It has been an incredible honor and privilege to serve as the director of Planning and Economic Development (PED) for the City of Saint Paul these past 18 months. Allow me to share with you some core insights on this journey as I make the transition back to academia.

We have a beautiful city with innovation happening all across it, from Keg and Case to Lunar Startups. We have unique charming neighborhoods with great development and place-making potential. We have people bursting with energy to build the city and huge development projects that also include strong community benefits. Every day was an inspiration for me.

Every day these past 18 months I also kept my eye on the prize – how we could implement Mayor Melvin Carter’s vision of a city that works for all.

I did this by every day asking two questions: First, to my team and colleagues: How can our policies and programs go deeper so they include all, especially those who have not been able to access the system and its resources? Second, to the people doing business in the city I asked: How can you help us build this city given that huge areas of our city are “areas of concentrated poverty”?

During this time we worked on a strategy and a model of economic inclusion centered on the Cultural Destination Areas, building on over two decades of work in the community by pioneers like Nieeta Presley, Gene Gelgelu, VaMegn Thoj, Ann Dejoy, Lisa Tabor and Marvin Anderson. These pioneers illustrated the models of Rondo, Little Mekong, Little Africa and District Del Sol.

In the Cultural Destination Areas strategy, individuals are empowered to celebrate their rich cultural assets and at the same time build economic wealth — a very powerful strategy given the fact that in the history of the city, the cultural assets of minority and immigrant groups were not often celebrated or valued. When rooted in low-income neighborhoods, it can be a powerful engine for economic growth. It was deeply affirming that one of the first acts of my tenure was to receive and celebrate the African American context study documenting the rich historical legacy of African Americans in St. Paul.

Some outcomes that reflect this progress: We have intentionally ensured that our diverse neighborhoods are at the center of the Comprehensive Plan 2040, the long-term plan for the city. Key economic development strategies are intentionally reaching people without power or access. For the first time, all the real-estate assets of the city are online for any resident to explore. We have offered models how commercial real estate development can integrate a strong community benefit. This summer we are seeing various parts of the city come alive as cultural destinations, bringing people together and at the same time generating wealth. There is institutional leadership in the department and city to continue this effort, and I am inspired by many who work tirelessly to bring the city to the community.

PED has played and continues to play a pivotal economic role in the city. The challenge was to connect this energy to people outside the skyway and into the neighborhoods. This meant a deeper community engagement, and I am so proud of many in my team who made things happen, whether it was connecting a small immigrant business to the commerce of Allianz Field, or assisting a senior citizen to stay in her home with happiness, to supporting the energy of food truck owners on White Bear Avenue or helping large businesses move into the Midway with jobs and technology.

Yes, St. Paul – it is possible to go deeper and wider to make this city work for all. It is possible for the team to engage strongly with the community and with cultural intelligence. I kept hearing people say they loved this new energy in St. Paul. The St. Paul Renaissance has begun, and I continue to be engaged with it in the years ahead. Thank you, St. Paul, for allowing me to serve you.

Bruce Corrie was director of St. Paul’s Department of Planning and Economic Development for the St. Paul from Jan. 2 of last year until Aug. 15 of this year.