Dream City...

We all (I think) have a dream or vision of what our community could and should be.

When I was in college, I worked on a project that related to planning. The way our cities evolve over time is a beautiful, organic (if chaotic) process of trial and error. Even planning, as noble a profession as it is, and as necessary for the development of the community, has limitations. We cannot formulate a series of iron-clad laws and regulations that will force people into doing the will of the planner. We are ultimately responsible to the elected officials of the community, who in turn are responsible to their constituents. The planner acts as the fulcrum or pivot, balancing the needs and goals of the community against what has been gleaned from other experiences in other places. It's an interesting process, with almost no real parameters and where outcomes are always in a state of flux.

But there are certain elements of a strong community that are ubiquitous. Things such as provision of services, transportation, shopping, employment and education opportunities, and other basic infrastructure elements establish the foundation, to which are added the equally important but often overlooked things like parks, recreation, library services, arts and cultural opportunities, and community celebrations and festivals. All of these things are vital to the success of any community. These things provide opportunities for growth - goals can be made which will direct development of plans, objectives, and steps to move forward with achieving the goals.

So I would like to know specific elements of YOUR dream city or community. Where have you been that you really loved? What was it about the place that made it memorable? How can we generate that same kind of thing here in Mont Belvieu?

Please let me know what you think!