice does this artificial intelligence(AI)-driven interface have on building a greater greater Washington, in the model for which GGWash advocates?

The ‘Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer’ (ChatGPT) has taken off because of its often surprisingly insightful AI-powered responses to questions that you ask it. I asked how it would tackle housing, land use, and transportation goals in the Washington region. Here’s our conversation (I added the bold to make it easier to read).

Dan: Hi. How can we make the Washington DC region into an inclusive, diverse, and growing place where all people can choose to live in walkable urban communities?

ChatGPT: Making the Washington DC region more inclusive, diverse, and walkable would require a multi-faceted approach that addresses social, economic, and environmental challenges. Here are a few steps that could be taken towards this goal:

1. Affordable Housing: Making sure that the region has affordable housing options is critical to ensuring that all people have the ability to live in walkable communities. This could involve incentivizing developers to build more affordable housing units, preserving existing affordable housing, and providing rental assistance to low-income families.
2. Access to Jobs and Transportation: Ensuring that all residents have access to job opportunities and reliable transportation is essential for making the region more inclusive and diverse. This could involve improving public transportation options, increasing access to bike lanes and pedestrian walkways, and providing job training and placement services.
3. Diverse Community Development: Encouraging diverse and inclusive community development is important for creating walkable communities that are welcoming to all people. This could involve supporting small businesses owned by people of color and women, and investing in community-based organizations that serve underrepresented populations.
4. Environmental Sustainability: Making the region more environmentally sustainable is critical for attracting people who are interested in living in walkable communities. This could involve promoting green spaces and parks, investing in clean energy and energy efficiency, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
5. Collaboration and Partnership: Finally, making the Washington DC region into an inclusive, diverse, and growing place will require collaboration and partnerships between government, businesses, community organizations, and residents. This could involve creating a regional task force to address issues of affordability, diversity, and sustainability, and engaging community members in decision-making processes.

In summary, creating an inclusive, diverse, and growing region that is conducive to walkable urban communities will require a holistic approach that addresses social, economic, and environmental challenges.

Dan: Thank you. That’s a pretty great response! What is the role of public policy in achieving those aims?

ChatGPT: Public policy plays a critical role in achieving the aims of making the Washington DC region into an inclusive, diverse, and growing place where all people can choose to live in walkable urban communities. Here’s how public policy can support these goals:

1. Affordable Housing: Public policy can encourage the development of affordable housing by offering tax incentives to developers who build affordable units, creating a dedicated funding source for affordable housing programs, and protecting existing affordable housing from being demolished or converted to market-rate units.
2. Access to Jobs and Transportation: Public policy can support access to jobs and transportation by investing in public transportation infrastructure, such as bus and rail systems, and creating dedicated funding sources for transportation improvements. It can also provide incentives for employers to locate in areas with reliable transportation, and ensure that all residents have access to job training and placement services.
3. Diverse Community Development: Public policy can support diverse community development by investing in small businesses owned by people of color and women, and providing grants and technical assistance to community-based organizations that serve underrepresented populations. Additionally, policies that promote diversity and inclusion, such as anti-discrimination laws, can help create more welcoming communities.
4. Environmental Sustainability: Public policy can support environmental sustainability by establishing green building standards, investing in clean energy and energy efficiency programs, and implementing policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as a carbon tax or cap-and-trade system.
5. Collaboration and Partnership: Public policy can support collaboration and partnership by creating regional task forces and partnerships between government, businesses, community organizations, and residents to address issues of affordability, diversity, and sustainability. Additionally, policies that promote public engagement and participation, such as community benefit agreements and participatory budgeting, can help ensure that all residents have a voice in decision-making processes.

In conclusion, public policy plays a crucial role in creating inclusive, diverse, and growing communities that are conducive to walkable urban living. By investing in affordable housing, access to jobs and transportation, diverse community development, environmental sustainability, and collaboration and partnership, public policy can support the creation of communities that are welcoming, sustainable, and equitable for all residents.

Dan: Fascinating. And what would you say the role of individuals is in building such a region?

ChatGPT: Individuals play a vital role in building a region that is inclusive, diverse, and growing, where all people can choose to live in walkable urban communities. Here’s how individuals can contribute to these goals:

1. Supporting Affordable Housing: Individuals can support affordable housing by advocating for policies and programs that increase the availability of affordable housing, volunteering for organizations that work on affordable housing issues, and supporting affordable housing development through their own financial contributions.
2. Advocating for Accessible Transportation: Individuals can advocate for accessible transportation by supporting public transportation improvements, participating in community planning processes, and supporting initiatives that make it easier to walk, bike, and use public transportation.
3. Building Inclusive Communities: Individuals can play a role in building inclusive communities by participating in community-based organizations, volunteering for diversity and inclusion initiatives, and advocating for policies that promote diversity and inclusiveness.
4. Promoting Environmental Sustainability: Individuals can promote environmental sustainability by reducing their own carbon footprint, supporting clean energy and energy efficiency initiatives, and advocating for policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
5. Engaging in Civic Participation: Finally, individuals can contribute to building an inclusive, diverse, and growing region by engaging in civic participation, such as voting in elections, attending public meetings, and advocating for policies and initiatives that promote the public good.

In conclusion, individuals have a significant role to play in building a region that is inclusive, diverse, and growing, and where all people can choose to live in walkable urban communities. Through their own actions and advocacy, individuals can support policies and initiatives that promote affordability, accessibility, inclusiveness, sustainability, and civic participation, and help create communities that are equitable and livable for all residents.

Dan: Great. One thing I’m particularly interested in is congestion pricing. What role do you think congestion pricing has in building a more resilient, sustainable, equitable and livable Greater Washington region?

ChatGPT: Congestion pricing is a policy tool that can play a role in building a more resilient, sustainable, equitable, and livable Greater Washington region in several ways:

1. Reducing Traffic Congestion: By charging a fee for using certain roads during peak hours, congestion pricing can reduce traffic congestion, improve traffic flow, and increase the reliability of travel times, making it easier for residents to get to work and other important destinations.
2. Improving Air Quality: By reducing traffic congestion, congestion pricing can also help improve air quality in the region by reducing emissions from vehicles. This is especially important in densely populated urban areas, where poor air quality can have significant impacts on public health.
3. Encouraging the Use of Public Transportation: By making driving more expensive during peak hours, congestion pricing can encourage more people to use public transportation, reducing the number of vehicles on the road and helping to reduce traffic congestion. This can also lead to increased investment in public transportation infrastructure, which can help make it easier and more convenient for residents to access key destinations.
4. Raising Revenue for Transportation Improvements: Congestion pricing can generate revenue that can be used to fund transportation improvements, such as expanding public transportation systems, improving road infrastructure, and investing in alternative modes of transportation, such as biking and walking.
5. Promoting Equity: If implemented thoughtfully, congestion pricing can be designed to promote equity by ensuring that the fees are not overly burdensome for low-income residents, and by using the revenue generated to improve transportation options for underserved communities.

In conclusion, congestion pricing can be an effective policy tool for building a more resilient, sustainable, equitable, and livable Greater Washington region. By reducing traffic congestion, improving air quality, encouraging the use of public transportation, raising revenue for transportation improvements, and promoting equity, congestion pricing can support the creation of a transportation system that is efficient, environmentally sustainable, and accessible to all residents.

Dan: Thank you. That’s all really interesting.

ChatGPT: You’re welcome! I’m glad I could provide you with some valuable information. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!