Ed McMahon, Senior Resident Fellow, Urban Land Institute
Keynote Dinner Speaker
Ed McMahon was the keynote speaker for the Your Town planning workshop. His presentation looked at the broader issue of how to retain a sense of place while building a successful, sustainable community.
America is a leader in environmental protection but, in spite of this, the character of our country side is disappearing. People need a sense of place and the ability to connect with the environment. It is possible to grow without destroying the things we love.
Why do people oppose new development? People oppose new development because they have become accustomed to the conventional pattern of development we have experienced in the United States since the early 20th century. People also oppose new development because some areas - environmentally sensitive and historic - are less suited for development than others. It is vitally important that we protect our historic and environmentally sensitive areas because they help to foster a sense of place.
Community planning should have three goals: healthy environment, vigorous economy and a vibrant community. Walking is the number one outdoor recreation in America and in North Carolina. Therefore, towns should be more pedestrian-friendly. Studies have shown that trees increase property value and they decrease temperature by up to nine degrees. They increase financial returns and are good for the environment. Designing narrower streets can also increase public safety, protect the environment and decrease the cost of homeownership.
People like to live near open space; this is why country clubs and golf courses are such popular places to live in. Most people who live in country clubs do not even play golf. Golf courses are closing all across America because they are too expensive to build and maintain. On the other hand, regular open space is relatively inexpensive. Open space creates value. The most valuable real estate in New York City is next to Central Park.
The image of a community is fundamental to its economic wellbeing. The more eastern North Carolina looks like the rest of America, the less people will have a desire to visit. Scenic areas have a monetary value because people are willing to pay for them. Saving historic buildings is about saving the heart and soul of a community; it is also about saving the economy.
So what are we building today that will be worth saving? Winston Churchill once said "We shape our buildings then our buildings shape us." New construction should enhance the existing community. Sameness is not a plus, it is a negative. Chain stores will do whatever they have to do to in order to build where they want. Small towns have a lot more leverage when dealing with franchises than they think. Strip retail is retail for the last century; commercial strips are ugly and congested. They are not sustainable if visitors have an alternative. In order to get the alternative, towns must have design standards in place.
The secrets of a successful community include the following.
- Develop a vision for your community.
- Inventory your assets and resources.
- Develop and build plans around the inventory you have developed.
- Do not rely only on regulation to accomplish you goals; use education, incentives and partnerships.
- Commit to picking and choosing among development proposals; do not settle.
- Cooperate with neighbors for mutual proposals. Do not try to go it alone.
- Consider aesthetics as well as ecology and economics when establishing design standards and considering development proposals.
- Work with the local volunteers to have a quality of life lobby in your community.
It's never too late; communities deteriorate one project at a time. Be willing to invest in your own community. After all, why would anyone invest in a community that won't invest in itself? Ask yourself, do you want new development to shape the character of eastern North Carolina or do you want the character of eastern North Carolina to shape new development?
Ed McMahon
1025 Thomas Jefferson Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 624-7004
fax (202) 624-7140
email: emcmahon@uli.org
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