Become a Great Planning Director

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Become a GreatPlanning Director

• APA National Conference
• San Antonio, TX April 24, 2006

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Don Hastings, AICP

• MPA in URP, Indiana University SPEA
• 8 Years in Florida under the GMA
• Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council
• Seminole County
• City of Houston, TX
• City of Bloomington, IN
• City of Arlington, TX
• City of Midlothian, TX

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Planning What is it?

• Regulating property rights is not 1st nature in
  property-rights oriented, market-based America
• You therefore must be a salesman, and a mediator
  between the Individualist America and the
  Community America

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Planning What is it?

• Garage setbacks vs. community visions
• The gatekeeper vs. the recruiter
• The ultimate balancing act
• Everyones protector/ everyones target
• A profession with a large hat collection

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Planning A Bundle of Professions

• Platting, Zoning, Visioning, Comprehensive
  Planning, Economic Development, Urban Design,
  Mobility Planning, Housing Planning,
  Environmental Protection, Landscape Design,
  Historic Preservation, Neighborhood Planning,
  Urban Revitalization, Research Analysis, Parks
  Planning, Capital Improvement Planning, Building
  Inspections, Code Enforcement, Downtown Planning,
  Regional Planning, Emergency Preparedness, Fiscal
  Impact Management, Land Use Law, Annexation
  Planning, Intergovernmental Planning

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Planning Theres No Career Like It

• Therefore, Planning Directors are more prone to
  be
• Overworked
• Controversial
• Seen to be too ineffectual or too activist
• Seen to be dreamers or meddlers
• Seen to be too political, or not political enough

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The Secret Weapons(shhhh)

• Salesman
• Paint a picture/ Use Visual Tools
• Remember the Art of the Press Release
• Exploit your agencys Webpage
• Field trips You cant do often enough
• Tap the competitive spirit of your Council
• Translate the program into

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The Secret Weapons(shhhh)

• The Answer Person
• Outstanding Trend Analysis Benchmark Data
• Tap the Right Staff People
• Publish a Data Bible gt Link to Comp Plan
• Controversy feeds on bad infoset the record
  straight

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The Secret Weapons(shhhh)

• The Copy Cat
• Know what others are doingthe state of art
• Know what will/ wont fit into your community
• Exploit the Internet
• City homepages, Internet Codes, ULI, ICMA, news
  articles

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The Secret Weapons(shhhh)

• Tom Sawyer Working Others
• Put stakeholders to workfind the silent
  constituency and help give them a voice
• Require Developers to Meet with Residents
• Convene User Groups (Affected Parties)
• Exploit the Council Subcommittee process
• Conduct regular PZ Work Sessions (w/ food)

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The Secret Weapons(shhhh)

• Organization Man
• Open-ended work program and multiplicity of
  clients too much work
• Developers time money
• Your political standing your efficiency
• Fix your development process (squelch the
  complaints)
• Consider process audit (a la Paul Zucker)
• Train those boards and commissions

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The Secret Weapons(shhhh)

• The Tactician
• Know who youll tick off and how much
• Sleeping with the enemy NO. But
• Know whos connected to whom
• Triangulate and divine out the workable deals
• Again, timing is everything

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The Secret Weapons(shhhh)

• The Investment Banker
• PDs live and die by political capital
• Your political capital is the means, not the end
• Spend judiciously keep tabs on your account
• A series of smaller victories is better than the
  big gamble

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The Secret Weapons(shhhh)

• The Survivor
• Pick your job carefully
• Match your personality/ style to that of your
  community, as much as possible
• But, communities arent static you must adapt
  while preserving your core values

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The Secret Weapons(shhhh)

• Integrity
• You, of all people, have to have it
• Because YOU are guardian of that ever elusive
  Overall Public Interest
• Dont be a policy weather vane Grow a strong
  Vision compass
• Worship common sense
• Make sure others know you have integrity

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Final Thoughts

• GET INSPIRED!
• Plannings never been hotter
• Renaissance in Place-making
• Breakthrough to state and national politics
• Breakthrough to popular culture
• Take time to visit places that will reawaken your
  inner planner
• Your inspiration will be contagious!

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• THANK YOU, and we welcome your questions
  comments