Planning Quote of the Day

definition: asset-based development

"Asset-based development can be defined as a strategy that builds on existing resources -- natural, cultural, structural, and leadership -- to create valued products and services that can be sustained for local benefit.  ... The key is to identify the potential within a community and maximize its impact, developing new revenue streams by turning perceived liabilities into strengths, or developing untapped natural and cultural resources into desired products and services."

-- from Asset-Based Development Regional Initiative, Appalachian Regional Commission

For more on the origins and aims of asset-based development, see "Asset Based Community Development: A Model for Nebraska Communities?" by John C. Allen (pdf file). See also The Asset-Based Community Development Institute web site.

foreclosures are not only bad for the individual

"Foreclosures are not only bad for the individual who loses his or her home ... each foreclosure within one eighth of a mile of a single-family home in a low- and moderate-income neighborhood reduced the home's value by more than 1.4%, an effect more than 40% greater than in middle- and upper-income tracts."

-- from "From the Subprime to the Exotic: Excessive Mortgage Market Risk and Foreclosures," by Dan Immergluck (in Winter 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Planning Association)

retirement ready!

"Athens, Texas is retirement ready! Athens is the largest city and the county seat of Henderson County.  Athens is a town filled with a great sense of pride on the quality of living that has been established for the population of 12,000.  Surrounded by lakes, ponds and woodlands, Athens is only an hour away from Dallas and you need only to step out your back door to enjoy a breath fresh air and the smell of pines.

Home to an extensive medical community, Athens array of medical services is a comparative to those of large metropolitan cities.  East Texas Medical Center offers a 117 bed unit , Level III Trauma Center – 24/7 Emergency Care, EMS Ambulances and an Air 1 Emergency Helicopter."

-- from Athens [Texas] Economic Development Corporation web page

Note: see the related post on our PlannersWeb blog, Hospital Boom(ers).

alert us to early warning signs

"In January, the Council approved a proposal ... to redevelop Allied Drive. Crime there is down by half since the City acted on my initiative to buy 20% of the housing there. Now we’re starting to see millions of dollars of private reinvestment there, which was exactly what we intended when we bought the property ...

But we are also attempting to do two things that have not been tried much anywhere in America: we are trying to improve Allied Drive without driving out low-income working families and we are trying not to simply force problems into other neighborhoods.

Along those lines, we are working on [an] initiative to develop the Neighborhood Indicators pilot project. Inspired by a program in Charlotte, North Carolina, this is a set of statistics that is designed alert us to early warning signs of stress in a neighborhood. Armed with that knowledge we can go to these neighborhoods and ... attack a problem before it gets out of hand."

-- from State of the City Address, by Madison (Wisconsin) Mayor Dave Cielewicz (April 9, 2008)

thousands of store closings

"The consumer spending slump and tightening credit markets are unleashing a widening wave of bankruptcies in American retailing, prompting thousands of store closings that are expected to remake suburban malls and downtown shopping districts across the country. ... The International Council of Shopping Centers, a trade group, estimates there will be 5,770 store closings in 2008, up 25 percent from 2007, when there were 4,603."

-- from "Retailing Chains Caught in a Wave of Bankruptcies," The New York Times (April 15, 2008)

independence and dignity

"... it has taken us nearly four years to foreclose on thousands of abandoned properties, demolish over two thousand dangerous buildings, and upgrade the infrastructure in our most neglected neighborhoods. ... Now I am asking all homebuilders of Houston to help us build new housing on over seven hundred lots that will be made available at submarket prices, with generous down payment assistance programs, so that many working people can obtain the independence and dignity of owning their own house. The City will work in parallel to continue to build community-based organizations where new homes are built. The whole city will be safer as working families move into neighborhoods which too often had become magnets for crime."

-- From Houston, Texas, Mayor Bill White's State of the City Address (Jan. 25, 2008)

definition: eco-municipality

"An eco-municipality, (also known as an eco-town) is a local government government that has adopted ecological and social justice values in its charter. ... The distinction between an eco-municipality and other sustainable development projects (such as green building & alternative energy) is the focus on community involvement and social transformation in a public agency as well as the use of a holistic systems approach."

-- from Wikipedia, Eco-municipality

Note: for more on the origins of eco-municipalities, and the interest in them by U.S. cities, see the post Eco-Municipalities Step Forward Naturally on our PlannersWeb blog.

the amount of vacant land

"The amount of vacant land coming online has been overwhelming ... this is something that can't be dealt with by local volunteers."

-- Blaine Bonham, Jr., Executive Vice-President of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, on why paid clean-up crews are needed to deal with the inventory of some 40,000 vacant lots in the city of Philadelphia.

Note: See, "Greening Up Vacant Lots," posted today on our PlannersWeb blog, for more on Bonham's remarks at the recent national Smart Growth Conference in Washington, D.C.. You'll also see why a horticultural group is involved in what may well be the largest undertaking in America to clean up vacant lots.

if the hospital closes its doors

"The hospital is essential to the city. If the hospital closes its doors we will have an exodus of boomers, including me."

-- posting by an Oregon planner on Cyburbia about the importance of retaining the community's 37 bed hospital (Jan. 13, 2008).

Note: take a look at the extended blog post added today on the PlannersWeb, Hospital Boom(ers)

the world's first truly sustainable city

"PlaNYC [is] our strategy for creating the world's first truly sustainable city. PlaNYC includes 127 proposals – many of them pioneering the latest technology to achieve our goals. This year, we'll work to increase our use of solar panels to continue greening government buildings and we'll join forces with the real estate industry to make new construction and old buildings greener.

This is the single most important thing we can do to reduce our carbon footprint – but it's not the only thing. With the State's blessing, we'll also use technology to create a system of congestion pricing - something no other American city has done. It will help us achieve four critical, inter-connected goals: reducing traffic congestion; raising money for mass transit; improving our air quality; and fighting climate change."

-- From New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's State of the City Address (Jan. 17, 2008)

Note: for details on PlaNYC.

once it gets to us, all bets are off

"When we ask our citizens to take part in an exercise to determine how our city will look, they turn out in droves on their days off and pour their hearts into the work we have asked them to do. When the process is complete the headlines read 'Triumph of Participation' and we all pat ourselves on the back for the project's success. Developers will study the plan and, with the help of our nationally recognized planning staff, design a project that fits perfectly within the planning criteria that the public has designed, the staff has supported, and the Council has approved. The project goes through the Planning staff, Technical plat review, Subdivision Committee and the Planning Commission. Then, in the final step, the project comes before us.

This process, while time consuming and expensive, works reasonably well to this point. But then, once it gets to us, all bets are off. If a few individuals oppose any part of the project we will thwart the will of all the citizens who designed the plan, all the creative massaging of the Planning and Engineering staff, the citizen's subcommittees, and the Planning Commission. In being hyper responsive to the individual, we completely discount the majority.

The ripple effects are serious. The developer, who is risking millions of private dollars in the project, just had his costs go up, making the price of everything in the project increase. That is bad for the consumer. The chances for financial success of the project are diminished. This is bad for the city and the developer, and it erodes the confidence of our city staff. It teaches the developer to avoid anything that is creative or innovative. ...

Don't get me wrong. I am not saying that we should just rubber stamp everything that comes in the door. But if we could approve the creative, innovative, new-urban design that fits our plan as quickly and easily as we approve the bad developments, it would be a vast improvement for the future of our city -- and our reputation."

-- State of the City 2008, from The Official Blog of Mayor Dan Coody, Fayetteville, Arkansas

the most sustainable community possible

"Eugene [Oregon] has a commitment to being the most sustainable community possible. We know that with finite resources and growing climate change challenges, we must scale up this commitment as a matter of both City policy and in the consciousness and actions of the larger community.

This past year, we hired the City's first sustainability manager and the members of the new Sustainability Commission have now been appointed. We will update our community greenhouse gas inventory in April. We know that over the last eight years, through the purchase of hybrids and biodiesel, City government has decreased its CO2 emissions by 10%. The methane we capture at our wastewater plant provides half the power it needs. Through LED lighting, recycling, wind power purchase, bus passes, bike programs, e-communications, and a whole range of other strategies, Eugene has taken strides toward carbon neutrality and zero waste. We still have a long way to go. Large reductions in building and transportation emissions are the only way we can seriously impact climate change."

-- from Eugene, Oregon, Mayor Kitty Piercy's State of the City Address (Jan. 7, 2008)

cities are machines

"Cities are machines for making collaboration easier."

-- Edward Glaeser, professor of economics at Harvard and director of the Taubman Center for State and Local Government at the Kennedy School of Government (from "How Should We Be Thinking About Urbanization?," NY Times Freakonomics Blog, Dec. 11, 2007)

we will give strength to our comprehensive plan

"There is no question that the challenges we face as a community will be difficult to solve. And yet, I am absolutely convinced in our city’s ability to overcome any challenge in our way.

• Together, we will give strength to our comprehensive plan, by creating a modern, form-based zoning code.

• We will fully implement our Retiree Health Care solution, by having the will to make the difficult decisions and the respect to reach out to those most directly affected.

• We will honor our community’s most sacred responsibility - eliminating sewer overflows into Lake Superior, by aggressively investing in our aging sewer infrastructure. ..."

-- Duluth, Minnesota, Mayor Don Ness' State of the City address (Jan. 8, 2008)

Note: first time I ever saw zoning listed as the very first priority in a Mayor's state of the city address, let alone "form-based" zoning. See also the implementation section (pdf file) of Duluth's comprehensive plan, adopted in 2006.

like looking at a rubber band

"Hannibal [Missouri], as I learned, subdivided itself according to degrees of affluence nearly as severely as it divided itself between affluence and poverty. Even as the doctors competed to claim the best custom-built house with the best view, salaried workers ... struggled to secure beachheads for their $120,000 trophy homes on the farthest frontiers of the town's westward expansion. ...

It was a little like looking at a rubber band that had gradually been stretched, then stretched some more, stretched beyond its normal tolerances, until holes had begun to appear and grow in the elongated fiber. More accurately still, it was like looking at a miniature model of an aging metropolis, its industries defunct and its central city vitiated by strip development and flight -- nearly all of it white -- toward its receding suburbs."

-- from Ron Powers' Tom and Huck Don't Live Here Anymore: Childhood and Murder in the Heart of America (2001).

Note: I strongly recommend this fascinating book by journalist Ron Powers about a return visit to his boyhood hometown of Hannibal, Missouri. Powers is also author of Flag of Our Fathers and White Town Drowsing.

Sunbelt cities will dry up and blow away

"Our colossal metroplexes will not be sustainable in a post-oil future -- and despite the wishes and yearnings of many people, the truth is that no combination of alternative fuels will permit us to continue living at this scale. Some of our cities will not make it. Phoenix, Tucson, and other Sunbelt cities will dry up and blow away. In Las Vegas, the excitement will be over. Other mega-cities will have to downscale or face extreme dysfunction. ... The skyscraper will not be a viable building type in our energy-scarce future. Six or seven stories must be the practical limit in a new age when electric supply is not necessarily as reliable as it has been in our time. Cities overburdened with mega-structures will have a severe liability. ... The suburbs, for the most part, are toast. They have three possible outcomes in in the twenty-first century: as slums, salvage yards, or ruins."

-- James Howard Kunstler, part of his response to question posed by New York Times columnist Stephen J. Dubner ("This year marked the first time in human history that more people lived in cities than in rural areas. What problems and opportunities does this present? What effects has it had on our local and global culture? Economy? Health?) in "How Should We Be Thinking About Urbanization?" (NY Times Freakonomics Blog, Dec. 11, 2007).

Note: for more on Kunstler's dark prognosis for the future, see his book The Long Emergency (2006).

with 566 municipalities and skyrocketing property taxes

"To make a real difference, we need to make deep fundamental changes in the way we operate. Specifically we need a strong commitment to shared services, and we need a strong commitment to smart growth and redevelopment. ... I believe that City governments across the State will have a very different look by the end of my term. With 566 municipalities and skyrocketing property taxes, communities are going to have to band together to provide services to their residents.

Summit has the chance to become a model for this creative collaboration. Before we hire, purchase, or contract, we should systematically ask. Can this be done in conjunction with another town, government agency or a public or private organization? If so, how; and if not, why not? Creating such a system is doable and, in my view, imperative. So let’s take the lead."

-- Union City, New Jersey, Mayor Jordan Glatt, "State of the City" address, Jan. 3, 2008

Note: Union City, population 21,000, is located in northern New Jersey.

up and running

LIGHTED CHRISTMAS PARADE
Rotary of Greensburg is up and running. We started a tradition several years ago of sponsoring the Lighted Christmas Parade and we are determined to again. We are planning for December 2nd. So put on your thinking caps and light something up for the parade!

Greensburg Planning Commission meetings are held Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. in the Kiowa County Meeting trailer, located directly west of the courthouse square.

GREENSBURG AA
Greensburg AA meetings have resumed. Meetings are held on Wednesday nights at 8:00 p.m. at the Elmore Heights meeting room.

Note: Evidence of a return to normal life Greensburg, Kansas, the city devastated by a powerful tornado last May. From the Kiowa County-Greensburg (KS) Recovery web blog. For more on Greensburg, see my post of June 21, 2007, Rebuilding Greensburg (describing my visit to Greensburg).

like an anchor store for downtown

"Once renovated, the theatre would be like an anchor store for downtown Carbondale."

-- Carbondale, Illinois, Chris Wissmann, commenting on the just-announced donation of the vacant Varsity Theater to the City.

Note: For more on this story and the benefits of theater restorations -- as well as Carbondale Mayor Cole's announcement about the theater in his November 13 State of the City Address -- see the related post on our PCJ +plus web blog.

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

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)

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

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

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.

preservation of natural spaces ... a victory of spiritual values

"Open spaces enhance sustainable economic development. They provide crucial places for recreation, education, and aesthetic and spiritual inspiration and enrichment. The preservation of natural spaces is a victory of spiritual values over short-term material greed. Progress entails protecting natural open spaces
so they will be available in their natural state for our children and later generations. That’s what responsible, forward-looking stewardship is about."

-- Salt Lake City Mayor Ross C. “Rocky” Anderson, from his State of the City Address, 2007 (pdf file)