Civic and Business Leaders
The Mayor’s Book Club
In November 2005, an unusual evening forum began meeting in Annapolis. Its goal was to find ways to make cities more vibrant. The Mayor’s Book Club, as it was called, used as its main text Jane Jacobs’ 1961 classic on city planning, The Death and Life of Great American Cities. The discussions, led by Touchstones moderator Dan Sullivan, had a profound influence on participants many of whose ideas about cities were completely turned around. The club is different from other book clubs in that it is not all academic – the club plans to apply its lessons and give practical advice to City Hall on zoning, parks, sidewalks and building use. In the book – a fierce critique of urban renewal, public housing project designs and highway-building fashions in the 1950’s and 19096’s – Jacobs says, “There is a widespread belief that Americans hate cities.” The Mayor’s Book Club of Annapolis is proof that some Americans still love cities.
Building Bridges - Leadership Metro Richmond
Building Bridges was designed by the Touchstones Discussion Project in collaboration with the Aspen Institute and Leadership Metro Richmond. The program was a four-session investigation of obstacles and opportunities to engage in service to the larger community. Each participant was encouraged to offer his or her unique perspective and all points of view were equally necessary. The readings were short classic texts that enabled participants to focus on the foundations of each specific issue.
All attempts at collaborative exploration and examination can and do face difficulties. Building Bridges succeeded because each individual worked to overcome the barriers that impede collaborative exploration. As the group overcame these barriers they in fact modeled community engagement. The nature of community and the role of citizens and leaders in the formation and cultivation of a genuine civic society are serious issues facing our nation. By undertaking this program, Richmond presented a way for other localities to take similar first steps.
|
