We Built This City

Three weeks ago, the Globe published a scathing story on Boston Mayor Thomas Menino's role in guiding city development during his 16-year tenure. Essentially, concluded the reporters, development has followed Menino's whims: a new zoning code in response to an addition to a house in Roslindale he didn't like; choosing the tops on new office towers (he apparently loves roofs and doors); unrealized, scattered proposals to move City Hall to the underdeveloped South Boston Waterfront and build a 1,000-foot-tall skyscraper, among others.

Six days before a primary Menino is sure to win (as he is the general election), further extending his streak as the city's longest-serving mayor, this is something very important to ponder. Menino's tenure is hard to criticize; Boston circa 2009, compared to the country's other major metropolitan areas, is relatively well positioned. It has strong business and education institutions, attractive neighborhoods and cultural attractions and a decent crime rate, though is very expensive and has an anemic population growth rate, as is the case with most Northeast cities.

However, when the man subsumes the institution -- in this case, it's the Boston Redevelopment Authority, the city's planning and redevelopment agency -- problems arise. Every individual falters, and when politicians falter, they often do so in extended streaks. The strength of the institution compensates for this, but the BRA's has been purposefully eroded by Menino, who, to simplify, tells the agency whether to approve a project. There's no check, which, of course, is important for democracy's sake. When it comes to urban planning, that's even more important so that a city doesn't implement ideas that send it off track for years to come.

In a book on Boston's planning history I recently read, the author recounted how the city's postwar development was at its finest when the BRA was at its finest and an equal to the mayor's office. The conclusion isn't terribly surprising, considering egotistical power is never a good thing. Everyone prefers rational, predictable decision-making to whimsy. But is Menino's model of benevolent paternalism (authoritarianism?) enough to merit voting him out of office?

Update: The general idea of this post also applies to the mayor one major city south of Boston, who decided last year he didn't want to live a life of philanthropy, so he convinced the city council to extend the city's term limits so he could continue doing "what's best for everyone."