Why does smart growth matter to Memphians?
Smart growth matters to Memphians more than anyone, because they largely have paid the costs of sprawl. Over the past 30 years, it has been Memphians who have paid for the new roads and schools outside of Memphis. It is the same sprawl that led Shelby County Government to the brink of bankruptcy before I implemented a serious plan to manage expenses, cut jobs, and to reduce the county debt. With the new Unified Development Code that we have written, smart growth principles will guide development and zoning in the future. That means that Memphis neighborhoods will be given incentives to remain healthy and vibrant and developers will be given incentives to invest in Memphis neighborhoods and to help make them successful. Q: Is Sustainable Shelby about smart growth? A: Sustainable Shelby is the community-wide process that I began to develop our first plan to make our community sustainable. It’s about smart growth and it’s about encouraging the kind of decisions that makes thriving neighbo
