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December 2005

No Gain In Looking Like Everybody Else
By Cynthia W. Bledsoe
Executive Director, The Greater Towson Committee

Development should not and does not need to come at the expense of losing the essential character of a community.   Is a place that looks like every other place any place to be proud o or a place you want to go?    These are certainly not the places that attract employers, residents or shoppers and diners to any degree.

Communities and towns that keep a sense of place give each of us a sense of belonging.   Most of us go to work each day, not for the love of money, but to provide for and ensure a certain quality of life for ourselves and our families.

Change is inevitable but progress is not. Progress comes with smart planning and development.   But, we need not start from scratch.   Why not learn by the mistakes other communities and towns have made?  

For example, Ed McMahon, land use planning expert of the Urban Land Institute, suggests, "Development is not the problem. It is the patterns of development -- where you put it, how you arrange it and what it looks like."   He goes on to say, "The distinguishing characteristics of some of our existing retail developments are their undisguised ugliness."   McMahon, who is currently a senior fellow at the Urban Land Institute in Washington, D.C., previously spent 14 years directing land-use planning at The Conservation Fund.   He questions if every chain store and restaurant has to look alike, and answers his own question with a profound, "No."

There is no doubt that the more sameness in a community, the less competitive advantage the area will have. Sameness not only is not a plus. Sameness is a minus.   Good design is good business. Every company looking to develop or expand will have a plan A, a plan B and a plan C. Most will do whatever they have to in order to get into what they believe to be an economically prosperous area. But, existing local business, government and community individuals should recognize the every plan C should be different.   Why?   Because every place is different.

This can be especially powerful in Towson, as we strive to bring the hustle and bustle to our area.   One real dividend in achieving that is defining our character, making for a real destination.   This is referred to as the "place-making" concept.   When we build a destination with a strong sense of place, this translates in to people coming in and staying longer.   What does that equal?   More money spent, of course.  

Why do you think there is such a passion surrounding the rebuilding of New Orleans?   Aside from the obvious horror of the personal tragedy of people losing their homes and loved ones, New Orleans has an incredibly strong sense of character and a soul larger than most U.S. cities.   People from all over are drawn to its sense of place.   It is a destination.

Towson will never be a major tourist destination, but by defining our character and creating our own sense of place, we will attract the types of businesses, workers, residents and guests that will make for a thriving town.   Many new opportunities are on the horizon that will give us the chance for our own place-making.    Working together, we can make Towson the place to be.   See you there!

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