Have a long-term plan. "It's a group effort that created Bellevue. They held the meetings; they spent the time in discussions about the future of the city. This was 30 years ago. It didn't happen overnight." - J. Lennox Scott, CEO of John L. Scott Real Estate
Stick to it. "Consistency. That's huge. Chart a path, get a lot of public input, then stick to it. Don't be changing it every year." Greg Johnson, president of Wright Runstad
Build infrastructure. "I always say the only thing that's going to stop the growth in Puget Sound is the infrastructure. Traffic is a good example." - Bill Brown, Factoria Mall redeveloper
Grow smart. "From a city planning standpoint, Bellevue is almost a textbook case of how to play to your strengths, how to grow stronger. Driving parking underground, enabling tall buildings near the core today are called 'smart growth principles.'" - Greg Johnson
Reflect your residents. "We run our own race. We set our own priorities. And we develop our own values. The way the city is run reflects the values of the people who live here." - Bellevue Mayor Grant Degginger
You need a leader. "It takes a group effort, but you need the commitment of a leader. My definition of a leader is being responsible for the conversation and keeping the conversation alive. It's not having all the answers." - J. Lennox Scott