Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther Selected as Member of 2018 Class of Daniel Rose Land Use Fellows

Mayor Ginther to join Mayors of Richmond, Salt Lake City and Tucson to solve land use challenges

COLUMBUS, OH (October 20, 2017) — The National League of Cities (NLC) and the Urban Land Institute (ULI) today announced that mayors from four cities—Columbus, Ohio; Richmond, Virginia; Salt Lake City, Utah and Tucson, Arizona—have been selected as the 2018 class of Daniel Rose Land Use Fellows by the Rose Center for Public Leadership.  Mayors Andrew J. Ginther, Levar Stoney, Jackie Biskupski and Jonathan Rothschild will lead teams from their respective cities who will receive technical assistance on a local land use challenge from NLC, ULI and their peers from the other fellowship cities.  The four city teams will convene next week for a retreat at ULI’s Fall Meeting in Los Angeles.

“We are honored to be the first city in Ohio to be selected to be a part of the 2018 class of Daniel Rose Land Use Fellows,” said Mayor Andrew J. Ginther.  “As the City of Columbus continues to develop as the fastest growing economy in the Midwest, I look forward to working with these mayors of other great American cities in creating ways to solve land use challenges and make Columbus an even better place for every resident in every neighborhood to have the opportunity to succeed.”

“Land use decisions are critical to the overall success of city economic and community development,” said Clarence E. Anthony, CEO and Executive Director of the National League of Cities (NLC). “We are thrilled to extend the expertise of the Rose Center for Public Leadership Land Use Fellowship to the cities of Columbus, Richmond, Salt Lake City and Tucson, and we look forward to seeing the opportunities and outcomes that these partnerships provide.”

The Rose Center’s mission is to encourage and support excellence in land use decision making by public officials. Established at ULI in 2008 with a $5 million gift by ULI Foundation Governor Daniel Rose, the Rose family and ULI in 2014 formed a strategic partnership with NLC to bring its robust expertise in local government leadership to bear on the Rose Center’s programs.

“The Rose Center’s fellowship program has a consistent track record of mayoral teams effectively working together to help solve the land use challenges of our nation’s leading metropolitan areas,” said ULI Global Chief Executive Officer Patrick L. Phillips. “Cities are the heart of our country’s economy, serving as hubs for human capital and innovation. We are excited to partner with NLC and the new class of Rose fellows to highlight creative approaches and solutions that other communities can replicate to become more healthy, prosperous, and sustainable.”

Now in its ninth year, the land use fellowship begins with the selection of four mayors, each of whom chooses three additional fellows (city department leaders or public agency directors with land use decision-making authority) and a project manager to serve as their city’s fellowship team. The program of work includes working retreats at NLC and ULI annual conferences at the beginning, mid-point and end of the program year, a study tour of another U.S. or foreign city, and peer exchange panel visits to provide technical assistance to each of the four fellowship cities.

The 2018 Rose Land Use Fellowship team in Columbus is as follows:

• Columbus: Mayor Andrew J. Ginther; Deputy Chief of Staff for External Affairs Dawn Tyler Lee; Department of Development Director Steven Schoeny; and Brent Sobczak, President of CASTO Communities. The project manager is Mark Dravillas, Assistant Administrator of the Department of Development’s Planning Division.

To assist the fellowship city teams, the Rose Center has assembled urban development and design leaders from around the nation who will serve as their faculty advisers over the course of the fellowship year:

• Columbus’ advisers will be community engagement and planning expert Antoine Bryant, principal of the Houston-based Bryant Design Group; and Lev Gershman, managing partner of San Diego-based Tideline Partners, a boutique real estate investment, development and management firm.

Since its inception, the Rose Fellowship has worked with 32 cities across the United States. The fellowship teams have successfully led changes in their cities after receiving technical assistance and strategic advice on topics such as revitalizing aging commercial areas to attract new businesses and jobs; how new investment in older neighborhoods can more equitably benefit existing residents; the role of transit and transportation infrastructure in city building; and developing new community engagement models in transitioning neighborhoods.

“It is a great honor for Mayor Ginther and the City of Columbus to be selected to participate in the Rose Fellowship,” said Yaromir Steiner, Chairman of the Columbus District Council of the Urban Land Institute. “NLC and ULI have tremendous insight to offer cities about land use and Columbus has some great examples of success to share that will benefit others in the cohort.  The exchange of ideas and lessons learned will help our city continue to innovate and create a sustainable community.”

Media Contact: Alicia Gaston, ULI Columbus | 614.596.0983 | [email protected]

About the National League of Cities

The National League of Cities (NLC) is dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages.www.nlc.org

About the Urban Land Institute

The Urban Land Institute (ULI) is a global nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the institute has almost 40,000 members representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines.

About ULI Columbus 

ULI Columbus was established in 2008 as a District Council of the Urban Land Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and education organization with the mission of providing leadership in the responsible use of land and in sustaining thriving communities worldwide. ULI has over 39,000 members worldwide representing the entire spectrum of land use and real estate development disciplines.

About City of Columbus

Columbus is the 14th largest city in the U.S. and the fastest growing economy in the Midwest. It is home to a diverse mix of 860,000 people spread over 223 square miles. Columbus has the lowest unemployment in the past 25 years and a triple-A bond rating with all three major rating agencies. Anchored by a rich history in transportation, logistics and business services, the Columbus region is also on the country’s leading edge with advanced industries such as retail and e-commerce, IT, cybersecurity and finance. Columbus is headquarters to 20 Fortune 1000 companies, with major facilities for many more. Top employers include the Ohio State University, Limited Brands and JP Morgan Chase.