Huang Family Newsletter, November 2012

The kids are enjoying school - Aaron finally knows all his letters! - and have been getting more comfortable in the water as a result of swim class at the Y. Amy and Lee slogged through demanding jobs during the week and chores during the weekend.  Having a four-day weekend over Thanksgiving came just in time!  We went to Amy's brother's house on Thursday, and the kids hit downtown Friday and Saturday for shopping and shows.

Vote for The Enterprise Center in the TEDxManhattan Challenge

If you have a moment to support The Enterprise Center, click over to the TEDxManhattan Challenge and vote for their Neighborhood Foods initiative, as they are angling for the positive publicity associated with winning such a competition and getting to speak at the 2013 conference.

Description of finalists

Survey

Yes Fracking Way

There's been a lot of chatter lately about "green fracking," and how some environmentalists are choosing to work with instead of against the natural gas industry to figure out whether and how fracking can be done in a way that is, compared to the alternatives, more environmentally sustainable.  Of course, such chatter is often accompanied by sneers of "selling out" by the true-blues, who believe that "green fracking" is an oxymoron.

I don't know the science or the politics well enough to weigh in - surely some will accuse me of naively buying into the gas industry's propaganda-laden attempt at co-opting the greenies' agenda - but I'm glad that there's at least some openness and some discussion by some participants.  As I've noted many times in this space, far too often people don't actually want to make progress as much as they want to be seen making progress, even to the point of doing things - like vilifying their enemies, vilifying their allies, and rejecting any exploration of new ideas - that make them look more ideologically pure but that actually retard progress.

We're in a climate - excuse the pun - in which it is anathema to compromise, to reach out to the other side, to be open to new ways and new alliances and new possibilities.  Whether the issue is deficit reduction, global warming, or energy policy, the way forward is likely to involve collaboration and openness, rather than smearing and "no fracking way" lines in the sand.

The sad irony is that I truly believe that many true believers believe that these are not just present-day political arguments but multi-generational touchpoint issues that, if handled poorly, can cripple us for decades to come.  And yet many true believers then turn around and act like they are trying to win present-day political arguments rather than being open to innovative and controversial alternatives that can get us to a real solution for the sake of our children and grandchildren.

It's what happens when "the other side" has become evil and stupidity incarnate.  But in today's most vexing issues, isn't it possible - possible enough to at least let down our guard and listen - that we need energy and effort from all possible sides?

We're Not Being Greedy Enough This Season

Almost as popular as hitting the stores on Black Friday is lamenting the materialism, greed, and inanity associated with hitting the stores on Black Friday.  As for me and my family, when we hit the shows and shops on Friday and Saturday, I was delighted to see so many fellow shoppers out, for it is a sign that the economy is improving and that Philly retail is looking up.  (Three holiday seasons ago, in contrast, things were eerily and discouragingly dead.)

But it is true that this holiday season can be marked more by materialism, greed, and inanity rather than wonder, reflection, and peace.  The onrush of advertising, deals, and stuff can seem so strong that the only meaningful response is to hole up, be on guard, and scoff from the sidelines, lest we get swept up by it all ourselves.

Let me offer another, more proactive approach for those of us who fear and follow God: be more greedy, not less.

Let me explain.  God is far more glorious, His presence far more satisfying, and His call on our lives far more demanding than anything we usually settle for.  When we are tempted by gluttony and materialism, let those things be less tempting not because we want less but because we want more, and gluttony and materialism are far too little to be satisfied in.  Or as Christian author C.S. Lewis put it:

If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and to earnestly hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I suggest that this notion has crept in from Kant and the Stoics and is no part of the Christian faith. Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling around with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

We are far too easily pleased.  This season, let us neither give in to gluttony and materialism nor do so by shrinking our hunger for more.  Rather, let our hunger for more be for more of the things that are worth feasting on: goodness, justice, mercy, and the great God who strives for them with and for us.

Philly Traditions

Christmas growing up usually meant good food, lots of presents, and some family get-together.  But there was never any regular tradition that we partook of outside the house.  I remember office parties, seeing Santa, and going to my friend's church potluck, but nothing that was year in and year out. 

Of course, the Macy's light show is a venerable tradition here in Philly.  And the Comcast Center's show is on its way to becoming a similar institution.  So it was fun to partake of both yesterday, on Black Friday, and to meander through Christmas Village, the concourse in front of the Municipal Services Building, Reading Terminal Market, and the Gallery Mall between and after shows. We made both shows - on the hour - right on time, got a ton of loot at Five Below, took countless great photos, and didn't even have to wait long for our buses to and from downtown. 

Now that's a Philly holiday outing, one we've done several times already and one I plan to keep going as long as my kids will let me drag them around.  Methinks they'll be remembering these traditions, and maybe even carrying them on with their kids. 

Mixing It Up at the Y

As loyal members of the Y, we were pleased to receive notice in the mail and then see on the front page of the local section of the paper the announcement of the merger between the Philadelphia Y and the Freedom Valley Y.  While we go to our Y (in West Philly) almost all the time, it's nice to have the opportunity to go to other Y's, and in fact every once in awhile we do: the kids took gymnastics at the Main Line Y because it was the closest place that offered it, and Amy goes to the Y in North Philly fairly often because it's close to her work.  And we are always game for a road trip to check out how other Y's are.  And now with the merger, you can add five more branches that we can check out for free.

Ah, but there lies the rub for some in the burbs.  As the Inquirer delicately put it, "The Freedom Valley membership was especially hesitant, with some anonymous members asserting that Philadelphia children would be bused in to fill up suburban swimming pools during the summer."  Of course, we've heard this line before, most recently with the president of a swim club in Huntingdon Valley reneging its contract with a Philadelphia youth group to use its swimming facilities because it would "change the complexion" of the place.  (That discrimination case was settled earlier this year.)

It's not hard to wonder if some of the nervousness with Freedom Valley members is race-based.  No one will come out and say so, and if pressed, the stated reasons will likely be more about crowdedness than racial segregation.

Many suburbs are actually quite racially and ethnically diverse.  But some are not, and it is not by accident.  People make choices about where to live based on what works for them, and what works for some is to be distant from the city, its people, and its problems.  If someone has chosen a place to live because they don't want to have to deal with certain groups of people, especially in large quantities, it's a free country, and they should be allowed to do that.

I won't impose my preferences upon others.  I can't help, though, but feel a sense of sadness when people dig in on their separateness, rather than being open to a little mixing.  Given what the Y stands for, after all, it would seem to be a reasonable place to experience a little diversity.  (I mean, look at the Village People!)  I'll have to bring my little family out there sometime soon, horn in on some of the locals, and see what happens next.  I hope we all exercise the same friendliness and warmth that I get every time we go to the West Philly Y, and that we're all a little happier and better for it. 

A Reckless, Raging Fury

I really love my kids.  I enjoy their company, take my protecting and nurturing of them very seriously, get riled up when someone threatens them, and quite literally would run through a wall and lay down my life to save theirs.  This doesn't make me anything special, as it is how most all parents are.  To be sure, sometimes it requires a conscious choice, and you make that choice.  But sometimes it comes forth from something deep and primal, requiring no thought or explanation.

Did you know that the Creator of the Universe is this way with you?  When most of us - and, sadly, I'm including Christians in this as well - think of God, we somehow make Him smaller than we are.  We are capable of silly affection, sober commitment, menacing protectiveness, and furious love when it comes to our children, even though our children are often far from deserving and we are often far from pure.  And yet we do not believe that God is as capable of such things; the force of His emotions is deemed less than our own.

Why is that?  Have we experienced God let us down?  Do we find it impossible to reconcile what we want God to be like with how cruel the world often is (and, even more painfully, how cruel God's people often are)?  Are we so lost, so dead, so darkened that we don't think God could ever love us?  And, from any and all of that, have we become too jaded, hardened, cynical, and distant to imagine God being toward us the way we are toward our children?

One of my favorite Christian musicians is Rich Mullins.  And while "The Love of God" isn't one of my favorites of his, it does contain a phrase that I have found myself stuck on the past few days: "the reckless, raging fury that they call the love of God."  

The love of God is but one facet of many that we think of when we think of God, and when we think of God's love, it is often thought of in tender tones, like a warm blanket in the cold or an assuring hug when we are down.  Maybe we'll go a little deeper, and equate love with forgiveness, making the love all the more cherished, as it comes to us in a place of undeservedness.  But that's about as far as many of us Christians are willing to give God room for, as relates to this notion of His love.

The love of the God of the Bible is those things, to be sure, but so much more.  And, it is absolutely correct to describe it as a "reckless, raging fury."  He is, quite literally, like us parents but better.  He rages at evil done against His children.  He delights in the company of His little ones.  And His love is furious and powerful and strong.

It is good for me to think on this aspect of God and on this aspect of His love.  For when I remember the reckless, raging fury, it puts me in the right place.  When I am tempted to think that I have strayed so far and made myself so cold that God can't possibly do anything with me, He chases me down with blinding intensity.  When I act like God is my employer and my job is to do a good job, He reminds me His pleasure in me is not the dispassionate approval for a job well done but rather the innate delight of a father for a son.  When I'm going through the motions of life, the juxtaposition of God's fury snaps me back to the vivid reality that life is actually a profoundly sacred love story that melts away cynicism and despair.  When I start to believe I am strong enough to hack it, the strength of His love weakens me in a good way, and I fall helplessly and happily into His sure embrace as the wounded child that I really am. 

It did not have to be this way.  But God made a way.  And so we can not only be found but forgiven, not only forgiven but loved, and not only loved but loved with a reckless and raging fury.  That is something to be thankful about this season.


"The Love of God," Rich Mullins

There's a wideness in God's mercy
I cannot find in my own
And He keeps His fire burning
To melt this heart of stone
Keeps me aching with a yearning
Keeps me glad to have been caught
In the reckless raging fury
That they call the love of God

Now I've seen no band of angels
But I've heard the soldiers' songs
Love hangs over them like a banner
Love within them leads them on
To the battle on the journey
And it's never gonna stop
Ever widening their mercies
And the fury of His love

Oh the love of God
And oh the love of God
The love of God

Joy and sorrow are this ocean
And in their every ebb and flow
Now the Lord a door has opened
That all Hell could never close
Here I'm tested and made worthy
Tossed about but lifted up
In the reckless raging fury
That they call the love of God

A Body in Motion

Our church's congregation meeting yesterday doubled as an opportunity to resurrect our somewhat dormant committee structure as well as a chance to dream about what we ought to be as a body. 

We are a ragtag bunch if there ever was one, and are taxed to the max by a crumbling building, dwindling finances, and a very needy community.  We are a far cry from the polished, sophisticated, and resourced communities you might think of when you think of Christianity in America.  We aren't even "cool" in our jaggedness: no one will mistake us for those edgy "un-churchs" that have rip-roarin' worship and provocative sermons by young'uns with multiple piercings.  No, we're pretty messy instead; and, at times, we're just a plain mess.

But, in God's eyes, I think it's safe to say we're a beautiful mess.  Man may look at the outside, but God looks at the inside.  And when He looks at our group, He sees women and men who have authentic relationships with Him and with each other, people striving after a purer living out of their faith, a strong commitment to service and mission and justice. 

We are Woodland Church.  And we are a body in motion.

Green Lea Party

The kids and I will be at Aaron's school this afternoon to partake in a greening of their playground area.  You can find out more here. A lot of good stuff happening at Lea Elementary - Aaron has flourished in his kindergarten class so far - and soon passersby will be able to see physical signs of ascendance as well.  Come join us and get your hands dirty!
 

46th and Market

For as much work as I do with architects, landscape architects, planners, and designers when I partner with them at work on various gigs, I am still impressed when I get to see them in action.  So it was an absolute delight to roll up my sleeves with dozens of them all day yesterday at a design charrette organized by Community Design Collaborative. 

Even better, the subject matter was the 46th and Market Market Frankford Line station area.  The Enterprise Center was the featured local partner, I know the area well because it's less than a half-mile from my house, and even I studied the area for a consulting engagement a few years back.  So it was fun to imagine, with actual professionals who do this for a living, things like where open space could go, how the pedestrian experience could be improved, and how much new development and of what kind could be borne in what places.

I couldn't quite stay til the end so didn't get a chance to hear what everyone had to say.  But I had a blast working on this and am appreciative for all the good people who contributed their ideas and expertise to a place that is of great importance to me personally and professionally.  It will be fun to see some of these concepts come to pass in the years and decades to come.

I Agree with David Frum

A sign of a healthy organism is its ability to fight off germs.  Similarly, a sign of a healthy organization is its ability to fight off people, blocs, and ideas that are harmful to its thriving.  From this point of view, it is telling (and personally, as a moderate Republican, discouraging) that the GOP did not ward off Sarah Palin in 2008 and that it did ward off Jon Huntsman in 2012.  I have more to say but that is all for this morning.  PS This is not my analogy, nor is it new - I got this from David Frum over a year ago - but I thought it worth stating.

The Greening of the 40th Street Trolley Portal

My friend Matt Bergheiser and his good colleagues at University City District presented at last night's annual meeting of the Spruce Hill Community Association about their plans to green the 40th Street trolley portal here in University City.  Renderings are not yet public but imagine the current space, which is a concrete criss-cross of trolley rails and yellow paint, with a lot more color and vegetation.  Also imagine a cafe and seating.  This is delightful.  Keep an eye out.

Clark Park Tot Lot

One of the signs of University City's ascendance is the massive influx of young families.  Drawn by the neighborhood's history and diversity, and assured by a good public school and a safer street environment, many more well-educated parents are choosing University City as the place to raise their children. 

One of the best side benefits of this is a Google Group called Clark Park Tot Lot.  Amy and I have used it to give away a crib, get leaves for our compost pile, and find out about a recent shooting.  The participants are unfailingly polite, generosity abounds, and the forum has proven to be an efficient means of allowing neighbors to help neighbors. 

It is, in short, how a community should function.  Contrary to what some haters think, technology doesn't always have to destroy social fabrics; sometimes, it can be used to strengthen them.

Happy Veterans Day

"The military" is often caricatured: a political football, a heroic ideal, a menacing bureaucracy.  Today, let's remember that it is also millions of individual people, with hopes and fears and roles and families.  Almost without exception, they represent what's best about our country: patriotism, service, competence.  Happy Veterans Day to all who serve our country in this way.

New Service Opportunities

I've recently picked up a handful of new service opportunities that I am looking forward to getting more into:

- I've been asked to serve on a "responsible banking committee" by City Council.

- I'm serving on an exploratory committee for the Sustainability Workshop, a very innovative project-based school model.

- I'm on the host committee for the International Economic Development Council's 2013 conference in Philadelphia.

- I'll be participating in a design charrette later this month regarding transit-proximate ideas for the 46th and Market Street area.

- I'll be working with a "kitchen cabinet" of experts to look at how the Community Design Collaborative can better measure the impacts of its work. 

My life is crazy and perhaps I need to be decelerating rather than accelerating.  But being involved is good for me professionally and for my business.  And so long as I have good boundaries they can be stimulating and refreshing rather than draining.  So, until I cry "uncle," I'll be lending a hand and keeping an ear open on these new fronts.

Last Night's Big Winner: the American People

Last night in America, tens of millions of people cast a vote for president.

As states were "called," many took to Twitter and Facebook to celebrate, gloat, complain, and opine.

Deeply held political beliefs were aired, both serious and snarky, respectful and disrespectful.

Many negative things were said about both candidates, including policy differences, moral failings, and personal attacks. 

Innumerous media sites provided data points, visuals, and commentary.

Thousands of other races were also contested, leading to thousands of other winners and thousands of other losers.

Pending any elections that are "too close to call," losers have conceded, winners have accepted, and everyone prepares for the reality of new leaders and new terms.

There are many parts of this world in which doing any and all of the things I mentioned above are impossible (because of a lack of resources, systems, or infrastructure) or illegal (and, in some cases, punishable by physical harm, expulsion, or even death). 

Even the fact that we take these liberties and opportunities for granted is itself a sign of our liberty and opportunity, that these things are so engrained, so protected, so incredibly normal that we don't need to think twice about them.

Last night's big winner was, again, the American people.  What a country and time we live in. I am deeply grateful.

Lazy Linking, 81st in an Occasional Series

What I liked lately on the Internets:

81.1 Gloves that convert sign language into text http://ti.me/X307uG HT @marginalrevolution

81.2 Cold remedy chart (shows data on 4 axes!) http://bit.ly/Sj15NM HT @chartpornorg

81.3 Starbucks baristas get way more training than doctors on reading people http://bit.ly/SGAcEc @bakadesuyo

81.4 Graffiti artist to spruce up Philly storefronts for free http://bit.ly/TYUaZi @nextamcity

81.5 “A bet costs the BSer more than the non-BSer so the bet signals honest belief” (i.e. Nate Silver’s not BSing) http://bit.ly/Tq4B7t

Water Ways

It was pretty remarkable timing to have a hearing in City Council on the establishment of a 50-foot buffer along all waterways within the City of Philadelphia the day everyone came back from Sandy.  And yet, then it was, and there I was, giving testimony on behalf of PennFuture, which had hired us a couple of years back to study the economic benefits of greenways along Philadelphia's rivers.  I've enclosed my testimony below.

***

My name is Lee Huang and I am a Director at Econsult Corporation, an economic consulting firm based in Philadelphia.  Econsult was engaged by PennFuture in 2010 to estimate the economic and fiscal impact of a fully connected waterfront greenway – or “buffer” – in Philadelphia, and has looked at the benefits of green infrastructure in a number of studies since then, both here as well as outside this region. 

I’m aware that Bill No. 120654 merely allows for the possibility of a fully connected waterfront greenway in the future., and neither calls for the building of waterfront trails on private land nor allowspublic access on private property. Whether the City seeks to create a fully connected waterfront greenway will be a decision for future policy makers. The bill simply keeps that door open by implementing a development setback along our rivers and streams.

As economists, we understand that when it comes to finite things like money and land, there are always trade-offs.  Money spent investing in buffers or greenways means it cannot be spent elsewhere.  And land dedicated to one use may encroach on it being available for other uses.  The purpose of my remarks is not to make these tough prioritization decisions, but rather to inform the process by which those decisions are made, by identifying and quantifying the benefits associated with waterfront buffers.

Many here today will speak of the environmental benefits of buffers, of which there are many. I will focus my testimony today on the economic impacts that buffers provide were the City to make the policy decision to seek a fully connected waterfront greenway. I’ll organize our findings into four, largely non-overlapping categories: (1) impacts from initial investments and ongoing increases in visitor spending, (2) impacts from increased property values, (3) impacts from increased usage, and (4) impacts from increased commuting options.

First, impacts from initial investments and ongoing increases in visitor spending.  Green infrastructure investments, such as greenways along our waterways, provide a one-time boost to the local economy by employing people, who in turn circulate their spending dollars locally, and by increasing local demand for the various goods and services that go into an infrastructure project.  There aren’t yet any hard estimates as to how much in new infrastructure investment is being contemplated, but those amounts would have a multiplier effect within the local economy, in terms of business activity, job creation, and tax revenue generation.

Those investments would then continue to stimulate the economy by attracting visitor activity.  Tourism is, of course, big business here in Philadelphia, and it is particularly impactful for our local economy because it is capturing outside dollars for the benefit of local merchants, local employment, and local tax revenues.  We conservatively estimate that a fully connected waterfront greenway would increase annual visitor spending by over $50 million per year and generate about $2 million per year in local tax revenues.

Second, impacts from increased property values.  Green infrastructure and waterfront trails are increasingly valued as an amenity that people are willing to pay a premium to live near.  A fully connected waterfront greenway would therefore generate increased household wealth for nearby property owners.  We conservatively estimate this property value increase to be about $800 million over a thirty-year period.  If this property value increase is properly accounted for in property assessment, that would be an additional $12 million per year to the City and School District.

Third, impacts from increased usage.  A fully connected waterfront greenway would increase access to outdoor amenities and therefore lead to two, somewhat overlapping gains.  One gain is the value users derive from enjoying a recreational activity.  They may not be paying to do that activity, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t gaining something of value; and, through willingness-to-pay surveys, we can put a dollar amount on each new use.  We estimate that a fully connected waterfront greenway would make recreation newly accessible to about 100,000 new residents, yield about 15 million new uses per year, and generate about $28 million per year in direct use value.

Another gain is the health care cost reduction that occurs as a result of people exercising and therefore becoming healthier.  There is a growing literature that quantifies the cost reduction associated with access to recreational amenities.  Even using low-end estimates from this literature, we estimate that a fully connected waterfront greenway would yield 7,000 new exercisers and about $20 million in annual health care cost reduction.

Fourth, impacts from increased commuting options.  Philadelphia has been making a big push to become more bicycle and pedestrian friendly, and a fully connected waterfront greenway would make it even easier for people to not drive.  We conservatively estimate that we would see 1,500 more bicycle commuters and 1 million fewer miles driven as a result.  This will reduce CO2 emissions by 440 tons and is the equivalent of about 50,000 gallons of gasoline and about 2,500 barrels of oil not consumed.

These estimates are necessarily rough in nature, as actual impacts would depend on whether, where, and of what quality greenway space is built.  These estimates may or may not be useful in deciding on buffer width, shape, or configuration, since in some cases, size and location will make a difference in terms of the magnitude of impact, while in other cases, it will make very little difference.  What we hope to do in presenting these findings is having them become part of the weighing of pros and cons that goes into making the decisions that are before you.  Thank you for your consideration.

Huang Family Newsletter, October 2012

 Settling
into the school year routine. Two different schools plus after-school
programs has meant a proliferation of weekday evening meetings.
Speaking of which, Lee attended two fundraisers this month: both on the
same night!

Amy and Lee continue to juggle demanding jobs during the week and a full
complement of chores and errands on the weekend. Aaron and Jada
finished up gymnastics at a Y in the suburbs, and will be starting swim
classes at our Y.

We survived Hurricane Sandy - no power loss, no property damage, no
flooding - and the two days of everyone cooped up inside. The next day,
all back to normal, plus a fun parade and trick-or-treating through our
neighborhood for Halloween.