But I also remain steadfast that humans need to dream big occasionally, and to have a sense of what the big picture could be. It’s a very human quality to have aspirational visions of the future. George Bailey, in It’s a Wonderful Life, epitomizes this notion with his constant desire to do big things. That’s a core part of his internal struggle as a character, and one reason I think the movie is so relatable to people in all times and places.

In the planning world, it’s why we are drawn to Daniel Burnham’s famous quote,

Make no little plans — they have no magic to stir men’s blood.

If you turn to the following page on the Plan of Chicago, though, you’ll see Burnham’s qualifier, which says,

It should be understood, however, that such radical changes as are proposed herein cannot possibly be realized immediately. Indeed, the aim has been to anticipate the needs of the future as well as to provide for the necessities of the present; in short, to direct the development of the city towards an end that must seem ideal, but is practical.

In essence, big dreams are really important, but, hey, let’s be practical and work incrementally.

But what do we remember? That first quote. It’s very American. A popularized version of what Burnham said is what Casey Kasem used to close with on every episode of American Top 40, which I used to listen to weekly as a kid, “Keep your feet on the ground, but keep reaching for the stars.”

It’s that very human tension that makes me wonder, “What would a Strong master plan look like, when master plans by nature are about big dreams and big actions?” A great deal of big plans, fanciful renderings and utopian schemes are rightly pilloried on this site. We’ve had more nightmares than successful dreams in recent decades. But none of that stops our desire to want to dream, and the reality that many people get up every day and actually do big things — either in the public or private sector. What shall we say about that, in an effort to offer productive solutions for our cities and towns?