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While the physical features of spontaneous cities could be traced to complex histories of families, businesses, and organizations, the physical features of planned cities owe their origin only to the act of planning and speculation. This has severe consequences towards the sustainability of place as there will not grow any particular attachment by the residents, their presence there being only a temporary economic necessity and not the outcome of their life’s growth.
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Just recently I have been thinking about what we measure and why we measure it in various development programmes. In economic development, measures are based on productivity, a measure usually derived from Gross National Product or Gross Domestic Product. Anything likely to increase the productivity of the economy is deemed to be a good thing and pursued wholeheartedly.
This has led to a long term and persistent bias towards the pursuit of productivity gains – rather than to investing in establishing a context from which productivity will emerge.
Consider this from Bobby Kennedy from almost 50 years ago:
‘Too much and too long, we seem to have surrendered community excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material things. Our gross national product … counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. It counts special locks for our doors and the jails for those who break them. It counts the destruction of our redwoods and the loss of our natural wonder in chaotic sprawl. It counts napalm and the cost of a nuclear warhead, and armored cars for police who fight riots in our streets. It counts Whitman’s rifle and Speck’s knife, and the television programs which glorify violence in order to sell toys to our children.
Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages; the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage; neither our wisdom nor our learning; neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country; it measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile. And it tells us everything about America except why we are proud that we are Americans.’
Robert F. Kennedy Address, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, March 18, 1968
Seems pretty close to the mark even 50 years later.
“Our ordinary mind always tries to persuade us that we are nothing but acorns and that our greatest happiness will be to become bigger, fatter, shinier acorns; but that is of interest only to pigs.
Our faith gives us knowledge of something better: that we can become oak trees.”
EF Schumacher
“Get Mike involved and he will tirelessly, creatively, and knowledgeably solve the problem, and improve the situation whether in the private or public sector. His ideas on management training are up-to-the-minute and effective. His team’s find him inspirational, and his client’s find him effective because he applies real business acumen in such an original way.”
Max McKeown, Innovation & Strategy Coach, Facilitator & Speaker, Maverick & Strong Ltd“Mike is an extremely professional consultant and facilitator. His approach is thorough; his knowledge and skills are at the highest levels, and his style balances both support and challenge. He is extremely effective at what he does and having had the pleasure of working with Mike on a number of projects, I can safely say that I know from first hand that clients benefit greatly from his work.”
Mike Notman, Director, wbs Consulting“Mike cuts through the organisational BS to deliver projects that really make a difference. I’ve worked with him as a consultant in two different organisations and always found him to be easy to deal with and a great people manager. He also knows the difference between processes and goals, inputs and outputs – no prizes for guessing which he regards as the more important.”
Andy Maslen, MD, Sunfish Limited“I had the pleasure of working with Mike for several years in the BLU – Business Link University – a virtual “corporate university” for small business development professions which was funded by the Government’s Small Business Service 2002-06. Mike was initially one of the service providers / BLU associates and later became director. I served as BLU Principal and was impressed by Mike’s commitment, hard work and creativity.”
David Grayson, Principal, BLU“Mike Chitty is an outstanding practitioner. He has the rare talent of seeing beyond the obvious to the heart of an issue and its potential solution. He is imaginative, challenging and always highly practical. He provides projects with insight, experience and facilitates intelligent solutions. A voracious learner, he is a cut above the norm. Someone I have admired for years and with whom it has always been a stimulating pleasure to work.”
Jim McLaughlin, Managing Partner, Optima + CoI worked with Mike when I was a member of the key associates’ group of the B.L.U., the development arm of the Small Business Service. Mike was both an excellent facilitator and strategist, identifying needs within the service, sourcing potential solutions and identifying channels to ensure that those solutions reached individuals who were directly involved in delivery.”
Dick Willis, Senior Consultant, CN Resources Ltd“Mike is a skilled people developer and learning facilitator. Good to work with, he delivers outcomes you can see and measure.”
David Gee, Interim Waste Strategy Programme Director at Essex County Council“Mike is very knowledgeable on social enterprise and down-to-earth management skills for progressive managers – his workshops are full of well-researched content and are great value for money :)”
Lee Jackson, Motivational Speaker