One thing that became quickly clear during last week's forum with Yale urban designers on the future of Fort Trumbull is that New London doesn't have a plan for what development it wants to occur there.Yes, there is the 10-year-old Municipal Development Plan, which the city successfully and famously defended before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Yes, there is the 10-year-old Municipal Development Plan, which the city successfully and famously defended before the U.S. Supreme Court.But the MDP is more a set of guidelines than a precise blueprint for development and is actually quite flexible, John Brooks of the New London Development Corp., suggested during the forum.

But the MDP is more a set of guidelines than a precise blueprint for development and is actually quite flexible, John Brooks of the New London Development Corp., suggested during the forum.And of course the MDP was initially created to accommodate Pfizer, with a hotel the company had promised to help fill and office space for a related biotech industry that was going to incubate in the neighborhood.

And of course the MDP was initially created to accommodate Pfizer, with a hotel the company had promised to help fill and office space for a related biotech industry that was going to incubate in the neighborhood.Well, Pfizer's leaving, there's a glut of office space everywhere, including the soon-to-be-vacant Pfizer office towers, and the MDP is really a plan in name only.

Well, Pfizer's leaving, there's a glut of office space everywhere, including the soon-to-be-vacant Pfizer office towers, and the MDP is really a plan in name only.That means the city's development strategy for Fort Trumbull is essentially to wait and see if some developer might come along.

That means the city's development strategy for Fort Trumbull is essentially to wait and see if some developer might come along. And what the city finally gets there is whatever someone decides to propose.

And what the city finally gets there is whatever someone decides to propose.That's the bad news.

That's the bad news.The good news is that, with changing leadership in the city, and the bucket of cold water from Pfizer's pullout still drying on everyone's faces, there seems to be some new enthusiasm building to consider mapping out a future for Fort Trumbull.

The good news is that, with changing leadership in the city, and the bucket of cold water from Pfizer's pullout still drying on everyone's faces, there seems to be some new enthusiasm building to consider mapping out a future for Fort Trumbull.Deputy Mayor Adam Sprecace, deploying as much leadership as the city has seen in a long time, helped The Day's Editorial Board assemble an interesting and interested group for last week's forum, including all the new faces on the City Council.

Deputy Mayor Adam Sprecace, deploying as much leadership as the city has seen in a long time, helped The Day's Editorial Board assemble an interesting and interested group for last week's forum, including all the new faces on the City Council.He opened the session with a call for a new beginning.

He opened the session with a call for a new beginning."My ultimate goal is not looking backward, but looking forward," Sprecace said. "Now is the time to come together as a community and define just what we're going to do.

"My ultimate goal is not looking backward, but looking forward," Sprecace said. "Now is the time to come together as a community and define just what we're going to do."I'm excited about today because I see this as a line in the sand, marking a point where everyone can move forward on the issue."

"I'm excited about today because I see this as a line in the sand, marking a point where everyone can move forward on the issue."Not much later, almost as if on cue, Kathleen Mitchell, long one of the most outspoken critics of the NLDC, threw down an olive branch, allowing that the agency has done a lot of good, from creating waterfront walkways and public access to environmental remediation.

Not much later, almost as if on cue, Kathleen Mitchell, long one of the most outspoken critics of the NLDC, threw down an olive branch, allowing that the agency has done a lot of good, from creating waterfront walkways and public access to environmental remediation. Mitchell also observed wryly that maybe it's fortunate the city didn't ultimately create a biotech office park around Pfizer, now that Pfizer is on the way out.

Mitchell also observed wryly that maybe it's fortunate the city didn't ultimately create a biotech office park around Pfizer, now that Pfizer is on the way out.The featured guest of the forum was Alan Plattus, founder of the Yale Urban Design Workshop, who seems to be just what the doctors might order up for New London and its redevelopment woes.

The featured guest of the forum was Alan Plattus, founder of the Yale Urban Design Workshop, who seems to be just what the doctors might order up for New London and its redevelopment woes.In his remarks to the group, Plattus proved himself not only well versed in his field but a good listener, someone who appears genuinely curious to learn more about what people in the community might want.

In his remarks to the group, Plattus proved himself not only well versed in his field but a good listener, someone who appears genuinely curious to learn more about what people in the community might want.He also seems energetic and enthusiastic and confident about the prospects for interesting development at Fort Trumbull, a kind of place he suggested that people might some day go out of their way to visit.

He also seems energetic and enthusiastic and confident about the prospects for interesting development at Fort Trumbull, a kind of place he suggested that people might some day go out of their way to visit.The workshop, he said, uses the design process to help organize the community.

The workshop, he said, uses the design process to help organize the community."The way we work with people is to help them visualize what might happen," he said. "We're not interested in plans or pretty pictures that sit on someone's shelf."

"The way we work with people is to help them visualize what might happen," he said. "We're not interested in plans or pretty pictures that sit on someone's shelf."City Councilor Martin Olsen seemed to recognize the wisdom of turning to someone like Plattus to help map the future.

City Councilor Martin Olsen seemed to recognize the wisdom of turning to someone like Plattus to help map the future."I'm here to seek some common ground," Olsen said. "Having a third party may be a good thing, to help break the gridlock and stalemate we've had here."

"I'm here to seek some common ground," Olsen said. "Having a third party may be a good thing, to help break the gridlock and stalemate we've had here."The session kicked up some interesting ideas for Fort Trumbull, from a seaside village on the order of Stonington Borough to mixed-use loft buildings with combined business and residential spaces.

The session kicked up some interesting ideas for Fort Trumbull, from a seaside village on the order of Stonington Borough to mixed-use loft buildings with combined business and residential spaces.But before those or any other ideas can begin to coalesce, the city needs to take the next step toward developing a plan for Fort Trumbull.

But before those or any other ideas can begin to coalesce, the city needs to take the next step toward developing a plan for Fort Trumbull.Surely there's some money somewhere in the budget to hire the Yale workshop, especially since some grant money can probably be found to cover a lot of the fairly modest cost.

Surely there's some money somewhere in the budget to hire the Yale workshop, especially since some grant money can probably be found to cover a lot of the fairly modest cost.And now is a great time to start planning, so that developers will know exactly what kind of community-pleasing project to propose, when the economy starts to turn.

And now is a great time to start planning, so that developers will know exactly what kind of community-pleasing project to propose, when the economy starts to turn.The city would be creating not only a development blueprint, but a marketing plan, too.

The city would be creating not only a development blueprint, but a marketing plan, too.

This is the opinion of David Collins.