William Fulton is one of America’s most established thought leaders in urban planning. From 2014 to 2022, he served as Director of Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research. Prior to moving to Houston, he served as Mayor of Ventura, CA and Director of Planning and Development for San Diego. He’s the author of multiple papers and books, including his most recent book Place and Prosperity, which is the focus of this episode. 

Kevin and Bill discuss Bill’s experience growing up in a factory town in New York, stepping into community planning and city leadership roles in California, and personal stories detailing how quality of life for he and his family has been impacted by the design of the different neighborhoods he’s lived in. Bill makes the case that building great places is fundamental to cultivating prosperity, and better cities emerge when the people who shape them think more broadly and intentionally about the places they are creating.

Some of the topics covered include:

• How Bill defines “enduring prosperity” and why this is a goal cities should all be striving for

• Quality of life is based in large extent on how we experience the places around us

• Why we need to look beyond our own homes to fulfill ourselves on a daily basis, and how he’s come to believe that “his town is his house”

• Examples from his experience growing up as a child in a pre-WW2 neighborhood in Upstate New York and as an adult seeking to get around without a car in Houston, and how mobility systems impact the look, safety, and development of cities

• How carsharing, Uber, scooters and e-bikes are supporting the transformation to more walkable cities

• How decisions get made in local government, and the importance of communication with community members

• How California’s Prop 13 property tax cap legislation impacted municipal finances, what worked, and what didn’t

• The role infill and redevelopment in economic development and community building

• Three pieces of advice Bill has for people currently leading cities or aspiring to serve on their city council

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Links

• William Fulton (LinkedIn)

• Place and Prosperity Book (Atlantic Press)

• Place and Prosperity Book Talk (YouTube)

• Rice University’s Kinder Institute

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