Recently, I accepted a communications fellowship with Smart Growth America in Washington, D.C. and will begin the position in early January, 2013. I will be relocating to D.C over the course of the next few weeks.
Smart Growth America “is the only national organization dedicated to researching, advocating for and leading coalitions to bring smart growth practices to more communities nationwide. From providing more sidewalks so people can walk to their town center to ensuring that more homes are built near public transit or productive farms remain a part of our communities, smart growth helps make sure that people across the nation can live in great neighborhoods.”
Needless to say, I am incredibly excited to begin this new opportunity in our nation’s capital with such a respected and broad-reaching organization in Smart Growth America. However, the decision to leave Miami is not such an easy one to make.
Obviously I’ve been an ardent supporter and advocate for civic improvement in Miami since relocating here three years ago. Even within that brief time period, the forward momentum here is accelerating, the spirit of entrepreneurship thriving and general excitement for the cities’ future plainly evident.
Living in Miami provided me with the (unexpected) opportunity to work with and learn from a variety of incredibly knowledgeable people and groups, including CNU Miami, Emerge Miami, The Miami Bike Scene, the Biscayne Times, Broward B-cycle and Diageo, the beverage company I originally re-located to Miami to work with.
By surrounding myself with positive, intellectual and energized folks like the aforementioned, I developed a richer understanding of all things urbanism and enabled me to become a better writer, thinker and citizen. Without them, I would not have been able to send my career in such a direction. I also have to thank my brother, Steven Chester, who turned me on to this whole realm of study in the first place and whom I continue to be inspired from daily.
A special thank you to the Transit Miami team and readers that embraced my contributions from day one. I look forward to continuing to contribute and promise not to post too many pictures of D.C.’s bicycle infrastructure and pedestrian-oriented retail frontage.
Sincerely,
Craig Chester
On Twitter at @MiamiUrbanist (Still keeping it!)
6 Responses to Moving Forward – A Message to Transit Miami Readers
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Oh no! You’ll be missed, man. Good luck on your new endeavors.
Congratulations! We’ll miss you. Miami is always your home. Good luck!
Will you focus on Miami in any way? Influence Miami towards smart growth?
COngrats! I never met you but I enjoyed all your posts and saw that you were very active defending the Biking community all over Miami. It sucks that there are not more people out there like you. I think you will enjoy DC very much. I saw lots of bike lanes there!
In a comment I made on a TransitMiami post several months ago, I wrote:
“Personally, I see Miami as a city from which everybody takes. Everybody takes and very few ever give anything back . . .”
Mr. Chester, I am grateful for everything you have given and continue to give to Miami. You are much appreciated!
Congratulations, comrade!
Thanks for the kind words everyone.
Dina – I would like to work on projects for Florida very much but will have to see if that is in the cards early on. Either way, I’ll look forward to engaging the Florida politicos in DC if I have the opportunity.