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7/27/2019 The Unspoken Requirement for Urban Revitalization
1/25
The Unspoken Requirement for Urban
Revitalization:Solving Civic Problems with a Community Stakeholder
Model
Chequan A. Lewis
Spring 2012
Revitalizing Americas Urban Cities
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The Unspoken Requirement for Urban Revitalization:
Solving Civic Problems with a Community Stakeholder Model
Setting the Right Stage
Ora na azu nwa. Translated in English, this centuries-old Nigerian proverb states
an oft-cited principle in our discourse: It takes a village to raise a child. Though often
invoked in reference to philosophies of child rearing, the core of this proverb translates
effectively to the civic context as well. If it takes an entire to community to shape children
in the course they should go, so too must an entire community be involved when a city
undergoes the urban renewal process.
Opinions abound when urban revitalization is discussed. Some people prioritize the
bottom line and delivering results that will have a financial impact in an area. Others
emphasize the social implications of any actions. There are even those who seek to chart a
third way that encompasses both approaches just mentioned. These traditional modes of
thought have some merit; however, they all pretend successful implementation of a given
redevelopment plan is axiomatic. That belief rests on a deeply flawed premise- that as long
as someone comes up with the right idea for an area it will work.
The reality is that too much time is spent trying to lasso urban revitalization
unicorns. There are no silver bullets. There are no quick fixes. There are no one size fits
all solutions. Urban issues necessitate thoughtful, narrowly tailored, neighborhood-
conscious approaches.
Discovering Dallas
In order to establish a framework of understanding, this section offers some
background on Dallas history and personality. Understanding this aspect of the citys
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anatomy will be helpful in understanding the stakes in play. Furthermore, it will provide
some additional context for why this paper proposes the community stakeholder model as
viable solution.
Officially incorporated as a town in 1836, Dallas has spent over a century and a half
growing into an attractive location for businesses and southerners in search of
opportunity. Aggressive growth animates much of Dallas personality. When the early city
wanted to be placed on the map, it sought to grow its way forward. When recessions have
struck, the city seeks to grow through them. In many ways, one could say that citizens in
the area look to growth as a panacea for any problems it faces.
This is quite evident in mayoral elections as the city is often presented with two
types of candidates: 1) the growth candidate and 2) the city services candidate. The
growth candidate is exactly what he/she sounds like- they are primarily concerned with
attracting more businesses, launching big projects, and raising the citys profile. The city
services candidate is preeminently concerned with making good on what the city owes its
residents- the efficient and effective delivery of city services like police, fire, and schools. As
evidenced over the years, most voting Dallas residents seem to prefer the growth
candidate. This is not to suggest that growth and city services are mutually exclusive.
However, the results in past elections offer some insight into what the city thinks its
priorities are. In Dallas, growth seems to trump all.
This raises two Frug/Barron-style questions: 1) What kind of city is Dallas? 2) What
kind of city does Dallas aspire to be? Frug and Barron shine light on four types of city
profiles: 1) the Global City; 2) the Tourist City; 3) the Middle Class City; and 4) the Regional
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City.1 Growth advocates are concerned with becoming a Global City- one with a large
profile on the international landscape as a center of commerce. This is obvious when
observing how the city has worked hard to bring in more Fortune 500 companies and to
compare its economy with that of other international cities. City services advocates (who
often meet defeat at the polls) are more concerned with being a stellar Middle Class City.
This is evident in their conception of Dallas a place that operates for the benefit of its
residents, not those who may never become residents or only visit on business. As an
interesting aside, Dallas may actually be best suited to be a Regional City. As the hub of the
nations fourth-largest metropolitan area (Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington), Dallas already
plays an indispensable role in the national landscape.
The truth of the matter is that it simply does not matter what type of city Dallas is or
wants to be. Indeed, that is why this paper gives admittedly short shrift to grappling with
Frug and Barrons four city futures. That discussion is only useful insofar as it animates an
internal tension that exists within the Dallas community. There is a misalignment of
interests between those who are routinely successful at the polls, growth advocates, and
those who are not, city service advocates. In order to chart its own successful city future,
Dallas must find the Aristotelian golden mean that lies between growth and services.
The growth advocates have it right. Dallas must continue to grow and build in order
to have a world-class city financially capable of supporting the booming area population
(see city population trend below).2 But, the service advocates have it right as well. Without
serving the citizens who comprise the population, Dallas cannot be a successful city. At a
very basic level, resident needs must be met. These seemingly disparate interests can be
1See Gerald Frug and David Barron, City Bound: How States Stifle Urban Innovation, p. 141, (2008).2 Graph is user image of publicly available population data from Dallas Commons digital site.
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intertwined. Dallas can craft a portfolio of priorities that will propel it into a more
prosperous next century.
There are many requirements to achieve this prosperity. This paper argues that
there is an unspoken requirement, one that is fatally overlooked in American cities:
meaningful community input. My city, Dallas, Texas, can take a harder look in the mirror on
this topic as well. By developing andengaging community stakeholders, cities like Dallas
can achieve sustainable gains in five touchstone areas vital to the revitalization of the 21 st
century American city: 1) Public Safety; 2) Appearance and Perception; 3) Education; 4)
Collaborative Government; and 5) Gentrification Management. These five guideposts
comprise a priorities portfolio that promotes a hospitable environment for economic
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growth balanced with the delivery of services citizens demand. Citizen input in the
formulation and execution of these priorities is the linchpin.
Let there be no illusions; this is easier said than done. Getting the community
involved in solving a tough set of issues is challenging. There are myriad questions that will
arise. Who is a stakeholder? What does stakeholder participation mean? What is the right
level of participation? What is the proper setting? Who should lead in a given setting? How
do you reach a decision? The questions are endless.
This paper has a limited aim: to argue that, despite the inherent difficulties, solving
the problems that urban centers face by building and incorporating community
stakeholders offers greater chances for inclusive, sustainable renewal. To that end, this
paper briefly surveys five topics at work in Dallas. The aim here is to merely offer some
organizing thoughts on how to move the city forward on these tough topics. In some cases,
Dallas leadership already has the right idea for community involvement; so, its approach is
explained. When such ideas are not evident, this paper looks to urban centers in other parts
of the country for guidance. It matters not from where the ideas originate. All that matters
is that they are useful.
Public Safety
No city can thrive unless those who inhabit and visit it feel safe when theyre there.
Urban centers routinely experience trouble with crime control. Law enforcement is
important because the deterrence and punishment of crime is crucial to a citys personality,
real and perceived. This is best addressed through a community stakeholder model of
problem solving. Implementing community-based law enforcement practices and can give
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community members given a stake in developing sustainable solutions encouraging public
safety. This paper will explore one route rich with opportunity.
An important starting place for engaging the community in law enforcement is to
tear down the traditional walls felt between urban populations and their prosecutors.
Given that the chief prosecutors in many areas (district attorneys or state attorneys) are
elected, local prosecutorial practices offer a ripe opportunity for engagement. A
community-based approach to prosecuting shifts the role of the prosecutor from the
communitys paternalistic case processor to its active partner in public safety. This
philosophical shift is important conceptually and practically. Its conceptual importance lies
in the powerful message it sends to the community: he/she who prosecutes in its name is a
part of the community. Practically, this approach is likely to reap some resource benefits
over the long-term as gains in crime reduction and community participation are realized.
This is a story reinforced by Seth Williams efforts as Philadelphias District
Attorney. Williams uses a community-based prosecution model that assigns prosecutors
to specific geographic areas so they can get to know community groups, clergy members,
business associations and town watch groups, and track crime patterns geographically. The
prosecutors also manage the same cases from start to finish.3 This leads to clear and
efficient channels of case management and relationship development. Both results promote
more effective prosecution.
There is scholarly support for this approach. According to the National District
Attorneys Association's National Center for Community Prosecution, the community-based
prosecuting model is a proactive, collaborative, problem-solving approach distinguished
3See Marjorie Valbrun, Rethinking Criminal JusticeWhy Black Prosecutors Matter, (www.newamericanmedia.org),
(November 19, 2010).
http://www.newamericanmedia.org/http://www.newamericanmedia.org/http://www.newamericanmedia.org/http://www.newamericanmedia.org/7/27/2019 The Unspoken Requirement for Urban Revitalization
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by certain key principles: (1) recognizing the community's role in public safety; (2)
engaging in problem solving; (3) establishing and maintaining partnerships; and (4)
evaluating outcomes of activities.4
Another scholarly take suggests there are six key operational elements of
community-based prosecuting: 1) a focus on problem-solving, public safety, and quality-
of-life issues; 2) inclusion of the communitys input into the criminal justice system,
including the courtroom (e.g., admission of community impact statements to be considered
at sentencing); 3) partnerships with the prosecutor, law enforcement, public and private
agencies, and the community; 4) varied prevention, intervention, and enforcement
methods (e.g., use of tools other than criminal prosecution to address problems); 5) a
clearly defined focus area, which has traditionally been defined as a targeted geographic
area; and 6) an integrated approach involving both reactive (e.g., prosecuting crimes
identified by the police) and proactive strategies (e.g., anticipatory actions aimed at
addressing problems at their root cause).5
These different takes emphasize an important theme that animates community-
based prosecuting: prosecutors can become effective problem solvers by developing
substantive relationships with communities and agencies to serve targeted areas.
Institutional investment in the community opens up a range of strategic and tactical
approaches to creating a safe environment that are more difficult, if not impossible, to
pursue without community partnerships. One such approach is geographic targeting. By
working with community groups, prosecutors are able to understand the backgrounds of
4 Charles Hynes, The Evolving Prosecutor: Broadening The Vision, Expanding The Role, 24 Fall Crim. Just 1, 2 (2009).5 M. Elaine Nugent, The Changing Nature of Prosecution: Community Prosecution vs. Traditional Prosecution Approaches ,
(February 2004).
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key actors in crime waves, gain insight into what drives neighborhood sectarian violence,
and develop solutions to address surface and sub-surface level problems. This also allows
prosecutors, in the problem-solving model, to prioritize the most pressing community
problem-areas and then pursue strategies that extinguish the full extent of the p roblem
(be it people, places, or products).
Working with community groups also gives prosecutor offices credibility with the
citizens who can provide this valuable information. Perhaps more importantly, this can
even help create an environment in which those citizens seek out the prosecutors to share
critical information that makes being reactive to crimes identified by police and being
proactive with brewing problems not yet on the radar much easier. Though there may be a
necessary outlay of time and funds to build this model of communal participation, it is easy
to imagine how it may pay dividends over the long-term as investigation costs decrease
due to more immediate information and prosecution costs decrease due to reductions in
crime. Collaborative partnerships allow a focus on identifying and implementing lasting
solutions to crime and disorder problems through innovative problem-solving strategies
aimed at addressing the conditions that allow more serious crime to flourish.6
Prosecutorial offices report many long-term changes spurred by the use of
community-based strategies. Among these changes are: reduced crime and fear of crime,
reduced nuisances, reduced calls for police services, increased prosecutorial and police
accountability, increased community involvement in neighborhoods, increased victim
6SeeThe Changing Nature at p. 33.
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satisfaction, increased public confidence in the justice system, and reduced costs due to
coordinated tactics.7
Dallas has taken steps in this direction but still lags behind Philadelphias efforts.
The Dallas City Attorney has a dedicated staff member serving as the Chief Community
Prosecutor. The commitment to the public availing itself of this resource must be
questioned however as the community prosecution website is sparse and under
construction.8
The Dallas County District Attorney, Craig Watkins (the first elected black DA in
Texas history), is probably best suited to implement community-based initiatives. Watkins
office has a robust community relations agenda- its hosts Make a Difference Day, works
with Big Brothers Big Sisters, and coordinates with the American /Red Cross Blood Drive.
Impressively, it also conducts a Citizen Prosecutor Academy, a 10-week comprehensive
educational program designed to familiarize citizens with the criminal justice system and
the DAs operations.9 However, Dallas still lacks a formalized, substantive community-
based approach to its prosecutions. Using Seth Williams efforts as a starting model can get
Dallas on the right track.
Appearance and Perception
Physical appearance is perhaps just as important to a citys personality as crime
control. This is because the visible environment impacts how residents, visitors, and
investors feel about spending time and resources in a city. This in turn impacts a citys
perception- the narrative told about what its like to live, work, and play in a place. So often,
7Seethe Milwaukee Countys District Attorney website:(http://www.county.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/User/jkrueger/Electronic/CPU.pdf)8See the Dallas County District Attorney website:http://www.dallascityattorney.com/Community_Advocacy.html 9See Dallas County District Attorney Press Release, January 12, 2012: http://dallasda.co/webdev/?p=912
http://www.county.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/User/jkrueger/Electronic/CPU.pdfhttp://www.county.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/User/jkrueger/Electronic/CPU.pdfhttp://www.county.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/User/jkrueger/Electronic/CPU.pdfhttp://www.dallascityattorney.com/Community_Advocacy.htmlhttp://www.dallascityattorney.com/Community_Advocacy.htmlhttp://www.dallascityattorney.com/Community_Advocacy.htmlhttp://dallasda.co/webdev/?p=912http://dallasda.co/webdev/?p=912http://dallasda.co/webdev/?p=912http://dallasda.co/webdev/?p=912http://www.dallascityattorney.com/Community_Advocacy.htmlhttp://www.county.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/User/jkrueger/Electronic/CPU.pdf7/27/2019 The Unspoken Requirement for Urban Revitalization
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Everyday citizens of Dallas must be engaged in this massive facelift as well. Just as
businesses recognize the impact nearby vandalism has on its bottom line, so too must
citizens realize that local eyesores (litter, vandalism, graffiti, etc.) debase their own living
experiences as well. This is a particularly tough sell because it requires widespread buy-in
to counteract the status quo. The hearts and minds of residents must fundamentally change
to truly eradicate these problems. The city can work with communities to get people
invested in the physical appearance of their neighborhoods in a contagious way.
In 2010, Dallas held a total of 25 community clean up events ranging from graffiti
wipe out days to mowing vacant lots. Again, this is the right idea. The next level of
effectiveness must engage residents more fully, however. Dallas launched a new website
(http://www.dallascommunityoutreach.com/) aimed at bringing more residents into the
fold. The city must build on the momentum it has created by empowering residents to plan
their own neighborhood-based events. Rather than planning scores of events and telling
people to come, the city can provide resident-leaders with resources and allow them to
plan the events themselves. The picture below is an example of one such event.
Group of citizen-volunteers cleans up Dallas community center
http://www.dallascommunityoutreach.com/http://www.dallascommunityoutreach.com/http://www.dallascommunityoutreach.com/http://www.dallascommunityoutreach.com/7/27/2019 The Unspoken Requirement for Urban Revitalization
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not do. Much has been written about the causes of and remedies for poor student
performance. A recurrent theme in nearly all the literature is parental involvement.
Parents taking on an active role in the educational environment is a crucial nexus to the
central argument of this paper.
Dallas ISD has recently started a very useful initiative aimed at integrating parents
in the local community into the decision-making process.
The Dallas ISD Citizens Budget Review Commission, initially formed in the spring of
2011, is charged with making budget recommendations to the districts
administration. The commission is comprised of twelve individuals, nine of which
are appointed by members of the board. The tenth appointee is named by thesuperintendent and chairs the meetings. There are two other representatives from
the district, both of whom supervise school principals and help provide perspective
to the commission.13
13 From the Dallas Independent School Districts website:www.dallasisd.org/page/7797.
http://www.dallasisd.org/page/7797http://www.dallasisd.org/page/7797http://www.dallasisd.org/page/7797http://www.dallasisd.org/page/77977/27/2019 The Unspoken Requirement for Urban Revitalization
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The CBRC is an impressive step towards the direct involvement of citizens in the
educational process. However, this still lends itself to not reaching the sectors of the
community that need the most involvement. One can imagine a world in which the small
cadre of parents serving on CBRC comes from an elite class not truly representative of the
concerns of district families.
To create a class of community stakeholder-parents, Dallas must go deeper. The
National Center for School Engagement is setting such an example.14 The NCSE has adopted
Joyce Weinsteins Framework of Six Types of Involvement. The fifth and sixth types of
involvement, Decision Making (#5) and Collaboration with the Community (#6), speak
directlyto what Dallas ISD should pursue. Appendix A (at the end of the paper) shows a
more detailed breakdown of these two Epsteinian principles. With a renewed focus on
these two ideas, Dallas can activate community engagement in its educational processes
like never before. It simply must have the courage and conscientiousness to do so.
Collaborative Government
Another challenge that often faces urban cities in need of renewal is mutual apathy
between marginalized citizens and their government. More than just an enthusiasm gap,
these cities suffer an engagement gap. One way to activate community engagement is
through neighborhood associations. There is a syllogistic nexus between neighborhood
associations and engaged governance: when people strongly identify with groups, they
gravitate towards conditions that are best for the broader community; neighborhood
14See Judith Martinez, Parental Involvement: Key to Student Achievement, (Feb. 23, 2004).
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associations provide fertile ground for group identification; so, neighborhood groups help
create an environment where citizens collectively pursue good living conditions.15
Neighborhood associations provide a forum for face-to-face interaction, create a
space for policy discussion often unavailable to marginalized community members, and
help forge a sense of shared purpose in an area. As these citizens feel increasingly
interwoven into the fabric of a community, so too does their sense of civic efficacy. To be
clear, the argument is not that simply sprouting neighborhood associations will the change
the psyche of an entire city. However, reposing power in institutions more within the reach
of citizens can stimulate their interest in and the use of it.
St. Paul, Minnesota offers an interesting model that illustrates this point. Prioritizing
face-to-face interactions, St. Paul imagines that neighborhoods are the primary agents of
political dialogue and citizen influence. As such, the city emphasizes placing power in the
hands at this level.
St. Paul is divided into seventeen District Councils, each elected by residents of the
council area. Every council has a city-paid community organizer and neighborhoodoffice, but virtually all other efforts come from volunteers or additional funds raised
by the council itself. The District Councils have substantial powers, including
jurisdiction over zoning, authority over the distribution of various goods and
services, and substantial influence over capital expenditures. A citywide Capital
Improvement Budget Committee, composed solely of neighborhood representatives,
is responsible for the initiation and priority ranking of most capital development
projects in the city. Community centers, crime prevention efforts, an early
notification system for all major city agencies, and a district newspaper in virtually
every council area help to make the system one of the most coherent and
comprehensive of any city.16
The St. Paul model is inspiring and instructive. It vests meaningful powers in
organizations that are close and accessible to the residents. Zoning can determine who may
15See J. Berry, K. Portney, and K. Thomson, The Rebirth of Urban Democracy, pp. 10-14, 294-296 (1993).16Id. at 13.
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come or stay. Service delivery is one of the most impactful ways residents experience
government action. Capital expenditures dictate what will be improved, built, or allowed to
decay. When citizens see that these organizations are vehicles for the exercise of real
power, they are more likely to invest energy in them. As this happens, citizens have a
unique space to mutually affect their living environment by engaging one another through
the organ of government. Participation in these systems tends to increase confidence in
government and sense of community.17
The Rebirth of Urban Democracy (referenced in footnote 16) declares that a city
should not even entertain such a citizen participation program unless it is willing to meet
three conditions. First, exclusive powers must be turned over to the citizen participation
structures.18 Planning and advising is not enough. The structures must have real power, as
seen in St. Paul, to allocate goods and services and make zoning decisions in communities.
Put more plainly, these organizations must be integrated in the normal function of the citys
administrative structure.19 Second, accompanying such structural changes must be an
administrative plan that creates sanctions and rewards for city hall administrators who
must interact with the neighborhood groups.20 City personnel must be forced to buy into
the program and have their fortunes tied to the success of the citizen participation system.
Third, citizen participation systems must be citywide in nature.21 In order to be
legitimate, the system must be operating in poor and affluent neighborhoods alike.
Some aspects of this idea have already begun in Southern Dallas. Ten teams, of 13
community stakeholders each, were dedicated to one of the unique subsections of Southern
17Id. at 294.18Id. at 294-95.19See id.20Id. at 295.21Id.
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Dallas (depicted in the map below), designed according to historical, natural, and economic
boundaries. Each team is challenged to develop strategic plans for its dedicated area based
on the following topics: economic development policy, small business, and finance/funding
sources.22 This approach has allowed for a narrow tailoring of solutions, by planning area,
which has begun to make a meaningful impact in Dallas.
As laudable as this innovation has been, there is still much to be done. Refracting
this effort through the lens offered by The Rebirth of Urban Democracy, it is lacking in three
ways: 1) these groups still do not have anything more than planning power; 2) there is no
evidence city hall administrators must work with these groups; and 3) this effort is
primarily based in Southern Dallas, not the other affluent areas of Dallas. Mayor Rawlings
has indicated that he would like to add at least 30 neighborhood associations throughout
Dallas in the next year. The effectiveness of these organizations will depend on how much
they activate the energy and effort of Dallas residents.
22See Southern Dallas Task Forces Interim Team Report, p. 11 (2009).
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Gentrification Management
Gentrification is the ubiquitous topic in urban renewal. As cities seek to move into
the next century, they often must raze blighted areas and replace them with more urbane
scenery to attract a new wave of residents, visitors, and investors. The targeted areas of
gentrification are often poorer minority neighborhoods that are ripe for redevelopment
on the cheap. One major issue is that the redevelopment rarely takes the fortunes and
desires of existing residents into account. The result is that long time residents are
displaced by price or by feeling like strangers in a now-foreign neighborhood. This paper
does not argue that gentrification is evil. Rather, it argues that is an unavoidable stage in
the life cycle of cities that refuse to die. But, it does not have to operate to the exclusion of
residents interests. The gentrification process can be better managed to match community
needs by integrating the community into the planning process.
No plan is perfect. However, Dallas has offered the country an impressive example
with its forwardDallas! initiative. The goal of forwardDallas! was to engage local
stakeholders (everyday citizens and business leaders) in the project of developing a
comprehensive vision of what Dallas should look like in the coming years in key areas like
land use, housing, economic development, transportation and the environment.
The Comprehensive Plan was designed to provide the blueprint for implementation
actions and act as a guide for the Dallas City Council regarding allocation of City resources.
The plan focused growth where it is wanted and needed and protects stable areas of the
City. The plan also addresses convenient access to shopping, jobs for more people and
providing more housing and travel options for residents of Dallas.23
23 City of Dallas,forwardDallas! Comprehensive Plan: Vision, (June 2006).
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To garner the proper cross-section of opinion, the City of Dallas held hands-on
workshops throughout the city for residents to share their ideas about how Dallas should
grow. Participants made recommendations as to where future homes and jobs should be
located, what transportation/transit/roadway needs exist, and where open space should
be preserved. The input gained through these workshops formed the foundation for the
plan. At this phase, participants were also surveyed so the city could develop a picture of
the top concerns of city stakeholders (results graphed below).
Based on the workshop results, model plans (called growth scenarios) were
developed providing an overview of how future growth may affect different areas of the
city. The different scenarios provided examples of what the future of Dallas could look like
under varying circumstances. Residents and community leaders indicated their
preferences for each growth scenario, and, in response, the City of Dallas crafted a
comprehensive, long-range plan incorporating strategies to implement this common vision
for the future.24
Survey
Respondents' Top Priorities for the City of Dallas.
24See forwardDallas!.
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Six key policy initiatives emerged from the plan: 1) Enhance the economy ; 2) Make
quality housing more accessible; 3) Create strong and healthy neighborhoods; 4) Enhance
transportation systems; 5) Ensure environmental sustainability; and 6) Encourage new
development patterns.25 These initiatives should guide Dallas as it moves ahead. They
properly balance growth with preservation and business attraction with basic citizen
needs. Most importantly, they represent the collective expression of the preferences,
priorities, and passions of an engaged citizenry. Using forwardDallas! to create the space
for citizens (of all classes) and businesses to reach these conclusions through collaboration
is the plans true brilliance.
Applying the Nehemiah Principle: Lighting the Path Ahead
It is important to acknowledge in this space that there is a giant elephant in the
room with the community stakeholder model. The success of such a citizen-centric concept
is entirely dependent on citizen participation. Indeed, this dependency may be this ideas
greatest flaw. After all, if citizens will not engage how can they become community
stakeholders? If they do not become community stakeholders who will be this new breed of
collaborator that traditional power wielders must consult? The risk of this whole idea
collapsing might be high.
However, it is also worth questioning how one really knows that the risk is real? The
dissenter will point to things like low voter turnout rates, empty town hall meetings, and
low levels of civic efficacy across the country. These cautionary tales are especially evident
in the very communities this plan is aimed at bringing into the civic experience. However,
25See forwardDallas!.
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this plan imagines the world differently. This plan imagines that the low participation
problem is a chicken-egg problem that might be misunderstood.
What if the real reason citizen participation is so low is because there is nothing for
citizens to actually connect with? Voting often comes down to picking one stranger over
another. Town hall meetings are often hollow forums to discuss matters that have already
been decided. People are insightful. They learn to see dog and pony shows from a mile
away. When they develop this discerning ability, they disengage. To counteract this status
quo, the community engagement exercise must be real. There must be real issues at stake.
There must be real power available for community members to use. There also must be
genuine avenues for community voices to be heard at the highest levels. In short,
community stakeholders must be created and deployed in the task of rebuilding broken
American cities.
Former Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke addressed the community-based rebuilding
concept in the most compelling terms I have ever heard.26 Mayor Schmoke declares that
leaders who are serious about rebuilding cities must apply the Nehemiah Principle.
Nehemiah was an Old Testament prophet who sought to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and
its protective walls. The city had fallen victim to distress, waste, and discord. Nehemiah
called on the people of Jerusalem to work together (with friends and strangers alike) to
rebuild their city. Nehemiah engaged families from all classes. Recognizing different talents
allowed for different contributions, he encouraged each family to step up and do their own
26 Based on his remarks to our class on 3/29/12 in Austin North.
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part, even if small, to revitalize Jerusalem. Everyone was included, and in just 52 days, their
collaborative effort had rebuilt the citys wall and gates.27
Revitalizing Americas urban cities will require a special type of leadership. Some
will want to be Moses-types that deliver a city to the Promised Land with a set of
instructions. Others will want to be David-types that conquer Goliath-sized problems with
personal courage and faith. However, the project of urban revitalization will require
modern-day Nehemiahs. These leaders will change cities by galvanizing the people who
live in them. They will encourage citizens to pick up the tools and talents they possess to
make whatever contribution they can. Piece-by-piece. Person-by-person. Everyone can
collaborate to rebuild the Jerusalems of America.
To achieve this dream, cities need leaders and policies that transform everyday
citizens into community stakeholders. Grand plans are simply not enough. Neither are
grand ambitions. These concepts are perhaps necessary but not sufficient. Meaningful
citizen participation is the silent bridge from the decaying city to the thriving metropolis.
By engaging community stakeholders in the project of managing the civic portfolio of
priorities, Dallas and its peer cities can be genuinely revitalized.
27See Book of Nehemiah, Chapter 6,Verse 15.
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