LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Successful Built Environments Begin with Inclusivity So much can be accomplished when diversity and inclusion are part of the planning process BY MARC OTT This issue of PM gives you a great cross section of
articles on the people side of diversity, equity, and inclusion. I’d like to share a few thoughts on inclusivity initiatives in the built environment. The Great Recession in 2008 pushed communities worldwide to begin looking for ways to regain economic vibrancy in both urban and suburban communities. At the same time, we as leaders became more intentional about incorporating the core values of diversity and inclusion as central elements of the planning process. The result has been numerous examples of innovative and compelling mixed-use developments where all kinds of people can feel like they belong. Blurring Suburbs, Cities, Towns
A driving force behind the new, inclusive built environments is a fundamental shift in what’s important. People no longer want to spend hours commuting, putting in eight hours at an environmentally unfriendly workstation, and then going home to their residence far
MARC OTT is executive director of ICMA, Washington, D.C.
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from retail and recreation areas. That’s just not working for people anymore and COVID even intensified these feelings. Just a few miles from where I am sitting at ICMA’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., the county of Arlington, Virginia, was able to attract Amazon’s HQ2 in part because of its long-term commitment to fostering an inclusive environment with affordable housing, access to greenspace, and public transportation. In keeping with the county’s priorities, the new Amazon facility will feature 2.5 acres of public greenspace, a dog run, and a 250-seat amphitheater so that workers have a variety of indoor and outdoor workspaces. Tom Carroll, ICMA fellow and city manager of Silverton, Ohio, chronicles the decline of the inner ring suburbs and points out that a “commitment to inclusion” is central to successful revitalization. In his research project for ICMA, which features many examples of Ohio-based revitalization, he outlines how first suburbs are well positioned to create mixed-use redevelopments and are more attractive to
