Former Pittsburgh Mayor and ULI Fellow, Tom Murphy, busted some myths that some of us still cling to about our lives and our communities. Many of us are holding on to the picture of two parent households, 2.5 kids, a dog and a white picket fence. But those days depicted in the ‘50s television shows are no longer reality. . . if they ever were!
Changing family and community demographics, changing incomes, increased mobility of the population, increasing immigration, established and emerging ports of entry, coupled with changes in petroleum consumption, products and imports, increasing fuel prices and longer commute times, and dwindling public funding are contributing to our need for regional cooperation to build a competitive advantage. And, this is happening all across the country.
Murphy highlighted specific examples in Denver, St. Paul-Minneapolis, Cleveland, Allegheny County/Pittsburgh, and yes, Orlando that are making public-private partnerships work as a result of Regional Cooperation, Infrastructure Investment and Leadership. Initiatives like myregion.org, “How Shall We Grow?’ and Project Hometown, that is building community support along with Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty for public venues in our community that must be considered regional assets, are important examples of what communities throughout the United States are doing to address the concerns of growth and community reinvestment and rebuilding that are so critical to economic well being.
Tom Murphy knows what he’s talking about! Our special guest speaker at the Chamber Trustees Community Luncheon last Thursday is a community builder of the first order. Starting out in the Peace Corps, then as a community activist, then on to 16 years as a state legislator, he was elected Mayor of Pittsburgh in 1994. During his tenure as Mayor, Tom Murphy he led the transformation of the economy of the Pittsburgh region. He initiated a public-private partnership strategy that leveraged more than 4.5 billion dollars in economic development.
He led the efforts to secure and oversee 1 billion dollars in funding for two professional sports facilities. He formed partnerships to complete more than 25 miles of new riverfront trails and to transform more than 1,000 acres of blighted land into new commercial, residential, and public uses. He has left a rich legacy benefiting the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, and the entire region of Western Pennsylvania.
Today, he is a champion of people in the Gulf Coast Region. As a Senior Resident Fellow for the Urban Land Institute, Tom Murphy is leading the Urban Land Institute’s efforts to help those who suffered through Hurricane Katrina. Through his efforts Tom Murphy has become an architect of hope, pride, and economic renewal.
Chamber Trustees is a significant part of the Orlando Regional Chamber. The goal of Chamber Trustees is to bring together the senior executives of our largest employers with community, governmental and business leaders throughout Central Florida's region. It's designed to help us exchange information . . . build consensus . . . and work together more closely to better meet the challenges of the new millennium.
The Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce is shaping our community’s future by focusing on what matters to the millions of people who call Central Florida home. Strategic imperatives that include Medical School & Medical Community Development, Level One Trauma Center, Public Facilities & Venues, Workforce (Affordable) Housing, Transportation, Education (PRISM), Regional Growth Vision, and Chamber Enterprise provide clear focus to our 1,000-Day Agenda.
