Planning Quote of the Day

if it's good for the economy, we must approve it

"We need to challenge the single-minded notion that if it's good for the economy, we must approve it."

-- Lyman Orton, businessman and owner of the Vermont Country Store, and founder of the Orton Family Foundation (speaking at the CommunityMatters07 Conference on October 24, 2007).

Note: for more on Orton's remarks, see the posting on our PCJ +plus blog: A Businessman Calls for Heart & Soul.

not one penny goes to transit

"We literally have more federal transit dollars [in Mississippi] than we can spend because we can't match it with local funds ... we have 27 operating casinos in the state, but not one penny goes to transit."

-- Charles Carr, Director of the Public Transit Division in the Mississippi Dept. of Transportation (speaking at a panel discussion of the Community Transportation Association at the University of Vermont, Sept. 21, 2007). For more on this discussion, see our blog post Getting fannies on the bus.

the greenest city in the country

"The State of the City is Good because Burlington is a Green City. Burlington was recently named the greenest city in the country by Country Home Magazine. ... We will continue to push forward on environmental and energy sustainability through initiatives such as the Legacy Project, the Climate Action Plan, the Burlington Electric Department's use of renewable energy sources, commitment to energy conservation and demand-side management, the 10% Challenge and support of local businesses and food production. ... I expect, and residents should expect, Burlington to maintain its status as a national and international leader on protecting the environment and reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

-- Burlington (Vermont) Mayor Bob Kiss, from his State of the City Addresss, 2007

new waves of artists

In a lot of cases we're seeing the arts being used as a blunt instrument to jump start economic development in "blighted" neighborhoods. ... New waves of artists entering underdeveloped urban neighborhoods often encounter suspicion and sometimes meet outright hostility from the folks who've lived there for generations. The established residents (rightly) fear that rapid increases in property values (and therefore rents) will closely follow the artists' arrival. It doesn't help matters that, more often than not, the newcomer artists are mostly white, and the existing residents mostly not. If you're going to explicitly employ strategies to radically alter the texture and economics of a neighborhood, you simply have to pay some attention to who's already living there."

-- Adam Huttler, from Zen and the Art of Urban Planning on Adam the Hutt blog (Sept. 20, 2007)

public buildings in size, form and elegance

"Public buildings in size, form and elegance must look beyond the present day."

-- George Washington, in letter to David Stuart, March 8, 1792.

Editor's note: see "Our Proud Heritage" on our online Public Buildings: American Images pages; for more on the importance of public buildings in cities and towns, see excerpts from:

• Ed McMahon's Public Buildings Should Set the Standard; and
• Phil Langdon's Public Buildings Keep Town Centers Alive

the center of a key communication hub

"Three-and-a-half centuries ago, the first Europeans sailed on the St. Joseph River, recognizing the importance of this area as the shortest portage for a route to the Mississippi. More than 160 years ago, the first telegraph line was strung through here, followed five years later by the first train. Nearly 75 years after our first airport opened and more than 50 years after groundbreaking for the Indiana Toll Road, South Bend is again the center of a key communication hub.

The St. Joseph Valley Metronet is a critical connector for our future growth and development. This 21st Century Technology has opened up a robust competitive environment in which major data users can connect to a host of private sector broadband technology service providers. The Metronet puts South Bend on a level playing field with Chicago and other large cities, offering Internet connectivity that is not available in mid-sized communities. ...

With its high-speed connectivity and access to transcontinental fiber linking it to the rest of the country, South Bend is an ideal location for such high-tech business entities as data backup and disaster recovery operations, data and call centers, conference centers and research facilities ... Having planted a small seed to help get Metronet started, the City will reap a bountiful harvest of new jobs and investment."

-- from South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Stephen Luecke's State of the City Address, 2007 (pdf)

nobody goes there anymore ...

"Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."

-- Yogi Berra (in explaining why he no longer went to a trendy St. Louis restaurant)

[thanks to Mike O'Leary, Town Planner for Hebron, Connecticut, for alerting us to this quote]

go after the mice

"Let's go after the mice, not the elephant."

-- Ralph Thompson, Dearborn County (Indiana) Commissioner (in explaining to PCJ Editor Wayne Senville that the County needs to seek out small businesses, not one major employer, as an economic development strategy; see related blog post on transportation issues facing the County)

enclosed in a visual cocoon

"We are enclosed in a visual cocoon, and the cause is not just the smog and fumes that fill the sky. Even more it is the light.  ... We emit so much illumination –- if that’s the word –- down here below, that we have lost the capacity to see above. ... Excess light, and the resulting interruption of circadian rhythms, has been associated with breast cancer in humans and the decimation of insect species.  The waste of electricity is in the billions of dollars. 

... But there is something more about the enclosure of the night, something that is elusive to state but no less important.  It goes to the depletion not just of the earth’s resources but also of our own. The night sky always has drawn human thought outward and beyond itself. Myth was born here, as was (not coincidentally) the puzzlement of children as to what lay beyond the stars, and what beyond that, and what set it all moving, and keeps it all in place."

-- from Good-Bye Night Sky, on Jonathan Rowe's Blog (Sept. 4, 2007)

perceived as being a "firebrand"

"There is nothing inherently wrong with appointing planning commission members who have been active in special interest groups. The key question is whether the individual is likely to place the long-term broad public interest above those special interests -- and treat everyone fairly and without bias. ...

If a potential candidate is widely perceived as being a 'firebrand' for his or her cause and unlikely to act in an unbiased way, then appointing such a person may not be wise."

-- Greg Dale, from "Who Shall Serve: Public Interest vs. Special Interest," PCJ #48.

we hated sprawl and despised density

"People should be able to afford decent housing near where they work and not be forced to commute to outlying counties. In Seattle, people used to have a split personality when it came to growth. We hated sprawl and despised density. Today, I'm proud to say that we have changed our thinking about using density as a tool to create a vibrant, compelling and more affordable city.

Across this city, we see new homes and new investments sprouting up in our urban neighborhoods ... creating the kind of mixed-use neighborhoods that will absorb growth that might otherwise have sprawled into distant suburbs. Urban growth has a direct benefit to our environment. A single 200-unit residential tower is the equivalent of 45 acres of a typical suburban development. ..."

-- Seattle Mayor Greg Nichols, from his State of the City Address, 2007

a healthy part of the solution to congestion

"Your e-mail discussed comments I made during a recent interview regarding the importance of effectively prioritizing major transportation spending decisions. These comments were in no way intended as an indictment of bicycle and pedestrian investments broadly. ... bicyclists and pedestrians are legitimate and welcome users of our Nation's transportation system. They are a healthy part of the solution to congestion in our urban areas."

-- U.S. Dept. of Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters -- October 4, 2007  in response to emails reacting to her comment on the Newshour with Jim Lehrer that trails and bike paths are not “transportation-related” (from information provided by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy).

shady politics, favoritism, and lack of planning

"Picturesque and friendly -- a great place to live, work and raise a family. But beneath the well-groomed exterior lies an unkempt, often malodorous, underbelly which reveals shady politics, favoritism, and lack of planning."

-- masthead of the Life and Politics in Hudson, WI blog authored by the "Hudson Curmudgeon"

[From the PCJ Editor: more from this blog in tomorrow's Planning Quote]

get to the facts

"Do not be surprised when applicants present their proposals in the best light. That's their job. Your responsibility as a planning commissioner is to get to the facts behind the pretty pictures and enticing words."

-- Elaine Cogan, from Now that You're on Board: How to Survive ... and Thrive ... as a Planning Commissioner

punks & drunks

"We want to avoid becoming a 'punks and drunks' downtown."

-- Placerville, California, Community Development Director Steve Calfee (remarks to PCJ Editor Wayne Senville about future of main street during tour of Placerville on July 7, 2007)

take back our streets

"The crime issue in the city of Detroit has consistently and constantly undermined any notion of recovery and revitalization or renaissance in this city for more than 40 years.  No matter what we do -– host the Super Bowl ... host the All-Star Game ... lead the region in new housing ... sell million dollar condos downtown ... build more housing than ever ...  open three new neighborhood recreation centers ... fix streets ... fix parks ... host the Grand Prix on Belle Isle -– the crime issue constantly undermines any notion of recovery all the time. 

I have told the chief [Ella Bully Cummings] that I want her to take back our streets. I want the police to help the adults in this community restore order. In too many of our neighborhoods, it seems that the kids have taken over the streets. It’s like if I had a situation in my own household where Jelani and Jalil woke up one day and said, 'Dad, we’re taking over this house today.'  Let me tell you -– that would be a bad day for Jelani and Jalil. I have told the chief to make it a bad day for those who are disrupting the peace of our community." 

-- Detroit Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick, from his State of the City Address, 2007

brain burbs

"Areas that support job growth through innovation — “brain burbs” — are the best long-term investments because affluent, educated and productive homeowners spread the wealth and their neighborhoods appreciate. You can often conclude that where the knowledge-worker base is growing, so are home prices."

-- posted on RealEstateTalk.org (September 10, 2007)

let's pack the suitcase

"Let's pack the suitcase."

-- Jim Munch, former Pueblo, Colorado, Planning Director, describing the city's strategy of concentrating new development in the core area of downtown, instead of spreading out projects over a wider geographic area (during a conversation with PCJ Editor Wayne Senville on June 25, 2007)

green roofs won't fix the problem

"I often find the exuberance about green building a bit troubling. In my view, we find ourselves facing significant environmental challenges largely because of our culture of disposability -- whether it’s plastic water bottles we toss in landfills, or buildings we mow down after 20 years when they’ve served their 'useful life.' Thermally resistant windows and green roofs won’t fix the problem."

-- Patrice Frey, from Why "Beyond Green Building?" (Sept. 5, 2007) on the PreservationNation blog (of the National Trust for Historic Preservation)

slugging is quite simple

Yes, it's baseball playoff season. So it's only natural to think about which players are really slugging. But how about also applauding those Washington, D.C. area commuters who slug their way to work every day. Don't have a clue what I'm talking about, take a look at today's quote from the About Slugging web page:

"The system of slugging is quite simple. A car needing additional passengers to meet the required 3- person high occupancy vehicle (HOV) minimum pulls up to one of the known slug lines. The driver usually positions the car so that the slugs are on the passenger side. The driver either displays a sign with the destination or simply lowers the passenger window, to call out the destination, such as "Pentagon," "L’Enfant Plaza," or "14th & New York." ...

No money is exchanged because of the mutual benefit: the car driver needs riders just as much as the slugs need a ride. Each party needs the other in order to survive. Normally, there is no conversation unless initiated by the driver; usually the only words exchanged are "Thank you" as the driver drops off the slugs at the destination."

Note: if you go to About Slugging you'll also read about the interesting origins of the term "slug." And then browse around the rest of the Slug-Lines.com web site.

funding to recruit a senior urban planner

"We are looking at a historic time. One in which we will revitalize and reshape our City from its core to the furthest neighborhood. Syracuse is set to witness an unprecedented investment in commercial, institutional and residential development, an investment that provides us with an opportunity to restore a sense of hope and optimism for our children. ...

In this year’s budget that I will forward to the council, I will add funding to allow us to recruit a senior urban planner. This specialist will be a resource for TNT [Tomorrow's Neighborhoods Today] groups, for the downtown implementation team, and for other City departments. ... We have to assure that what we build is well planned and transforms downtown into a walkable and sustainable environment for residents, employees and visitors."

-- Syracuse (NY) Mayor Matthew Driscoll, from his State of the City Speech, 2007 (pdf)

note from PCJ Editor Wayne Senville: it's not often that a State of the City address highlights the value of adding a new planning position! Hope they follow through on this.

a solemn "sealing ceremony"

"Select a retrieval date. A 50-year or less time capsule may be witnessed by your own generation. The longer the duration, the more difficult the task. ... Have a solemn "sealing ceremony" where you formally christen the time capsule with a name. Invite the media and keep a good photographic record of your efforts, including the inside of your completed project. ... Don't forget your time capsule! You would be surprised how often this happens, usually within a short time."

-- from Eight Tips on How to Organize a Time Capsule, on the International Time Capsule Society web site.

Note from PCJ Editor Wayne Senville: in conjunction with today's quote, we've also posted "It's About Time" on our PCJ +plus site with more on the use of time capsules!

dats da last ting I wanna see

"Geez. Dats da last ting I wanna see. Abuncha old people drivin round town goin five milesanhour. Wantin all da good parkin spaces made inta hand-dee-capped ones. Geez. Day needta get more fact-ree jobs."

-- comment posted on the Eriepressible blog in reply to Oh,Those Retirees Are Such a Burden (see our Quote of the Day from yesterday)