Revitalizing RutVegas
This week 7 Days featured a great article on Rutland, Vermont. Rutland’s a city with reputation, called “RutVegas” by some and “the armpit of Vermont” by others. But as 7 Day’s Kathryn Flagg reports, Rutland is in the midst of some sort of renaissance. People are moving back and trying to revitalize the downtown. The outcome, though, is unclear:
This leaves Rutland in the position of many small, once-bustling industrial towns in America: casting around for what’s next. Finding that thing — green energy? Local foods? New farms? — and agreeing on it can be tough for a community divided between can-do youngsters and a population segment that’s reticent in the face of change.
In Burlington, Project BTV is trying to involve community members in downtown planning, but with mixed results.
Rejuvenating a town or city is tough work. All across Vermont and the North Country, people are thinking about how to make their communities prosperous, sustainable, nice place to live. I’m wondering–have you seen revitalization efforts at work in your towns? Do you agree with them, and have they worked? What makes a community vibrant?
Large, affordable work spaces for craftsmen, and artist, will usher in the hangers’ on. The hangers’ bring bring the buzz, the buzz brings the curious with expendable cash. Somewhere in the scenario the cute chicks show up.
The cute chicks bring everyone else.
:)
Two Cents,
The cute chicks is why I always argue for topless bars. They will bring the snowmobiles even if there isn’t any snow.
Pete,
I agree.
Hipsters tolerate the depressed area, then the restuarants come, bars, trendy shops, bohemia sprouts…. but you gotta have the women!
Looks shallow on the surface, but that’s because it’s the surface.
As a community planner I do not recall recommending cute chicks as an element to revitalizing a community. On a serious note, communities that have undergone successful rejuvenation efforts started with strong local support and relentless volunteer efforts. Even communities with strong planning and economic development offices, nothing takes the place of local businesses owners and interested citizens working together to improve their community.
OK then Mathew have at it!
South Beach Miami, Brooklyn, and before that the Village in NYC all turned around with gentrification starting with the artists identifying with the community, as affordable for them, and then leading the way to real estate developement by those who would not have given the area in question a second look for investment or raising a family.
The chicks comment was tongue in cheek, of course, but plan all you want!
What City Planners can’t plan is an initial attraction for the area. That is a whim of the people. A thriving artistic community and a Bohemian atmosphere attract investors. Whaat you’re talking about is phase two, after the pioneers.
Two Cents – I did get the joke. And yes, some communities begin to revitalize through a surge of “artists” who find the community affordable and the rest is history. However, this is not the solution to every community and residents would be ill-advised to await the hipsters. For 99% of the communities, especially in rural areas, it will require a mix of arts, cultural, tourism, recreation and local industry to reach a level of economic sustainability and improved quality of life.
My point was that a community bent on improving itself must take the first steps to set the stage. If that is to attract artists then zoning may need to be modified to permit this in areas of the community desired and to allow mixed-use development. In other communities, a focus on parks, open space and recreation within walking distance of the major population centers is another good starting element. Others, it is facilitating the reuse of vacant, underutilized and contaminated properties through feasibility studies and marketing. With that said, the first step is local support and local initiative. As a planner, my focus is to help the community come up with solutions that best fit their situation.