WDG Ventures, Inc.
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Sitemap
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Advisory Panels
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WDG Ventures, Inc.
109 Stevenson Street, 5th Floor
San Francisco,
Ca 94105
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Advisory Panels
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Stapleton Development Corporation: Denver, Colorado
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Paula Collins, CEO of WDGV was part of a 1997 Advisory Panel to the Stapleton Development Corporation of Denver, Colorado. This non-profit corporation was charged with the task of design and execution of the re-use plan for the 660-acre Stapleton airport site, just outside of Denver. The development goal was to create approximately 6 million square feet for residential and commercial use that would be financially viable in the short and long term. Employment generation for the City of Denver was a key determinant of the types of uses to be considered, as well as overall compatibility of the development with the nearby residential neighborhood. The corporation was particularly interested in advice on creating destination mixed-use projects, similar to the METREON model, which could capitalize on the local residential base as well as Denver’s growing tourist population
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Vermont Avenue Corridor: Los Angeles, California
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In the wake of the April 1992 civil disturbances in South Central Los Angeles, Paula Collins was asked to join an Advisory Panel structured by the Urban Land Institute (ULI). ULI is a nonprofit education and research organization focused on providing responsible leadership in urban land use and development.
The City of Los Angeles asked the ULI panel to focus on the revitalization of Vermont Avenue, a commercial strip hard hit by the unrest and decades of economic decline. Specifically, the city wanted advice on the amount and type of commercial development that should exist along Vermont Avenue, and the amounts and type of residential development that would be appropriate to support the commercial development and service the community’s needs. The panel also analyzed transportation needs, strategies to create and preserve affordable housing, infrastructure requirements and ways to encourage job creation and community ownership. Finally, the city asked the panel to suggest the planning tools and incentives that would be necessary and to outline a process for achieving those objectives, including a description of the roles of the various municipal departments.
This pro-bono panel completed its assignment on behalf of ULI and the City of Los Angeles after extensive research and interviews with a wide variety of the neighborhood, non-profit, governmental and business representatives. A detailed report documents the findings and recommendations.
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Anacostia: Washington, D.C.
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In 1994 Ms. Collins was selected by ULI to participate in a second panel organized as part of the inner-city community-building program. The purpose of this assignment was to advise the City and the local non-profit development corporation on ways to develop the Anacostia North Entry in a way that would encourage visitors to that area, as well as provide the synergy needed to foster community growth. Also under consideration was the overall approach to creation of a range of housing types that would encourage homeownership in the nearby Stanton Square residential area which boasts remarkable views of downtown Washington D.C. and a reasonable stable rental population. The panel also addressed ways in which the capacity of the local non-profit could be enhanced to more effectively serve Anacostia as a vehicle for community empowerment.
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THE MAYOR’S INSTITUTE ON CITY DESIGN
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Ms. Collins has participated in four individual advisory symposiums on behalf of the Mayors Institute of City Design, a program of the National endowment for the Arts dedicated to improving the design and livability of America’s cities. The format for these small group symposiums was to connect mayors with urban design and development experts to address individual case studies of critical issues. Each mayor presented a specific design or development challenge in his or her respective city, and asked the resource panel for solutions. As a resource expert Ms. Collins was also asked to make presentations regarding the value of design in a city’s development efforts. Issues raised by various mayors ranged from neighborhood sustainability, public housing redesign, creation of successful civic spaces, waterfront conversion, and transit-oriented development.
During the mid-1990’s, Ms. Collins was invited to join the four expert advisory panels at Mayor’s Institute symposiums sponsored by M.I.T., Harvard University, the University of California at Berkeley, and the University of Virginia.
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