"Where there is no vision, the people perish"

Who would have thought that King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, was also a Brownfield Expert?   You could also argue that Nehemiah should have won the first Phoenix Award for rebuilding the wall, but that's a blog for another day.  I've always found Proverbs to be a superb source of practical wisdom dealing with the art of living.  In Proverbs 29:18, Solomon stresses the importance of Vision.  You would be surprised at the number of environmental projects and assessments undertaken by well-intentioned leaders who lack vision for the project.  With over 3.5 million square miles of land, the United States has plenty of space to poke holes.  Narrow that area down to the jurisdiction of a typical southern mayor, and I'm still boggled by their rationale (or lack thereof) for conducting Phase II Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs).  My first question has always been, "Why?"

1. Why are you conducting an ESA at that location?


2. Why aren't you conducting ESAs in the areas with the greatest potential for redevelopment?


3. Why aren't you connecting the dots between the locations for the ESAs, brownfields, and your City's comprehensive plan?

Could it be that there is a lack of vision?  Kasim Reed, mayor of Atlanta, GA and Brian Leary, President and CEO of Atlanta Beltline, Inc. are two individuals that share a vision for their community.  As Brian Leary states in this video about the Atlanta Beltline Project, "the Beltline is really the synthesis of everything that's good when it comes to the environment, transportation, affordable housing, health, walkability, and access."  With the courage to think bigger than just Phase Is and Phase IIs and the vision to see the connection (or synthesis) of all of the issues that impact their community's quality of life, Leary and Mayor Reed have created an environment of positive, tangible change.

So, what is the vision for your community?  If you don't know, maybe you should find out.  In the coming weeks, Southern Brownfield Report will explore the importance of engaging with the community in search of the community vision.