|
Webb Calls For Greater Metro Investment At National Livability Forum, Conference President Urges Urban/Suburban Partnership In a major policy address to
the nation’s leading advocates on city livability, Conference President
and Denver Mayor Wellington E. Webb emphasized the economic benefits of
strengthening America’s cities, as well as gains central cities might
achieve through regional collaboration. Webb delivered his address in
Memphis at an October 20 national forum on regionalism, sponsored in part
by the Partnership for Livable Cities. The three-day conference,
“Crossing the Line: National Leadership Forum on Regional Strategies,”
was attended by about 450 livability policy advocates from across the
country. Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton introduced Webb at the keynote
luncheon, praising him as one of the nation’s top mayors. In his remarks Webb stressed
the need for a national effort to preserve and build upon existing
financial investments in metropolitan areas. “It’s cheaper to use
vacant land in existing cities where there is already infrastructure,
where there are already services, than [to build] new roadways, new
highways for developers by taking farm lands,” Webb said. “I think we
have a growing number of voters in newer suburban communities who hate
sprawl as much as people in cities.” Webb suggested that a renewed
partnership might be formed between central city and suburban interests in
regions across the country, much as The United States Conference of Mayors
has done at the national level through its long-standing partnership with
the National Association of Counties. Mayor Webb also stressed the
importance of downtown revitalization: “It’s my personal belief that
whether we like it or not, perceptions of one’s city are determined by
how its downtown looks.” Housing should receive priority emphasis in
downtown redevelopment, Webb said, citing cases in which Denver has
provided incentives for developers to offer a mixture of affordable and
market-rate housing. “I never subscribed to the theory of ‘build the
retail first and then the people will follow,’ ” Webb said. “My
theory is always ‘build the housing first and the retail will follow the
housing.’ ” Webb also called for increased
flexibility in federal government policy toward cities, to allow
flexibility to deal with metropolitan issues, as opposed to federal
prescriptions of one-size-fits-all program. He further stressed that every
city, even one with a good overall economy, has some neighborhoods and
areas that are economically distressed; resource investments in these
areas, Webb maintained, would not only benefit individual communities but
would serve to spur continued national economic growth. Webb calls for a
new national initiative to provide cities with resources to develop these
‘untapped markets.” |
 Return to Previous Page
|
