LAI KeyNotes: July 2007

Letter from the President

Dr. James A. Fawcett

To follow up on the Spring Land Economics Weekend in Ireland—There are photos and other comments late in this KeyNotes edition, but the results of reaching out to the Irish real estate community have been very positive. This is to share some of these results as we move forward.

Over the past couple of weeks our European regional vice-president reports that there is interest in developing an LAI chapter in Dublin. For those of you who joined us at the recent Land Economics Weekend there, you'll remember that we interacted with some wonderful folks there from HOK/Savills, the Bank of Ulster, Trinity College and others. As Dr. Karen Sieracki reports, they and she have now been in contact and we may soon be able to extend our reach with an Irish Chapter. It is testimony to the credibility of LAI that these distinguished executives from major Irish companies believe, as we do, that LAI has a role to play there. With tools developed as we initiated the Zia Chapter in 2006, Karen will be able to help our newfound colleagues establish a viable chapter by involving a wide range of distinguished individuals from the various land economics professions. I believe that bringing the diverse land economics disciplines together to discuss matters of mutual interest with a dedication to solving urban problems is an infectious ethos; our success in New Mexico is now likely to be repeated in Ireland.

So, thanks to all of you who attended the Irish Spring Land Economics Weekend for being such credible ambassadors. With a beachhead in the English speaking lands of the U.K. and Ireland, we may even be able to extend ourselves further into Europe. In the meantime, please join me in congratulating our team from the London Chapter for doing such a great job in Ireland: Dr. Karen Sieracki, Robert Gibson, Roger Kallman and John Dallimore.

Plans are proceeding well for our Lambda Alpha International Biennial Land Economics Weekend in Los Angeles this fall. Our International Historian, Fereydoon Ghaffari, is organizing the event with fellow Los Angeles Chapter members Millard Lee and Gary Nelson. The events will be held at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica from October 18th through the morning of the 20th. We hope to see all of you there. There are many new developments in Los Angeles which address issues that we believe will be of interest in other communities. That, plus the fellowship and informal discussions at these meetings provide ideas and contacts that each of us value. So make your plans now for a great LAI meeting as we come together in October!

Dr. James A. Fawcett
International President
fawcett@usc.edu

Editor’s Column

Helen Sause

Dear Colleagues! I have been your “scribe” for a little over 18 months now. During this time five themes of national concern have emerged from discussions with you across the country. I wanted to review these and get your reactions to determine if they are priorities for your Chapter members. The following are brief thoughts on these five issues:

Organizational Communication: There are always a number of communication issues in any organization and Lambda Alpha is no exception! The communications/ publications committee has uncovered more issues than solved. These are being worked on. But there are also communications opportunities between the organization and the outside world. These are matters that LAI can focus on by publicizing awards given to outstanding individuals; the leadership in the field as exemplified by our members, etc. Our chapters all afford the opportunity to demonstrate the high standards that LAI and the development community represent.

Preservation of Assets: Cities' inability to maintain public development negotiated for in large downtown development deals has been a topic of previous writings. We have talked about Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco and Chicago's Millennium Park and the goal to have dedicated funding to maintain these— and similar— heavily used public spaces built with private/public funds. Most of us can recall the wonderful announcement of the opening of some park or public facility and a few years later sadly viewing the results from underestimated maintenance needs and no endowment to fund them. As a real estate community we need to be diligent in insuring that these public/ private developments are sufficiently funded to remain as assets to adjacent private development. Being vigilant to this need and publicizing successful models is a start, but we can do more.

Preservation of Eminent Domain Capacity: The loss or substantial curtailment of this, too, has significant effect on cities' ability to accomplish their housing, revitalization, and economic goals. There was a "rush to judgment" on this matter and some adroit people pushing to either emasculate or completely do away with this tool. The real estate community, League of Cities, National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) worked to counter the distorted arguments to inhibit use of this power. A number of states pass such legislation and now are reportedly unhappy with the results. Congress had considered national changes to the law permitting eminent domain, but seemingly are not renewing these proposals. Several states, where changes in legislation were proposed and failed passage, are again contemplating passage of restrictive measures. We need to be aware of this issue and please: 1. work with local partner organizations to educate local voters on the impact of the loss of eminent domain powers on local development priorities and 2. let LAI and all of the groups that you work with join in addressing the issue.

Developers' Role in Communities: So often the developer is held up as the
villain in communities, with citizens blaming the developer for whatever went wrong. There is an ongoing role for the profession to maintain/achieve high standards and provide education on the development process. Lots more can be done to present the development community more positively at the national, regional and chapter levels.

Fostering Professionalism and Ethical Standards: This is all of our jobs all of the time. It will help to know how you handle this in your communities.

The above issues frequently come across my desk. Please tell me how they affect you and your chapter. Do you have other issues that rise to the top? None of us can control the market! What priority do you feel these issues should be? Your guidance would be most helpful.

Helen Sause
International Editor
helensause@alamedanet.net

Los Angeles, CA Fall Land Economics Weekend

SAVE THE DATE!

October 18 -
October 20, 2007

Make your hotel
reservations
(310) 576-7777

Rates:
Single: $269,
Double: $289, plus tax

The Lambda Alpha International Biennial Congress, held every two years, is a three-day program that includes business meetings and presentation of the host city’s urban features. The weekend’s highlight is a gala Awards Dinner where the prestigious Lambda Alpha International Achievement Awards are presented.

This year the Congress will be held at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, California from October 18 through 20. The three-day congress, organized by the Los Angeles Chapter, will include the following events:

Thursday October 18:
Business Meetings
President’s Reception
Welcome Dinner Presenting Gail Goldberg, Los Angeles Planning Director

Friday October 19:
Narrated Tour of:
The Rand Corporation Headquarters
West Los Angeles and Century City
Hollywood
Griffith Observatory
Dinner at the Historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

Saturday October 20:
Narrated Tour of:
Playa Vista
Staples Center and LA Live Project
Downtown Los Angeles
Walt Disney Concert Hall and Grand Avenue Project
Gala Awards Banquet

Look for registration and detailed program information in the August issue of KeyNotes.