News from the Top: Taking Our Cities to the Next Level in the New Year

Tami Door, President and CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership serves as Chair of the International Downtown Association’s (IDA) Board of Directors. Tami offers her expertise in city building to members of IDA in her monthly News from the Top column.

The beginning of a new year – and in this case, the beginning of a new decade – is an opportunity not just to set goals or resolutions, but to think thoughtfully and intentionally about the work we’re doing to build great, resilient cities.

As city builders, we are at the epicenter of our cities and our districts. We work closely with the public-, private-, and philanthropic-sectors, not to mention residents and visitors from near and far. We see and feel it all. And with that, a new year and a new decade presents an opportunity to be intentional about how we leverage our deep relationships and unique perspectives to drive progress forward in our cities. To bring more voices into planning processes, to collaborate across sectors to tackle tough issues, and to convene partners from all corners of our downtowns to ensure we’re building more inclusive ecosystems.

We know – and what we must be intentional about as we enter 2020 – is that to take our cities to the next level, we must convene a wide array of groups and people in thoughtful ways. We need to convene our neighboring districts and regional partners; minds from both public and private sectors; and community groups big and small to share ideas, develop plans and strengthen initiatives.

As you’re convening and collaborating within your own cities, I hope you will also take time to collaborate with your fellow IDA members – we are stronger together.