Thursday, May 15, 2008

Building a Movement

Building a movement...

Three powerful statements were made this week that speak to the strength of citizen movements as catalyst for change against powerful odds.  Despite the fears of peak oil, subprime market impacts, and ongoing political issues, these “movements” have given me hope for the future of not just a community or a region, but our nation.

The first one is national; I am writing this message from Austin, Texas from the Congress for the New Urbanism conference.  The CNU Congress is the annual gathering of planners, designers, advocates, developers, and government officials dedicated to making quality towns and villages across the country (and around the world).  Not sure of this year’s headcount but it is usually over 1,500 folks who are essentially attempting to transform communities one place at a time.  This year’s theme is about merging the green building and sustainability movements with the New Urbanism.  In addition, there are sessions looking at the retail market, housing options, the SmartCode, transit-oriented development, roadway redesigns, and gentrification.

About forty folks from the New York Chapter who were here held a meet up and heard from former Mayor of Milwaukee and CNU President John Norquist.  VISION is on the Chapter Board and we will be seeking to increase membership and support for New Urbanism in New York State as we move forward.

In short, this cross section of leaders from around the country has profoundly challenged how land use planning, transportation, and development have occurred.  It is now seeing some pretty remarkable results.  Next week’s issue will focus on the results from this year’s Congress, so stay tuned.

The second example is from the local communities in Mastic and Shirley.  Civic, business, and government leaders have come together with the leadership of Suffolk Legislators Kate Browning, Wayne Horsley, the Montauk Highway Project, and Save the Forge River for the creation of a Forge River Sewer District.  You can read about the details in this issue, but this community of 45,000 folks at the head of the Forge River is in desperate need of this infrastructure.

The visioning process and resulting plans that we have been working through over the last six years have led to this convergence of leaders.  The approved land use plan and Main Street Business District code and the revitalization efforts on Montauk Highway and Mastic Beach cannot be fully realized without this investment.

This community and legislative effort exemplifies the power and persistence of an often-ignored community that can plan properly for its future and produce great results.

The last example is regional.   I had the opportunity to be a part of the LI Progressive Coalition’s annual awards luncheon last week.  The organization has a nearly 30-year history for bringing about progressive change through issue campaigns, organizing, and direct action.  For the purpose of our work on Smart Growth, sustainability, and placemaking, they have essentially founded the concept on Long Island with their early efforts (with our Board President, Ron Stein) on sustainability as early as in 1992.   Over time, they have helped nurture and mentor leadership in many different sectors across the Island.  Special credit here goes to the vision, intelligence, persistence, and inspiration of Dr. David Sprintzen, Director Lisa Tyson, their Board President, Diana Coleman, as well as many others who have also carried the torch for organizing change on Long Island.  This fell into focus for me at the luncheon when I read the list of past honorees and efforts of an incredible list of Long Islanders who have made a difference (which, incidentally, is the title of the award).   Vision is proud to have two folks on that list, but more importantly, we are proud to be in some pretty amazing company.  You can read the list here.

In all of these powerful efforts, the theme I see is that we need complete change.  We need the spark, the fuel, the right conditions, and ongoing maintenance and accountability.  I was at a well-organized conference recently where there were some very smart people talking about various suburban trends and future public investments.  It was very interesting, but it was missing the decision makers: local elected officials, business/property owners, and local community leaders as a core part of shaping the change.

These are just this week’s examples of three movements that are developing holistic change in their own ways, which is reshaping our region and, hopefully, the nation.

Posted by Eric at 6:30:48 PM in Blog (23) | Comments (0)

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