An extensive science and political background anchors Daniel Baer’s planning and project management career and has helped him deliver some of the nation’s most significant urban redevelopment mega projects, including Yankee Stadium and Hudson Yards in New York City, the Hudson/Bergen Light Rail in New Jersey and the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas. In this Q&A, Dan shares what it takes to convert vision into community transformation.
What is most important to a mega urban development project’s success?
Connections. Big aspirational projects force you to think about and understand the social, physical and emotional connections between a project’s purpose and its relationship to the areas surrounding it. A stadium or entertainment project, for example, is part of, serves and supports a much larger geography, relying on its workforce, transportation network, utilities and more. Failing to create and cultivate connections beyond the project’s boundaries leads to future tension, distrust and missed opportunities.
How do you ensure a mega development’s longevity, that it meets a community’s long-term needs?
Every one of these projects is different and you cannot approach them with a set philosophy, protocol or process. You have to be flexible. When I go into these mega projects, I’m always thinking about what is today's need versus 20 years down the line? I don't have a crystal ball, but I know that I need to deliver flexibility that can accommodate changing needs and technologies. We always engage in that conversation and try to create the concepts that will allow for a high level of flexibility. That’s what keeps these projects vital, up-to-date and moving forward over decades. The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Master Plan project is a perfect example of a project that will provide flexible space for an ever-changing market and associated demands.
Every project is different, but are there common threads owners and developers can anticipate?
Yes, there are two. First, it's always important at the beginning to get consensus around a vision. With a vision, we can establish diversified goals for the project, its users and those who may not use it but who will feel its impact. Establishing diversified goals that define the project — from its transportation elements and its built elements to its sustainability, resiliency and community needs — broadens a coalition of support for its development.
That leads to the second common thread: engagement. Establishing an engagement process that connects with multiple audiences at the right time, including elected officials, business leaders, community leaders and the public, brings them into the planning process, keeps them informed and strengthens support. It’s not my plan. It’s the client’s and the community’s plan. Ensuring stakeholder engagement every step of the way is critical.
Why do you get excited about leading mega redevelopments in cities?
These projects are such opportunities to learn, not just for planners and stakeholders, but for other cities and communities. Each project could become the next poster child for a great community development opportunity. An example of this has been Hudson Yards in New York City. Everyone wants to be the next Hudson Yards, but there is only one. However, there are elements of that process that can be used successfully on other projects.
Also, it’s gratifying to collaborate with a city and its stakeholders to deliver a project that reflects what makes it unique: its people, culture and history. Discovering and implementing those elements into a master plan is incredibly rewarding, and we do every time.
