Trend talk. (Industry Insider--In the Loop Business News).

There are numerous studies being conducted on the correlation between certain types of plants and lead reduction in soil. In Evanston, Ill., a Northwestern University environmental engineer and a pediatrician from Children's Memorial Hospital are working together to try and reduce lead poisoning from contaminated soil. They are planting kale, grass, corn and sunflowers and seeing how much lead the roots will absorb from the soil. A similar study is taking place in Hartford, Conn., where students from Trinity College are growing Indian mustard, white mustard, Sudan grass and sunflowers. For more information on these studies and lead reduction in soil visit: http://www.engg.ksu.edu/HSRC/ 97abstracts/p51.html.www.enn. com/enn-news-archive/1999/ 08/081999/mustard_5015. asp and www.northwestern.edu/ univrelations/media_relations/ releases/september00/graylead. html.

New data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Housing Survey (AHS) disprove the conventional wisdom that new apartment construction disproportionately burdens local school systems. According to the AHS, single-family owners are significantly more likely to have school-age children than apartment renters. In fact, newer single-family homes average three times as many school-age children as apartment renters. There are, on average, 64 school-age children for every 100 new owner-occupied single-family homes, but just 21 children for every 100 new apartments, and only an average of 12 children for every 100 apartments in high-rise buildings (more than four stories). (These figures refer to properties built since 1990.)

"On a unit-by-unit comparison, single-family houses are home to more school children than apartments," noted NMHC's Chief Economist, Mark Obrinsky. "This finding is significant because it shows there is no empirical support for the all-too-common strategy of barring or limiting apartment construction to relieve pressure on local school systems."

Obrinsky explained that "misinformed activists often claim that apartment residents overly burden public services without paying their fair share, because they do not pay property taxes. But the truth is that renters do pay property taxes they just do so indirectly. Property owners pay the taxes and pass on the cost to residents via their rent. Moreover, apartments are typically taxed at a higher effective tax rate. When you consider the fact that education is the single largest expense for most jurisdictions, and that apartment households have significantly fewer school age children, but (indirectly) pay higher property taxes, it appears that in many cases, apartment residents are actually subsidizing their single-family neighbors."

Doug Culkin, CAE, Executive Vice President, NAA, said, "Most often arguements confronting multifamily zoning and impact fees hinge on the rising costs of public education. They rationalize that hundreds of apartment units will bring hundreds of children into their schools. As cities try to improve schools with dwindling federal assistance, anti-growth activists assert that apartment residents crowd the local schools with little monetary compensation. This new AHS data refutes these arguments."

"By refuting the myths about apartments, including the perception that apartments inordinately burden local school systems, we can help localities grow smarter and create more livable communities," added NMHC President Doug Bibby. "In addition to placing fewer demands on public services, apartments make other valuable contributions to communities. Their high-density nature can accommodate population growth and still preserve open space. Apartments can help create the pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods many citizens are calling for and provide life to downtowns after office workers shut down for the day. They are also an important catalyst for revitalizing deteriorating neighborhoods. Most importantly, communities that preclude or limit renters, limit their own economic prosperity because they push much-needed employees and customers for local businesses into other areas. Generally, areas that offer a diversified work force and a wide range of housing are more likely to attract top employers and retain expanding local businesses"