Tim Burgess' City View

Barcelona Lessons

Neal Peirce has an interesting piece on city planning well worth reading.  Check it out here.  Could Seattle pull off what Barcelona has done?  Yes, if we really want to. 

I can think of several areas of Seattle that could use some Barcelona-type innovation:

• the Aurora Avenue North corridor
• Interbay
• Georgetown
• the Rainier Avenue South corridor

and perhaps other areas, too.  What I like most about what Peirce writes about is how Barcelona has apparently integrated development with historic preservation, protection of homes for current residents, affordable housing incentives, and shared costs for infrastructure improvements. 

Closely related to urban development is the need for strong public school education.  David Brooks continues the discussion about education reform in this piece.  Brooks gives kudos to President Obama's insistence on education reform. (Read my post about education reform and transformation I witnessed during a recent visit to Mercer Middle School in Seattle.) 

The Future: Mercer Middle School and Metropolitan Seattle

Tuesday afternoon and evening was another one of those special times I frequently experience in my work as a member of the City Council.  Seeing all the good that’s happening in our city is encouraging and

Looking Forward Past November 3

Jon Talton has an interesting piece in today''s Seattle Times about out economic future.  Worth reading. Talton suggests that the future will be very different from what we're used to; I think he's right. 

Talton references the Brookings Institute and their work on the power of metropolitan areas.  One of Brookings' scholars, Bruce Katz, is coming back to Seattle on October 13 for a series of meetings and a public lecture at the University of Washington.  Katz is a thought leader on the importance of metro areas.  (One of my earlier posts about Katz is here.)

In his piece, Talton urges innovation coupled with savvy thinking about what might be.  It won't be easy. 

Lessons from New York: Community Schools

I spent three days in New York City last week with 16 others from Seattle taking a look at how they run so-called "community schools," public school buildings that offer a broad range of services, including dental clinics, daycare, English language courses for parents, parenting skills training, summer camps, and more. 

Our group visited one elementary school where summer camp kids were playing a game of "guess what's in the can" in Spanish and English.  That's Patrick D'Amelio, CEO of the Alliance for Education, sitting on the right with the blue shirt, and Susan Enfield, Chief Academic Officer for Seattle Public Schools on the left in the black jacket. Our study team also included representatives from the Seattle Education Association, the Gates Foundation, school board president Michael DeBell, and City staff. 

We spent much of our time with leaders of The Children's Aid Society, a nonprofit organization running 20 community schools in New York City.  I liked their slogan describing community schools:  A Strategy, Not a Program.  Their strategy is all about preparing children to graduate, helping parents navigate through raising kids, building strong families and healthier communities.  The Coalition for Community Schools defines a community school as "both a place and a set of partnerships between the school and other community resources."

Council Town Hall Meeting Thursday Night

The Council will hold a Town Hall meeting Thursday (June 25) to discuss youth violence, public education, and the city's tree canopy in West Seattle.  Dr. Gary Slutkin is our special guest.  Slutkin is head the the Chicago Ceasefire project which has had a remarkable track record in reducing gun violence, and youth violence in particular.  Join us if you can.

Date/Time:  Thursday, June 25, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. (Doors open at 6 p.m.)
Location:  The Hall at Fauntleroy, 9131 California Avenue SW (Map)

Monday's Night Town Hall Meeting

The Council held a town hall meeting last night on supporting excellent city schools, how to improve the city's tree canopy, and preventing youth violence.  About 35 people attended the event held at Eckstein Middle School on N. E. 75th Street. 

Even though attendance was low, I found the conversation one of the most productive in my short 17 months on the Council. 

The next Town Hall Meeting is Thursday, June 25 in West Seattle.  The same three topics will be discussed.  Dr. Gary Slutkin, executive director of Chicago Ceasefire, will be the keynote speaker.

Here's a quick summary of what I heard last night.

23% to 25% of city kids "opt out" of Seattle Public Schools, that's 1 in 4 children being diverted to private schools by their parents; the City should designate the school district as a "priority customer," wave certain procedures and regulations and provide stronger support; the City should form a closer partnership with the school district, even consider "taking over" certain support functions such as exterior landscaping, building management, and other non-academic functions.

Seattle had a tree canopy of 40% in the early 1970s, that's declined to 18% to 12% (depending on which study you believe) today; tree preservation and planting should be encouraged through positive incentives (e.g., tax credits, land use waivers, etc.); responsibility for tree issues should be consolidated in one City department; stricter regulations that prevent cutting down trees should be imposed, including the necessity of a cutting permit.

Nearly everyone in the audience had heard about the Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative and was concerned with youth violence and gangs.  The primary focus of our conversation was on stronger partnerships with the school district, increase city-provided security in and around schools, the value of mentorships, and the need for better job training and job opportunities for young people.  The city's Initiative does provide significant funding for summer youth jobs, and the Council will be hiring several individuals to work in our offices. 

Garfield Jazz At City Hall Monday

The Garfield Jazz Band will perform a FREE Noon concert Monday (June 8) in the lobby of City Hall.  Read about Garfield's national recognition at this year's New York competition. 

Monday's concert is FREE and open to everyone.  At the Council's regular 2 p.m. meeting on Monday, the Mayor and Council will honor the Garfield Jazz Band for their national recognition. 

Letters to a Councilman

A teacher at a north Seattle public high school recently challenged her class to write me letters with their concerns about school, their city, and their hopes and dreams for the future.  Many of them shared intimate details about their lives, their fears, and their complaints. 

Here are some brief excerpts from the 28 letters I received.   Some interesting thoughts here.  The letters give us a chance to "listen" to our young people, always a worthy endeavor.

"Make sure that teachers are fit to teach.  We students are the ones that know about the teachers most.  It's a huge difference to be taught by someone that wants you to learn the material and is

Hope: Morning, Noon and Night

I had a great day today! 

The day started at Lake Washington Girls Middle School near 18th and East Cherry Street where I had a discussion with a class of 8th graders about public corruption, ethics in government, character, and American campaign tactics.  Wow!  Those girls were impressive.  Their questions were focused and cut right to the heart of the issues.  They invited me as an elected officials after reading Robert Penn Warren's All The King's Men, a novel loosely based on Gov. Huey Long of Louisiana.   

The girls were from across Seattle.  Engaging with them was a measure of hope—they were bright, very aware of contemporary issues and problems, and well read. The last question of our hour together was right off the front page of the morning newspaper:  "What do you think of the government taking over AIG?"  I admitted I didn't know enough to answer.

At Noon I met with a group of business leaders, large and small businesses affiliated with the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce.  I introduced them to the Council-generated Safer Streets Initiative, then answered questions on a wide range of topics; from street crime, to taxes, to the competitive economic climate in Seattle compared to other cities in the region, social services and homelessness, and police staffing.  These leaders care deeply about our city and are engaged to make a difference.

Tonight, I joined over a hundred south Seattle residents in a Rainier Valley church to hear Mayor Nickels describe his youth violence initiative.  A poignant moment came near the end of the Mayor's remarks when he recited the names of the four teenage boys murdered in Seattle earlier this year and asked us to observe a moment of silence in their memory.

Community leaders, members of Youth180, police commanders, including the Chief of Police, parents, church leaders, and school officials crammed into the church to, as police Director John Hayes said, "get positive about our kids and crime in our streets."  The meeting is another in a series being held across the south end of Seattle to address youth violence, crime in general, and neighborhood feelings that street crime is getting out of control in some areas.  My colleague, Councilmember Sally Clark also attended.

It struck me that the kids I met in the morning and the kids I met at night were very similar in so many ways: smart, motivated, wanting to do the right thing, excited about their future.  Yes, they might attend different schools and face different economic challenges, but they all had aspirations, they all had hopes and dreams. 

The people in Rainier Valley are like those in my neighborhood or in Ballard or West Seattle.  They are worried about their children, about the direction of our city, and about their neighborhood.  They yearn to know that their kids will be safe and have opportunities to succeed.  And by showing up tonight they were demonstrating their commitment to work for a better city.  Hope was the operative word tonight.

Tonight also reminded me that what happens in Rainier Valley (or any neighborhood) has a direct impact on me and you.  We may be a city of different neighborhoods--one of our strengths--but when it comes to our children and their futures we are one city.  And I think we get that.  That's the hope I'm clinging to.      

"Kids Killing Kids" in Seattle

I attended a press conference at the Urban League this morning.  James Kelly, president, announced plans for Project Interruption, a new outreach effort aimed at involving young people in meaningful activities such as media production, art, writing classes, and other group efforts. 

But, the most powerful moments of the conference came when individuals directly touched by recent firearm assaults and accidental shootings told their stories. 

June Adams talked about the accidental shooting death of her son, Brandon.  "He was my only child; my linage is stopped right now," she said.  (June is addressing reporters in the photo above.)  Caela Palmer, 15, a 10th grade student at Chief Sealth High School, described attending her fourth funeral for a child-hood friend, gunned down in a gang-related shooting.  Kyle Mathews, 14, said "violence makes me sad and angry.  Every weekend there are shootings where I live, you can't go out to buy milk." 

The Rev. Harvey Drake, standing partially hidden behind June in the photo above, disclosed that his own son was critically wounded in a drive-by shooting two weeks ago.  "He will be released from the hospital today or tomorrow.  We thank God he's alive."  Drake opened the news conference with a prayer for Seattle, calling for an end to violence.  It's the first news conference I've ever attended that started with a prayer. 

Kelly praised city efforts to provide alternative choices to kids, but said more needs to be done.  He said the Urban League would do its part to quell the recent violence.  Kelly called on parents, neighborhood leaders, churches, and city officials to join together to reduce gun violence and illegal guns.  At one point, Kelly remarked, "let's not let plastic bags trump body bags," an obvious reference to the city's recently enacted green fee on disposable bags. 

Today's announcement by the Urban League is welcome news indeed.  Organizations throughout the city need to step forward and contribute to solving youth violence, including nonprofit organizations, churches, businesses, and private individuals.  This issue is one that impacts every citizen, every neighborhood.  The Council-generated Safer Streets Initiative (more on SSI here) is one part of the solution, but efforts like those announced today by the Urban League are crucial as well.