The Color of Innovation

Boston Route 128’s Past and Present: Tracing the Roots

           Miracles are propitious accidents, the natural causes of which are too complicated to be readily understood.

                                                                                                                                                                                                         —— George Santayana

         The 1 -2 -8 number combination had made its appearance on the road map of Massachusetts as early as late 1920s. Without any scientific verification or painstaking conceiving, such an auspicious number – in the Chinese eyes – was no more than a result of the brainstorm by a few staff members of the Massachusetts Department of Public Works. At that time, the Boston Metropolitan District Commission confirmed the plan of expanding the Boston city traffic to a circumferential network of transportation. In order to cater to “the superior leadership,” these people haphazardly assigned Route 128 to a chain of existing local streets with various capacity and names that connected the main towns in Boston’s suburban area.

Today, “Route 128” is a loaded term with rich connotations. It has grown into a key high-tech region in the United States second only to Silicon Valley, and it has become the gauge of innovation and economic development for not only Massachusetts and America but the world at large. 128 High-tech Road, 128 High-tech Industrial District and 128 Innovation Corridor, altogether summarized as “the Route 128 Phenomenon,” have captured the attention of numerous policy makers, leaders from universities and research institutions, entrepreneurs and researchers. In the 1980s when “Massachusetts Miracle” was all the rage, visiting groups streamed in with the hope of learning and replicating the experiences and model of Route 128. Later on, following the decline and resurgence of the regional economy, there has not been a single moment when Route 128 does not affect the sensitive nerves of the global high-tech industry. All such, I fear, must have been way beyond the wildest imagination of the original code makers.

In fact, what we call Route 128 nowadays is not the road under its original name (that one still exists and is referred to as “Old Route 128”), but a relocated highway mainly rebuilt in 1950s. When we trace back the growing fame of Route 128, special thanks are due to two key figures. One is William Callahan, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Works, who fought against all odds and withstood the pressure to have the road built. The other is Gerald Blakeley, then young and ambitious employee of a Boston-based real estate development firm, Cabot, Cabot & Forbes.

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       Callahan served his first term as commissioner of Massachusetts Department of Public Works between 1934 and 1939. At that time, the department, headed by Callahan, had begun to design a new and modernized Route 128 outside the dense town center. Restricted by scarce highway funds, the construction did not start until 1936. When Callahan was removed from office in 1939 by the Republican governor, Leverett Saltonstall, only two short sections of the new Route 128- one between Lynnfield and Peabody, and the other around the Dedham and Westwood area- were finished. For the next two years, Route 128 floundered and stumbled, growing merely a few miles, and brought to a complete standstill as the United States entered into World War II in 1941. When Democrat Paul Dever was sworn in as governor of Massachusetts in January 1949, he set highway building on top of his policy agenda. With the support of a Democratic-majority House of Representatives, Dever soon secured a $100 million bond bill, earmarked exclusively for statewide major highway projects. How to get around the bureaucratic red tape of the Department of Public Works and to speed up the road plans? Dever thought of Callahan who was known for his prolificacy and efficiency, and reinstated him to the post of commissioner in March 1949. Callahan had always dreamed of managing a few large projects, and was eager to have Route 128 completed during his tenure. To his great surprise, Callahan, this time round, was blessed with strong political backing and abundant financial support. Statistically, a total of $400 million highway construction fund was passed by the state legislature between the years 1949 and 1952.

During his new term, Callahan mainly planned and constructed two high-budget projects: the Boston Central Artery, which would cut through downtown, and the unfinished new Route 128. The former gained universal support, as people believed that a central expressway would significantly ease the downtown congestion. In stark contrast, Route 128 was exposed to ruthless criticism and doubts, while positive responses were few and far between. The major reason for objection was, “What is the point of spending the hugest sum of money in the road history of the Commonwealth to build ‘a road to nowhere’ in the sparsely populated and poor rural area? ” Confronted with various interrogations and censures, Callahan insisted, “This new highway will bring about the relocation of business establishments and open new residential sections. ” Just like that, the construction of Route 128 resumed in early 1950. Of course, Callahan conceded to reduce the original plan of a six-lane highway to four-lane. Once again, Callahan showed his competence and efficiency: he selected the route to be along the outskirts of town centers where demolition work was relatively light, and subcontracted the project to nine small constructors. The work went under way with a fanfare, and eighteen months later, on August 23, 1951, Governor Dever cut the ribbon for the 22-mile north section of the new highway.

The new section of Route 128 swiftly cleared all the accusations that had previously surrounded Callahan. On the opening day, certain portion of the highway witnessed 18,000 vehicles traveling by, and the number increased to 26,000 vehicles per day by 1954. After Callahan left office, the widening of the northern section from four lanes to six lanes soon began under the leadership of his successor, followed by the construction of the southern portion of the highway. Such results disproved the judgment of one of the most authoritative experts on transportation, chief Thomas MacDonald at the Federal Bureau of Public Goods. MacDonald had predicted that 15,000 vehicles per day on the highway would be an optimistic estimate for 1970. The Boston Central Artery project of Callahan’s was much less fortunate, however. Shortly after the road was put into full operation, many troubles ensued. Separating old downtown Boston, the project caused great damages to historic landscape of the city and generated negative impacts on urban commercial activities, thereby incurring lots of complaints from the residents. Worse still, the Central Artery quickly turned out to be the most congested road in the city, putting huge pressure on the transportation situation and environmental improvement. It got such nicknames as “the Distressway,” “the largest parking lot in the world,” and “Green Monster.” Although the artery was initially named after the paternal grandfather of President Kennedy as “John F. Fitzgerald Expressway,” it could not escape the fate of being demolished. In the “Big Dig” project of the 1990s, the expressway was torn down and moved to the underground.

Callahan’s whole life was inseparable from Massachusetts’ public transportation. Upon leaving Massachusetts Department of Public Works in 1952, he served as Chairman of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority until his death in 1964. In 1961, a new underground tunnel beneath Boston harbor opened. It was named “Lieutenant William F. Callahan Tunnel” (commonly known as the Callahan Tunnel), a tribute to Callahan’s son who was killed in action in Italy just a few days before World War II ended. What a tragic loss! Every time I travel in the Callahan Tunnel en route to Logan International Airport, sadness and respect well up in my heart: Callahan and his son should be remembered now and by future generations for what they achieved and sacrificed.

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      The rapid increase in traffic flow of Route 128 only partially realized Callahan’s prophecy. The subsequent commercial development activities helped him earn greater recognition. In 1948, the young and optimistic Blakeley became a new employee of Cabot, Cabot & Forbes. When he was studying the 1948 Master Highway Plan for the Boston Metropolitan Area, he noticed that a proposed Inner Belt project would link Route 128 with Cambridge and in particular, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, thereby enabling a convenient access to areas along Route 128 from MIT and vice versa. Who does not want to be close to MIT? Blakeley pondered, and a tremendous business plan gradually took shape in his mind. I mentioned in my previous blog the interactions between MIT and Boston area’s regional economic development since the later part of World War II. In fact, the Bay state’s economy was going through a profound transformation at that time, despite its apparent recession. Light industry, garment, leather, machinery and alike were being outsourced to areas rich in energe resources and cheaper labor. The high-tech industry was still in its infancy and new industries driven by science and technology were seeking new space for development. MIT and Harvard’s strong research capabilities attracted new industries and R& D bases to settle in their vicinity. The areas along Route 128 possessed not only open space and inexpensive land, but also a large pool of unemployed workers with technical proficiency- left behind with the migration of traditional industries. Such a golden opportunity was not to escape Blakeley’s shrewd eyes. He recalled sneaking into the bathroom late one night and scribbling down a blueprint for broad commercial development around Route 128. In his plan, campus -like research facilities, offices and plants would be scattered along Route 128’s alignment, all with easy automobile access to MIT and downtown Boston. Blakeley also came up with a revolutionary model for the delivery of such projects. It is called the “package procurement” model, which can not only secure the maximum interest of his company, but also guarantee debt financing for the clients. Blakeley’s idea was quickly approved of and enacted by the top managers of Cabot, Cabot & Forbes, who took an active role in lobbying municipal governments to modify their local zoning so as to accommodate commercial uses. The lobbying was met with little opposition and projects carried out smoothly. It was not long before people witnessed the birth of a brand new industrial park, New England Industrial center in Needham, together with a novel business development model.

Soon enough, companies like Sylvania, Canada Dry, Clevite, and Polanoid came and built up offices and plants in the area. Between 1950 and 1957, Route 128 welcomed a total of nearly $100 million capital investment. The road once ridiculed as “Callahan’s folly” attracted $500 million within one decade. In 1955, there were 53 businesses along Route 128. The figure soared to 223 in 1959 and 729 in 1967, with 66,000 employed workers. The land price too had risen from the initial $450 per acre to $ 5000 per acre by 1957. In 1959, the Boston Globe issued a fair comment: “The Road to Nowhere has now become the hub of everything”. Non-surprisingly, Cabot, Cabot & Forbes rapidly grew from a local firm to one of the most renowned national real estate development company. Blakeley himself became one of its leaders, and was acknowledged as the father of modern industrial park. It did not take him long to join the billionaires’ club.

In the 1970s, the cluster effects of the high-tech industries along Route 128 began to gradually manifest themselves. During the second and third terms of governor Michael Dukakis (1983 to 1991), “Massachusetts Miracle” became a catchword. 128’s prestige reached its peak with the settling in of famous corporations and research institutes like the Wang Laboratory, Some media even claimed that “Route 128 opens America’s high-tech age.” Since the 1950s when the construction of the major portion of Route 128 first started, thirty years had passed before the Massachusetts economy finally ushered in a new round of prosperity, jointly achieved by government agencies, businesses and research institutes.

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        If time could stop for a while in the 1980s, we see, through Route 128, not only a “miracle” created by high-tech development, but a classical case of benign interactions between infrastructure construction and commercial development. It was thanks to the vision and perseverance, insightfulness and patience, dedication and diligence, of all levels of government officials as well as all types of entrepreneurs, that an ordinary municipal project could have grown into a success story of regional development. From the 1990s till the present, countless new miracles have taken place on the “roller coaster” of the Massachusetts economy. When exploring the causes behind all that has happened, one finds bits of luck and serendipity, but more importantly, a materialized form of entrepreneurship and innovative spirit.

The terms “entrepreneur” and “entrepreneurship” are often used interchangeably in western economics and management science. In recent years, scholarly translation and introduction have made them no longer foreign to both academia and business community in China. Notably, since the beginning of the 20^th century, the various qualities and characteristics typical of entrepreneurs have been seen in diverse fields, and entrepreneurship has spilled over to governments, social organizations and non-profit institutes. As highlighted in Schumpeter’s definition of “innovation,” the soul of “entrepreneurship” is closely related to innovation, risk-taking, aggressiveness and responsibility. The people we just introduced, Dever, Callahan and Blakeley, were all great entrepreneurs ready and determined to “innovate,” and they all contributed to the promotion of “entrepreneurship.” In this sense, we do call for businessmen, politicians and scholars to embrace the spirit of “entrepreneurship,” whatever endeavor they choose to pursue.

Route 128 had been busy even since it first opened. According to Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization, the daily traffic volume on the route had reached 200,000 by 2010. In rush hours, the congestion can get extremely bad and the air would be filled with all kinds of complaints and horns. At such times, I cannot help but think of the “traffic jam prosperity” theory put forward by Mr. Liu Wei, professor of Economics from Peking University, which I believe may be able to soothe some of the most impatient drivers. The highway too reminds me from time to time of the multiple industrial projects along the highways of Beijing I had worked hard to advocate and advance as mayor and party chief of Changping District: the Future City of Science and Technology, the Zhongguancun Base of Engineering and Technological Innovation, the Life and Science Park, and the Shahe Higher Education Park, among others that formed the Corridor of Northern Beijing High-Tech Industrial Innovation. I have every faith that these projects will bring popularity and crowd, together with the hope of prosperity and progress!

Recently I read an article in the Boston Globe, which was about young workers in Massachusetts showing renewed interest in the colorful urban life and inclination to start businesses or look for jobs in downtown. Such a new trend has led a number of start-up companies to choose their sites and some enterprises along Route 128 to establish branches in the old city. What impacts would this have on the industrial parks along Route 128 and Interstate 495? Will new infrastructure and commercial development projects emerge as a result? It is still too early to tell. Yet there is one thing that we know for sure: the vast traffic with “the spirit of America” engraved on the license plates shall take the Massachusetts economy on to the next route of rationality and maturity.

References:

Bureau of Research and Statistics, Massachusetts Department of Commerce and Development. “Listing of Firms along Route 128.” Boston, 1965.

Earls, Alan R. Route 128 and the Birth of the Age of High Tech. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, c2002.

Hogarty, Richard A. “The Paradox of Public Authorities in Massachusetts: Massport and Masspike.” New England Journal of Public Policy 12.2 (2002): 18-37.

Kenney, Charles and Robert L. Turner. Dukakis: An American Odyssey. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1988.

Mass Moments. Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities. August 22, 2012. <http://www.massmoments.org/moment.cfm?mid=246>

Rosegrant, Susan and David R. Lampe. Route 128: Lessons from Boston’s High-tech Community. New York: Basic Books, c1992.

Saxenian, Annalee. Regional Advantage: Culture and Competition in Silicon Valley and Route 128. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1994.

Tsipis, Yanni and David Kruh. Building Route 128. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, c2003.

A Chinese version of the article can be found at Sina Financial and Economics Blog.

A Journey to Explore Innovation

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Day by day, make it anew.

        —— The book of Rites·The Great Learning

        I had not originally made plans to open a blog like this but was rather encouraged to do so by a good friend. However, once I decided to write a blog, I have given the day it should begin careful consideration. Today, August 26, 2012, is the two-year anniversary of my arrival in the United States to pursue further studies. Being such a significant-to-me date, I chose it to begin this blog. As I reflect on the path that has led me to make the decision to come to the US, I want to summarize the seven hundred and thirty days that I have spent living and working in this foreign land while discussing my future writing and research plans. Mine may seem an unusual life journey revolving as it does around issues pertaining to innovation.

I. Dream of Seven Years

It was as bright as day outside. Breaking free from noise and turbulence we had been experiencing, the plane finally entered into a smooth state. From ten thousand meters high, I gazed down at the sea of clouds. Thousands of thoughts suddenly filled my heart…

In little more than a year after leaving Peking University, the idea of returning grew strong in my heart. At the end of 1999, I was transferred to the Youth League Beijing Committee and appointed deputy secretary, thenceforth launching on my political career, one which from most perspectives seemed to be filled with bright prospects. Compared to gladness from rising through the ranks and to expectations of future promotions, I was more pleased to be given the opportunity to put my educational knowledge to practical use and verification outside the “ivory towers” of academia. The transition from the campus into the “real” world was an exciting one for me, full of joy and even a bit of impatience to achieve success and overcome the challenges inherent to the office of which I had been given charge. Running among endless business meetings and entertainment obligations, growing accustomed to the applause, flattery and smiling faces I encountered as a part of my position, as well as facing successfully the attendant struggles and difficulties my office presented, I seemed, on the surface at least, to be a happy and fortunate young man. Yet, at the same time I often found myself confused and bewildered. The idea of continuing work at a university as a scholar had steadily sprouted in my heart and mind. Such a return to comparatively simple enjoyment as well as a personally fulfilling life, and to do something I truly love while still in my prime did not disappear or even weaken when I was promoted to the office of secretary at the end of 2001.

It was in the summer of 2003 when I made the decision to return to academia. Although I seldom mentioned it to others, I had privately started all kinds of preparatory work. Change is inevitable; and what have to be well chosen are the timing and the manner of goodbye. My return to school is a certain move; and what need to be confirmed are the specific university and research field. In summer 2005 when I finished my dissertation defense for Peking University’s Law School, I formally reported my thoughts to the leadership at Beijing Committee of the Communist Party of China, and fortunately secured their understanding and support. My plan then was to take one year off to study abroad, further my study on the legislation of digital governance- research that I started during my doctoral period, and decide on my future career path upon my return. So, in my spare time, I began taking English courses and contacting overseas universities for application-related matters.

However, things took a twist in spring 2006. With no knowledge in advance, I was sent to work in Changping District. Offered such trust from my superiors and the organization, and seeing the expectations from cadres and people of Changping, I made a commitment in an official talk with the municipal leadership, half a year later, to fully dedicate myself to Changping and put aside for the moment my study plans. Such a promise was completely from my heart and out of my own volition. I have long held the firm belief to accomplish whatever task I have chosen, or those life’s opportunities have presented me, to the very best of my abilities. I want always to be able to move on without regret. I also would like to make sure every time I have performed my responsibilities in such a manner that those following me will not be troubled by things I have left undone or incorrectly done. Besides, I soon discovered Changping District to be wonderfully lovable and very much worth my unreserved devotion. Therefore, in the subsequent four years in Changping, I never brought up the plan of studying abroad again. Yet certainly, I never abandoned those thoughts either.

In June 2010, I at last realized my dream to return to the university. During the four years in Changping, I took the office of governor and party chief, in sequence, and completed the two historical tasks of undertaking the Olympics projects and serving the national holiday celebration. In November 2010, I made a formal application to the parent organization and leadership to leave the office and rejoin the university faculty following a period of study and research. In the first half of 2010, I resigned from office as party chief of Changping, became a member of the county bureau level leadership training class at the Party School of CPC Beijing Committee, and ultimately, joined the faculty of Beijing Normal University… Unhindered as it appeared, the process was full of twists and turns. Yet in general, I was lucky. It was indeed not easy to complete the transformation of identity and change of career with maximum understanding and minimum attention!

The aircraft landed smoothly at Boston Logan International Airport. A couple of days ago, a typhoon passed through the New England region. Although it did not severely affect local residents, the ravages of a summer storm could still be seen upon leaving the terminal. In this dark night of wind and rain, new life began …

II. Studying at Harvard

After a hectic first month, things settled down for the most part. One friend who had business in the States came as promised and brought me six cartons containing about three hundred Chinese books. When attending the welcome dinner arranged by Harvard China Fund, I had my first informal speech in Harvard. The dozen of attendees invited to the dinner party were all institution heads with expertise on China’s issues. Some of them were internationally known Sinologists. I have consequently kept up communications and established good relations with a number of them. In our future conversations, they repeatedly mentioned that  “very impressive” speech I made the other evening.

“… My supervisor once asked me, ‘So many scholars have written so many books and articles, but who really listen to their opinions? Why do you have to join them?’ My answer was, ‘I chose such a transition to scholarship, only to gain happiness and contentment in pursuit of knowledge. I do not care particularly if my opinions are adopted or even my voice heard by others.’ Now, when I am able to see the Harvard motto of ‘VERITAS’ almost every day, I am reassured that I have come to the right place.”

Harvard University, praised as “spiritual home” by many scholars, has now finally become a new starting point in my journey towards knowledge and truth!

Later, I came to see that not just Harvard, but Boston, Massachusetts and even the greater part of Eastern America are all treasure troves to observe and reflect on the nation’s innovation! The position held by some Chinese scholar that “ East America is about politics and West America about innovation” seemed indeed biased and superficial.

I set for myself three tasks for my initial two years at Harvard: reading, observing and thinking.

I finished over one hundred Chinese books, which for the past decade I “had the money to purchase but not the time to read”. I took twelve innovation-related courses at Harvard and MIT as well as participated in nearly a hundred academic activities, large and small. I also collected books and papers needed for writing, and formulated preliminary research ideas and a basic framework for my study.

I visited over ten US cities and towns, and conducted over fifty research-related discussions and interviews. I also had the privilege to borrow a spacious house from a friend. Through access to local communities, I gained in-depth understanding of how Americans truly live their lives. When my elder daughter later joined me in the States, for schooling and medical assistance, my knowledge and thoughts about America’s health care and educational systems was further deepened. In a phrase, what I have harvested in the past two years far exceeded the seeds of my expectations.

With fewer phone calls and barely any banquet requests, I was finally able to enjoy tranquility and freedom. Away from the distractions of a busy social schedule, I was able to hear and listen to the yearnings of my heart. To have adequate time to savor knowledge and truth is surely bliss for me, someone who needs time for contemplation.  A friend came to the States, on a special trip to visit me, to find out how things were going for me. He said to me before his departure, “We were all very worried when you made your choice. We even had a sense of tragedy. But now, having seen for myself how you study and live here, I cannot help but applaud for you.  What you are doing seems heroic!”  I appreciated my friend’s concerns and understanding, but I explained to him, “In fact, it was not tragic then nor heroic now. It is simply that I chose at middle age to have the normal and ordinary life of a scholar.  Such, I think, is a true portrayal of my two years’ at Harvard as a visiting scholar.

III. Aiming at innovation

In the States, I have focused my research on innovation theory and its applications. My goal is to explore the system and mechanism issues involved in constructing an innovative nation. My plan is to spend at least one, and at most three years putting together a piece of academic work, which I trust will have value and which I have tentatively entitled “Innovation in America”. From today on, I will publish my thoughts regularly on this blog, sharing my experiences and insights with all of you, in hope of responses and suggestions. A bird sings out to draw friends!

Such research directions, thoughts and plans were finalized at the beginning of 2009 when I was still in Changping. After working in Changping for one year, I gradually formed the idea of establishing a regional innovation system that integrates industry, learning and research. Centering on this idea, I mobilized forces to carry out lots of research work. While the work was fruitful, I discovered there was a lack of both academic achievements and practical experience in the field. There were too many blank areas. Digging further, I found, in stark contrast with the international community, domestic study on innovation was similar in content and without much depth, making it incredibly difficult to achieve such a lofty goal as building an innovative nation. I am someone who would rather understand something in the most complete fashion possible before taking action than do something before having figured out how. As I comprehended increasingly better about innovation, I find myself more eager than ever to learn still more. Through reconsidering what I had been doing since mid 1990s, I decided to orient my research toward “innovation” following my transition to become a scholar. I am determined to exhaust the rest of my life on a topic with such major theoretical and practical significance.

I taught in Peking University for five years after graduating from its master’s program. My research interests then were higher education and university campus culture. I not only published papers and books, but organized academic seminars as well. During Peking University’s one hundredth anniversary and the celebration of the eightieth anniversary of the “May Fourth” Movement, I called for contemporary youths, especially young college students, to be builders with innovativeness. Such constituted the main theme of my work: to nurture rational builders who “promote innovation and transcend passion”. After taking office at the Youth League Beijing Committee, I again proposed the working mentality of “construction, service, innovation and development”. By advocating turning the Youth League into a learning and service-oriented youth organization, I hoped to achieve the modernization of youth work.

From Peking University to the Youth League and then to Changping, my main line of work had been experimenting with and exploring “innovation”. To integrate other theories and practical issues under the framework of “innovation” was the important goal I assiduously sought after during my later term in Changping. With such thoughts and directions, I became more than ever determined to leave my political post for scholarship and faculty work. For me, it is no problem to have a late start and a slow speed- as long as the direction is correct. Yet, it is very troublesome and too risky to have a high starting point and fast speed if one is heading in the wrong direction. In this sense, grateful as I am to be moving on my life into the field of research and study, a large portion of my heart remains with the colleagues and friends in both the Youth League and Changping. The six years spent working in the Youth League Beijing Committee and the four years in Changping District had blessed me with invaluable experience in youth work and local governance, respectively. In addition, these years not only allowed me to devote my wisdom and labor to a beloved land and community, but also recalibrated the direction for my research. Most importantly, I was made completely fearless in chasing my dreams! I am forever thankful for the Youth League and Beijing’s outstanding youth group! I forever appreciate Changping and its people from the bottom of my heart!

It was too in Changping where I developed my hobbies of climbing mountains, and meditating while walking. I often enjoyed having simple and delicious food at roadside shops and farmyards. Whenever I walk along Charles River or order simple food from the many small restaurants in Harvard Square, I experience a joy similar to that with which I grew accustomed back home! It is the pleasure of delicious food and breathtaking scenery; it is also satisfaction from pursuing “innovation” which I shall blog about to share with you, my friends, in days to come.

Having written thus much and into the wee hours Beijing time. Let’s, without further ado, hit the road at this night-ending moment!

 A Chinese version of the article can be found at Sina Financial and Economics Blog.