“Nothing Happens Until People Start Talking”

Radical, Reactionary or Real? ULI’s Proposal for ACHD

Charles Long Chair, Urban Land Institute Advisory Panel Monday, August 6, 2007 11:45 am –1:15 pm The Grove Hotel, Boise

In June, ACHD invited a distinguished panel of architects, planners and elected officials from the Urban Land Institute to assess the county’s ability to manage growth and identify the highway district’s role in it. Their conclusion was termed “radical” by some. Others recalled it had been implemented—briefly—decades ago, as ACOG (Ada Council of Governments). The proposal? A binding agreement signed by all county jurisdictions to work together. Eight elected officials—from ACHD, the county and its six cities—plus a citizen-at-large serving as chair, would write a five-year plan for countywide road projects based on available funds, and ACHD would execute it. At this timely forum, hear from chair Charles Long how and why the panel reached this conclusion and what must happen now to make the proposal real.

Charles A. Long, Berkeley, Calif., is a developer specializing in mixed-use infill projects in northern California and Nevada. He was city manager in Fairfield, Calif., for eight years. As a member of the Urban Land Institute, he has worked on eight ULI Advisory Panels; this was his third in Boise. He holds a BA in economics from Brown University and a Masters of Public Policy from U.C. Berkeley.

Forum chairs: Tom Ryder, Sue Reents

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