Farming things out to consultants was the beginning of our errors… that’s how this whole problem of cascading complexity got started! The things Clay Chapman is building are utterly impossible in the hyper-specialized world of modern construction; he is doing the impossible by being a modern-day master builder. There are multiple dark sides to specialization:

The professionalization of architecture was the original divide, separating design from building in a cleavage almost reminiscent to the historical divide of Judah from Israel. Then engineering was fractured away from architecture in a move nearly as momentous, then landscape architecture, then interior design, then… how many disciplines are there today, anyway? Dozens, likely, on a moderate-sized commercial job. Now, even sub-sub-categories of master building have their own splits into things like the landscape lighting consultant and the landscape irrigation consultant. And in some states, many of the sub-sub disciplines like interior design have become professionalized, leaving architects (by law) as little more than exterior decorators who spend most of their time coordinating the consultants.

I’ve never heard anyone talk about this, but has anyone considered the most fundamental way in which consultant subdivision fuels the complexity cascade? It’s just third grade math and basic human nature. Each further subdivision of a discipline, like the landscape lighting consultant splitting off from the landscape architect, necessarily created a new level of complexity because humans each have a certain number of variables they can consider. And if the sub-consultant only did the work of the consultant they split off from, then they would be unnecessary. Their raison d’etre is in large part the fact that they can do a better job at what they do than the consultant above them who is doing other things. It’s like zooming in: the further you zoom in, the more detail you see. And so the complexity of a modern hyper-specialized job is beyond the capability of any single human mind to consider at one time.

This zooming in to hyper-levels of specialization necessarily generates hyper-degrees of regulation and hence hyper-exposure to liability. A profession that doesn’t regulate itself would be considered… well… unprofessional. As a matter of fact, disciplines get professionalized by going to legislative assemblies and promising to protect public health, safety, and welfare by regulating what was previously unregulated. So their professional existence depends on ushering in the standards that invite the liability. And in doing so, this whole process makes any sort of imperfection (i.e. life itself) illegal and punishable via lawsuits. Hence law-abiding citizens like Sara understandably have a conniption at the suggestion of “tolerable leaks.” Our tolerance of imperfection approaches zero to the same degree that our tolerance of thermal imperfection (the comfort range) has gone from 30° in my grandparents’ day to 2° today.

Judging by all the standards each discipline has drafted, modern buildings are far superior to their “crude,” “rustic,” and “unrefined” predecessors. Yet humans vote with their feet and swarm places our ancestors built. If you doubt that, here’s a simple test that can be repeated in countless places: Visit Garnier’s Paris Opera House and see how many people are enjoying the Place, then visit the modern opera house near the Bastille and look around. I need say no more. That’s at the grand civic scale, of course, but the same test works for humble 19th century farmers’ cottages vs. farm worker housing built today. I don’t have a full theory on why this is yet, but I think it has something to do with the zoom phenomenon above: if a many-layered, hyper-complex modern building is too complex for any architect to comprehend at once, it’s certainly too complex for any user. While a beloved old building that is comprehensible and “just works” fulfills us in ways complex construction never can.

There has been a long-running debate in the core Lean Urbanism discussion on whether the prime focus of the initiative in regards to climate change should be mitigation or adaptation. Mitigation measures tend to be global, like figuring out how to get nations and global industries to reduce their carbon output. Adaptation measures tend to be local, like elevating the streets on South Beach, where I live. Here’s my response this morning to a call to “specialize and link,” which sums it up as best as I know how:

I’m liking where this is going. What, specifically, do you mean by “link?” Do you mean something like the Guild Foundation reading list and Guild Foundation link page, which includes organizations from those totally dead-center of my core passions like CNU to things more afield like the USGBC, the Permaculture Institute, and Slow Food? If so, then by all means… we should all do that. And every blog should have a blogroll of other bloggers not identical to you, but whose ideas intersect. How many on this list have a reading list or links page on your organization’s website? Among other things such as the obvious links themselves, a reading list and links page helps to place you and your organization in the constellation of ideas. It’s not exactly the same thing, but who you link to is kinda like your “adjacent possible.”

If, on the other hand, you mean spending significant time working in the interest of a movement that isn’t one of your core passions, then I’d say no. I only have so much time left on earth, and I don’t know how much that is, so I’ll thank my influencers and link to them, but not give away significant time to their causes. Unless, of course, one of those causes is becoming one of my core passions. Until then, I really need to get the Walk Appeal book done. And Andrés, you really need to get the Heterodoxia book done as well. How’s that coming?

I’m humanizing and personalizing this discussion by talking about core passions, but the term can apply to organizations as well, even though made up of many diverse people. The Charter establishes the core passions of the CNU, for example. So I’d say we should as a group and individually create these links, but then work on the things we do best, which is locally-scaled things over globally-scaled things. The problem in this whole long-running discussion has been the attempt to create what Nathan calls “bright lines.” Either-or. In the M-A realm, that’s hard to do because as Doug, Sandy, and others have pointed out many times, almost every A move has M benefits. Embrace that… it’s OK. But in the end, New Urbanists, and in particular the Lean initiative, should remain focused on making better places, not influencing governments. We will do both, as the New Urban Agenda resoundingly demonstrates. But that never would have happened had we not been so focused on making great places. Eyes on the ball. Focus.

It just occurred to me that a drone with a good camera could be very helpful to planners, especially those working on infill projects. Not only could you get good shots that became the backdrop for renderings of new buildings or infrastructure, but you could also easily check out existing conditions from the air that might be a lot more time-consuming to do on the ground. Has anyone considered this?

Have we really reduced ourselves to this? Has teamwork and humility really become a downgrade rather than a bonus? Last night’s NFL Draft launched a chill across the bow of traditional American sporting values.

Ezekiel Elliott is the iconic example of this problem. Selected as the fourth pick of the draft, Elliot is the classic me-first player, calling out his coaches for not giving him enough carries in the B1G championship game. Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry, on the other hand, didn’t even warrant a first-round pick. His jersey #2 was chosen precisely to remind him that he’s not #1. Nor is any other football player. Apparently, that’s not a popular idea these days.

A'Shawn Robinson? He’s arguably the most dominant defensive lineman of this draft, doing heretofore unthinkable things like leaping over an offensive line to block a kick. But he’s apparently not good enough at self-promotion to warrant a first-round pick, even though he was considered a lock before yesterday.

Reggie Ragland? He was the braintrust of the best defense in football last year, and considered a sure first-rounder before yesterday, but had the audacity to wait his turn to play rather than insisting on immediate playing time. And so he waits.

Not so long ago, there was a “Bama Bounce” for recruits who committed to Alabama, because the Tide staff was assumed to be so good at evaluating players. Apparently, this has become a “Bama Burden” for draftees. Alabama players, so the narrative goes, are surrounded by so many other good players that they look better than they really are because of their strong supporting cast. This is bogus. In reality, the Bama Burden is code for “we want to recognize self-seeking prima donnas rather than hard-working team players (who are less interesting).”

Let’s be clear here. I’m from Alabama, but spent every summer in Ohio with family as a kid. One of my sisters graduated from OSU. I buried both my parents there. I have nothing at all against Ohio. My problem is with the malignancy Urban Meyer has brought to OSU that celebrates the individual over the team, and arrogance over humility. These are not American values, although the NFL has apparently forgotten this inconvenient fact.

… and yes, the hysterics were mine. By the time I got to the airport recently, the flight was already scheduled to board, so I and everyone else in the TSA security line were rushing to get through. I quickly disassembled my suitcase and gear bag and pushed them into the X-ray machine, then folded my Scottevest (which carries my wallet, house keys, phone, iPad, and a whole lot more) and put it in a bin and pushed it forward as well.

In a moment, I had walked through the PreCheck scanner and went to pick up my stuff. I got my bags linked back up and reached for my Scottevest, but to my surprise, it wasn’t there. I waited a minute, but still no Scottevest. Beginning to panic, I asked aloud “where’s my vest?” None of the TSA people were paying me the slightest attention, so I began to shout until they finally looked over and shrugged.

“It’s got everything in it,” I shouted above the normal hubbub of the security line. “Did you pull it out of the line?” The guy on the scanner said “I didn’t pull anything out.” I was panicking now, with visions of getting to my destination with no phone, wallet, money, ID, etc.

Finally, a TSA guy on the other side said “is this is?” Sure enough, there it was, shoved 15 feet or more back behind the scanner to where the conveyor ended. Apparently, I hadn’t pushed it all the way into the scanner and the jerk behind me, seeing an opportunity to have his stuff get through the machine five seconds faster, pulled mine back, and then the people behind him must have done the same thing, otherwise it would never have moved 15 feet backwards.

So I got it, but I’ll never leave again without pushing my stuff all the way in! Please share this with your friends so this doesn’t happen to them!

Those with the highest taste (such as a good-hearted royal like Prince Charles) use it for good, whereas those with lesser (but still notable) taste are more likely to use it for scorn. Very much like the old-money wealthy often are very secure in their wealth, sometimes to the point of humility, whereas the nouveau riche tend to throw it in people’s faces. So I guess my real problem with taste is when taste goes to scorn.

It’s easy to boo, but what would you do? Being critical of someone else’s idea or their work is almost as easy as breathing, but criticism is completely unfair unless you’re willing to answer this question: What would you do? Better yet, show everyone what you have done that gets the job done better than the person you’re criticizing. Until you’re willing to do that, don’t expect people to listen. But if you are willing to do that, you just might change things for the better. So… what would you do?

Most tour planners have things completely backwards. They think it’s best to show you as much stuff as possible. This is true until you reach the terrible tipping point of “Drive-By Touring” where people move from the delight of immersion in new things to a really wretched state of annoyance from not being able to absorb anything properly before turning the corner. That aggravation turns darker once it sinks in that you’re now stuck on a bus with an agenda that will waste a couple days of your life. Here are some rules of tour planning if you want any of your fellow-travelers to recommend you, and maybe travel with you again someday:

1. Edit! Edit! Edit!
This is the foundation of every good tour plan. Tour planners who ram every awesome thing, every great thing, and every good thing into the schedule probably can’t avoid the dreaded drive-by. Get rid of all the good stuff. ALL of it. Leave only the awesome stuff and the great stuff. And you should even have the discipline to get rid of the great stuff if you only have a little time.

2. Answer the Three Big Questions
The basic value equation of touring is this: I will give you my tour fee, and I’ll give you several days of my time (which are probably several times more valuable than the tour fee). In exchange, you will give me the opportunity to create valuable things (images, words, or video) that help me carry the things I’ve seen and learned long into the future. Time is the great multiplier of value. The longer I can carry something good with me, the greater I benefit. So the tour should be filled with copious opportunities to answer “yes” to these Three Big Questions:

Can I Shoot It?
A large part of the human brain is dedicated to visual imagery. Anyone with a camera (including their phone) should have many opportunities to capture images.

Can I Tweet It?
OK, so Twitter is my method of taking notes. If you don’t do Twitter, this means “is the story being told pithy enough and useful enough that I’ll want to write down the things being said?“

Can I Tape It?
Video footage is the third important category of media to capture. The story-telling standard is the same as for notes, and there’s another limitation as well: is the place well enough lit and have enough visual interest to be worth taping?

3. Take the “No Drive-By Pledge”
Drive-By Touring is that miserable event when the tour guide describes something as you drive by. It fails the test of all three of the big questions. You can’t get a decent photo. You can’t tweet what the tour guide is saying if you’re trying to crane your neck to see the stuff as it whizzes by. And videos of a drive-by is as bad as the lowest of YouTube, and far worse than the most disgusting B movie ever screened. If I wouldn’t pay $5 to watch one of them, why would I pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for a tour filled with drive-bys? Simply put, if you have enough respect for my time to take the No Drive-By Pledge, I’ll consider traveling with you. If not, there’s no chance. It’s that simple.

4. Get Off the Bus!
This is the obvious corollary to #3. The bus is your transport. It gets you from one place to another, at which point you must get off the bus and get immersed in the place. Photos taken through shaded and reflective bus windows while in motion are typically wretched, and almost always useless. And discussions held over the bus PA system usually leave much to be desired, especially with all the background noise. And the person standing in the aisle speaking to the riders would likely be killed in a significant crash.

5. Stop Crisply
I’m all for getting immersed in as much stuff as possible, which requires crisp stops. At every stop, the tour guide should announce (once the bus comes to a halt) “it is now 10:37 (or whatever). The bus will pull out at 11:15.” Some people inevitably wander off photographing, grabbing a coffee or whatever, so the departure time needs to be crystal-clear.

6. Issue Press Passes
The press isn’t what it used to be. Today, there are likely at least 2-3 dedicated bloggers or other New Media people on every tour. Issue us press passes. You should probably give us free tickets, but the most important thing you can do is to provide us with an extra seat for our gear bag so we can work on our blog posts, photography, or whatever as we travel. Help us help you. Do this, and you’ll probably get some good New Media press. Make us grumpy, and you might be making the same mistake as those who fought with people who bought ink by the barrel in the newspaper era.

7. Train Your Local Guides
Local guides might be expert on local issues, but they may not be expert tour guides. And they almost certainly don’t know your expectations. So tell them. Feel free to send them to this list. Or take these ideas and make your own list. But whatever you do, make sure they understand that there are only two legitimate things they can do with that microphone: tell us about what we’re about to get off the bus and see, or tell a story that’s so useful and inspiring that we quit the hopeless task of trying to properly see stuff whizzing by and start tweet-casting or taking notes on what they’re saying.

8. Hold Conversations
I’ve had the good fortune of traveling on many occasions with passionate people who are highly knowledgeable on many interesting things. Don’t even think of getting people like that in one place together for hours or days and just letting them chat with their seat-mates. Encourage bus-long conversations about whatever is interesting to them. Often, it may be something you’ve seen or plan to see. Just don’t let the bus be mute.

9. Provide Bonus Bus Items
None of these things are essential, but they all enhance a trip, in roughly this order of importance:

Power Outlets
Phones, tablets, laptops, and cameras all need to be charged if you’re providing us with enough opportunities to answer “yes” to the Three Big Questions.

Air Conditioning
Nothing transforms travelers into an angry hornet’s nest of dissent faster than a steady diet of drive-bys… unless it’s a malfunctioning air conditioner. You don’t want travelers sweaty and surly.

Comfortable Seats
Inducing physical pain for a hundred miles ranks right up there with sweat in annoying your travelers. Doing better than a Greyhound chair generates lots of goodwill. Doing significantly worse for the opposite effect.

WIFI
Yes, many of us have tablets with cellular service, but we’d much rather use yours. A bus with no free WIFI isn’t quite as undesirable as a hotel room with no WIFI… yet.

10. Get the Right Tour Guide
I’ve opened and closed this list with the two most important items… and this is the toughest one because while most people can become better editors if they set their minds to it, most people simply cannot become better tour guides, no matter how hard they try. I couldn’t do it… no doubt about that. Nor could most other people. The core attribute of a great tour guide is the ability to fuss at people as they’ll unavoidably have to do from time to time, yet leave the people loving them. There are a number of personality trait combinations that can be used to achieve this, but this is the silver bullet result you want in a great tour guide.

This is me now:

This is me after a recent all-nighter, pulled to get a job out:

Obviously, I look at least 30 years older… especially that hideous middle pic! I used to pull up to 40 all-nighters a year to get work done. I swore off them a few years ago, after realizing the wear and tear they were causing. I’ve only done a few since, and really think this one should be my last… right?

Just as love begets love, I believe that respect begets respect… especially in business partnerships. I was speaking with a young person recently who is in their first business partnership, and whose respect for that partner is declining with the partner’s decline in appreciation for the person I was talking to.

I’ve been in a number of partnerships over the years, having gone in business nearly a quarter century ago. I have felt under-valued at times, in part because the things I bring to a partnership are usually the unconventional, quirky things that others either don’t want to do or don’t know how to do. Sometimes, they eventually appreciate it, like the ex-partner who told me recently “remember that thing you did for us a decade ago? An expert told us recently that ‘what he did is a million-dollar product’.” That gave me a warm feeling, but didn’t resurrect the partnership.

It’s normal for people to value what they bring the highest, because that’s where their passion lies. But I now believe a long-lasting partnership is built on the partners’ ability to appreciate what the others bring. And it doesn’t start with the other guys. Like the story above, they might eventually appreciate what you bring, but it might be years too late. Rather, it starts with me, growing my appreciation for what the others bring.

I’m angry at Breville because of their deceptive design. We bought a Breville coffee maker about 3 years ago in large part because it looked like an appliance that would last a lifetime, but today, it is dead. Something electrical failed, and it is designed in such a way that it’s cheaper to replace it than to repair it. If it were a computer, it would be OK because computers advance a long way in 3 years. But coffee is coffee, and it is therefore possible and reasonable to want a coffee maker that lasts a very long time.
If you’re a manufacturer who makes stuff that only lasts a short while, make your stuff look cheap and plastic. Don’t encase fragile mechanisms in heavy-duty stainless steel enclosures. That’s a deceptive business practice, and results in customers like me who spend a lot of money on your stuff and feel really cheated when it doesn’t perform like it appears it will. And the more someone feels cheated by your deceptive practices, the more they’ll talk about it. So do yourself a favor… make the outside of your stuff match the inside!

I’m starting a series of posts on Twitter with the hashtag #SmallSpaceRules. It’s lessons we’re learning in the process of condensing the most essential things from our 1,500 square foot office into our 747 square foot condo while still managing to live there and love it. Obviously, we can’t bring everything here, so we’re in the process of getting rid of a lot of stuff and storing a lot more of it. So I’m also starting the #StorageRules hashtag for the storage lessons we’re learning. Please join the conversation… what am I missing?

We’re finally doing it… Setting up our business at home, where we’ll live AND work in 747 square feet! To some, that may seem impossibly small, where to others it might seem like a luxury… but for us it’ll hopefully be just about right.
There are many things to think about and to get done when you’re condensing a business from 1,500 square feet into two corners of an apartment. I’ll be blogging here as we figure stuff out. Here’s where we are at the moment:
We spent the day yesterday moving the furniture home that we need here. I’ll bring over the books that I need most frequently today and stock the five bookshelves. We have a climate-controlled storage unit just a few blocks away where we’ll store the things we need to get to frequently, then we’ll have a less expensive storage unit elsewhere… Probably a pod, so we can carry stuff just once. We’ll also be taking some furniture to some friends’ new business, and we’ll get rid of a lot of stuff we haven’t used in years. More soon…