Back around 2000, I learned that Newton would be updating its Comprehensive Plan, and that the effort would be led by an urban planner named Phil Herr. Being interested in this process, I made a point of attending a community meeting that I knew Phil would be attending. I introduced myself and hinted to Phil that I had some ideas on how to improve transportation in Newton. Might he be interested in discussing them? Much to my surprise, Phil invited me to see him in his office.
A few days later, I found myself at Phil’s office in Newton Corner. We talked about lots of things. How about extending the Green line into Needham, and high frequency rail service along Washington Street, and a new Riverside station on the commuter line, and context sensitive streetscapes, and a better system of roadway classification that accounts for multiple types of roadway users, and parking minimums and maximums, and complete streets, and a new bridge to connect the severed Centre Street in Newton Corner, and developing a bicycle plan for Newton, and safe routes to schools, and how about an overpass over Route 9 to remove the at-grade intersection between Woodward and Elliot Streets? How do we get developers to help us get the transportation system we want rather than the transportation system they seem to impose on us? Why can’t we do a better job in integrating transportation with land use planning? How do we get more people engaged in working to improve the transportation system in Newton?
Next thing I knew, I was appointed to serve on the Comprehensive Planning Advisory Committee. Over the next 5 years, CPAC worked to draft Newton’s Comprehensive Plan. Many of the topics Phil and I discussed at our first meeting made it into the transportation section of the Plan, which was approved by Newton’s Board of Aldermen in 2007. And maybe one day, the better of them will come to pass.
In his shepherding of the Comprehensive Plan towards approval, I fondly remember Phil as a leader, a mentor, a professor, and a giant intellect. He had the amazing skill and perseverance to guide a diverse and eclectic group of community members, elected officials, academics, and business leaders to work together to create an outcome that exceeded everyone’s expectations in its scope and excellence. Phil had the enviable ability to be able to persuade people with differing opinions to come to an agreement. He did this through his sheer command of facts and deep understanding of concepts that would point the way to the most reasonable conclusions. In doing so, Phil made everyone feel as if their opinions were valued. The CPAC meetings he ran could best be described as ones that involved a great deal of respect and collaboration.
It was a privilege to have known Phil Herr and to have had a chance to learn from his wisdom. Phil’s mentorship and leadership are rare qualities that are sorely missed and that will not be forgotten.
Srdjan Nedeljkovic is Secretary of the Newton Highlands Neighborhood Area Council and a member of the Steering Committee of Bike Newton. He has served on the Newton Comprehensive Planning Advisory Committee, Newton’s Mixed Use Task Force, the Transportation Advisory Group and the Crystal Lake Task Force. He is a founding member and Treasurer of the Crystal Lake Conservancy.
