ULI and the National League of Cities (NLC) have announced that mayors from four cities—Birmingham, Alabama; Denver; Long Beach, California; and Rochester, New York—have been selected as the 2016 class of Daniel Rose Fellows by the Rose Center for Public Leadership in Land Use. Mayors William Bell, Michael Hancock, Robert Garcia, and Lovely Warren will lead teams from their respective cities who will receive technical assistance on a local land use challenge from the NLC, ULI, and their peers from the other fellowship cities.
“The 2016 Rose Fellows are dedicated to finding creative solutions to land use challenges in their cities,” said Clarence E. Anthony, the chief executive officer and executive director of the NLC. “Through collaboration, knowledge sharing, and innovative thinking, these projects will serve as models for how cities can learn from each other to make urban spaces a vibrant part of our communities.”
“The Rose Center Fellowship program has a consistent track record of mayoral teams effectively working together to help solve the land use challenges of our nation’s leading metropolitan areas,” said ULI Global Chief Executive Officer Patrick L. Phillips. “Cities are the heart of our country’s economy, serving as hubs for human capital and innovation. We are excited to partner with NLC and the new class of Rose fellows to highlight creative approaches and solutions that other communities can replicate to become more healthy, prosperous, and sustainable.”
Established at ULI in 2008 with a $5 million gift by ULI Foundation Governor Daniel Rose, the Rose family and ULI in 2014 formed a strategic partnership with the NLC to bring that organization’s robust expertise in local government leadership to bear on the Rose Center’s programs. Now in its seventh year, the Rose Fellowship begins with the selection of four city mayors, each of whom chooses three additional fellows (city department leaders or public agency directors with land use decision-making authority) and a project manager to serve on their city’s fellowship team.
The 2016 Rose Fellowship teams are as follows:
- Birmingham:Mayor William Bell; Phil Amthor, senior planner, Department of Community Development, City of Birmingham; Denise Bell, floodplain administrator, Department of Planning, Engineering & Permits, City of Birmingham; and Andre Bittas, director, Department of Planning, Engineering & Permits, City of Birmingham. The project manager is April Odom, director, Mayor’s Office of Public Information.
- Denver:Mayor Michael Hancock; Evan Dreyer, deputy chief of staff, Mayor’s Office; Crissy Fanganello, transportation director, Department of Public Works, City and County of Denver; and City Council President Christopher Herndon, District 8, City and County of Denver. The project manager is Chris Nevitt, citywide manager for transit-oriented development, Department of Community Planning & Development, City and County of Denver.
- Long Beach:Mayor Robert Garcia; Sean Crumby, city engineer and deputy director, Department of Public Works, City of Long Beach; Arturo Sanchez, deputy city manager, City of Long Beach; and Linda Tatum, manager, Planning Bureau, Department of Development Services, City of Long Beach. The project manager is Carrie Tai, senior planner, Planning Bureau, Department of Development Services, City of Long Beach.
- Rochester:Mayor Lovely Warren; Anne DaSilva Tella, associate administrative analyst, Project Development Division, Department of Neighborhood and Business Development, City of Rochester; Zina Lagonegro, development review coordinator, Bureau of Planning and Zoning, Department of Neighborhood and Business Development, City of Rochester; and Bayé Muhammad, commissioner, Department of Neighborhood & Business Development, City of Rochester. The project manager is Kevin Kelley, senior community housing planner, Housing Division, Department of Neighborhood and Business Development, City of Rochester.
“These four cities are working at the cutting edge of the biggest development issues facing cities,” said Rose Center Executive Director Jess Zimbabwe. “In addition to the valuable insights gained by the fellows during this year, ULI and NLC members will benefit from the practical know-how that emerges when these city leaders get together to share their ideas and expertise.”
Since its inception, the Rose Center has worked with mayors’ teams in 24 cities across the United States: Austin, Texas; Boston; Charlotte, North Carolina; Detroit; Hartford, Connecticut; Honolulu; Houston; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Missouri; Louisville, Kentucky; Minneapolis; Memphis, Tennessee; Nashville, Tennessee; Oakland, California; Omaha, Nebraska; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Pittsburgh; Portland, Oregon; Providence, Rhode Island; Sacramento, California; Seattle; Tacoma, Washington; and Tampa, Florida.
