“Property development is just a series of lists.” Gene Kansas makes it sound so simple: how the city rises around us. I reached out to Gene at the suggestion of a mutual friend who knew I would find kinship in his keen intellect and the ethos behind the projects he chooses to build. At a quiet table nestled in the corner of Chrome Yellow I focus on Gene and his quiet wisdom and wonder if I am ready for such a task as development. Lists mean choices. What he doesn’t mention but what comes to my mind is that making choices demands responsibility that few people are really ready to take on. Am I ready to accept the challenges and responsibilities these type of choices require?
Only that which can change can continue. (Carse, J. Finite and Infinite Games)
As an architecture student many years ago I learned early that building in the world is an expensive art. Beauty and organization form the foundation of that which we seek to see rise from our sketches. Today, I watch as new buildings burst into three dimensions and marvel and the beauty of it all. Atlanta is a city on the verge and I know that I am in a unique position to make a mark. I want to try my hand at this creative extrusion. I want to blend earth to sky and positively impact community. I continue to listen as Gene speaks of development but what I hear is alchemy.
It used to be that when we heard tales of alchemy we thought of sorceresses and wizards bending reality to their will. Those who connect with Source are powerful creators. How much different is it to read articles about powerful developers who shape the cities in which we live? They sway city councils and mayors and neighborhood and civic organizations. No straight path leads to building. It is twists and turns and handshakes and meals and compromises and force. Lots of force goes into a city’s form.
Our freedom in relation to nature is not the freedom to change nature; it is not the possession of power over natural phenomena. It is the freedom to change ourselves. (Carse, J. Finite and Infinite Games)
What many developers lose sight of is the seva involved in occupying so much space. Seva is a Sanskrit word meaning selfless service. It refers to work performed without thought of reward or repayment. It is a spiritual term that allows a shift in consciousness leading to spiritual growth and, as a consequence, the transformation of society. Seva is a choice that surpasses all choices: the art of blessed action.
I bring this up because it is easy to get caught up in the old way of doing things even when we know that things need to be different. Development needs to happen differently. It should not be a zero-sum game where developers walk away with all the profits in a short-term period and the community and environment are burdened with the long-term costs.
Some of this comes down to the initial questions inherent in investment decisions made by developers. Projects are looked at through the lens of risk, which is really just an economic term for fear. Is it a high-risk project or a low-risk project? Will I make a guaranteed return of at least X in Y number of months or years? What do I fear losing? How much fear am I willing to tolerate for something that is disconnected from me? How much money do I fear losing by doing something new and different?
If I truly believe in my own alchemical power then I must believe that the important part is in the creation through the lens of service. If I make choices that impact the land around me and the community in which I build for generations to come, my win should not come at their cost.
Gardening is not outcome-oriented. A successful harvest is not the end of a garden’s existence, but only a phase of it. As any gardener knows, the vitality of the garden does not end with a harvest. It simply takes another form. Gardens do not “die” in the winter but quietly prepare for another season. (Carse, J. Finite and Infinite Games)
We live with the planet, not on it.
There is wisdom here, in the Earth, should we choose to be still and listen. As we watch the city transform around us – this never-ending cycle of development that has gone on for hundreds of years here in Atlanta – we must embrace change and step up to make decisions in the interest of the greater good. Instead of asking what is my tolerance for risk/fear, my first choice is to ask is how do I measure success? I believe it should be a hybrid of financial, environmental, and community factors. Financially it would be successful if the outcome allowed me to continue this type of development in a different community, if it is seen to be of value to the community. The environment should not suffer as a result of the building decisions that have been made. And the community should find renewed health and cohesiveness through the development’s existence.
Development is a participatory affair and choices made with thoughtfulness and timelessness reveal a new organization/organism for beauty to unfold. For at its core the world is a beautiful place pleading with us to share in its wonder.
