Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space

"A community’s physical form, rather than its land uses, is its most intrinsic and enduring characteristic." [Katz, EPA] This blog focuses on 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--along with doses of civic engagement and good governance watchdogging.

Thursday, November 10, 2022

I can't help but laugh... DC Mayor's third term as a platform for transformation

 As the Washington Post headlines a story, "Bowser asks for ‘transformational’ ideas for her third term as mayor."

She could just do the stuff I suggested before she was elected:

A Marshall Plan for East of the River

-- "Social urbanism and equity planning as a way to address crime, violence, and persistent poverty: (not in) DC" (reports on a conversation from 2013 and the process after)

and during her two terms of office:

Transformational health care


Transformational traffic safety


Creating a local cultural system focused equally on arts as production not just consumption

-- "What would be a "Transformational Projects Action Plan" for DC's cultural ecosystem," 2018

Streetcars as an economic development device

-- "DC and streetcars #4: from the standpoint of stoking real estate development, the line is incredibly successful and it isn't even in service yet, and now that development is extending eastward past 15th Street," 2015 (why is DC's streetcar program so aimless and not focused on stoking improvements in lagging areas)

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Years ago, before she was elected mayor, I had a conversation with a DC City Council staffer about how Muriel Bowser didn't like to be pinned down, having to make a decision.  
 
And I "argued" with her about various legislative initiatives that at the end of the day, had no impact, because they provided no additional remedies to give citizens the power to respond to and potentially stop things they didn't like, by providing a process for review and participation.
 
Later, when she was our Councilmember, I complained that she was unable to draw out the need for structural solutions from the information stream that comprised her heralded "constituent services" (never thought they were transformational anyway).

I had intended last week to write a scathing piece about Muriel Bowser, the Democratic candidate for Mayor, about her analytical myopia, an incredibly simplistic approach to complex issues, and a belief that any sort of development is "progress" and if you express any sort of opposition, even considered and measured, "you're against progress."

But then I realized that's an affliction common to most of DC's elected officials, even her opponent David Catania (e.g., his stand on ticketing parents for a child's truancy or absence from school--see "Criminalizing truancy versus creating focused programs to address truant behavior").

9 Comments:

At 10:13 AM, Anonymous charlie said...

1. I think the point about Bowser seeing ANY business as good is still very valid.

2. Likewise the inability to get more granular on commercial districts. They started the "nightlife" mayor thing but I don't think it had must traction until this year. Bringing in the police in various "nightlife" task forces helped but that was driven by the now ousted D mayor for public safety not the nightlife team.

3. Turnout was around 160K; primary in June was around 130K. Arlington County is at about 80K with a much smaller population.

4. She tried her BHAP 1st term -- family homeless shelters.

5. Reminds me a lot of Gavin Newsom in the sense that politics is more about jockeying that deliverables. Her move on BLM was genius.

 
At 11:01 AM, Blogger Richard Layman said...

BLM was genius, positioning against Trump. Local BLM pissed about DC, Bowser, could never get traction.

2. In keeping with her wheelhouse, for her, nightlife mayor was about regulation not economic vibrance.

3. Really good point about family homeless. And then once you get down into it, it's just a big grind and PITA, not just finding places, but financing them, and overcoming neighborhood opposition.

4. Wrt any business is good business even if she hasn't done much, she's positioned herself as for the black middle class, while running the city well enough (excepting crime) that whites like her regardless.

Granted covid has totally screwed things up, but o can't really say she's been noteworthy when it comes to substance. OTOH, just getting through the day running the city is an accomplishment. When the big issues: crime, guns and murder, homelessness, the federal government versus the city, are pretty intractable.

 
At 10:07 AM, Anonymous Michael Ross said...

thank you richard for these valuable comments. youre right on...

 
At 2:32 PM, Anonymous charlie said...

managing versus leadership.

And look, in terms of hating the game not the player, yes Bowser came into office with very little experience. But she has learned a lot and now a average to good big city mayor. That's a positive.

But the core issue is DC political leadership don't see a drastic need for change -- despite the WMATA problems, WFH and the DC office market, housing, etc. They see a city that is growing and taxable.


 
At 6:49 PM, Blogger Richard Layman said...

Cf point 2 on the entry on the Silver Line versus and

https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2021/07/change-isnt-usually-that-simple.html?m=1

Or my criticism about Walter Reed/St. Elizabeth's, that the city understands housing and retail, nothing else really.

 
At 6:57 PM, Blogger Richard Layman said...

Years ago I got into an "argument" with my next door neighbor about voting for Councilmember. She said she chooses the person good enough to be mayor? I said why, that wasn't important etc. She said "what if?" That you need smart, able, flexible people.

She is so right.

The campaign for mayor here, her chief goal was air quality and planting trees.

She's had to deal with an earthquake, covid, an intransigent State Legislature, drought. Plus homelessness which here involves the county and state in large doses. George Floyd and violent protests. Etc.

She could maybe get elected Governor, in a red state, after a couple terms.

Bowser? Brandon Todd? Jack Evans? Elissa Silverman? Etc.

 
At 10:58 AM, Anonymous charlie said...

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/11/11/blue-cities-labs-democratic-stars-00065985

(makes me feel old, since I was the old busted guy running stuff in the 2004 election in Columbus when he was president of OSU democrats)

But the idea of mayor as a "bench" is taking hold.

RE: Racine. We've argued about the elected AG. In the end without a senate seat to "graduate" for the incentives for a Racine is to look for a big name government job.

Likewise I'd rather see Bowser at HUD than as Senator.

But Fenty set the very unserious tone, and his ambition was to be a gigilo to Steve Job's window.

And I'm not all in on the mayor as a bench. Look at the EU. Boris wasn't so hot. Anne Hiladgo (mayor of Paris) was a anchor in a bad way. madrid community leader (Diaz Ayuso) also more of a grandstander than a solver.

The chinese model is promote based on efficiency, and there is something to that -- rather than on messaging or personal charisma.

But in that world Mark Warner would be President. and Micheal Bennet VP. Not the world we live in.

McAdoo for President! Or maybe Grover Cleveland.




 
At 11:58 AM, Blogger Richard Layman said...

Will read, thanks. Shame about Ryan.

Mayor as bench for state office sure. Maybe to Senate. It's a stretch to jump from mayor to president. DeBlasio.... Mayor to senate/Governor potentially to President. Not totally out if the question. Newsom has a shot.

I don't know enough about Hidago. I sure didn't expect her to get pasted that badly.

In Europe the capital city is so prominent in ways that aren't comparable in the US. Giuliani and Bloomberg but both were so thin skinned (Bloomberg also because as a billionaire he is not accustomed to being questioned) that they didn't "scale."

2. Yes about Bowser, Racine, but even Bowser at HUD is a stretch given DCHA. Then again, Cuomo.

 
At 11:59 AM, Blogger Richard Layman said...

Now my line is that Maryland should merge into DC, rather than the other way around.

 

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