Kathy Galvin: The Architect
Galvin ran a successful City Council campaign on the message of intelligent design, an idea she promoted through her slogan “Greener, Smarter, Stronger by Design.” She believes that developing the city’s growth and entrance corridors appropriately and giving residents the ability to become self-sufficient will help narrow the “pervasive” income and wealth gaps that are present in the community.
“By Design means that the streets are gracious and elegant with bikes and pedestrians, that it is active with opportunity for both businesses and for residents so that the city is not so totally dependent on driving in new business, but people are actually living here to sustain them.”
“Density, which is a word that people are very concerned about, is not something that is an end in itself, but it’s a means to an end and that is to provide great transportation, provide great economic vitality, greater access to economic opportunity for everybody in the city.”
“We would do a disservice to the community and to the neighborhoods if we did not get them involved in a very big way with their future. The government is supposed to provide the tools and techniques to facilitate dialogue. The vision is a shared vision, we as a city need to make sure that we have the very best tools. It’s our responsibility to get this ball rolling.”
Satyendra Huja: The Planner
Huja, who was easily re-elected to City Council as the top vote getter, has worked with the city as its Director of Planning for more than 30 years. In his first term on City Council, Huja supported a neighborhood and housing revitalization initiative that included the approval of the first Single Room Occupancy (SRO) project on Preston Avenue and the redevelopment of public housing. He also championed a more bike friendly Charlottesville.
“I think what we need to do is to strengthen the alternative modes of transportation. More people will use it and won’t need to use cars as much. Second, we need to develop an interlink network of bikeways. If they are interlinked and safe, more people will ride it.”
“Another thing that is important for me is the issue of poverty. There are people in our community who need help. They need job training and need jobs so they can support themselves. A maybe too ambitious a goal, but I would love to see poverty eliminated in our community. People say it’s a pipe dream, but every dream has to start somewhere.”
“The city can help in the process, but people have to cooperate with us, businesses have to cooperate with us.”
