NYT: What Being a Mayor Taught Pete Buttigieg

[femmedem]

His Smart Streets initiative proposed converting central thoroughfares to allow two-way traffic, and adding bicycle lanes, trees and on-street parking, all to slow vehicles and encourage pedestrians.

The project was debated through 28 public meetings over two years, many of them heated, as Mr. Buttigieg and allies pitched Smart Streets as an investment that would ignite growth. Opponents called the $25 million project an expensive folly.

“There was a lot of resistance because he was spending a lot of city money,” said Mark Neal, a former city controller. “People said the streets are perfectly fine.”

Smart Streets finally passed the once-recalcitrant council. Big real estate projects flowed: the conversion of empty office buildings to residential lofts, a makeover of an abandoned Studebaker factory, a new Marriott Aloft hotel in the city’s tallest building that might have become a tear-down. There was more than $100 million in private investment, according to the city, though some of it might have happened anyway as South Bend emerged from the Great Recession. Today, about 1,000 people live downtown compared to virtually zero when Mr. Buttigieg took office.

I think this article is the best description of Mayor Pete's time as mayor that I've read.
More: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/14/us/politics/pete-buttigieg-south-bend-mayor.html

[William769]

1. And he knows the President of Mexico!

And he's from the Midwest!

[George II]

2. And he can see Canada from his house!

[AngelicaHora]

3. Great article

Pete's candidacy (and Trump's presidency) has really made me reflect on what it is we need in that office. Rebuilding the federal government will be a monumental task. Pete's proven that he has the management and organizational skills. The others not so much. Except perhaps Bloomberg, but I will never seriously consider him in the primary.

[femmedem]

4. Welcome to DU!

You're so right that Trump has dismantled so much of our federal government that our next president will have a Herculean job.

And I agree that Pete has exceptional management and organization skills, although I think we have other candidates who are also up to the task.