There is an argument circulating in my household, put forward by one of my college student sons, that the worst thing that ever happened to Charlottesville was being rated the No. 1 city in America—resulting in people from California with money to burn moving here, paying ridiculous prices for real estate and clogging our streets with their cars, demanding trendy new shopping centers in the county and upscale condos in the city.
While I’m not sure I agree with this premise (although I must admit I cringe when the latest article comes out on what a cool place we are) the reality is that we—not just the city, of course, but also the larger “Charlottesville”—have become a very desirable place to live. With good reason. A bustling pedestrian mall, fabulous restaurants, a vibrant arts and entertainment scene, the natural beauty of the surrounding countryside and the numerous benefits of a top university are just some of the attractions.
Like it or not, people are moving here. Many of the challenges we face as a community are a direct or indirect result of our growing numbers. Gradual infill development in the city adds to the explosive growth of Albemarle and the other surrounding counties. Traffic, noise, pollution, lack of affordable housing, demands on our neighborhoods and the replacement of trees and vegetation by asphalt and buildings are just some of the issues arising from our popularity.
So how do we meet these challenges?
The city needs to become more urban, and the county needs to confront sprawl. All sorts of efficiencies accrue with increased city density, especially the ability of the community to support public transit. At the same time both the City and County need to protect our green areas and natural resources, which is the impetus behind the County’s mountaintop protection, and phasing and clustering ordinances. We also must preserve the historic fabric of our community as we grow—and there must be some limit to how much new retail space our community needs.
We must become a green, sustainable, pedestrian-friendly community. Mixed-use development in the city and the Neigh-borhood Model in the county help, but only if planning supports walking, biking and transit. We need to require green de-sign (like the green roof of the new County Office Building and the LEED-compliant City Transit Center) in the public sector, and encourage it in the private sector. We will all benefit from increased energy efficiencies; the Charlottesville Community De-sign Center is hosting a show this fall on City, County and University efforts. And the City has signed the U.S. Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement to do our part about global warming.
The City, County and University need to find more ways to cooperate. Good news is that we are trending in the right direction on this. The University has dramatically improved community outreach and City involvement in their planning, and contributes significantly (and voluntarily) to landfill cleanup efforts. The University also helps fund housing inspectors for UVA neighborhoods and has been working with City transit to benefit both riderships. The City and County have a number of joint ventures, such as water, solid waste, the jail and school vocational training. We are now considering merging our fire departments and creating a regional transit authority in order to significantly expand transit.
Are there other areas in which we can expand cooperation? Certainly. Schools, social services, maybe even police. And our planning departments and commissions must work closely together to consider the needs of the entire community.
Finally, we cannot leave any of our residents behind. Many families who have been here for generations are finding it harder and harder to remain. We need to expand affordable housing initiatives, including rental. Saving energy and becoming greener must involve all neighborhoods. And we must prepare our students, including adult learners, for the needs of the emerging workforce.
Charlottesville is a great place to live. Can we keep it that way?
David Brown (dbrowndc@gmail.com) is the mayor of Charlottesville.
