Public Sector Role In Growth: Lead Or Get Out

Azusa, CA City Manager Rick Cole, offers a blunt perspective of some of the dilemmas inherent in planning, and how they should be solved.

1 minute read

September 27, 2001, 9:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


The Urban Land Institute recently organized it's Southern California Real Estate Summit with the sole purpose of creating 'Strategies for Solutions'. The opening remarks, by Azusa, CA City, Manager Rick Cole, codified some of the dilemmas inherent in the process and detailed how they should be solved: "What's the role of the public sector in dealing with the profound challenge of growth in Southern California? For most elected and appointed officials, the honest answer is not to lead. It's not to follow. It's certainly not to get out of the way. The sad, but honest answer, is that our role these days is to get in the way."

Thanks to Jon Lonner

Wednesday, September 26, 2001 in The Planning Report

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 21, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of California High-Speed Rail station with bullet train.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself

The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

May 19, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Traffic and old buildings in Manhattan, New York City.

USDOT Could Pull Federal Funding for New York

The federal government gave the state until May 21 to end new York City’s congestion pricing program or risk losing federal funding and project approvals.

30 minutes ago - Smart Cities Dive

Connecticut Capitol Building

Connecticut Just Cause Eviction Bill Dies in State House

The bill would have protected tenants from unfair evictions by requiring landlords to provide a reason for ending a lease.

1 hour ago - The Connecticut Mirror

Red SF Muni ticketing machine.

San Francisco Muni Raises Fares a Second Time

A 10–cent fare hike for adults is part of the agency’s plan to chip away at a growing budget deficit.

May 21 - San Francisco Examiner