Emily Trenholm heads the Community Development Council in Memphis:
Thinking back on 2008 and ahead to 2009, my desire for our city and county is that we not let our economic woes slow our momentum in creating a more livable and sustainable community.
In recent years, several new initiatives have taken shape that promise to make our city healthier, more attractive, and economically viable, including Sustainable Shelby, Greening Greater Memphis, and the long-awaited Unified Development Code, among others.
Even when our economy was more robust, such efforts often were viewed as frivolous and not worthy of our time and energy, as compared to the (very real) problems of crime and schools. Now that foreclosures and unemployment are rising, and tax revenues falling, it will be even more tempting to put these initiatives on the back burner to await a better day.
Let’s not do that.
Even as we turn our attention to helping those that need the most, we must also maintain our positive momentum in areas that promise to deliver long-term benefits to all of our citizens, help attract new businesses and residents, and shape the growth and development of our community in a manner that supports our urban neighborhoods in addition to our suburban communities.
