Why I do what I do...

I am sure that you wonder why someone would ever desire to become a City Planner in the first place? I mean, what motivates a City Planner? Doctors save lives, engineers build dams, and writers and artists inspire and motivate. So what's in it for a planner?

Well, other than the obvious paycheck (for which I am grateful) there is a dignity to touching the future in the way I do. With the exercise of my ability and authority, I am able to affect the property of everyone in the City. I draw lines on a map and roads appear. I designate areas of the City and stores, offices, and houses appear. I am not alone - everything I do is in concert with many, many people, and ultimately my authority comes from the people I serve via the City Council and ordinance.

But there is something sublime in being able to touch the community in the way I can. It is humbling. Robert Moses ruined many areas of New York, which is still trying to recover. On the other hand, there are many, many unsung public servants who struggle every day to do the best they can for their communities so that they can help establish the greatest towns the world has ever known.

In my mind, it all boils down to service. I was given the opportunity to pursue a higher paying vocation - it would still have been planning, but it would have been working with a developer rather than a municipality. But after evaluating my own personal priorities, I realized that there was greater potential to be found in seeking not for the dollar but for the leadership potential that exists through the more altruistic pursuit of better communities.