Crains New York - December 10, 2012 - (Page 11)

DIVERSIFY YOUR HOLDINGS at America’s First Boat Show t VIN CIPOLLA A The next storm—and what NY needs to do s many communities and homeowners across the region grapple with the tragic consequences of Superstorm Sandy, conversations have shifted from the immediate crisis to the long-term challenges presented by severe weather.What the governor, mayor and other leaders have made clear is that we can’t continue to do what we’ve done and expect different outcomes. The challenges to our city and region will only grow if we ularly prone to natural disasters. We need They can’t undercut it by supporting or underwriting development in hazardous areas. ● Create a more adaptable approach to keeping our city safe by incorporating ecological solutions. Some areas re- quire costly interventions to prevent storm surges. But elsewhere we must innovate and embrace ecological approaches—for instance, by adding permeable material to our streetscapes and rooftops to better manage water, or, more broadly, by integrating the disciplines of landscape architecture, development and sustainability, and seeing them as indispensable parts of a city. ● Refine and re-examine buildingcode regulations. We must think more It’s time to review your portfolio and invest in yourself. Come see what’s new for 2013! Find the best in boats and marine gear, engines and electronics at the world’s ﬁrst and longest-running boat show. don’t come to terms with the difficult work ahead. As many have argued, these natural disasters are exacerbated by the choices we have made. Where we allowed housing, what we required for buildings, how we handled storm water and protected our infrastructure—all affected our resilience to Sandy. It is time to start making different choices. Replacing what we lost cannot be our approach. Rebuilding requires far more careful planning. We need to think differently. As Mayor Michael Bloomberg sets out to craft a plan to make the city more resilient, here are starting points: ● Rethink development in areas partic- to understand our risk and have the courage to recognize that some places are not suited for development. ● creatively about the next generation of buildings and the opportunities to decentralize the power grid. ● Recognize that neighborhoods need to adapt. All communities, not Locate—as much as possible—vulnerable populations away from floodprone areas. This is an acute issue not just waterfront areas and flood zones, must contribute to solutions. ● Strengthen civic infrastructure. only for nursing homes and hospitals, but also for crucial parts of our power grid and other infrastructure. ● Align insurance regulations with a planning framework. The problems with flood insurance administered by the federal government and private insurers are well documented. Policies need to be consistent with a planning framework that describes where development is appropriate. Post-Sandy coverage focused not only on the tragedies, but also the heroics of neighbors helping each other.We need to continue this civic spirit by engaging communities in conversations about their future.That will uncover better approaches, as well as identify people who together will help rebuild a better New York. Vin Cipolla is president of The Municipal Art Society of New York. Pre-shop, tickets & details at NYBoatShow.com T Memo to Joe Lhota: Hurry up and run o: Joseph Lhota, chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority From: Greg David Re: The 2013 mayor’s race I see in The New York Times that you are at least considering my advice from last month that you should run for mayor (“A crisis manager for the next mayor,” Nov. 12). Here are eight reasons you should do it. 1. You’d be good at the job. You have been thrust into the spotlight because the way you ran the MTA during Superstorm Sandy demonstrates you can run the city, whose $69 billion annual budget makes it about the size of Microsoft. 2. You know more than any other candidate. You served Rudy Giuliani as both deputy mayor for economic development and first deputy mayor. It’s not just that you are smart—some of the major candidates are, too—it’s that you have an in-depth knowledge of the city. 3. We forgive you your sins during the Rudy era. Longtime readers of Crain’s will remember that you were no favorite of the publication then, especially of former Deputy Mayor and Crain’s Publisher Alair Townsend, because you were Rudy’s enforcer and not a very nice one. We all live and learn. GREG DAVID 4. The other Republicans and independent mayoral candidates are hopeless. I have met all four Republican candidates over the years, and most of them don’t have the résumé for the job; most don’t have a clue about the issues; some are wrong on the issues; and none has shown any ability to raise money. 5. The chattering class is behind you. This was the dismissive term the Times used last week to characterize the people pushing your candidacy. I never knew I was member of that group,but the key is that people who know and care about the city want you to run. That’s a good base to start with. 6. You would be very different from the four Democratic candidates. The great problem in the campaign so far is that it has been all about whether City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is different from the other three Democrats. She isn’t. None of the four candidates represents a continuation of the Bloomberg philosophy. You do. 7. You can win. For 20 years, the winner of the Democratic primary has lost in the general election to a Republican because on local issues, the people who vote in November are much more conservative than those who decide the Democratic primary. There also are many more of them: Some 330,000 people cast votes in the Democratic primary in 2009, yet about three and a half times that many voted in the general election. 8. If you lose, the city will still win. This may not be much consolation, but a strong independent candidacy will force the Democrats to moderate their positions and hedge their commitments to the traditional party power brokers, such as the Working Families Party. The result will be a more moderate successor no matter who wins. Let us know what you decide— and soon, please. December 10, 2012 | Crain’s New York Business | 11 http://www.NYBoatShow.com http://www.NYBoatShow.com http://www.crainsnewyork.com/section/events_calendar/submit http://www.crainsnewyork.com/section/events_calendar/submit

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crains New York - December 10, 2012

THE INSIDER
IN THE BOROUGHS
IN THE MARKETS
SMALL BUSINESS
BUSINESS PEOPLE
OPINION
GREG DAVID
REAL ESTATE DEALS
REPORT: PHILANTHROPY
THE LIST
CLASSIFIEDS
FOR THE RECORD
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
SOURCE LUNCH
OUT AND ABOUT
SNAPS

Crains New York - December 10, 2012