Well, let me first say that this blog is going really well! We are starting to reach the point where people are yelling at me for my entries!
Yes, I do actually mean that. It doesn't take a genius to tell you that debate on any issue is good and absolutely necessary in order to ensure that your position is correct and your arguments are sound. I welcome anyone disagreeing with me and making their disagreement heard.
Anyways, a recent comment is the inspiration to this entry. The comment was: "Is this the job of the Chamber of Commerce....to force people and businesses back to the cities?"
It is a fair question, actually, though I don't think its fair to entirely apply to it to the Chamber. What is the job of an urban revitalization and smart growth effort? Is it government trying to force people to live in cities? Are the Chamber and other Main Street organizations trying to tell people where they can live?
The answer is a resounding NO. NO NO NO. I cannot stress that enough. Since when does improving a city mean that we are trying to force people to live in them? Nothing could be further from the truth.
My job, and the job of others like me, is to make cities better places to live, work, shop and play. We believe that cities are outstanding places and deserving of the resources provided to them. Throughout history, urban centers have served as the very cradle of civilization. They are centers of government, business, commerce, education and culture. Regardless of their size, urban areas have a mix of uses and a density that establishes a sense of community. When planned properly, cities are also environmentally friendly, have multiple modalities of transportation and are capable of sustainable living.
And, just as cities have always thrived, so too have other types of communities. Personally, I'm a fan of cities. I love the sense of community, that everything is close together, the professionalized government services, the vibrancy and the culture. I believe that the good far outweighs the bad and I want to dedicate my life towards ensuring that my community continues to improve. I love in Allentown and cannot wait to become a homeowner and raise a family there.
That being said, the Main Street approach fully understands that urban life is not for everyone. If someone prefers to live in a suburban or rural community, okay. No one who works in urban redevelopment would ever dream of stopping someone or forcing them to live in a community that they did not wish to be a part of.
That being said, it is the goal of those countless community organizers involved in urban revitalization to ensure that our cities are the best place imaginable. We want cities to be viable living and working options for people from all walks of life, and that is our goal: to make cities better places. Not to force anyone to live there.
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2 comments:
While I agree that no one wants to force anyone to live anywhere they do not want to, I think it is important to remember that development is a zero sum game. Without subsidized fuel, roads, and housing development, the suburbs would be prohibitively expensive for most people while an urban existence would be more efficient and therefore more cost effective. The idea that urban living is sustainable suggests that suburban is not and therefore that suburban living will need to shrink to accommodate denser urban communities. The current policy seems to be to "force" people into the suburbs with prohibitive zoning and suburban oriented traffic management in what would otherwise be attractive, walkable urban communities. I don't think we can move forward with urban issues until we recognize that good urban policy will have some negative impact on suburban life. just as good traffic management would make it harder or more expensive to drive while making it easier to bike, walk and ride mass transit.
Mike,
The best description I can ever give is that the Main Street Organization doesn't prompt anybody to do anything. What it does is lay the ground work for the free market to entice shoppers, investors and residents to desirable places. Gov't, Main Street Organizations or chambers don't do that in and of themselves but they can help to create an environment that does.
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