Ashley Swearengin
Mayor of Fresno (2009 – 2017), CEO of the Central Valley Community Foundation
“Dan served as the Assistant Director of Development and Resource Management during the final three years of my administration. During that time we were able to completely re-write the planning and development system in Fresno for the better. In particular, we adopted a revolutionary new General Plan, which redirected half of future growth back into Downtown and existing neighborhoods in an effort to slow suburban sprawl and revitalize the heart of the City. To implement this, we adopted a new infill-friendly Development Code and rezoned the entire City, or over 135,000 parcels of land. Completing these efforts may not have been possible if not for Dan’s experience and capacity to translate our community’s big vision into enabling legislation and regulations.
“Since he has entered the consulting world, he has provided services to the Central Valley Community Foundation to help us develop a vision and pursue funds for an agriculture-related technology hub, a massive housing-supportive infrastructure plan, and for several concepts which will expand housing production in the Downtown and Chinatown areas. As a consultant he has played an important role in helping our community secure over $350m in state and Federal funds to build out our region’s economic development and revitalization vision.
“Dan has the ability to engage residents, property owners, merchants, and elected officials to develop a positive community vision, create the implementing plans and regulations, and then work with builders to make the vision a reality.”
Donald Shoup, Ph.D.
Distinguished Research Professor
Department of Urban Planning, UCLA
“I have known Dan for several years, and have found him to be personable, dedicated, and a very capable professional.
The parking management plan for Downtown Redwood City authored by Dan in 2005 was groundbreaking, as it was the first in the nation to put demand-based parking to work. In fact, to this day I use the ordinance developed by Dan as a model for cities around the nation who are seeking to better manage their parking supplies.
“Also, I consider his adjustments to parking requirements in the Downtown Precise Plan (such as a reduction in the number of land use categories, the shared parking bonus, an in-lieu fee, and lowered ratios) to be highly innovative and effective. The detrimental effect of high parking requirements is not appreciated by many people, but they make Downtown revitalization very difficult. Dan understood this and, despite the risks, tackled this politically sensitive issue for the good of Downtown Redwood City.
“In addition to his proficiency in parking, the process of getting the plan adopted demonstrates a very strong understanding of the politics of local government. Implementing parking changes is never easy, and such sweeping changes are daunting to even the most talented public officials.
“I should also mention that I have attended many conferences with Dan, and he has shown himself to be a very talented public speaker. He is persuasive, demonstrates a strong understanding of city planning, and is able to convey complex ideas in a simple, understandable way.
“Finally, and most importantly, Dan has shown a willingness to innovate and provide leadership on difficult issues. Cities tend to be very risk-averse organizations, and beneficial change is often difficult to accomplish. Not only has Dan been willing to champion change, but his changes have helped move the planning profession forward. As his busy public speaking schedule indicates, he is respected by planners throughout California as a leader in the field.
“Dan is a creative problem solver, an accomplished city planner, and a leader in the community.”