Class notes/September 10: How does someone become a leader?

Defining Leadership

1. Burns

• you need vision
• you need resources

2. Andy Altman (Philly's Dept. Planner)

• tells a story about his family, Germantown/CC/South Philly --> contrasts --> questions
• Allen Jacobs 'Making Neighborhoods Work' Israel/Palestinian neighborhoods in Jeru
• Can you take a government institution and use policy to make change? Vision, ideas, and bureaucratic authority==>government.
• Driven by his question, if there is a moment where change is possible--I'll take it.
• Really learned leadership in LA when given a lot of authority in policy, saw how decisions were made, who has what power, how you think about issues, and how you get things done.
• Two lessons: planners need to have ideas (not just reactionary), understand the politics.
• Bloods and the Cripps planning meeting
• seize the moment
• the mayor/dept mayor, the vision, and the moment

Philadelphia

• Rendell
• go to where the problems are
• The 'Challenge'
  
• Urban America
• Is this Philadelphia's moment?
• Political leadership
• no market
• appetite/eagerness towards planning
• Deputy Planning position
• Has charge over the different departments, less time spent convincing ppl of ideas
  
• ideas, implementation, and budget --> now he can put them together.
• right leadership, right structure, and right opportunity
• You must have a strong vision/values/beliefs and you need to move towards that or you will be lost int he day to day.
• in some ways whaat's been most important from where i've connected with most people is your attitude, openness and ability to listen then people like you.
• first meet with everyone you can.

question from Nick on planning and commerce: how do you reconcile planning and commerce?
Altman eats that tension for breakfast. Different interests are always negotiating and forming the physical world. Leadership is important. Nutter is very public about the importance of planning.

Get your mayor out there. The power of words is important.

Alan Greenberger as new head of planning.

Make a business plan; who are you going to talk to? Anticipate questions and implementation.
E. Bacon to Altman: be five years ahead of everyone so when they come to you, you are ready.

*Anacostia waterfront??
Brought developers in on a hot spot on the waterfront and created a plan on a weekend which brought a huge amount of cred.

Position in private sector: 80 acre in Stamford, CT. University funds investing in real estate. Private equity firm, come bring your planning skills to create value on land. Planners add huge value to real estate developments because they can help create successful projects.

Check out the casinos issues with Philadelphia (Harris Steinberg concluded, through visionary exercises, that the casinos are not the best use for the waterfront).

Risk taking --> the Mayor took a huge risk.


Having a professional opinion adds integrity/cred to your position.