Mobility Untethered

 

Fueled by an endless array of transportation options, global citizens are discovering new ways to get from point A to point B in their communities. This new “mobility mindset,” which embodies the twin characteristics of urban fluidity and efficiency, offers us the freedom to roam untethered to our daily connection points, with minimal reliance on cars.

In the fall of 2012 I was tossed into this paradigm head on after a full-on face plant in the mud divorce. No longer possessing permanent mobility of the four-wheel variety (we were a one-car family), I found myself suddenly confronted with the question of how one gets around without the luxury of being regularly able to put key in ignition. Lamenting the loss of convenience, I decided to make a study of alternative transportation options locally as well as in cities I frequented. What I discovered was a legion of common, everyday people like me who, possessing no car, have found creative ways to scurry to their intended locations, be it a place of employment, grocery store or another regularly frequented place.

As one of the premier mobility-friendly cities in the U.S., the Denver Metro Area offers the ideal ecosystem for assessing transportation resourcefulness. Despite opposing views by some lifelong area residents, the Mile High City’s transportation system is widely considered to be one of the most progressive in the nation. In fact, according to a U.S. News and World Report analysis, Denver was listed as the #1 city in terms of public transportation investment, ridership and safety in 2011. This distinction has undoubtedly been a major catalyst for the city’s robust economic and workforce development boom. Moreover a report by the public policy organization Brookings Institution ranked the Denver-Aurora area as having one of the nation’s most efficient systems for connecting companies to labor pools. The Regional Transportation District bus system in Denver (more commonly known as RTD) was my first foray into the life of a frequent bus rider.

Admittedly, I had long viewed bus ridership culture as one that is gritty and low-class. Unfortunately, this was somewhat reinforced when I took my first trip on what is known as the 15L bus, a route that services Colfax Ave, the main street traversing the Denver-Aurora area. Known in some local circles as the “Vomit Comet,” this bus regularly attracts a cast of shady characters and late night drinkers that would put the uninitiated rider in a very discomforting situation. Judgments aside, RTD buses serve as an invaluable conduit for connecting riders to their daily routines, including work, grocery shopping, school, and various activities.

I have generally found the drivers to be friendly as well as adept at navigating through what can be some rather challenging scenarios, be it traffic snarls or disrespectful patrons. And excepting days when there is severe inclement weather or an unanticipated accident, the buses generally tend to run on time.

Another key component of Denver’s RTD system is the light rail trains that service both North-South and East-West routes. The Lower Downtown district serves as the epicenter for local passenger rail traffic that flows continuously to regular stops throughout the Denver Metro Area nearly 24/7. In many ways, light rail is the root of the booming economic development that downtown Denver has experienced over the past 20 years. Transportation experts tout the valuable role it serves in terms of outskirt resident access to downtown activities, including dining, shopping, sporting events, festivals, the arts, and night clubs. Moreover, growing numbers of Denver residents are choosing to live downtown, where a massive residential construction uptick is in full bloom.

But the most significant news for alternative transportation junkies is what’s happening near the historic Union Station terminal. As a part of a $500 million public-private project, the station’s former rail yard is being carefully orchestrated into a 20-acre intermodal hub for the light rail, buses, taxis, Amtrak trains, as well as a commuter rail to Denver International Airport. Targeted for completion in late 2014, this transformation of the area will serve as a critical connection point to nearby commercial office buildings, apartments and public plazas. The airport accessibility component of this project holds particular significance, as it is central to Denver’s reputation as one of the top convention cities in the nation. This will allow the Mile High City to gain traction with other light rail-infused cities such as Atlanta (MARTA), Portland (MAX), Chicago (L), and Seattle (SeaTac) that provide an easy and convenient way to access downtowns from their airports.

High-functioning transit-oriented cities like Denver also recognize the importance of having a congruent interconnection between the various modes of transportation available. With the popularity of short-term car rental options like eGoCar, Economy Car, Hertz 24/7 and Car2Go, pickup locations are in abundance in Denver’s urban core, near housing centers and adjacent to light rail stations. This allows commuters a convenient, just-in-time medium of transport that keeps them on the move amidst their personal and professional demands.

An option that I favor relative to the quick “hop in and go” mobility is the widely acclaimed transportation network Uber. This company connects you with a driver with a tap of a button on your smart phone. They pick you up via their GPS technology, drop you at your intended destination and then charge your credit card that they have registered on file.

Uber has had a disruptive impact on the transportation dynamics in cities like Denver, San Francisco, and Washington, raising the ire of local government regulators who see the popularity of this new service as an affront to local taxi drivers. Personally, I think its influence underscores the value of free market innovations that bring real value to a city in terms of competitively priced, efficient modes of transportation. And besides, contrary to the vehement arguments of these regulators, Uber is simply in the business of facilitating the connection between privately licensed drivers with riders. In the end this boost in business for limo companies and their drivers is good for the economy.

While car, rail and bus are the predominant means of mobility for most commuters, bicycling continues to show exponential growth in urban centers like Denver, Portland and San Francisco. My first experience in observing the viability of two-wheel transport was while living in Folsom, California, a bedroom suburb of the Golden State’s capital of Sacramento. It boasts one of the top biking communities in the nation, featuring some of the most efficient, well developed sets of bike lanes and arterials anywhere. I also had the pleasure of being employed in Davis, California, widely regarded as the bicycle capital of the U.S. This college town is brimming with a sea of bikes in a manner reminiscent of the urban center thoroughfares of China. And it has the distinction of being the first city in the nation to pilot and implement the now ubiquitous bike lanes.

The rise of the bicycling culture in Denver continues to reach new heights, undoubtedly due in part to its health-conscious ethos. Much of this has been buoyed by the emergence of B-Cycle, a smart technology bicycle-sharing system featuring solar-powered stations. First launched here in 2010 with 40 stations and 500 bikes, B-Cycle is now operating in more than 25 cities nationally.

Given the effects of the economic downturn, many cost-conscious Americans are embracing nontraditional forms of mobility on a much larger scale. This is particularly true in geographically and demographically dense city areas, as they allow for easy connection points between destinations. Here in Denver, skateboarding has gone from extreme sport status to a viable means to get around. Motorized scooters also abound among low budget commuters.

And then there are the legions of walkers who trek miles every day from home to work to local amenities. Denver in fact is ranked #10 on a list of U.S. cities with the most walkable neighborhoods according to Walkscore.com. And the city ranks in the top five cities for walkability according the Brookings Institute, a Washington D.C. think tank. WalkDenver has even higher aspirations for the city with its initiative to make “The Mile High City” the most walkable in the nation. Hopefully they can “walk their talk” by fulfilling this ambitious vision. “The key elements of walk friendly cities include wide sidewalks as well trees, foliage, scenery and appealing stop off points along the way,” says James Shaffer, Board President of Walk Denver. “This involves an ongoing assessment of how urban space is being used so that we can look for ways make it more efficient, vibrant and engaging for walkers.”

The future of alternative transportation will continue to take shape as people become more aware of the myriad mobility options available to them. This is great news as it facilitates progress and change in how we navigate cities amidst traffic snarls and congestion. Being untethered opens up new possibilities for how we interact with our communities, families and friends. It allows us freedom to keep moving in a world that increasingly requires us to be fluid and flexible.

 

Michael Scott is a Denver-based urban futurist, writer and researcher. He can be reached at urbanvisionary@gmail.com

Economic Development in Downtown Salt Lake City: Is It Happy Hour Yet?

As a native midwesterner, I’ll readily admit to having some skewed perceptions about Salt Lake City. And, you guessed it, much of this is precipitated by the area strong influence and strict lifestyle values fostered by the Mormon Church. But a recent visit to the city shifted my thinking a bit. Actually, a lot, once I felt comfortable ordering a mixed drink at a downtown eatery, albeit a very weak one.

For many outsiders, Salt Lake City is viewed as a place where one must tread lightly to avoid crossing forbidden boundaries. Common refrain, in fact, suggests that letting ones hair down while imbibing a stiff drink is anathema to the strict Mormon culture emanating throughout the city. It was therefore surprising to discover on a recent stopover that loosening ones collar was no problem at all. Moreover, locals seemed very welcoming and accepting of outsiders—a welcome relief  for those harboring misgivings pertaining about the area.

Salt Lake City Mormon Temple

As the state capital and largest city in Utah, Salt Lake City has long had a reputation as a button down, straight-laced environment. Much of this is attributed to it being the home of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (more commonly know as the LDS or Mormon Church). The infusion of Mormon family values is clearly evident as one traverses the downtown core. The center city displays a clean, safe image, with the church grounds serving as the quintessential symbol of the overall area ethos. And my family and I were not in the least bit put off by the throngs of friendly missionaries that approached us marketing their church doctrine and lifestyle. We found them to be friendly, respectful and to be admired for their commitment amid hearing the word “no” on a consistent basis.

Utah State Capitol Building

Strict values aside, my family and I found Salt Lake City a damn good place to visit. And increasingly it is becoming a preferred destination for Baby Boomers and Millennials alike seeking  a  great quality of life locale  where they can put down their roots.

Much of the buzz about the city is emanating from its downtown district, which is experiencing a period of unprecedented economic and housing development. Prospects in this district have been so robust that futurist Joel Kotkin, an internationally-recognized authority on global, economic, political and social trends, and staunch supporter of suburbia, penned a well crafted  piece in support of the rising fortunes of Salt Lake City’s central business district.

During a recent visit to the area, my wife, daughter and I, we were literally taken aback by all of the fervent development activity in progress, complete with noisy jackhammers, tall construction crains and the smell of freshly poured concrete. The downtown district, naturally blessed with quality architectural bones and an efficiently structured arterial grid, provides the ideal setup for a redevelopment renaissance.

According to a “Mountain Monitor” study of the Rocky Mountain Region economy by Brookings Mountain West, Salt Lake City was noted as being among the top U.S. cities in terms of making a swift economic recovery. This was readily apparent downtown where high rise residential projects seemed to be in full bloom everywhere you turned. With empty nesters and emerging professional alike now finding central-city living attractive, recent estimates projected  a tripling of the current downtown population of 10,000 within the next ten years.

There has also been an uptick in interest among small businesses and corporations in relocating to the central business district. Arguably the areas biggest coup was attracting Goldman Sachs, one of the worlds largest investment banking firms to a prized location at the heart of the central business district.  Located in Utah’s first LEED Gold certified high-rise at 222 Main Street, it now the company’s  second-largest office in North America, housing more than 1,500 employees. In addition, perennial Salt Lake business stalwart O.C. Tanner, arguably the nation’s top corporate recognition awards firm, recently relocated its headquarters to the converted Salt Lake City Library at 15 S. State Street. The building, an  architectural gem constructed in 1905, symbolizes the historic character that is infused throughout the inner core of the city.

Downtown Salt Lake City Under Construction

All of this portends a bright future for business and commerce both downtown and in the metro area. In fact, Kip linger Magazine ranks Salt Lake City as the fifth best place to be for the next ten years citing emerging opportunities in fields such as the biosciences and heath sciences as the reason for optimism.

One of the signature features of downtown is The Gateway, a mixed use retail-residential development  featuring shops, boutiques, theaters and eateries in a pedestrian friendly environment. Big names stores like Dicks Sporting Goods, Barnes and Noble, Urban Outfitters and Abercrombie and Fitch are a huge draw generating civic vibrancy and tax revenues to the area.  And in the works is the Cherry Creek Center, an open-air, mixed use shopping, living and dining development, slated to open in early 2012.

At various stages of planning are myriad other development projects designed to boost quality of life downtown. The one that is most widely talked about is a new public market, a community gathering point featuring local goods as well as specialty items imported globally. It is envisioned that this venue,  as an added enhancement to the already popular farmers market that takes place from June to October of each year, will rival such popular markets as Pikes Place in Seattle and the Ferry Building in San Francisco. There are also plans afoot for a regional transportation connector that links downtown with Salt Lake City Airport as well as commuter rail to Ogden and Provo.

Diversifying the mix of civic amenities and attraction is a wise move for Salt Lake as it repositions itself as a destination of choice for new residents and tourists. The Utah Jazz professional basketball team, long the only game in town for years, had fallen on hard times of late with the loss of its hall of fame coach Jerry Sloan as well as player trades and retirements. Its recent dormancy speaks to the importance of not relying on a storied franchise as the sole source of economic vibrancy for an area.

Ultimately, the primary asset that will continue to fuel interest and investment to Salt Lake City’s center-city is its quality of life.  Its a feel that you quickly get walking the streets—safe, accessible and family oriented. As our taxi cab driver noted when asked why he moved to the city ten years ago as a single parent: “It’s a place where I don’t ever have to worry about my son. Quite frankly, he has a greater chance of being attacked by a grizzly bear while hiking in the mountains with his friends than being involved in a gang.”

So cheers to Salt Lake City for its bright economic and quality of life future. Be forewarned though that happy hour specials are barred in the city, with no mixing of shots allowed. And for all you wine aficionados, local bartenders can pour only a 5 oz glass of wine instead of the traditional six. Oh well, there  are plenty of reasons to celebrate nevertheless.

Michael Scott is the editor of UrbanEngagement WebCity. He can be reached at the urbane journalist dot com

Harvard’s Repute and Local Community Impact

Few higher education institutions rival the power and influence of Harvard University, or its history – this year marks its 375th anniversary.

As an itinerate student of cities and communities, I have long been intrigued by prestigious academic establishments like Harvard and the impact they have on their local communities. With Harvard’s long history as a bastion for innovation and research, the surrounding area has become a natural draw for high profile firms and emerging companies seeking collaborative academic ventures to fuel their growth. This, in turn, leads to job growth and trickle down dollars which support local economic development.

On a recent March visit to Cambridge, Massachusetts, home of Harvard’s main campus, I wandered the local streets, jotting notes on my iPhone app while encountering bohemians, academics, and students–some even disguised as St. Patrick’s Day revelers. As one of the estimated 8 million annual visitors to the university and city each year, I found myself entranced by the rich architecture and intellectual vibe that permeated throughout the local culture. There was an aesthetic congruence to the historic streets, parks and town squares that brought engagement to the social fabric of the area, lending support to Cambridge’s distinction as one of the most walkable and vibrant communities in the nation.

Harvard University

Cambridge is home to an estimated population of 105,594, driven largely by the faculty, staff and student community of Harvard. In addition Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a neighboring higher education institution of high repute is just a stones throw away.

Despite a natural abundance of local assets, Harvard and Cambridge have arrived at a crossroads amidst tight budgets as well as fiscal losses to the university endowment. Last year, in response to a plummeting stock market that wrecked havoc on their investments, the university put the kibosh on a $1.4 billion science facility construction project, raising the ire of neighborhood residents who were suddenly surrounded by the eyesore of an abandoned project.

Declining fortunes aside, Harvard continues to plunge ahead with investments designed to solidify its world stature as the premier educational institution in the world. One example of this is a plan to build a $90-$100 million executive education center that will sit on the Harvard Business School campus off Soldiers Field Road. When completed it promises to be a top-tier facility that will only serve to further the business school’s already pristine reputation.

The university’s efforts to build upon stellar assets such as its business school are just another notch in the belt of its global reputation as the world’s most highly revered education establishment. Of greater note, though, is how these efforts translate into a better quality of life for Cambridge and the surrounding communities. A walkable paradise, the area boasts a high per-capita percentage of commuters who walk to work. Cambridge, in particular, has a nearly perfect score in terms of walkability, according to Walkscore.com.

The pedestrian landscape, replete with a traffic-calming mechanism in the city’s downtown core, creates an oasis of urbanity that resonates well with the university’s more stoic academic confines. The infamous Harvard Square is the spoke for community activity and embodies the spirit of Greek agoras—those long ago gathering places that attracted intellectuals, curiosity seekers and people simply passing through. Located at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, Brattle Street and JFK Street, it is a hustle-bustle locale, as well as a feeder system for the Red Line train that travels to and from Boston proper.

Downtown Cambridge, Massachusetts

For voracious readers, the immediate vicinity features a rich collection of bookstores that cater to virtually every interest. There are over twenty-five bookstores situated in a six-mile radius, giving Cambridge the distinction of having more bookstores per capita than any other city in the world. Harvard’s influence is acutely felt in these stores, many of them featuring exclusive sections of books written by the university’s rich cadre of academics—high-profile writers like Clayton Christenson, Howard Gardner, Elizabeth Moss Kanter, and the late Rev. Peter Gomes.

The Harvard factor further extends itself into the region’s demographics, serving as an attraction point for a mosaic of people from every corner of the world. The surrounding city has long been revered for its diverse population – racially, culturally and economically – leading to the frequently used moniker of the “People’s Republic of Cambridge.”

Questions still remain, though, about the future of traditional higher education and its lasting impact on the social fabric of communities like Cambridge. My bet is that the repute of Harvard will continue to attract the best and brightest minds, infusing the surrounding diaspora with a spirit of community, diversity and service that is unmatched anywhere else.

Michael is the editor of Urban Engagement Webcity. He can be reached at The Urban Journalist dot com.

Expert Interview: Author and Community Revitalization Expert Storm Cunningham Discusses Key Economic and Redevelopment Issues

I became acquainted with Storm Cunningham as a result of having purchased a book he authored entitled reWealth: Stake Your Claim in the $2 Trillion reDevelopment Trend That’s Renewing the World. And I’m so glad to have discovered it in the front section of Barnes and Noble Booksellers in Emeryville, California,  for it provides a wealth of fresh insights on revitalizing the economy, environment, and quality of life in communities worldwide.  I asked Storm if he would be allow me to interview him for my blog, and he was gracious enough to agree. I’m confident you’ll enjoy reading it. –Michael Scott

1.Cities throughout the nation are facing major budget shortfalls due to systemic economic issues. What advice do you have for city leaders seeking to jump start their redevelopment efforts amid limited funding?

They need to use this crisis to rid themselves of discredited economic development practices.  For decades, planners and economic developers have been taught to do things backwards. The standard formula has been to “attract” employers via whatever means necessary, assuming that the resulting economic growth will improve quality of life.”  This has resulted in a zero-sum, self-destructive “arms race”, whereby communities steal employers from each other by giving away years–or even decades–of tax revenues. It’s reported as “economic growth”, but it’s obviously no such thing for the state or the nation, as jobs just move from one place to another within their borders.

If one looks at the truly great “back-from-the-dead “success stories, we see the opposite strategy at work.  Communities that have perpetuated their revitalization for a decade or more (Chattanooga, Bilbao, etc.), focused on improved quality of life first.  This attracted high-quality employers who actually wanted to be there…who didn’t pull-up stakes as soon as the freebies ran out.  That doesn’t mean that tax (and other) incentives aren’t a useful tool: but they shouldn’t be the only tool (as they often are), and they certainly should not comprise the heart of their strategy.

Chattanooga, for instance, recently attracted a $1 billion VW plant with incentives, but that was just the icing on their strategic cake.  It was their leading-edge, long-standing, multi-faceted revitalization process that made the city desirable in the first place.  After all, it wasn’t that long ago that Chattanooga was officially designated the filthiest city in the nation (one often had to drive with the headlights on in the middle of the day, the air pollution was so bad), with high crime, severe racial problems, and an industrial economy that was hemorrhaging over 1000 jobs annually.  Now, Chattanooga is a world-renowned showcase of beauty, social harmony, low crime, and economic growth.  You don’t get results like that just by offering tax incentives.

2.You are a huge advocate of public-private partnerships. Why do you believe these sorts of working relationships are vital to development efforts?

I’m a huge advocate of “renewal partnerships”, not necessarily the public-private partnerships in general.  There has been vast abuse of the public trust in the name of “public-private partnering” over the past two decades.  Clearly it’s not a partnership if the private sector takes no risk.  Yet many so-called public-private partnerships have been little more than sweetheart deals for politically-connected firms.  Or they result in effective monopolies for very large multinational firms that take advantage of desperate communities, who lack the legal expertise or wherewithal to defend their interests.

A “renewal partnership” is one that plays by the rules…the three “renewal rules” that my recent 6-year research project revealed to be the “secret formula” of the best revitalization successes.  They are:

• ReWealth (basing wealth-creation primarily on the renewal of existing assets, as opposed to sprawl)

• Integration (of the natural, built, and socioeconomic environments)

• Engagement (of all stakeholders affected by–or involved in–the renewal process).

They each have value individually, but rapid, resilient renewal (which seems to be the universal goal of communities) only tends to happen when all three are combined.

3.What sorts of redevelopment trends do you see appearing on the horizon as our nation slowly climbs out of its recessionary doldrums?

This economic crisis could trigger the tipping point we’ve been working towards for 15-20 years.  During that time, development and depletion (together known as “dewealth”) have been steadily giving way to rewealth (redevelopment and resource restoration). We’re moving from degenerative wealth-creation to regenerative wealth-creation.  It’s not as if a fast-growing population on a planet of finite size has much choice: it’s an inevitable transition.

But dewealth is still the default mode of economic development in national policies, and rewealth is still the exception.  In most older or larger cities, rewealth is already the default, but the states and feds are lagging.  But where cities lead, nations eventually follow.

Now, we have a $787 billion economic stimulus package in the US that is heavily focused on restoration, redevelopment, remediation, infrastructure renewal, and the like— granted, the stimulus could have at least doubled its effectiveness by using the three renewal rules as a filter for projects.  This runs counter to the current, brain-dead filter of “shovel-ready”, which is about doing things quickly, rather than doing the right things. But, it could still push the nation into a phase transition, whereby rewealth becomes the the default for economic growth, and dewealth the exception.

4.Are there any exciting or important new initiatives you know of that will accelerate dewealth/rewealth tipping point, and thus speed the revitalization of our communities?

The most exciting project I know of is one I’m actually involved in: the new Places To Invest initiative (www.PlacesToInvest.com).   My firm is leading a global group of 20 communities–along with universities and expert advisers–in the creation of the first “community forecasting” service.  It will help direct investment towards communities and regions that are prepared revitalize (or to continue their revitalization). This will help redevelopers and real estate investors avoid putting the right projects in the wrong community, or the right community at the wrong time.

A Renewal Quotient Test is under development.  It produces a number–a renewal quotient (RQ)–that helps is measure and rank a community’s “renewal capacity”. Most communities invite reinvestment from the private sector, but are poorly prepared to be a good partner in their own revitalization.  This often results in money-losing projects for redevelopers.  Places To Invest will identify the best communities for such investments worldwide, and its Renewal Capacity Program (a series of 7 local workshops) helps poor-scoring communities become better places to invest.   There’s already a free, 10-question online RQ Quiz, which generates an RQ score for a community based on a the quiz-taker’s perceptions.  It’s a great way to familiarize oneself with the core principles on which the actual RQ Test will be based. [Readers can take the RQ Quiz here: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/115736/rq-quiz%5D

Places To Invest is currently putting a strategic alliance together with one of the world’s largest investment banks (over a trillion dollars under management). They came to us, asking if we would help them find safer communities for their funds to invest in. Why? Because many of the pension funds and other investors whose money they invest are now demanding that their money go not to just “green” or “sustainable” investments, but to investments also help communities.  We have meetings in Copenhagen and New York City scheduled in the coming weeks, and the alliance should be worked-out by the end of September. Look for a major public announcement by early next year or sooner.

5.The lack of economic hope continues to impact many of our nation’s urban inner-city areas. What can be done to reverse this trend?

It’s not just the populations of inner cities that are hope-starved.  One of the problems we have–both nationally and globally–is a disease I call “reblindness”: we can’t see most of the restoration that’s going on around us. Our public accounting and reporting systems aren’t set up on a life cycle basis.  They don’t clearly differentiate new development (at the beginning of the economic development cycle) from maintenance/conservation (in the middle of the life cycle) from restorative development (the “end” of the asset life cycle).  All we ever hear about are “new housing starts”, “durable goods sales”, and the like.

Historic building reuse, infill, brownfields remediation, infrastructure renewal, ecological and watershed restoration, and all the other many and varied forms of restorative development are buried in budgets and are reported as “capital improvement” and “maintenance”.  We are blind to the de-re shift that’s taking place.  As a result, children and adults alike are lacking the data they need to believe that tomorrow’s world can be healthier, wealthier, and more beautiful.  We need more than blind optimism if we are to to have a constructive attitude towards our future.  If we could see the growth of restoration and redevelopment, we would be much more optimistic, and we would have excellent reasons to be so.

As for inner cities: they are actually in the best position to lead the way in business, education, science, and politics.  Inner cities are a window on the future of the planet.  Most of them have already come to grips with the fact that sustained economic growth can only be based on asset renewal, not on reflexively creating more and more of what few people want more of (as author Paul Hawken so brilliantly puts it).  Inner cities know that the future of the planet is in renewing the value of the places we’ve already developed, and in repairing the damage we did to our natural resources along the way.

6.There’s much talk these days about how cities can become more sustainable in their approach to development? What sorts of benefits do you see ensuing from this movement?

“Sustainable development” was created as a compromise phrase.  It was spawned some three decades ago, when environmentalists and business interests were at each others’ throats, and wouldn’t even talk to each other. Green leaders felt that “sustainable” was a less-threatening word for business executives, and they threw in “development” to show that greens weren’t against economic growth.  But we’ve now outgrown that phrase.

Sustainable development has been a wonderful, noble, and necessary global dialog.  But that’s all it is: a dialog.  Sustainability isn’t a real thing…it isn’t a rigorous, measurable process by which you can actually do anything.  At best, we can only say that something is “more sustainable” (that is, less damaging).  But we can’t point to a project and say “that’s sustainable”.  Sustainable for how long? 100 years?  10,000 years?  Sustainable with how many people on the planet? 6 billion? 60 billion?

On the other hand, we can very easily point to a project and prove it’s restorative.  We can document how many more fish are in a restored river.  We can document how much less contamination there is in a remediated brownfield.  We can document the increase in value of an adaptively-reused building, or vacant lot that’s been reused as an urban farm.  The big problem with sustainable development is that it suffers from reblindness: it doesn’t differentiate among new development, maintenance/conservation, and  restorative development.  As a result, we see sprawling housing developments on top of valuable wetlands calling themselves “sustainable”, simply because they have photovoltaic panels on the roofs.  Sure: green sprawl is better than brown sprawl, but that’s like inventing a healthier form of cancer, rather than a cure.

The “sweet spot” is where rewealth and green/clean technologies come together.  The time is long past when merely doing less damage is enough. Every square meter of the planet’s land and every cubic meter of the planet’s water is now damaged, degraded, or polluted to some degree.  The only way we can possible have a healthier, wealthier, more beautiful world is by revitalizing our cities and by restoring nature.  That’s a perfectly legitimate basis for an economy: the global restoration economy currently accounts for some $2 trillion annually (not that anyone’s measuring it properly).  That economy is tapping a global inventory of restorable assets estimated to be at least $100 trillion.

7.What drives your desire to make a difference through the work that you do? What is your greatest hope for the future of our world and planet?

I find excitement through earning a living in a way that engages my passions. And I’ve always loved nature.  In other words, I enjoy being paid to do things that I would normally pay to do. I guess this started in the military, where I was a Green Beret scuba medic with the Army’s 7th Special Forces Group.They actually paid me to learn to scuba dive, paid me to learn to parachute, paid me to learn cross-country skiing, paid me to learn desert and jungle survival techniques, paid me to learn martial arts, paid me to learn medicine.  Special Forces thus set my sights high.  So, I later found myself earning my living diving in the Caribbean to research reef restoration technologies, or breeding threatened species for reintroduction into the wild.

I’ve got little patience for politically-correct talk that doesn’t produce meaningful action, or for activity in place of results.  So, it was only natural that when I started writing a book on sustainable development in 1996, it morphed into the first book on restorative development: The Restoration Economy.   Once that book came out (in 2002), I became a full-time speaker, workshop leader, consultant, and writer focused purely on restoring our world.  In other words, I’ve been in paradise since 2002.   OK: a bit of an exaggeration, but you get my point.

My 2008 book from McGraw-Hill, reWealth, picked up where the first one left off.  The Restoration Economy documented all the fast-growing disciplines and industries that are restoring our natural and built environments.  Such projects are the ingredients of community and regional revitalization.  reWealth is about the recipe for revitalization: how to organize, integrate, fund, and perpetuate all that restorative activity in a way that reliably produces what people really want: economic growth and enhanced quality of life…revitalization, in other words. My greatest hope is that we will all find a way to restore the world for a living; directly, indirectly, or in a supportive role.

Storm Cunningham is author of The Restoration Economy and reWealth, and is CEO of Resolution Fund, LLC in Washington, DC. Learn more about Storm and his work at resolutionfund.com