Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    1/28

    August 2007 David Maurasse, Marga, Inc.

    LeveragingAnchorInstitutions

    for UrbanSuccess

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    2/28

    CEOs for Cities Leveraging Anchor Institutions

    for Urban Success

    2

    BackgroundIt has become abundantly clear that partnershipsand creativity are necessary to leverage existing

    resources to stimulate vibrant cities. All that isrequired to make cities great does not rest in oneplace. Government, at any level, does not possessthe dollars, thinking and capital needed to navigatethe complexity of todays cities. However, most U.S.cities have extensive civic, cultural and intellectualassets assets often embodied in what we know asanchor institutions that can be put to work onbehalf of cities.

    Most U.S. cit ies have extensive civic, cultural andintellectual assets assets often embodied in what weknow as anchor institutions that can be put to work onbehalf of cit ies.Universities, community colleges, museums,libraries, municipal enterprises, hospitals, parks,performing arts centers and sports arenas are allincluded in the array of institutions that can

    contribute to the culture, economy and vitality ofcities. Some are supported by public funds. Othersare not. But these so-called anchor institutionsrepresent sticky capital in cities. They cannoteasily pick up and leave the community. So theyhave special importance to the re-making of a cityand its future, and they have special reason to wantto be instrumental in shaping their citys future(although all will not choose to do so).

    On May 1 and 2, 2007, in San Jos, California, CEOsfor Cities convened an unprecedented discussionamong urban leaders around strategies to leverageanchor institutions for urban success. Thisconversation intentionally crossed sectors with theaim of forging a unified voice on the potential foranchor institutions to make maximum contributionsto their cities.

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    3/28

    CEOs for Cities Leveraging Anchor Institutions

    for Urban Success

    3

    The idea of a cross-sector perspective on how toleverage anchor institutions is no small feat in itself,as different industries have tended to engage intheir own dialogue around how they partner and the

    roles they play in their cities. Each industry has itsown culture, pace, approach and set of priorities.

    CEOs for Cities first major paper, LeveragingColleges and Universities for Urban EconomicRevitalization(2002), focused on a specific anchorinstitution industry higher education. In thatpaper, Michael Porter documented the jobgeneration power of the Education and KnowledgeCreation traded sector to the U.S., with the sector

    adding more than 500,000 jobs between 1990 and1999, second only to the Business Services sector.Porter also highlighted a variety of othercontributions that institutions of higher educationbring to their cities, including employment andpurchasing. The paper was written when numerousinstitutions of higher education were becoming farmore aware of the interdependency between theirdirection and strategies and the health of theirneighborhoods, cities and regions.

    The conversation should develop into a broader discussionabout how to network various institutions in particularcities, stimulating citywide collaboration toward unifiedends.Several decades of creative higher educationexternal partnerships in cities provide a number oflessons that may be transferable to otherindustries, as other institutions ponder their roles in

    their host communities. The San Jos conveningattempted to highlight some of those lessons tostimulate discussion, not only about how collegesand universities can continue to contribute to theircities but also the ways in which other anchorinstitutions can help create urban success.

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    4/28

    CEOs for Cities Leveraging Anchor Institutions

    for Urban Success

    4

    We note that, especially in cities dependent onproperty taxes, tensions are increasing over whattax-exempt anchor institutions owe theircommunities in exchange for their favored taxstatus. We hope that as the contributions of anchor

    institutions to urban success are more widelyrecognized and more broadly leveraged, thesetensions will be resolved.

    As a network of urban leaders, CEOs for Citieshopes to engage a wide spectrum of urbaninstitutions and industries on the variety ofstrategies that can contribute to urban success.Ultimately, the conversation should develop into abroader discussion about how to network various

    institutions in particular cities, stimulating citywidecollaboration toward unified ends. This paper andthe outcomes of the San Jos convening representan early evolution of a strategic dialogue that beginswith the role of higher education and culminates incitywide multi-institutional strategies.

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    5/28

    CEOs for Cities Leveraging Anchor Institutions

    for Urban Success

    5

    Summary of LearningsThe following has been learned from theexperiences of colleges and universities and alsofrom examples shared during the San Jos

    dialogue:

    Anchor institutions can have impact beyond their w alls. Anchor institutions that think of themselves as

    institutions whose success depends, in part, onthe success of the communities in which theyreside (and vice versa) will be in the best positionto contribute to urban success.

    Anchor institutions affect the local economy atminimum through employment, purchasing, realestate development and design, which can, inturn, affect nearby real estate values. They canalso stimulate the development of relatedindustries or industry clusters.

    Anchor institutions should be particularlyimaginative and thoughtful about how their realestate, architecture, landscaping and design

    investments can lead to increased desirability ofthe surrounding neighborhoods and the creationof great cities.

    At the same time, to the extent that an anchorinstitution can anticipate increases in the valueof the surrounding neighborhood, its leadersshould work with city leaders to mitigatepotential negative effects on those in theneighborhood or, better, prepare them to take

    advantage of the changes.

    Anchor institutions often shape the brand of acity and vice versa. It is one more way in whichthe interests of a city and its anchor institutionsare inextricably tied.

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    6/28

    CEOs for Cities Leveraging Anchor Institutions

    for Urban Success

    6

    Anchor institutions can have impact beyond theirportfolios. Anchor institutions should take deep and

    imaginative inventories of their assets and theirneeds, then take the broadest possible view ofhow to act in their own interests and, at thesame time, act in the interests of theircommunities.

    Anchor institutions at their best have theopportunity to energize an entire city.

    Stimulating new ideas, providing places to meetand share those ideas, gaining acceptance and

    pick up of ideas, and cultivating a culture ofrisk-taking are critical to innovation. Anchorinstitutions can play a lead role in providing andencouraging these critical conditions.

    Anchor institutions that encourage participationand making choices are a reflection of andprepare us for democracy.

    There is tension between the ideal of equalaccess and the desire for orderly public places.Anchor institutions are often on the front lines ofbalancing this tension. To the extent they canshow us the way toward meeting both goals, andfurther, to make equal access a strength ratherthan simply an ideal, they will strengthen thebroader community.

    Mayors need partnerships to achieve their goalsand should look to anchor institutions as

    resources both to help shape their goals andachieve them.

    Anchor institutions are particularly local institutions. Anchor institutions are often unusually local

    institutions. Therefore, they and their leaders

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    7/28

    CEOs for Cities Leveraging Anchor Institutions

    for Urban Success

    7

    can play a special role in representing a uniquelylocal perspective in a wide range of civicdiscussions and plans.

    Anchor institutions will increase their relevanceby using resources and leadership to addresschallenges and opportunities facing their cities.Anchor institutions should be willing to askwhere their cities need help and respondimaginatively.

    Anchor institutions can play an especiallyimportant role as common or neutral ground in acommunity.

    Anchor institutions often anchor little-recognized cultural, educational, social and eveneconomic ecosystems. It is important tounderstand these ecosystems, their participantsand their dependencies so that they can beoptimized to their full potential and revealed toother urban leaders.

    Anchor institutions can be sources of civic leadership. While many anchor institutions are unusuallylocal, others operate at a global scale, recruiting

    faculty/employees, guest lecturers and artists,and students/consumers worldwide. Leaders ofthese anchor institutions can be particularlyuseful in contributing to the civic dialogue aglobal perspective on local competitiveconditions.

    By their own ambitions, anchor institutions canproject ambitions for their cities. Leaders ofanchor institutions can be much-needed sourcesof broader ambition for cities.

    Anchor institutions and their leaders, along withothers, should strive to make local commitmentand involvement appealing (even sexy) again.

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    8/28

    CEOs for Cities Leveraging Anchor Institutions

    for Urban Success

    8

    There is a tension between the need to make ananchor institution levitate and move fast tolead civic success and the need to lead withoutbullying.

    Anchor institutions and their leaders shouldcontribute meaningfully to making their citiestalented, connected, distinctive and innovativeplaces.

    Anchor institutions must move fr om outreach toengagement. Anchor institutions must move beyond

    outreach to engagement. That is, anchorinstitutions cannot simply make their offer andsell the community hoping they will buy it.Anchor institutions must engage with thecommunity to shape the offer itself.

    The political landscape can often be messy andchallenging to understand for those who are notpart of it. Mayors should help their prospectivepartners understand how to negotiate thepolitical landscape without getting mortally

    wounded.

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    9/28

    CEOs for Cities Leveraging Anchor Institutions

    for Urban Success

    9

    The Proceedings: Lessons from HigherEducationAs San Jos State University President Don Kassingsaid at the May 1-2 convening, Great cities have

    great universities. Many universities carry thename of their host cities. Universities help shapetheir cities identities. In fact, in San Jos and theSilicon Valley, higher education helped foster thegrowth of major industries. Indeed, the significanceof higher education in cities has been on display inrecent years.

    It is difficult for most [anchor] institutions to simply packup and move.As numerous cities have, to varying degrees,experienced the flight of capital and corporations,colleges and universities remained. As some citiesdeclined, the interdependency between institutionsof higher education and their cities became starklyapparent. Colleges and universities depend on theirsurroundings to serve their overall purpose. Theyrequire a degree of vitality in their host cities toattract faculty and students and to provide

    environments conducive to teaching and learning.Simultaneously, cities depend on universities tobring vitality, not to mention a competent workforceand intellectual stimulation.

    Compared with other institutions, it is difficult formost institutions of higher education to simply packup and move. Colleges and universities are rootedin their surroundings and have a longstandingvested interest in their neighborhoods and cities.

    Additionally, institutions of higher education,occupying vast acreage, invest in landholdings,creating a relatively unique physicality in their bondto the cities in which they are located. Indeed, theidentity of most universities is tied to their locations.

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    10/28

    CEOs for Cities Leveraging Anchor Institutions

    for Urban Success

    10

    Institutions of higher education are economicengines in their cities. In the 2002 study, CEOs forCities and Harvard Professor Michael Porterexplored the range of roles that higher educationinstitutions can play in urban revitalization as

    employers, purchasers, real estate developers,incubators, advisor and network builders, andworkforce developers. The Porter study shedsignificant light on an often-underappreciated rolethat higher education plays in driving urbaneconomies.

    These dynamic institutions uniquely bring to the table arange of capital intellectual, physical, economic andhuman.But institutions of higher education can contributeto their cities in other less quantifiable ways as well.These dynamic institutions uniquely bring to thetable a range of capital intellectual, physical,economic and human. Because of their diverseofferings, institutions of higher education touchnumerous industries and can position them tocontribute to the growth of cities in their priorityareas. Many institutions of higher education own

    hospitals and provide medical care and training.

    In the realm of research, institutions of highereducation bring significant expertise and impartialfact-finding and analysis. Faculty research can beapplied to issues of importance to cities.Coursework can be tailored to address local needs.In-service student volunteers can bring significantlocal contributions including a sense of belongingthat may lead to students remaining in the area

    after graduation.

    Historically, the initial approach of some institutionsof higher education to decline in their urbansurroundings was separation. Towering wallsbecame symbolic of the desire of some colleges anduniversities to preserve their internal environment.

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    11/28

    CEOs for Cities Leveraging Anchor Institutions

    for Urban Success

    11

    However, insulation from host cities was neverrealistic due to the substantial interdependencebetween cities and their colleges and universities.This reality helped spawn far more open andcollaborative attempts among institutions of higher

    education to engage their communities. CampusCompact, the U.S. Department of Housing andUrban Development and numerous higher educationassociations promoted and highlighted the virtues ofengaged campuses. This national frameworksupported the growth of the efforts of numerouscolleges and universities to creatively contribute totheir cities.

    It is important to ensure that the engagement ofinstitutions transcends rhetoric and demonstratescapacity to execute.

    The University of Pennsylvania has become perhapsthe most well-known example of a major universitythat expanded its engagement in its hostneighborhood and city in a manner that fueled itsown growth and reputation as well as revitalized itssurroundings. Omar Blaik, CEO of U3 Ventures andformerly of the University of Pennsylvania, identified

    various lessons that are important to consider inuniversity partnerships.

    First, the nature of the engagement should becomprehensive. Institutions of higher education aremulti-dimensional institutions comprised ofnumerous semi-autonomous units. Some of theunits can be engaged in cities, but is engagement inthe city truly institutional? With so many parts,internal persuasion and partnership in higher

    education may be just as complicated and laborintensive as external partnerships. Consequently,institutions of higher education may not bepositioned to move as quickly as some otherinstitutions.

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    12/28

    CEOs for Cities Leveraging Anchor Institutions

    for Urban Success

    12

    Second, it is important to ensure that theengagement of institutions transcends rhetoric anddemonstrates capacity to execute. Third, clearunderstandings of the definition of community andthe degree of commitment to a particular

    identifiable area an immediate neighborhood orbeyond? are necessary. Where does an institutionwish to make its greatest local contributions? In thecase of the University of Pennsylvania, incentives forUniversity faculty and staff to live in the immediateneighborhood, West Philadelphia, became a coreaspect of engagement. Increasing faculty and staffmembers personal vested interest in theneighborhood became central to expanding theinstitutions commitment to the area.

    The experience of higher education, according toBlaik, is also instructive around the complexity andrisk associated with partnerships. External partiesin cities may not agree with the aims of institutions.Institutions, invariably, must compromise in order tobe effectively engaged in any form of externalpartnership. One issue that has provencontroversial in higher education, and even in thediscussion at the San Jos convening, is the effects

    of university expansion in cities. While universitiesin their expansion efforts might redevelop areasthat are not receiving adequate attention, thepotential for displacement of local residents andbusinesses often looms. University expansion isoften viewed with suspicion, particularly in lower-income communities.

    How decisions get made and who takes leadership indecision-making seems to consistently influence thecharacter and quality of engagement.

    How decisions get made and who takes leadershipin decision-making seems to consistently influencethe character and quality of university engagement.Kassing identified listening as an essential lessonin San Jos States engagement. He cited the

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    13/28

    CEOs for Cities Leveraging Anchor Institutions

    for Urban Success

    13

    institutions strong relationship with City of San Josplanners and regular conversation with them asessential to involvement in San Jos. Indeed, as apublic university, San Jos State is more directlyaccountable and tied to local government than a

    private institution like the University ofPennsylvania. Among the many lessons that highereducational engagement teaches for leveragingother anchor institutions is that there are numerousdifferences based on the type of institution, andthere is no one size fits all strategy.

    Regardless of the type of institution, leadership isessential to success in partnerships.Regardless of the type of institution, leadership isessential to success in partnerships. Especiallybecause of the decentralized nature of colleges anduniversities, institutional leadership is the onlysphere responsible for the whole of the institution.It is difficult to demonstrate any kind of trulyinstitutional commitment to a strategy forpartnership and engagement without the support ofsenior administrators and trustees. How doinstitutions of higher education move from

    fragmented approaches to engagement toconcentrated strategies? While complexinstitutions like universities stand to bring aboutgreater success by leading, they must avoid beinglocal bullies. The great challenge for highereducation is to partner within and without forgingclarity of vision internally and collaboratingexternally.

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    14/28

    CEOs for Cities Leveraging Anchor Institutions

    for Urban Success

    14

    The Proceedings: Lessons from OtherAnchor InstitutionsOther anchor institutions in cities must continuallyconsider their relationship to their surroundings,evaluating their vested interest in expanding theircontributions to their cities. Universities are uniqueand bring particular capabilities, needs andexpectations to their engagement. But all anchorinstitutions can emulate the lessons learned fromsuch engagement by universities. Moresignificantly, all anchor institution leaders have thepotential to contribute their expertise and

    institutional resources to city success, particularlywhen they are connected as a network and focusedon shaping that success beyond their institutionalinterests and walls.

    All anchor institution leaders have the potential tocontribute their expertise and institutional resources tocity successIn a final panel asked to respond to the previous

    discussions at the May meeting, Martn Gmez drewout four points that resonated with his attempts toStrengthen the Public Library as an Essential Partof Urban Life (www.urbanlibraries.org) asPresident of the Urban Libraries Council:

    1. To be an anchor institution, you need to be actively involved withbuilding community, and that means having respect for thecommunity that you serve, as well as fostering communityinvolvement. And when I say building community, I'm not justtalking bricks and mortar, I'm talking about actually building

    human capacity.2. Anchor institutions...need to be involved with [their communities]at the highest level.

    3. [Anchor institutions must] work successfully within a very messypolitical landscape.

    4. [Anchor institutions must] recruit and cultivate leadership. Ifirmly believe that the rules have changed. How do you engage,how do you govern and how do you develop your assets as anorganization? The young people who are coming up now, I don't

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    15/28

    CEOs for Cities Leveraging Anchor Institutions

    for Urban Success

    15

    think they necessarily want to run things the way that we runthem. We're in gray hair institutions, many of us.

    So what is it specifically about museums, libraries,community colleges, performing arts centers,

    parks, sports arenas, municipal enterprises andhospitals that can add to their cities success?

    Certainly, other anchor institutions, like collegesand universities, are purchasers of goods andservices and employers. Similarly, they play a director indirect role in land development through whichthey can influence surrounding land value withbuilding siting and design. In pondering how variousanchor institutions can be engaged in their cities, itis important to address in what ways theseinstitutions maintain a vested interest in theirsurroundings.

    Anchor institutions also provide intellectual, artisticand physical stimulation that add measurably toquality of life. With their design and programming(and perhaps even ambition) anchor institutionscontribute to a citys distinctiveness, vibrancy,character and identity. And to the extent they dothat, they help attract and retain talent.

    New York Public LibraryPaul Holdengrber, Director of PublicPrograms/LIVE at the New York Public Library,wants to make the marble lions that stand beforethe librarys entrance roar. Charged by NYPLPresident Dr. Paul LeClerc with oxygenating thelibrary, Holdengrber has set out to enliven it andmake it relevant to thinkers and doers of new

    generations. In order to do so, Holdengrber hastaken advantage of the New York Public Librarysstatus as a substantive anchor institution. He hasfrequently wondered, How much does the NewYork Public Library actually weigh? How manypounds does it weigh? Its a very heavy, heavyinstitution. But in order to maximize its

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    16/28

    CEOs for Cities Leveraging Anchor Institutions

    for Urban Success

    16

    contribution to the city and make it successful in-and-of itself Holdengrber has counterintuitivelysought to make this heavy institution levitate, tomake it come alive. Hes done so throughinnovative public programming that he sees as

    another way of opening the door. Its another wayof welcoming people in the institution, creating aplace also for people to meet. Its one of my biggestobsessions: how do people meet, where do theymeet and how do we provide them something to talkabout so they come together?

    Holdengrber has made a significant contribution tothe intellectual and social life of New York City andcreated a remarkably successful public program for

    the library with LIVE from the NYPL, a speakingseries that features provocative luminariesdiscussing surprising topics (a recent event had filmdirector Werner Herzog answer the prompt, Wasthe 20th Century a Mistake?). LIVE events sell outwithin hours of online announcements and drawseveral hundred people, a large percentage ofwhom have not been to events in the past; sinceHoldengrber has taken over, attendance at libraryprograms has increased by 350 percent.

    How do people meet, where do they meet and how do weprovide them something to talk about so they cometogether?The discussions and the receptions that followprovide opportunities for what the Washington Postcalled intellidating, a phenomenon resulting fromthe fact that in urban centersgray matter is thenew black of the hip social scene (Washington Post04/16/07). As such, LIVE programs excite and

    motivate through ideas. They have contributed to aswelling of library memberships by 7,000 people,particularly young professionals. The Postarticlequotes Holdengrber and cites his impact: Let'sface it, there really is nothing more sensual thancaressing someone's mind, said Paul

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    17/28

    CEOs for Cities Leveraging Anchor Institutions

    for Urban Success

    17

    Holdengrber Two years ago, the average age atlibrary lectures was 68. It is now 41 and falling.'

    Los Angeles Music CenterCenters for performing arts in cities are oftenviewed as stuffy, elite and inwardly focused.However, their potential to bring vitality and makenumerous other contributions to their host cities issignificant. The Music Center of Los AngelesCounty, created in 1964, includes the Walt DisneyConcert Hall, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, theMark Taper Forum and the Ahmanson Theater. Thecenter is in the heart of downtown Los Angeles andis a major draw to the area, bringing 2 million

    visitors per year to its more than 1,000performances and 3,000 other events.

    However, these impressive numbers do not tell theentire story about the value of the Center to the city,county and state. The center is the largest providerof arts education in California, working with 500public schools and touching about half a millionchildren per year. Additionally, the center employs1,000 artists, making it the largest single employer

    of artists in the county and playing a special role innurturing new actors, directors, and playwrights.

    The presence of the Center and its popularity hasleveraged changes in Los Angeles and within thearts industry. Because of the public intereststimulated by the Center, according to its Presidentand CEO Steven Rountree, improvements intransportation and infrastructure have followed indowntown Los Angeles. In the arts industry, the

    Center has become somewhat of a whale on whichsmaller fish can feed. Many of those associatedwith the Center are involved in their own smallerarts organizations.

    Josephine Ramirez, the centers Vice President ofProgramming, forges avenues for people to be bothproducers and consumers prosumers by

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    18/28

    CEOs for Cities Leveraging Anchor Institutions

    for Urban Success

    18

    providing opportunities for people to make art intheir own lives. Her Active Arts programs getpeople to play music recreationally, just to makemusic together. This effort also includes DanceDowntown, free public open-air events where

    volunteer dancers teach others. In her view, theseparticipatory events for artistic expression validatethe cultural activity that already takes place insociety every day. She sees her role as being one ofupdating an established institution for new realities.She asked attendees at the May meeting, How dowe meet the challenge of [making] arts andculturereflect [todays] participatory society? Howdo we start an ecology of practices that reflectsmore of whats going on in society? Think

    aboutmirroring democracy: what better way tosymbolize a community that plays together byplaying music together; what better way than bydancing together?

    How do we meet the challenge of [making] arts andculture...reflect [today's] participatory society? How dowe start an ecology of practices that reflects more ofwhat's going on in society?Thus even in its programming, the Centersinfluence extends beyond the arts. Thats evenmore the case in the way the Center and itsleadership conceive of its role within Los Angeles.In one of the May convenings more strikingmoments, Steve Rountree described how he hasmoved the Center and its board to play an active andimaginative role in helping the city confront a broadrange of public policy issues, many of which are notdirectly related to the Centers mission but to all of

    which the Center and its leadership can makesignificant contributions. Rountree said,

    I began to ask myself, how can we and our board be divorced fromissues like homelessness, transportation issues, housing issues,crime and residential housing in the community surrounding us? Canwe as an institution stay up on the hill, be aloof, put on music at night,and pretend as if we have no real engagement with or involvementwith the broader community? I have a board of 65 individuals who are

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    19/28

    CEOs for Cities Leveraging Anchor Institutions

    for Urban Success

    19

    the leaders of major companies And we began to have a dialogueabout the fact that we had a responsibility and, in fact, a self-interestin making sure that our board and our leaders, the seniormanagement of the Music Center, devote a significant amount of timeand energy and effort to getting involved in the community This is ashift in terms of what a leader of a nonprofit might do and what board

    members are expected to engage with. The challenge for the 21stcentury is how do we become a center for the people that is trulyembraced by our community?

    Examples from both the New York Public Libraryand the Music Center of Los Angeles Countydemonstrate key aspects of the contributionsanchor institutions can make to their cities andreveal how those contributions can bring thembenefit, too. Leaders at these institutions havecreatively devised programming to attract new

    audiences, especially younger people. Importantly,they have done so in a way that suits the newgenerations desire for active engagement. Thedepartures from tradition are notable in theexperiences of these institutions, emphasizingconnecting to their markets and their cities in newways. Not taking mobility for granted, theseinstitutions have made additional efforts to bringpeople to them by meeting people at their level ofinterest.

    The concept of leveraging institutions for urbansuccess is predicated on the ability of institutions tobuild upon their strengths the core of what theyprovide in a manner that contributes to cities innew ways. The New York Public Library inleveraging the exchange of ideas as a means ofbringing people together, and the Music Center ofLos Angeles County in leveraging artistic expressionas an effort to draw in those who produce andconsume arts, have done just that.

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    20/28

    CEOs for Cities Leveraging Anchor Institutions

    for Urban Success

    20

    Citywide StrategiesStories of the successful engagement of individual

    institutions from various industries are plentiful.The greater challenge is to develop effectivecoordination and cooperation across multipleinstitutions around common citywide direction. TheSan Jos convening launched a critical discussionhighlighting some promising broader strategies.

    ClevelandNed Hill, Cleveland State Universitys Vice President for Economic Development,

    seeks to make Cleveland the Milan of the Midwest. Beyond the boldness of hisvision, whats important to note is that, first, Hill is empowered by the universityto think and act broadly on behalf of the city (not just the school), and second, Hilland others leading Clevelands District of Design initiative have selected an aimand a method for their work that cross institutional and industrial boundaries.

    The District of Design is a concentrated area of Downtown Cleveland that iscomprised of wholesale consumer product showrooms, design studios and theinfrastructure to support world-class design and product development(districtofdesign.com). It is the result of the ongoing efforts of more than ten

    cross-sector partners, including Cleveland State University, the City of Cleveland,the Cleveland Institute of Art, Downtown Cleveland Alliance, and corporatepartners.

    According to Hill, northeast Ohio has nurtured talent through top-tier industrialdesign programs but has not been able to retain talent. Excellent institutionsand courses produce designers that seek more vibrant design cultureselsewhere. Whats interesting is that Cleveland States leadership understandsthis as the institutions problem, and sees a path to success in partnering withother city and regional leaders. Hills job, in his words, is to align the University

    to the [local] economybecause if there's not an economy in northeast Ohio,there's no place for our students, and the lifespan of our institution is fairlyshort.

    Hill possesses a deep understanding of how the alignment between the cross-sector partners leading the District of Design initiative must be rooted inClevelands distinctive assets. Key among those is its historic and contemporarystrength in all things design. From institutional to individual, educational to

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    21/28

    CEOs for Cities Leveraging Anchor Institutions

    for Urban Success

    21

    corporate, the design assets in Cleveland and the surrounding region, Hillclaims, are unparalleled throughout the U.S. Its natural, then, that a cross-sector group of leaders would aim their efforts at making Cleveland the productdesign capital of the U.S.: By fostering a design culture, drawing on regionalassets and capitalizing on the increasing design awareness, the region can

    position itself as a long-term leader in design and innovation.

    The District of Design isnt replicable in other placesthats precisely the pointand the power of its focus on local assetsbut the logic behind its creation canbe transferred elsewhere. When individual institutions recognize theirinterdependence and when their leaders collaborate on broad projects thatmatch a regions past and present to a positive future, everyone benefits.

    PhoenixAs Bob Bangham, Creative Director of RipBang Studios, explained to other CEOsfor Cities members at the San Jos convening, anchor institutions havent alwayslived up to their promises of positive impact on cities. This is particularly thecase with sports arenas. But with their plan for the Jackson StreetEntertainment District in Phoenix, Bangham and his firm have proposed new andinnovative techniques for literally turning inside out institutions that currentlyface only inward. Their work is premised on the fact that thinking aboutinstitutions as individual entities, as opposed to considering their relationship toeach other and to the surrounding community, limits everyones success. Cross-sector collaboration yields surprising and productive uses for anchor institutions.

    Phoenix, one of the fastest growing cities in the country, epitomizes sprawl. Thecity, though, has recently turned its eye toward enlivening its downtown and isinvesting in a new Arizona State University campus, a $600 million conventioncenter, a new bio-medical facility and a light-rail system there. The JacksonStreet Entertainment District lies in the middle of downtown and touches thesenew anchor institutions. It also incorporates an existing ballpark and arena. AsBangham pointed out, these anchor institutions might bring 5 million people todowntown Phoenix every year, but they do so in short spurts: the people come,they go to a gamethey turn around and they leave immediately. Thus, these

    institutionsbuilt with significant public fundinghave had relatively littleimpact on the vitality of the downtown neighborhood or the overall city.

    Banghams plan for the Jackson Street Entertainment District seeks to make thearea more vibrant and more conducive to sustained cultural, social and economicactivity. His novel approach finds an assetproductive spacein what manyother planners see as a barrierthe long, empty facades of sports arenas andconvention centers and the great width of the streets separating them.

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    22/28

    CEOs for Cities Leveraging Anchor Institutions

    for Urban Success

    22

    Banghams plan will literally narrow Jackson Street by facing the anchorinstitution walls with mixed-use development. Where there once was only broad,blank space will stand retail, cultural institutions, hotels, and housing, all ofwhich will line streets designed for people and not cars. With the collaborationof civic, corporate and anchor institution leaders, Banghams novel approach to

    adaptive reuse has the potential to transform the area from a destination forquick trips to a sustainable and lively downtown for the whole city.

    CincinnatiCincinnatis Uptown area, consisting of seven neighborhoods, faces significantchallenges but includes numerous anchor institution campuses. An impressivegroup has formed under the banner of the Uptown Consortium to develop andexecute comprehensive revitalization strategies for the area. Their effortsrepresent a new take on the ways anchor institutions can contribute to classic

    development strategies for a part of a city that needs help.

    The Uptown Consortium includes the leadership of the areas five largestemployers: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati Zoo &Botanical Garden, The Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati, TriHealth, Inc. andthe University of Cincinnati. At the May convening, Tony Brown, the Presidentand CEO of the Uptown Consortium, described how the neighborhoodssignificant needs are being met by these institutions, which he describes as anoasis of economic impact surrounded by a sea of decay, poverty and despair.But while these institutions financial contributions to the Uptown efforts have

    been significant, theyve been matched by broader institutional commitments,particularly in leveraging expertise for new development strategies. Brown saidthey have brought [their] intellectual capacity to the table [and together are]trying to create a sense of place and encourage employees and the workforce tobe part of the Uptown Renaissance.

    Why have these cross-sector institutions and leaders collaborated on this effort?Brown said that contrary to their initial assessments, they realized that theirsuccess was closely related to that of the Uptown area: The University, as wellas the hospital, felt that if they could create economic fortresses and control the

    customer experience on the campus, that they didn't have to worry about whathappened in the surrounding area. But I think what they found[was] that was afalse premise. The University of Cincinnati was losing students. Parents wouldcome to the campus and realize that the surrounding areas were not safe andwere decaying. AndChildren's Hospitalthough they created an economicfortress, they did not create an environment where employees and visitors couldwalk out and stop and shop.

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    23/28

    CEOs for Cities Leveraging Anchor Institutions

    for Urban Success

    23

    Uptown has a ways to go, but the Consortium has made significant strides so far.Brown says the key to their initial successes has been a creative and patientapproach to place-making that is girded by significant cross-sectorcollaboration. The institutions in the Consortium see their role in broad termsand understand the broad benefits their efforts can bring about. But they also

    recognize that their hopes lie in intense collaboration with each other and withthe city.

    The Cleveland, Phoenix and Cincinnati examples, though none is yet completeand two are just getting launched, speak to the kind of creativity required forurban success. Dynamics and priorities shift, and cities change, so cities mustremain aware of their assets and develop strategies to leverage them. City Hallcannot merely develop strategies and expect anchor institutions to follow. Citiesmust engage their anchor institutions in planning their collective future.

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    24/28

    CEOs for Cities Leveraging Anchor Institutions

    for Urban Success

    24

    Questions and ConsiderationsA number of questions were posed during the finaldiscussion that can guide further inquiry and actionon this topic.

    How can anchor institutions have maximum impact beyondtheir walls and their portfolios? How can anchor institutions enliven

    communities and make them more dynamicplaces that trigger peoples imaginations,emotions and their desire to learn?

    How can anchor institutions make our citiesmore productive, more competitive and moreequitable?

    How can we use anchor institutions to create apost doctorate for talent?

    How can anchor institutions capitalize on the fact that theyare place-based? How can anchor institutions amplify the

    distinctiveness of a community?

    How can urban success be both people andplace-based, bringing both growth and equity?

    How can anchor institutions create great places,the places people like to go?

    How can anchor institutions be more effective sources ofcivic leadership? What will entice anchor institution leaders to

    play to their full capacity and see their potentialto contribute to citywide success?

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    25/28

    CEOs for Cities Leveraging Anchor Institutions

    for Urban Success

    25

    What will entice those who traditionallyunderstand themselves as urban leaders towelcome anchor institution leaders to the tablewhen setting citywide goals and making plans toreach them?

    What platform can bring a broad array of urbanleaders, including anchor institutions leaders,together around a common agenda?

    How can anchor institutions move from outreach toengagement? How can cities become networked places

    where various types of institutions are

    cooperating toward common ends? How cananchor institutions reconnect our cities?

    How can anchor institutions engage the newcreators (the creator class), especially theyoung creators?

    What qualifies as an anchor institution? Shouldwe think more expansively about the definition ofanchor institution?

    How can anchor institutions evolve over time to beeffective contributors to urban success? How can anchor institutions retain or strengthen

    their institutional credibility and find new ways ofopening their doors as generations anddemographics change?

    How can institutional leaders build theirpersonal credibility in the community to becomebetter known and trusted? How can they becomeregular contributors and, listeners in theongoing conversation about their cities broadergoals?

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    26/28

    CEOs for Cities Leveraging Anchor Institutions

    for Urban Success

    26

    How can an institution demonstrate its relevanceto the community and contribute its resourcesmeaningfully to community challenges andopportunities?

    How can an institution and its leaders networkwith other institutions and leaders, moving theentire community forward?

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    27/28

    CEOs for Cities Leveraging Anchor Institutions

    for Urban Success

    27

    Whats Next?We propose the creation of a Learning Networkconvened by CEOs for Cities composed of anchorinstitutions, civic and corporate leaders from three

    or four cities across the U.S. to explore and applythese concepts over an 18-month engagement. Withconsultation from CEOs for Cities as necessary,each city will undertake a new initiative or ramp upan existing initiative to increase the contribution agroup of anchor institutions can make to thesuccess of its city. The initiative will be structuredaccording to the principles of high-levelinvolvement, innovative approaches, surprisingsources of mutual benefit and shared interest that

    this white paper outlines.

    Taking a cross-city approach figuring out thepractical applications of the concepts together willboth accelerate the learning curve through sharingof ideas and collaboration between participatingcities as well as provide broad-based examples andlessons that can be applied to all cities.

    Participants in the national Learning Network will

    first convene in late 2007 and will meet throughoutthe 18-month project. In the interim, cities will settheir own schedule for additional meetings. Bi-monthly conference calls for the whole network willenable sharing across the cities involved. CEOs forCities will monitor cities progress and provideguidance throughout.

    At minimum, a participating city should have theactive leadership of its mayor, participation by a

    leading business or business organization, andinvolvement of two or more anchor institutions.CEOs for Cities members interested in seeing theircities join the learning network should contactKristian Buschmann [email protected] or 312/553.4616.

  • 8/2/2019 Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Success

    28/28

    CEOs for Cities Leveraging Anchor Institutions

    for Urban Success

    Special Thanks:The development of this paper was made possibleby the participation and insight of CEOs for Citiesmembers and speakers at the May 1-2, 2007 CEOs

    for Cities meeting in San Jose. Wed like toespecially thank David Maurasse of Marga, Inc., forfacilitating the discussions in San Jose.

    Contributors included:

    Bob BanghamTom BarrettOmar BlaikRich BraughHiram FitzgeraldMartn GmezCarl GuardinoNed HillPaul HoldengrberDon KassingDan KeeganJasmine AberEric AvnerDoug BaconEugenie BirchBill BlackLew BowersBrian BoyleTony Brown

    David BrownRoger BrownLarry CarrThomas CoonJoseph CortrightDavid CoxLindsay DesrochersFrances EdwardsPaula EllisMike FaheyRichard FlemingPeter FriessSalin GeevargheseBecca Goldstein

    Paul KrutkoTed LevittSam LiccardoRick LincicomeMichelle MannConnie MartinezDavid MaurrasseHarry MavrogenesLynn OsmondJosephine Ramirez

    thele HilliardTed HowardColin JacksonCynthia JonesLisa JoynerConnie KraussMichael KraussDoug Kridler

    Jane LightRon LittlefieldSusan LloydDavid LuckesDan LyneAbi MaghamfarMike MaidenbergDouglass McDonaldBob MilbourneVivian NealHilary NixonManuel PastorEve PickerIndia Pierce Lee

    Chuck ReedSteve RountreeEll iot SchrageCarmen SiglerEugene TraniKim WaleshRu WeerakoonIrene WongJo Ann YeeNancy Zimpher

    Luis ProenzaSean ReganJim RooneyJohn SchaererSue Ann SchiffBeverly SheppardRenee SieberFrancis Slay

    Marco SommervilleKen StapletonMartha TamAdnan TapiaVickie TassanJulia TaylorJames UkropSuzanne WalshHank WebberArnold WeinfeldKevin WillerKristin WolffJoe Zehnder