2017 Urbanism Summit 1B | Allen Penman - Keeping Great Plans Off the Shelf
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On Avoiding the Shelf Tips for making good urbanism happen. Allen Penniman, AICP CNU NE 2017 March 31, District Hall, Boston
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Transcript of 2017 Urbanism Summit 1B | Allen Penman - Keeping Great Plans Off the Shelf
On Avoiding the ShelfTips for making good urbanism happen.
Allen Penniman, AICPCNU NE 2017March 31, District Hall, Boston
• Moses understood that for plans to be more than “lines on a map,” you need:
• Executive support
• Resources
• We know what makes urbanism “good,” but do we have the means to achieve it?
1. Preach to the decision-makers, not the choir.
Lawyer
Providence City Council
Lawyer Non-Profit Director
Finance Officer
Purchasing Manager
Lawyer Valet
Labor Organizer
Non-Profit Director
Community Organizer
Fraud Investigator
Product Designer
Real Estate Advocate
HR Director
Ms. Councilor…
If we up-zone for density, the neighborhood will be more walkable.
Ms. Councilor…
If we up-zone for density, the neighborhood will be more walkable.Relaxing density restrictions will increase foot traffic for local businesses.
Ms. Councilor…
We should eliminate parking minimums because millennials prefer not to drive.
Ms. Councilor…
We should eliminate parking minimums because millennials prefer not to drive. We need affordable housing to curb the brain drain. When we require developers to build parking, they pass the cost on to tenants and college grads can’t afford our city.
Ms. Councilor…
We should forbid suburban office parks and incentivize employers to locate near transit because sprawl is bad.
Ms. Councilor…
We should forbid suburban office parks and incentivize employers to locate near transit because sprawl is bad. downtown office buildings yield twice the tax revenue/acre than suburban office parks.
1. Preach to the decision-makers, not the choir.2. Be louder than the anti-urban interests.
Source: Cambridge Residents Alliance
Source: Neighbors for More Neighbors
Source: Neighbors for More Neighbors
1. Preach to the decision-makers, not the choir.2. Be louder than the anti-urban interests.3. Be good at defending your professional worth.
Scenario:
A real estate professional sees your design standards and permits as “hurdles,” so she tries to cut a deal with the mayor to bypass you in the name of economic development.
Your response?
Ad hoc deals involve uncertainty, risk, and sometimes cronyism. These a favorable business climate do not make.
Ask your mayor if she want’s her city to look like Houston.
Scenario:
An architect who sees your community process as a threat to her design control, so she attacks you as a bureaucrat standing in the way.
Your response?
Lack of popular support can kill a project. Please get over your Ayn Rand fantasy.
Senario:
A resident came to a charrette a year ago and saw no tangible outcomes, so she lost faith that you can make anything happen.
Your response?
Celebrate and take credit for accomplishments in visible spaces.
Practice liaison planning.
Scenario:
The politician who is motivated by showing tangible results within her term to her constituents, and so considers your 10-year vision trivial.
Your response?
Build quick wins into your scope.
Speak in terms of jobs, tax revenue, positive optics.
Be able to explain urban planning in one sentence:
Be able to explain urban planning in one sentence:
We manage how the city grows and develops.
It’s the architecture of the city.
We figure out where buildings, transit lines, parks, and other things should go.
1. Preach to the decision-makers, not the choir.2. Be louder than the anti-urban interests.3. Be good at defending your professional worth.4. If the conversation is about cars, change the conversation.
6-10 Connector• Typical 1950s era urban highway• Decades of deferred maintenance• Overrepresentation of suburban interests in media and politics• State-controlled
RIDOT DirectorProvidence
Planning Director
Ian Lockwood
Veronica Vanterpool
Peter Park
RIDOT Director
Providence Mayor
Governor Raimando
Providence Planning Director
1. Preach to the decision-makers, not the choir.2. Be louder than the anti-urban interests.3. Be good at defending your professional worth.4. If the conversation is about cars, change the conversation.5. Join the public sector.
“The [BMR] made recommendations; Ms. Moskowitz made laws. The [BMR] got enthusiastic and excited; Ms. Moskowitz got things done.”
