Living in the mountains this winter, I spent many days trekking through the woods on my cross-country skis.  It was quiet, but I worried about a few things: wild animals, getting hurt, getting lost, being a slow skier forever.  Here’s what I learned: listening is peaceful, and most animals, both large and small, aren’t looking for a fight.  Admittedly, I still become fearful sometimes, though not as often, when I’m out there alone.  Most of the time, I feel a sense of balance within a much larger eco-system, as there is room for me and all the other creatures to be out there living our respective lives while sharing the same environs.

Back in people-dominated spaces, the communities in which we live seem more polarized with each passing day.  As a society, we seem to feel the need to identify and dismiss the “other,” whether we are talking about people who have politics we don’t like, or live in a way we would not choose for ourselves, or say things to which we take offense.  Researchers, looking to understand this shift, blame social media (we only communicate with people like us), our educational system (we don’t teach the right things), and/or the pandemic (we’ve all been isolated too long).  Whatever the cause(s), it’s clear that the arguing, blaming and division is eroding our society.  Also, it’s exhausting.

What does all this nature talk and societal philosophizing have to do with our land use industry, let alone ULI?  Quite a bit, actually.  Land use decisions are, as we all know, local, contentious, and divisive.  Are you for or against the salamander?  Do you think most people should replicate your urban (or suburban or rural) lifestyle?  In a drought, should water should be allocated first to people, farms, or the rivers?  Where should homeless shelters be placed?  The list goes on and people have strong opinions, sometimes backed by data, other times backed by emotion or the desire to protect their own (their children, their property values, the character of their neighborhood, etc.).

ULI is a place where we have the opportunity to hear from our colleagues; respect their role, perspective and experiences; learn from each other; find inspiration to do better; and, create new solutions to extremely complex and divisive land use issues.  Let’s start by expanding our ability to listen, respect, empathize, and find common ground with each other.  There is room for everyone, and we should celebrate that.