Otis White is president of Civic Strategies, Inc., which is based in Decatur, Georgia. He is an authority on community decision making and one of America's most quoted analysts of civic leadership. He is a former editor and publisher of Georgia Trend magazine and vice president of Trend Magazines, Inc. He wrote for Governing magazine about urban issues from 2002 to 2007 and has written for the New York Times and other publications. In 1982, he won the prestigious Alicia Patterson Fellowship, allowing him to spend a year studying how computers were changing work in America.
“And what is it that makes city life appealing? ... the diversity of city life. Diversity of race and class, but also of politics, education, life experience and lifestyle.”
November 5, 2008 The New City Upon a Hill Otis White, President, Civic Strategies, Inc.
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Georgia’s cities have the greatest opportunity for creating exciting urban places since James Oglethorpe sketched the squares of Savannah in 1733. The opportunity? After 50 years of fleeing the cities, the affluent are coming back.
This is a turnaround so sudden and unexpected that we still don’t have a good name for it. Let’s just call it the New City Upon a Hill.
Think back for a moment to the way cities were viewed a decade ago, as basket cases. Cities, we were told, were places you moved from, not to. But almost as soon as people declared them dead, our cities started coming back to life, slowly but surely.
The reason is something that would have left our grandparents mystified: the rise of the “urban experience.” In their day, cities were things to be accepted, not experienced. Yes, visiting London, Paris or New York were experiences, but not Macon, Gainesville or Atlanta – or most other places in the United States. It took leaving – and living a generation or two in subdivisions – for people to see cities as different, valuable and even exotic.
And what is it that makes city life appealing? The built environment, of course, the street grid, the sidewalks, the way buildings present themselves. The pedestrian environment and the mix of housing, stores, offices and entertainment. But I would argue there’s another part of the urban experience that’s even more appealing: the diversity of city life. Diversity of race and class, but also of politics, education, life experience and lifestyle.
The suburbs don’t do diversity well, but cities do. And for some – including many who grew up in the suburbs – the diversity of cities is, well, an experience.
These, then, are good days for cities. But there are things local leaders should do to take full advantage of this opportunity. Here are three:
One, insist on good urban design. The new urban affluent aren’t seeking suburban homes in the city; they’re seeking city homes. That means mixed uses, wide sidewalks, streetscaping, greater density, parking that’s hidden, and so on.
Two, make diversity a major asset. The thing that’s appealing about diversity isn’t the sight of different kinds of people on city streets, but the opportunity to know them. Cities that do the best job of introducing people to other cultures and lifestyles – through festivals, parades, sporting events, street parties and outdoor concerts – will benefit the most.
Three, get a vision.
The new city will be different than the old. That means change, and change is always difficult. That’s why you should engage your citizens in thinking about how the city can be desirable for them and generations to come. When people start thinking about the future, they get imaginative, fear change less, and can become your greatest allies for change.
Finally, here’s a happy thought: Things move much faster today than they did in the 1700s. James Oglethorpe barely saw his plan for Savannah take root, but you can watch your efforts transform your city. Enjoy the journey.
