KTGY Principal Ken Ryan to Speak at ULI Fall Meeting in Los Angeles

Oct. 21, 2011 - PRLog -- IRVINE, CALIF. - Award-winning KTGY Group, Inc., Architecture + Planning, is pleased to announce that Ken Ryan, a principal and head of the firm's Community Planning and Urban Design studio, has been invited to participate as a speaker at the 2011 Urban Land Institute (ULI) Fall Meeting, held from October 25-28, 2011, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.  

On Wednesday, October 26, from 1:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m., Ryan will be a speaker at the session, "Elevating Design Through Public Involvement and Politics: Is It Possible?" According to Ryan, pressure on developers, city staff and elected officials to respond to NIMBY demands, while protecting private property rights, has made developing projects more difficult and contentious than ever. Session participants will get to see data provided by the Saint Index, which has tracked public attitudes towards development across more than 15 unique uses throughout the United States. Attendees will also learn how to work efficiently with government officials, staff, the community, and media to achieve success when dealing with controversial projects and limited resources. Thoughtful observations and insights by the speakers from both private and public sectors will highlight the opportunities and challenges in dealing with a variety of design, community and budget issues, and include real-world lessons to assist in navigating the outreach and approval processes more effectively.

An interactive topical discussion rather than presentation format will be utilized, allowing for involved panel and audience participation. Jay Vincent, senior vice president, business development with The Saint Consulting Group based in Franklin, Tenn., will be the session's moderator. Saint Consulting Group's CEO Mike Saint, co-author of the book, NIMBY Wars – The Politics of Land Use, published in 2009, will participate as a panelist with Ryan as well as Sheri Vander Dussen, City of Anaheim Planning Director, and Diane Gaynor, executive vice president and partner with Roni Hicks & Associates in San Diego, Calif.

"In an increasingly acrimonious political environment, entitling and developing commercial and residential projects requires special care more than ever,” Ryan said. “Misunderstanding and community opposition can be roadblocks for even the best designs.”

“However, the risk of the entitlement game can be greatly reduced by taking a thoughtful, strategic approach to the process. Increased anti-growth resident sentiment, political pressure, leadership voids and local citizen group clout demand that operative values of trust, openness, certainty and consensus building be integrated into the design and entitlement process,” Ryan noted. “The approach should be concurrent and less linear.”  

This doesn’t mean compromising design integrity. High design and consensus building are not mutually exclusive. In fact, careful execution of key consensus building principles utilized by Ryan and his team can actually result in stronger more powerful design solutions and a smoother process as well.

Ryan’s principals of trust, public benefit identification, vision establishment, attention to stakeholders, educating decision makers, back story awareness and having patience will be highlighted at the conference. “If you utilize our Top Ten Principles, you’ll have a smoother process and create added value to your project,” said Ryan. “And by the way… if the public benefit is a dog park, then identify the nexus and find a way to get it built.”

Overseeing KTG's Community Planning and Urban Design studios, Ken Ryan has served as leader on projects involving complex regeneration planning, urban infill, large scale master plans, transit-oriented development, resort/recreation studies, community participation programs and intergovernmental coordination. Ryan is a planner known for his leadership, strategic insight and communication skills. Through his experience as a past two-term Mayor and his ongoing involvement on numerous city and community advisory and governing boards, Ryan brings a unique perspective and significant entitlement experience to the planning process. Ryan is a frequent presenter at industry conferences and has won numerous awards for his work, written articles for industry publications and is a guest on television broadcasts.

For more information about ULI Fall Meeting, visit www.ulifall.org.

About KTGY Group, Inc.
Established in 1991, KTGY Group, Inc., Architecture + Planning, provides comprehensive planning and award-winning architectural design services for residential communities, retail, hospitality, mixed-use and related specialty developments. KTGY delivers innovative solutions that reflect clear understanding of development, marketing and financial performance and takes particular pride in its highly motivated and principal led studios. Serving clients worldwide, KTGY maintains offices in Irvine, Oakland and Santa Monica, Calif., Denver, Colo., and Tysons Corner, Va. See ktgy.com.