CONFERENCE SUMMARIES

Transformation – Leading the Way Forward

Jerry Gordon summarized some of the salient observations of the day, including:

• Bill Hudnut’s advice to create a vision to know where you want to go and then work backwards.
• The tenets for smart growth, including sustainability, greater density, the revitalization of older areas and infill and green development (“if it’s not “green,” it’s not class A office space.”).
• The ingredients for transformation are time, patience, persistence and political will.  He noted that the government of Fairfax County has been very cooperative and consistent over the year.
• Matt Crosson’s point about not only the importance of job creation, but the retention of people – holding on to the children who grow up in a community. 
• The necessity to change attitudes – to inform citizens about the importance of business growth through public education programs. 
• The fact that all of this does not take place in isolation. Development requires broader cooperation.  
• Finally, he paraphrased Anthony Downs’ observation that “what we need is cooperative efforts. We need to accept compromises. We need to sustain the efforts. We need to have the discipline to do so, and adhere to the vision.”

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