Building the capacity of civic involvement and good government

We've got to start pushing the envelope more in DC, building a base for quality and constituencies to support "beauty" and quality public spaces and policies (the reference to beauty is a nod to the book by Howard Gillette, ).

1. I planned to go to the Maryland Historic Preservation Legislative Breakfast today, organized by Preservation Maryland, just to see how they do it, but at the last minute I couldn't go.

2. Tomorrow night is the business meeting for the Anacostia Trails Heritage Area, and I do plan to attend that. (I am a member.) Being in Riverdale, it's a lot easier to get there.

3. On January 30th, the Purple Line Now advocates are holding a rally and reception in Annapolis.

4. Washcycle, the area's preeminent blog about bicycling, reports about the Maryland Bicycle and Pedestrian Symposium, on February 9th, in Annapolis. Click here for the schedule.

Here's what they say about the importance of the program:

Come and learn about bicycling and walking in Maryland. Learn about Bicycle Friendly Communities, Complete Streets, Recreational Trails Program, Transportation Enhancement Funding, trails being built and planned, and legislation that will affect you as a bicyclist and pedestrian.

Network with others who are working to make Maryland a better place for bicycling and walking.

Discuss bicycle and pedestrian issues with planners, other advocates, legislators, their staff, and visitors. Increase the General Assembly's awareness of walking and bicycling in Maryland.

Meet your legislators. Let them know that bicycling and walking are important in their districts.

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We've got to do events like this in DC:

-- to increase our own knowledge and capacity,
-- to build our constituencies
-- to lobby and advocate

The developers and other forces are doing this.

Until we* begin to do so ourselves, policy and decision-making will continue to be dominated by back room dealing that most citizens never have access to.

For something I wrote about the necessity of constituency building, see "Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space: Main Street and getting schooled in politics, constituency building, and building support for your program."

* "We" is defined as those advocates concerned about place and placemaking and all that makes it work--historic preservation, urban design, transportation, asset-based community development, arts & cultural development, commercial district revitalization, tourism & destination development, and quality of life advocacy, plus deliberative civic engagement and good governance watchdogging.

(The DC Preservation League 35 year anniversary gala is tomorrow night, but at $200/ticket, it's more a fundraiser.)

Index Keywords: civic-engagement