Investing in Land

It may be 75 miles from Greensboro, North Carolina to Cary (a suburb to the Tar Heel State’s capital of Raleigh) but the two towns are in synch on the need to create clearer and accessible land development guidelines.  Whatever the current state of the economy, City leaders and citizens are looking to the future.

In Greensboro, according to the News-Record, an update of the city’s land development rules is headed to the City Council for approval.  “The goal of the rewrite is to make the ordinance easier to understand and use for everyone, from developers to residents affected by re zonings.”

In Cary, the process is not as far along, but is headed in the same direction.  According to the Cary Citizen newspaper a set of town hall meetings are being held that “will be used to further revise the proposed draft plan before the county or the town hold official public hearings in Spring 2010…”

In keeping with the move to regionalize development plans, the Cary eff0rt is being done in conjunction with Chatham County.

The city of Greensboro, North Carolina is in the midst or re-thinking its development future.  The program, called “Connections 2025,” seeks, according to local media reports, to provide “more flexibility on standards and encourages more urban infill and mixed-use developments…”

The program’s mission is stated clearly:

“Our Vision of Greensboro and its environs in the Year 2025 is one in which the City is recognized throughout the nation as an exceptional place in which to live, work, play and nurture future generations. It is this exceptional livability which defines our identity, contributes to our civic pride, and offers opportunities for all to participate fully in community life. We have achieved our vision by retaining and building on our heritage, embracing positive growth and change, and by balancing our priorities.”

The key point is made by “embracing positive growth.”

“Smart” is not at odds with “growth” in Greensboro.  There is a chance that in other cities, the need to The need to grow smart is not at odds