17 Burst results for "Maurice Cox"
Monocle 24: Section D
"maurice cox" Discussed on Monocle 24: Section D
"Next year. One of the reasons why I'm really excited about being engaged with the AA at the highest level of leadership is our real thrust toward social equity and climate action. I think those are two things that actually here at the U.S. conference of mayors we've heard a lot about. So it's great to kind of get reinforcement that we're on to something with our real interest in commitment to racial and gender equity as well as sustainability, fostering sustainable growth in our cities, towns, and all areas throughout the world, frankly. Well, as you say here at the U.S. conference of mayors where we're meeting, we've heard a lot about that. So it seems like the goals are aligned in that way, but tell me a little more about what cooperation between architects and mayors looks like to achieve some of those goals. Yeah. Well, part of the reason why I'm here is because they asked me to give some brief remarks. And so one of the things that I shared yesterday was that architects have the power to help mayors see and create a better future. One of the things that I think is really great about being an architect is having the ability to see the future in a sense. And to create a vision that other people can buy into, and I think that's a big part of why architecture is so valuable. One of the great tools that we have something called the design charette, where we work with the conditions of a given site, a design problem, or a situation that the city of the community is trying to work through, whether it's they need a new park or they need a new hospital or airport or something that needs to be built, and then actually meaningfully engaging the community as to what that can and should look like. And architects have the gift of being able to physically translate those thoughts and ideas and desires into shapes and into forms and into effectively buildings and other built interventions that are represented so that the community stakeholders, leaders can see what they're going to be able to experience in the future, which I think is a really powerful tool. One of your mantras is improving lives by design, which is kind of what you're describing there, essentially. Proving the quality of people's lives by design. I know this may or may not be a question, but one of the things that I think is really important is thinking about the health and well-being of our communities and how design can facilitate that. And so I've been thinking a lot about life expectancy and health outcomes in different communities and how your zip code can to some extent predict how long you're going to live. And I think that's something as a profession as a society. We need to confront more squarely. So that's something I've been really interested in talking more about and thinking about. I wonder if you could give me a particular example from Chicago where you're based at the moment of how you're kind of putting that idea into practice. Yeah, so one of the things that I'm doing in Chicago with HOK, HOK is a member of the Chicago central area committee, a former colleague of mine in dear friend and mentor planning commissioner Maurice Cox. He's been leading an effort called invest southwest, which is really pointing to the fact that the south and west sides of Chicago, which are predominantly black and brown, have been disinvested for decades, which is the case in many other cities, but his team have really put forward an effort to consciously invest in those communities and putting out developer RFPs finding financing to get projects built in those areas. So part of what I've been doing with the Chicago central area committee is actually helping the planning department envision what those city lots can be developed into or how certain buildings can be repurposed for the benefit of the community. So those are some of the things that are happening in Chicago. It's a kind of write some of those wrongs of the past in terms of public policy that has been harmful to communities of color and poor communities. As you talked about repurposing there, I think that's been one of the themes here among the mayors has been a lot of talk about how to increase the supply of housing, affordable housing in particular. A lot of that hasn't necessarily always been about starting from scratch. It's been about reviving downtown surviving inner cities reviving neighborhoods that that have struggled over the past decades. Talk to me a little more about what that looks like from an architect's perspective. How easy is it to repurpose buildings? It feels like a challenge that a lot of mayors here are struggling with, frankly. Yeah, well, I'm really passionate about this topic because the reason why I decided to go into architecture as a little kid, like 11 years old. In fact, before that age, maybe like a 5, I wanted to be a doctor, but at 11, I decided to switch to architecture because there was this one particular building in downtown Detroit called the Hudson's department store. It actually closed the year that I was born. So I never got to experience it as a place of commerce, but it was this it was the second largest department store in the world for a period of time. It took up an entire city block in downtown Detroit. So I always experienced it as a boarded up ghost of its former self. And unfortunately, that building was demolished when I was in high school, but when I was 11, I had to serve epiphany that I wanted to become an architect so that I could restore that building and help kind of bring health to the downtown area. So I could be like a doctor for the built environment, so that's kind of where the seed was planted, if you will. And so I firmly believe that our existing buildings are some of our greatest assets. In fact, there's a saying that the most sustainable building is the one that already exists. And so I'm a huge advocate of finding ways to preserve our existing building stock, especially those that are architecturally significant or well built. Buildings that were built a hundred years ago, they're very well built. Unless there's been a tremendous amount of water infiltration and other things that compromise the structure, there are creative ways I think that we should be thinking about restoring those buildings because it's not just the building itself with the memories attached to that building. So 40 years ago, this week, the Hudson's department store closed the stores for the last time. And I posted one because of the significance of that building to me, I posted social media. And I can't tell you how many people who are older than me because they actually experience the store, they had stories about that building about Christmas and visiting Santa and buying certain things and just experiences with their parents or grandparents. And that's door meant something to that community. And that's one example in one city. But think about all the buildings that have significance to people. And even for people who are coming in and new to the area, they'll feel some sense of connection to the history of that place via the architecture. And so in terms of to respond to your question about how to actually do it, I think you have to get really creative around financing and you have to really tell the stories of why it's important. Part of what I do at HOK, a marketing principle. And I think it's really important to market architecture. When it comes to changing hearts and minds about demolishing certain structures or doing things that I think would detract from the urban built environment, I think it's important that we tell the stories that we really amplify the value that doesn't necessarily translate into dollars and cents, but it has this greater intrinsic value. So I think that there's an equity story there. I think there's a sustainability story there and just finding ways to make it happen just to be really creative. You gave a beautiful example from Detroit from Hudson. Is there one currently that you're particularly proud of that you look at that has been repurposed in the way you describe? Well, there's an effort underway right now in Chicago and it's an initiative also being led by the Chicago planning department called LaSalle reimagining and we'll have to look up I think it's something like that or imagining LaSalle street. But the point of it is taking LaSalle street, which is primarily commercial corridor, very tall, beautiful buildings, with a lot of office vacancy, frankly. And so the idea is to convert some of those offices into residential. The city of Chicago just supported that formally through policy. And so that was a signal to me like, okay, city government is taking this seriously because it's one thing to have an idea that comes from designers and planners and other civic thought leaders, but it's another thing for the government to actually support it and so I'm glad to see that that's moving forward and I'm really looking forward to understanding how it works from a financial perspective and just seeing how designers will take the real challenge of converting commercial into residential. Is part of the shift that is happening needs to happen that not only mayors but also designers are looking less at building something out in the suburbs and more at building or repurposing something within the cities within the downtowns of our communities. Yeah, I think we have so much potential within our cities there are a lot of there's, you know, depending on where you are, there's sometimes a good amount of vacancy. And so how do we look at really capturing those opportunities instead of building outside of the city walls? And I think that, you know, it's just really important to understand how to be more strategic with our resources, which are limited, and one of the things I said to the mayor yesterday was that architects are the civic problem solvers. You didn't know you needed. And so I really want to advocate for architects and mayors to partner on solving some of our greatest problems and one of those issues is tackling blight tackling vacancy, finding ways to ensure that we're protecting the health safety and welfare of the public, which is the really the duty of the architect. And addressing those health disparities and to my personal mission, improving the quality of people's lives by design. Just one final question if I could. One of the things I know you've talked about as well is the importance of encouraging finding ways for more minorities people of color to enter the profession of architecture. Why is that important, I guess, from your perspective, what kind of different perspective does that bring to the profession? Yeah. That's a great question. The built environment impacts everyone. And I think it's really important that the designers who author are present day and our future reflect the communities that we serve. And so that's one of the reasons why it's so important that communities aren't just approached by people from outside, but there are influences from within the community, influences outside. I think having a diversity of thought is important in that diversity of thought also comes with diversity relative to race and gender and ethnicity, religion. You know, all the different types of people that exist live somewhere. They work somewhere. They play somewhere. And so I think it's really valuable for architects to also sort of come from a very diverse array of perspectives. Kimberly dowdell there, in conversation with monocles Washington correspondent Chris Shermer. And that's all for today's show. For more design stories, listen to our 5 minute midweek bonus show, monocle on design extra, which airs on Thursdays. And if you enjoy print, then do pick up a copy of monocle magazine as well. It's on all good news stands now. Today's episode was produced by maile Evans. I'm Nick manis, and you can reach me on NM at Monaco dot com. Thanks for listening.
WBBM Newsradio
"maurice cox" Discussed on WBBM Newsradio
"Everybody needs. We're fully stocked. That's what's happening in Bloomingdale. A 50 year old man is dead after apparently being hit with a stray bullet fired in a nearby disturbance. Police say the man was sitting in a car on Redfield drive in marquette park on the south side when he was struck in the head. He was pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital. And off duty, Chicago police officer was found dead in her home yesterday, the name of the 35 year old officer, not being released, worked in the central district, her death came only a day after a 45 year old male officer was found unresponsive in a home in the Jefferson park district. His cause of death is pending an investigation by the medical examiner. The city of Chicago has opened up applications for its climate infrastructure fund. It's open to small businesses and nonprofits with green plants. They aim to help the city cut greenhouse emissions 62% by 2040. Grants for projects that would keep storm water out of city sewers put more electric vehicles on the roads and make buildings more energy efficient. The lightfoot administration announced it will accept applications for the next two months for grants between 50 and $250,000. The city has also opened applications to other funds that involve transit and community development. Department of planning and development commissioner Maurice Cox calls them more options for stakeholders to support city goals that have a global impact. Nancy hardy one O 5 9. Little snow headed our way tonight and then the rough winter weather gets here. We'll give you the latest in your 5 day forecast just ahead. Also sports and the bulls withstand the heat. Pino sports for my Friends that often boxers, the D.C. area's number one provider of hot tub swim spas
WBBM Newsradio
"maurice cox" Discussed on WBBM Newsradio
"The next phase of her large community redevelopment plan. On the west side mayor life would lead to celebration for the third anniversary of the invest southwest initiative. The city has been spurring development along business corridors on Chicago's south and west sides. Today is not a victory lap. Today is the first day of phase two of our invest southwest journey. Maurice Cox commissioner of planning and development says the next phase will involve developing some of the city's thousands of vacant lots. It made sense for us to start on the commercial corridor, but now it's about going into the streets and blocks where people live. And filling in the gaps with new opportunities for housing. He says it's hoped people who moved away because of safety and other concerns will come home. Craig deller Moore one O 5 9 WBD out. Ryan, you want to listen to M on your phone, all you have to do is download the free Odyssey app, click the word follow for easy access, or when you're home, just ask that smart speaker to play wbm news radio. It's 5 O 8 traffic and weather together on the 8s we say good morning to Bo Durant. The morning Cisco not a lot of hassles so far this morning in spite of the weather right now. It's looking okay, but that may be kind of deceiving because the conditions are right for problems, especially on bridges and ramps. That's where we could see some slick spots pop up early, causing issues so really slow it down today on the roads. That is your best advice. We do have one problem. It's on the northbound side of the tri state toll weights right around north avenue where a stall that had been blocking the right lane has just been moved out of the lanes. It's not all over on the shoulder, so no problems now in that northbound side of the tri state southbound tri state toll was okay. Rest of the only tollways are looking pretty good so far this morning Eden's no delays Kennedy on the mn outbound sides, moving at the speed limit as well so far this morning. No major problems on the Eisenhower and the Stevenson's looking okay on the In-N-Out bound trips we do have a problem on the ramp from the inbound Stevenson to the outbound side of the Dan Ryan looks like we had a crash there on a ramp. That's where we're going to see the problem start this morning and it may slow you down a little bit on that inbound steam and ramp to the app. I'm riding the dam right itself is fine 57 in the bishop Ford you're looking okay, no major problems on dusa lakeshore drive but really slow down in the oak street curve. It's like going through that notorious spot. On route 53 in the northwest suburbs and I 80 in the southwest verbs, no major problems no, major issues in or out of northwestern Indiana so far this morning. Next traffic report from the metro traffic center
Future of the American City
"maurice cox" Discussed on Future of the American City
"And i always think of it as a two way street where this might be. Hard of my. You know. live a history of a coming to places where i'm not from and i come as an outsider And as an outsider. This kind of no question that people who have been there no more about the place to do and so it's humbling in this. I'm sure this goes back to being an ex pat. You know living in italy ten years. I know what it's like to be outside of community and having to learn from scratch and having the people in the room be more knowledgeable of the place than i am and so i generally believe it's a knowledge exchange. I come in. They had come to listen. I come to learn. And i hope we come to in part what i've learned and it's You know there's this kind of creative friction there right I don't come in as the resident expert. I you know. I have knowledge in part but i also know that mrs jones lived in her house in forty years has acknowledged to impart to me. And so it's all it's all about kind of transparency of the design and development process. It is about Exposing kind of demystifying the stuff that we do and explaining it ordinary people in china you know. Get out of the lingo that we engage in in our disciplines to try to explain it to your aunt. May i do it every day. And i'm sure some of comes from My political career. Where in my early days in charlottesville. I mean i had to explain this passion that i had for design to just ordinary people who don't think about this every day and i had to listen to a lot of folks who had ideas And unpack it and help them understand what you know the physical aspect of what they were describing in words you hear a hesitancy. My voice Because you know you can only move in our profession at the rate of trust. So if people don't trust you you can't move very fast so you have to build trust and to do that. You have to meet you have to explain. You have to listen commissioner maurice cox. Thanks so very much for joining us. Well it's a pleasure. I love the compensation.
Future of the American City
"maurice cox" Discussed on Future of the American City
"I on the one hand i i've just been struck by how entrenched the success of that work has been based on the idea that each actor each role whether it be the civic institutions the landowners the private development interests the the cuny development organizations that the philanthropic foundations they each stepped up and played a role in part. That was based as i understand it on trust that had been built in a context. Where as we know in the history of american city our relationships with these communities especially in communities of color especially you know portions of cities like the south side of chicago that had been subject to some of the worst aspects of planning practice in the twentieth century. there have always been environments or cultures of trust between the city elected and appointed officials and planning and these communities. So so how do you build that. Trust as we've seen in previous roles and how would you describe the status of that project with respect to trust and the citizenry for this work in chicago. What a great question. I will tell you yes. I'm very very mindful of our designed is plans and how what we have trot on Communities of color from the Interstate highway systems Urban renewal Public public housing Dishes spin so much that has been policy driven that were Race base That we're Still living with today and so you know chicago. His tale of two cities One white one black one invested in one disinvested inch. And then you go back and you look at fifty years of public policy and you can see all of The evidence of that. That's what the outcome was going to be. We we we walk into the room. And we don't have a lot of credibility and so i think of engagement as the opportunity for us to rebuild trust in planning and design every community meaning. We have every explanation. We give it's It's a knowledge exchange between the knowledge of people who know their communities after decades of living there and the knowledge that we might have to share with them about the power of design. And so you know. I come from the academy so for me. It's about teaching. And you know we all know we take you know very bright inquisitive students And expose them to ideas and concepts and they mature and develop and become brilliant by access to get knowledge. The my thought is. I could network for mr harris down the block or mrs jones and so i have always wanted to teach a wider audience than just those who have chosen this Vocation the design vocations..
Future of the American City
"maurice cox" Discussed on Future of the American City
"Vancouver. I was actually surprised that chicago. The third largest in america did not have a peer to peer review process and so It's taken me as long as i've been here to stand it up But just to let you know how what an appetite there was this we put out a solicitation. We thought we were gonna appoint a twelve member body We got eighty five. Applications eighty five applications from chicago and and in the end we ended up pointing twenty four and they are some of the most prominent names in the arts and culture and design community of chicago and presumably something like You know half or more of those eighty five would have been well qualified and of that. You had the luxury of selecting two dozen. that's extraordinary. Oh absolutely and you know and they have names. You know obviously You know many many of them were educated by the gst. You have eugenie gangs. And the john ronan and amazing people like the asti gates and the artist. Nick cave than Prominent development folks as well and historic preservationists. And so it's a way to Amplify the conversation about designed at the appropriate place in time which has hit the early idea of a design project. Part of the goal is to actually expedite the review process and the delivery process. Oh i sold this. As a way to get development happen faster and at a higher level of discourse and i will tell you as well It's also about equity right and i want the ford will housing project on the far south side of chicago to get as much attention conversation about its design As a new high-rise in the loop and so it'll be interesting to see the docket Because the first dockets are too high rise towers and two five story affordable housing projects On the south and west side. I'm really excited. I know it's a culture change. I will just tell you i feel. I feel the weight of trying to change the culture of a city of the size and it is not a responsibility that you want to shoulder alone. And so the way. I've been taught in leadership. Is you share the work and you empower others To work and amplify the goals that you have and so i now have twenty. Four of chicago's best and brightest. Who are also now concerned about the full. You know built in natural environment and how we achieve excellence over the entire chicago. And you know people have said If there's nothing else you did if you if this sticks you will have changed course and the quality of design chicago for a generation. So i'm super excited about you know And they're they. They met For the first time for in tation in july though have the first full docket in August and they are so excited to be part of the conversation now about the design of the city of chicago speaking of sharing. It's been a hallmark of your work. I mean beginning as a city. Councillor and mayor in charlottesville virginia and then as director of planning and detroit to not only bring these various actors together the public sector community development organizations the design talent development community but also the citizenry. I've been struck by you. Know in following your career and and in talking to folks in detroit about how in a context that was as you know as dire as one could imagine you somehow were able to facilitate and build a culture of trust across these various actors. And i'm interested to ask you about that. You know in the in the time that we have remaining..
Future of the American City
"maurice cox" Discussed on Future of the American City
"In various Thought leaders and many of them are in academic institutions a. How do you get them to extend their thought to the everyday places where people live And how did he engage them in the messy work up producing excellence and so you know early in my career. I realized that cities governed by committees and gesture city council there like a whole slew of committees better appointed by people in authority and they managed aspects of the city for us on our behalf and almost all of them are in a pro bono services. And so i started saying well if design is a value and if it's important you need to have forums where you talk about it and those forums are often these committees These volunteer committees and so the most noted ones that people have is the planning commission right But you know planning commissions talk about zoning and land use in. Sometimes they talk about design but not really And i said you know. Well we're is the conversation about design in chicago. I mean i'm talking about the public conversation. And i couldn't find it. Short of special events like the biannual of architecture or chicago architecture center that you know is an advocacy organization for design and they have exhibits but in terms of in the political arena. There was no place other than the plan commission. And so i started to say well if design is of about you in a design center city like chicago. We need to have a committee. A public forum. Where all we talk about is designed unapologetically. Because we're talking about the built and natural environment. And i you know i've i've i've served on these kind of committees. I've appointed these kinds of committees In my career. And i said you know what if i called the best in the bridas in design and development in an arts and culture in chicago and i asked him to serve on a committee and instead of having only a professional planning staff reviewing the pipeline projects that come Before my staff would if i had them reviewing the work and And so the committee design was farm and it is a big culture change for chicago to have this type structure. It's not so uncommon. Boston has it. Seattle has it. You know.
Future of the American City
"maurice cox" Discussed on Future of the American City
"So it's always fascinating to see the facility by which they could move Where there was an interesting urban experiment going on And that they could be our partners in it. And i you know i. It's it's important. I'm blessed to have that partnership with a couple of foundations in chicago. I would like to have more speaking of philanthropic foundations in place based patient capital a good time to remind our listeners. We are brought to you. Part by the john s. and james l. knight foundation among among others interested to Focus a little bit now on the role of design design. Excellence in in our conversation. We've talked about the role if the the public sector and your office. And the mayor's initiatives How to leverage you know financing to redraw the map etcetera but time and time again your work In this conversation but in your career more. Broadly has drawn upon designers. On the one hand either. Is you know. Your work has focused on the role of design And into the The the the model that. I see you articulating and i've seen in your work In detroit The the role of design is is multiple that on the one hand. You have you know. A fee for services professionals responding to rfp's engaging with proposals you're also drawing upon the the resources the the intellectual cultural capacity of designers to give provo their services in their moral authority to put it in those terms. I think you've embodied as much as anyone. I know in the american city of the idea of the designer as a elected or appointed public official unit colleagues recently announced the formation of a committee on design. I i take this in advisory committee Tell us about that and why you think of an advisory committee on design excellence might be helpful in the context of your work in chicago. Now though this is a this has been a life. life vocation pursuit of how. How do you bring the resources that we all know. design can bring to places. That are unexpected. You know and design is often been thought of as the luxury and people pay handsomely to have designers shape their world and so we know that there's something special there and has always been had by get more people to have access to that in particular places where designed is has done enormous harm to communities through public policy primarily and so i have always you know i've always felt you know i'm i'm in a very elite profession and i've always wanted to serve broadly more people and so how do you do. Well one thing is. The public interests the public sector. You know we are responsible for the streets. We are responsible hoarding housing and and cultural institutions. So if i could a direct resources to things that are public my chances we're going to be greater in having an impact everyone And so partly why. I've dedicated so much of my career to the public sector The other thing was. How do you get designers.
Future of the American City
"maurice cox" Discussed on Future of the American City
"Which is the rule of the public sector the role of the philanthropic and in the role of the of the private sector. We had a conversation with rip rapson of kreisky foundation precisely on this the role of the foundation in place based Gifting one of the things he focused on was the the ability for the foundations. Look beyond a quarter or a or an annual cycle you know the ability the ability because of their investment their ethical and otherwise investment in a place they can afford both to mitigate some longer term risk but also to bridge because as as you're describing so many aspects of the built environment have to do with gaps between incentives motivations reinsurance markets or amortization schedules. And the the fact that the foundation will be here. allows at least for rapson and key to think a little bit longer term into bridge between To be ahead of the development cycle to provide these p- redevelopment funds that you know in a phrase it's called patient capital and they have the patience and the capital to be around for the long term. And you're in it. Has they have a high degree of flexibility right That they can exercise. And so you need those. You need those dollars And i as i said i think that they they were on my thought partners In in looking at the systems aspect of change. And i'll show out brag on one initiative that we're very proud of It's the mary rogue college which is a like a hundred and thirty acre campus In the north side of detroit and educated generations of african americans and it through financial hardship was closing and christie went in and did an autopsy of it and found a how they could salvage their their higher education charter. But how they could expand that to get all the way to pre-k and then keeton twelve and then college and that campus is now being converted to a zero to twenty two Full educational campus With a beautiful new Early childhood learning center by a marlon blackwell. And you know they said we're gonna invest two hundred million dollars on this campus And they could do that In that experiment which is Pretty singular in terms of having those various educational offerings at one single campus. They have the capital. Which is patient enough to live at experiment out And by the way it you know it's right adjacent to the Fitzgerald gortat square mile strategy that Trade is still building Where lowering medals are right adjacent to rehab houses. That are jason to a multi acre park and greenway. That connects that neighborhood to be Mary grove campus..
Future of the American City
"maurice cox" Discussed on Future of the American City
"In the role of philanthropic organizations Both in your work in detroit now in chicago. You focused on the role of foundations in supporting an engaging in the development of the city. And i mentioned in that way given chicago historic resources ordering wealth of the range of different foundations. That are there And i wonder if if there are aspects of the philanthropic community that you imagine could play a more supportive role or have you found the philanthropic community to be available to. The kind of focus of you and near light was administration. Yeah that's a great. That's a great question. So i'm i'm coming from detroit. Where the rescue foundation has stood up model. Which i think a lot of place based foundations have looked to for inspiration because they were heavily. Heavily focused on catalytic investments in one city. And i think all things all things good about detroit you know in its urban. Evolution can be traced to skate the rescue foundation. Of course you know. Dan gilbert the billionaire. Also Is a big part of the kind of philanthropic reinvestment in the city But kreisky was doing it. I so whether it's an investment in gap financing for development there it's The riverfront Work or you know a light rail work. It was a model of philanthropic investment that i had never seen before. So i came to chicago with an expectation With some of the national foundations here that you know they similarly were invested in the built and natural environment of the city And it actually turned out that you have a lot of national foundations in chicago so they headquartered in chicago but they are nationally global and they actually don't focus exclusively on the built natural environment chicago But i found if you like the pritzker trouble foundation and they they were the sponsors of the chicago prize Which was a ten million dollar prize to a development entity Working on the south and west side they have been incredibly generous in in working with me on the finding equitable design. Excellence and coming up with a An amazing prequalified list of designers who will work on these catalytic investments Again that foundation supported the creation of that list. Then you have the chicago community trust which is probably closer to a ski foundation because it is a community trust and they helped create the sending the the development network they created the pre development fund They basically their role was to level the playing bill And to resource the kind of systemic change. That's needed to create a kind of inclusive equitable development framework. So it's it's the combination of the ability or Philanthropy till level playing field the private sector to build up the public sector to create the opportunity and when they are all in conversation I think you you get transformational Sustained change And so but you know. I'm talking about philanthropy making grant dollars available to commercial real estate developers. That's a little different right And so But they found a way. And that's we're we're not just trying to rebuild the community development ecosystem. We're trying to rebuild the commercial real estate development ecosystem and they found the weight on that work. It's interesting what you say about. You know needing you know. Both sides of that house right both. It's not simply just or or all three in the model that you're giving us..
Future of the American City
"maurice cox" Discussed on Future of the American City
"They've been shuttered. You know bait. They've been defaced. And so when. I started to talk about how to you will we start We would get intel from residents who inevitably talk about some beautiful art deco mercantil building that was shuttered or a firehouse was no longer in use or a theater or an old bank building and so even with that in people's mind a geography was a place wasn't a map. It was a place and so we would pin those things and the invests outlast initial investments which are focused on the one hundred percent corner of a neighborhood. That just happens to have a fire station or no. Bank building or theater is really. We're we decided to cluster the initial investment. And of course you know we also it's focussed around selling public land. We also know is often clustered in those areas so Go from i creating the the the geography then the street in the micro district and then the one hundred percent corner And i would say a part of this is also a way of having some accountability. I can now tell you. What the economic development the health of economic development in the west region or at the far south region because we created these geographies and we are in the process actually during our budget period of listing. All of the plan developments all of the neighborhood opportunity fund businesses all of the neighborhood economics act development activity. We are going to map it. The first time the ultimate will not get a spreadsheet. they're gonna get a physical map with impact areas according to the investment. That has been had an. I will now be able to say to an alderman. A we have been able to bring a hundred million dollars. Investment to your area or two hundred million dollars and here are the projects and here are their geographies. And i hope that my focus on aggregating and centering that investment. So that they there's a synergy will become visible to to them Really for the first time in that context of emission in in this builds a little bit also the work you did on detroit but the role of foreign therapy right. So it's it's the as you said. The intersection between what the city can provide with the public sector can with its resources. And it's it's bully pulpit in its first mover advantage. Let's put it that way right by identifying the maps this isn't spatial focus and then building through these. Rfp's the capacity were the development community to respond in robust way over time but also has the virtue of Producing wealth over time. Simply right. I mean as we know in an individual way reagan. Homeownership has been among the most valuable ways of producing intergenerational wealth for for all americans and of course not all americans have had access to that is a history of racist redlining exclusionary practices and lack of access to loans etcetera in that context of interested.
Future of the American City
"maurice cox" Discussed on Future of the American City
"You need a place to get your pharmacies And so the program by which we can get entrepreneurs in those storefronts many of them boarded up on. These commercial quarters was enabled opportunity fund which was at that transfer from the downtown to small businesses in the neighborhoods on the south and westside. And so part of it was How do you get those businesses. And i'm talking about restaurants family restaurants fine dining restaurants two pizza parlors. I mean all of those things that are just a part of a living a really wonderful urban live and in so many places in chicago. They've been denied access to those. That was what we were going to focus on. So you know the idea was to congregate aggregate those businesses in what might be like a micro district you know no more than four to six to eight blocks along and you know that challenge is that people had not tied those amenities to a walkable geography. And they were funding small businesses long. Before i got here but the the those businesses could pop up anywhere in the city and so they were spread out so far that you couldn't actually see that there was any synergies happening because of proximity. And then i came in. I said no within a crater geography. And it's going to be no more than eight you know. It's like a half mile the longest geography. And we're going to with an encouraged all of those entrepreneurs to kinda go in that space. And guess what we're gonna come back and with unto transform public round and those little sidewalks we're going to double the size of the sidewalks we're going to put in other modes of transit on those corridors. We're going to create a pedestrian lighting. So that the that you can linger in public space and so it was very much tied to just getting folks to aggregate things. And if it's going to be multifamily housing or we're going to force it to happen. On the commercial corridors. That's really been the framework Now again chicago is a is a city of neighborhoods seventy seven community areas. And it has amazingly vibrant commercial corridors. Most of which Are in the north side of town and chicago is a man of. It's different but the early twentieth century development where Theaters were not. Just get downtown. They were dispersed in all seventy seven neighborhoods So you see these cultural amenities in you know in your just your ordinary neighborhood. And so many of those buildings are.
Future of the American City
"maurice cox" Discussed on Future of the American City
"It is your we could call it your leadership style. Now the number of different roles you've been as a public figure of the course of your career you don't waste time and so very quickly Focusing on this invest southwest strategy moving millions and millions of dollars a from the center into these neighborhoods that have been under invested upon. I'm interested in the focus on the map as the instrument. And the the reconciling of not just organizational charts and you know who reports to who but the idea that there's a geography it reminds me a little bit of what shaun donovan said. When he was appointed as secretary of housing urban development in the obama administration he said you know when when when the government spends resources. We don't tend to map them and see their correlation in winning make an investment in education. It's likely to be an investment in transportation and transportation education or linked in people's lives right so so in that regard. I'm struck by the focus on the map and the idea of the need of reorganising. Not only your own staff and growing your capacity but also changing the way that they're spatially deployed in that sense Of course there's a long interesting history about that as you're thinking about main street you're thinking about these commercial centers you're thinking about transit and you're moving through a as i understand it. Grants among other things millions of dollars to businesses. What are the kinds of things that you're looking for beyond transient adjacency. And being a part of that Commercial district apart from the geography of them. What what are the kinds of businesses that strike you as appropriate or have been found most useful in that Set of resources. So this is It's really interesting this idea of how. How do you live a urban life. In which you can access all of your daily necessities within a twenty minute walk from your home And this is an idea that i piloted in the motor city detroit. 'cause i knew was radical. The idea of walking to anything in detroit had long since they've lost that sensibility. And so i said you know. I'm originally a new yorker and i spent significant time in europe in italy where i biked in walked Everywhere and i think that that is a sign of just good urban lights to be able to live car free existence. I.
Future of the American City
"maurice cox" Discussed on Future of the American City
"Designers city planners historic preservationists. And and this is a model that i apply in detroit found that i needed to do that here. And so i basically took everyone who had a planning degree of that hundred and eighty and i- redistributed them across the city in these planning teams And then i hired a new cohort and the other thing is the economic development. Bureau was again focused on deals primarily Downtown a central city Deals and i distributed one of each of them into the regions. So that would be a natural conversation between the center and the edges and that gave me the infrastructure if you will to begin to talk about planning across the entire geography You know it is unusual to have the economic development and planning entities in the same department. They were separate in detroit so this is really the first time that the tax increment finance which is the principal way finance development in chicago that i have access to those millions and millions of dollars. Our next move was to begin to create a set aside for the south and west side And there have been a lot of interpretations you know the increment that's generated in the geography that you create has to be spent there and you can pork from one district to an adjacent district but you cannot leapfrog over geographies. So how to take resources that are generated from the center and distributed them to the Neighborhoods is a structural impediment to doing that. One of the ways around that was in The neighborhood opportunity bonus fun which allowed of developers developing downtown to get additional density and pay into a fund that then could be transferred to the neighborhoods and we have collected hundreds of millions of dollars through this fun and it goes specifically to fund small.
Future of the American City
"maurice cox" Discussed on Future of the American City
"Well if you're gonna spend seven hundred fifty million dollars how do you make sure that residents know that. Their tax dollars are at work. And so that was really a question that if we're gonna spend this kind of money you had better see it on your way home from the harvard graduate school of design. This is future of the american city. Charles waldheim today with maurice cox commissioner of planning and development the city of chicago. Mr cox joins us today to discuss his career in public service. In his recent initiatives on the south and west sides of chicago. maurice welcome. It's great to be here thank you. It's wonderful to see you again. Thanks so much for joining us for the past twenty one months or more. Now you've been appointed to this office after having served as a planning director for the city of detroit. And i'm interested to know over the course of those Twenty one months reflecting on the decision to take your talents to chicago Why the focus on the south and west sides of the city of chicago. Yeah that's a great question. I will tell you. I arrived at the beginning of a new administration Lori lightfoot was elected of the first woman mayor in many many years african american woman. She was an outside reform candidate. This is the first time in public office. And she ran a on equity agenda She ran with some pretty audacious Proposals he spoke of a marshall plan for the west. since outside. who's challenge was going to be undo a half century of racially charged policies. Who left the south and westside behind in what is otherwise prosperous global american city and so when she got elected she went looking outside of the usual places for someone who was she felt was up to the challenge. And you know we're in the midwest and people here in chicago here about things that are going on in detroit and a lot of.
WBEZ Chicago
"maurice cox" Discussed on WBEZ Chicago
"That need reinvestment called Motive City Match Out in Portland. They have started to look at public kind of impact investment models that deal with Hearing communal ownership. And so I believe of that Chicago can be in that same space where we genuinely are encouraging. Collective ownership of development that happens in communities. I want to play a bit from another interview in our reimagine Chicago series on economic development. This is Urbanist Richard, Florida He was talking about what makes for a thriving city, The United Nations. Created actually a goal for cities and that's called sustainable development goal. 11th. And that goal says a great city or a thriving city or what they call a human settlement should be a place that's safe. Inclusive, sustainable and resilient. Commissioner. What do you make of that criteria? All right. I think it it resonates completely with me. I actually believe that inequitable environment, neighborhood health, it should be socially. Economically racially integrated. I believe that in many ways the design of neighborhood if it could be socially, economically and environmentally integrated. That's the very definition of a healthy community. We're speaking with Maurice Cox, he's commissioner of the Chicago Department of Planning and Development for our series reimagine Chicago. For the last four weeks, we have looked at how community investment and economic development work in Chicago and how they could work better. Commissioner. We talked with a couple of neighborhood business leaders for this syriza, including Negro Sims fears of the Greater Chatham Initiative. Here's a little of what she had to say. Well in Chatham. I would say that we definitely want more economic development. But economic development that really aligns are one of our challenges is that you know you have the wars. We have the police district. We have the school district and none of them line up. And so it's very hard to make things work when you're working with people that Their boundaries. Don't match your boundaries and so for city works, but we work hard to work. The system, as opposed to the system should be easy to work, so it works with us. Would more alignment as she puts it. Would that make your job easier? Maybe if if Ward's weren't is Jerry mannered, and neighborhoods and wards were better aligned. You know, alignment is absolutely key. Um, it's not just alignment of wards. It's alignment of a resource is, um, so that the public sector is aligned. With the private sector, which is aligned with the philanthropic sector because you need all of those growing in the same direction and for very often will be working on a commercial corridor where one half of the street is in one ward and the other half the street is in another ward. Well, what we do is we bring those To all them in together, and we walked that corridor together. And I think hold him in Tao and all the men King are classic example of that They both represent. 47th street where we are doing and invest Southwest investment or in back of the yards where you have all of them in Lopez and Alderman Taylor. Well, they both represent back of the yards. So when we convene the conversation, we complain with them both. So it is so important that we have this strategic alignment not just between city Hall and constituents, but also within different departments. Of the city. So I meet on a regular basis with my counterpart in the department transportation or in the Department of Cultural Affairs or our business, licensing or housing. We are in constant conversation. That we complement each other resource is so that we have a synergy of what happens when all of these components are being brought to bear at the same time in the same manner. A couple of our guests argued for a public bank. They're saying that it could help lift up communities. Now here's a preview of what we're going to hear from former Alderman a Maple Bar on tomorrow's show. What undergirds The manufacturing of a middle class is access to credit bank provide that credit and fundamentally what banks do. Is that they create new money. And when new money flows through a community in the form of home and business loans, and it does so systematically over and over again, you create wealth. So to me, Banking is the cornerstone of economic development. And there is no grant no tax incentive, No. One off project that can match what a bank can do when they create money systematically. Before I let you go, Commissioner. Your take on the idea of a public bank is an economic development tool. I'm not familiar with that particular model. But I know that there are a number of shared ownership models that build community wealth and that allow communities to invest in their own neighborhoods. We need all ideas on the table and his many different tools as possible. Perhaps this one is another tool. That's Maurice Cox, commissioner of Chicago's Department of Planning and Development. Commissioner Cox Thank you so much. Thank you for inviting me. Let's turn now to someone we heard from earlier in reimagine Chicago. That's deputy Mayor for Economic and Neighborhood Development. Sameer Maya car, Sameer. Thank you.
WBEZ Chicago
"maurice cox" Discussed on WBEZ Chicago
"Turn now to someone we heard from earlier in reimagine Chicago. That's deputy Mayor for Economic and Neighborhood Development. Sameer Maya car, Sameer. Thank you for joining us again. Nice to be on Sasha. Now we just heard from planning Commissioner Maurice Cox with his thoughts on how to take community investment in Chicago to the next level, and since our last conversation with you We focused quite a bit on tips. I wanted to get your reaction to some tiff reform ideas that we heard about from other guests. So here's David Merriman. He's a public finance expert at you. I see he was pitching one idea. The idea of tip is when you get economic development, and it generates new revenue. The revenue goes back into the area in which generated the development it a lot of ways. That's exactly the opposite of what we know needs to occur, you know, property values are rising in the south loop on the North side. They're doing just fine, but we need to do is move the revenue that's generated there out into the areas that are struggling for the South and the West Side's in particular, everyone should realize now, especially with the events over the last year or so, the need for us to act in a communal fashion across the city. So, Professor Merriman calls this funding infrastructure together or F I t literally the opposite of tiff. So what do you make of that? Well, what I would say is, you know, Mayor Lightfoot is deeply committed to restoring equity to how we invest in Chicago. And that's why when you think about some of the announcement that she's made the Chicago works, multi billion dollar Capital Plan you'll hear later that summer from us on the American rescue plan money allocated from.