Wednesay afternoon, against much protest on my part, I was kidnapped and taken off to the
New River Valley Competitiveness Center for a meeting. The name of the meetings was the "Sustainable Land Development Community Meeting". It was sponsored by the
New River Valley Planning District Commission and
Sustainable Blacksburg. (Yes, I am sure that there are some out there who are saying "if you like Blacksburg so much, why don't you move there! I've heard that ad nauseum. The reality is that if you look really, really close we're all just human beings regardless of where we choose to live.)
I had more than a few concerns about what I would hear and see at the meeting. I rather imagined it would be one of those typically boring lecture 'thingies' with a few minutes for a few select individuals to address their particular concerns.
WAS I EVER WRONG!!!! This was an incredible meeting! People from all reaches of the New River Valley were present representing a wide variety of interests and passions. Each of these people had one thing in common a desire to see 'sustainable land development' in their area and in the New River Valley as a whole.
For a bit of background let me direct you to the
Wikipedia definition of sustainable development: (there are about a gazillion other definitions available on the internet)
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use that aims to meet human needs while preserving the
environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but in the indefinite future. The term was used by the
Brundtland Commission which coined what has become the most often-quoted definition of sustainable development as
development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
[1]
The field of sustainable development can be conceptually broken into three constituent parts: environmental sustainability, economic sustainability and sociopolitical sustainability.
The first section gave an opportunity for people who have been involved in this process of 'sustainable land development' an opportunity to bring everyone information on specific projects in the works. This was a very informative session, particularly as the presenters discussed their challenges/obstacles as well as their successes. There was enough background information provided to give the newer participants (myself included) up-to-date on the evolution of this process. (The Town of Christianburg was represented by Barry Helms, Assn't. Town Manager and by Nichole Hair, Planner. Montgomery County was notable due to its absence of representation.)
The big surprise was in the second section where the large group was allowed to break-off into one of 8 specific areas of interest. As with any group of people, each one brings his/her own individual concerns and issues. This is even more pronounced when you are addressing issues of both rural and urban areas at the same time. I found myself in a group of people who were all willing to acknowledge and embrace the unique needs of different jurisdictions while simultaneously working hard to find the 'common ground' shared by all. A REGIONAL APPROACH! A SYSTEMS APPROACH!!! Each jurisdiction represented discussed issues that were different from every other jurisdiction. However, as the discussion unfolded, it became clear that they also had a great deal in common. The 'common ground' was used to form a platform from which to proceed at a regional level. From this platform, further work can be done, in a unified approach, with respect for the differences that maintain the integrity of each unique jurisdiction.
I anticipate that this group of people along with whoever joins them in the future will come up with some wonderful ways of working together in a manner that maximized the potential for all of the New River Valley while simultaneously preserving and protecting those features that keep each jurisdiction unique.
They were not talking about a lot of 'fancy ideas' and impossible dreams. They were talking about reality based issues addressing the concerns of today in anticipation of the needs of tomorrow. Most of the ideas discussed showed that these were simply people with the ability to think in terms of the long-term impact of daily life and how to preserve the qualities that they like best about the region for future generations.
This is not a group that is looking for short-term, knee-jerk responses to 'in vogue' issues. These people are taking a hard look at what is possible to sow today and nurture over time into a future that is financially, physically, emotionally, and politically healthy!
If any of you have the time and inclination, I highly suggest contacting either of these two agencies (see links above) to find out when the next meeting is and plan on attending. I heard some wonderful ideas that could have a significant economic impact on the region while preserving our natural heritage.
Kudos to Mr. Helms and Ms. Hair for representing the Town of Christiansburg at this important meeting.