After last fall’s election, a group of your neighbors who are concerned about the future of Raleigh got together. All of us thought that Raleigh had been doing great under the leadership of previous City Councils. Our wonderful city has been recognized time and time again as one of the best places for this or that in national and international rankings; from one of the best cities for starting a business to one of the best places to live.
We have been blessed with excellent leaders who have listened to Raleigh citizens, encouraged our active involvement, and moved our city forward to be amongst the best of the best. How we got here didn’t happen by accident; it was intentional involvement of Raleigh city government with residents in neighborhoods all across our city.
Livable Raleigh is a group of your neighbors who love Raleigh like you do, and we believe that great cities are a collection of great neighborhoods. So what does that mean? To answer that question, let’s start by defining what we mean by “neighborhoods.”
First of all, there are all kinds of neighborhoods comprised of many types of housing. Some neighborhoods are predominately single-family homes; while others have duplexes and apartments mixed in. There are neighborhoods comprised of mid-rise and high-rise apartments and condominiums. Other neighborhoods are more horizontal in nature, and include town-homes and smaller apartment buildings. There are neighborhoods with homes very close together, while others are spread out on large lots. Some neighborhoods are a mix of families, single people, and senior citizens; while others are mostly one group or the other. All of these can be healthy, successful neighborhoods if designed right and carefully nurtured over the years.
Secondly, what do we mean by “great?” For some that could mean living in a neighborhood where they can walk to work, get groceries without getting in a car, and walk to restaurants. For others that might mean living on a quiet street with other families where it is safe for their children to play outside. Whether we go down an elevator to walk outside, or just open our front door, all of us want to live in comfortable communities that enhance our lifestyle.
Livable Raleigh is about win-win solutions for how Raleigh grows and develops; equitable solutions that enhance the quality of life for all of our residents (people of all ages, races, incomes, ethnicities, religions, gender identities, and sexual orientations). We don’t believe there needs to be a neighborhood versus developer dynamic. After all, the development process makes possible the very places where we live! And we care about our neighbors — which is what great neighborhoods are really about. We are not NIMBY versus YIMBY. We want to build on what we have, not tear it down. We want to build up along transit corridors, not spread out. We are for smart growth that builds on what has made Raleigh such a wonderful place to live.
Let’s build on our success; please get involved!
If you want Raleigh to be the best it can be, please share this website with your friends and follow our blog. Get involved by attending City Council and Committee meetings. The Resources page on the Livable Raleigh website has quite a few links that you will find useful. There you will find links to City Council meeting schedules and what will be discussed. Sign up for MyRaleigh Subscriptions, a free, subscription-based service provided by the City. For more information about us, to learn about how to volunteer with Livable Raleigh, or to get on our mailing list, please email LivableRaleigh@gmail.com. Raleigh is a wonderful place to live because of citizen involvement; let’s continue the tradition!
– Michael Lindsay
Livable Raleigh Communications Committee Chair