Community Organizing is….?

Early in the 2008 presidential campaign, when Barack Obama seemed like a long shot, too young and unconventional to be taken seriously, his history as a community organizer on Chicago’s South Side was often referenced respectfully as sign of altruism and civic spirit. As the Senator’s prospects increased and his critics became more numerous and more vocal, suddenly a background in community organizing was scoffed at. How could community organizing be adequate preparation for the Presidency, for leadership of the free-world? This was the stuff of volunteers, teenagers, summer interns, and other unprofessional types who didn’t want to wear a tie! Opponents from Rudy Guliani to Sarah Palin belittled this aspect of Mr. Obama’s past, undeterred by personal inexperience or general ignorance of the field.

Like many Americans, when I first heard the “Obama story” my mental picture of community organizing was a bit, em, foggy.

Sustainable Development on the Westside: Part II Green Roofs and Black SUV’s

Mayor Daley on the greenroof with Lisa Jackson (EPA) and Steven McCullough (Bethel New Life)

Hopping out of a car (or descending from the L) at the corner of Lake and Pulaski, one is greeted by an unusual sight: four corners, each hugged tightly by a building and flanked by varying combinations of vacant lots, empty or decrepit warehouses, and smallish-smoke shops, lunch joints, a liquor store, a flashy sign- Checks Cashed. The L – bisecting Lake St. – rumbles overhead. Of the four corners, one stands out like, well…. like a well-manicured thumb. A new, elegant building that would be at home in any posh Chicago neighborhood rests on the northwest corner.  The structure, built by Bethel in 2005 in collaboration with the Center for Neighborhood Technology and Farr & Associates is a LEED certified green building. Commercial space occupies the ground floor (currently leased by a Subway, a bank, and a coffee shop), while Bethel offices, a technology lab, and a childcare center are housed overhead.

The entire structure adjoins the Lake and Pulaski green line stop, and is accessible directly from the platform. As a LEED certifies building with a green roof, ample skylights for day lighting, and a rainwater collection and recycling system, the building is a rare example of green development within a very distressed neighborhood. In fact, it is a rare example of new construction period, and quickly surveying the surrounding area from its flowering rooftop reveals a bleak sight beyond the spray of leafy lavender, sage, and goldeny succulents: empty lots; unoccupied, semi-occupied, or distinctly shabby buildings; and a higher concentration or general dirt and debris than one is accustomed to seeing in this emphatically immaculate city. Gritty is a charitable term.

Sustainable Development on the West Side: Part I Some Things You Should Know

To be candid, my first week with Bethel New Life was, well, a bit slow. I suppose the emphasis was more on intake than output, or maybe a better word would be absorption, since it seemed I did little more than wander about at the heels of my supervisor, frequent the coffee room, and generally steep in my environment. I did, however, manage to learn a few key things:

1.    Always say good morning. This goes for the little old ladies sporting ever-present Easter hats as well as the dealers in the street. Breaks the ice. Good morning.
2.    Advanced notice of meetings may not always trickle down. So when a meeting pops up, just roll with it.
3.    Same goes for all other trips, visits, and events – they come with limited warning. Roll with it.
4.    People here don’t get flustered or excited easily. They have seen A LOT. Expect no subtle clues; there’s institutional poker face.

In sum: Good morning. Roll with it. Expect the unexpected… in other words, just roll with it.

From East Coast to the Heartland

A well traveled Brit once remarked to me that while New York was deeply cosmopolitan and San Francisco  romantic, Chicago was a distinctly American City. The more I come to know its broad avenues and cultural abundance, its gritty industrial heart, straightforward sincerity, and sheer climatic…ehm, diversity….the more I’m inclined to agree. And so I present for what they’re worth (get out your pocket change), my thoughts from an American city.