They keep trying, don’t they?
On April 13, six local legislators introduced bills "to appropriate funds for identifying and evaluating potential industrial and business sites in Western North Carolina and to begin the development on selected sites" (S893 and H1037). Our rugged and mountainous terrain has always been a deterrent to corporations wishing to relocate here. Companies prefer large expanses of flat land, and these bills would identify and develop the few we do have. The idea, of course, is that more companies mean more jobs. Jobs will provide money, which will fuel the economy, which will lead to prosperity for all.
But that’s just the most recent evidence of this rumbling juggernaut. Economic development has long been "Topic A" among area politicians and business leaders.
Growth is also the message of the Wadley-Donovan Report. Published on November 6, it was titled "Locational Assessment of Asheville/Buncombe County, NC". This study looked at the problems we currently have in the Asheville area, and produced a list of recommendations to address them. In essence, the study suggests that continued growth is the answer. Widely read and cited, it became de facto gospel and has been profoundly influential in charting our region’s future. The study was commissioned by two organizations whose implicit mission is growth: the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Buncombe County Economic Development Commission.
Not content with merely funding a study, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce also runs a campaign called "Advantage Asheville!" Funded by area businesses, its charter is "to continue efforts to promote quality economic growth in the Asheville Area". It has three key strategies:
Except, of course, that it doesn’t work that way.
Who sez?
Eben Fodor, that’s who. Fodor is a professional community planning consultant from Eugene, Oregon. He has just written a book entitled Better Not Bigger: How to Take Control of Urban Growth and Improve Your Community (New Society Publishers, 1999). The internet bookseller Amazon.com gave it a very favorable review: "If you have had enough of endless growth, and want to do something about it, then Better Not Bigger is the resource you've been searching for. Exploding the myth that growth is good for us, this book clearly and convincingly shows how urban growth can, in fact, leave our communities permanently scarred, and saddled with very high costs. Lively, accessible, and packed with insights, ideas, tools, and resources, Better Not Bigger is for both the professional planner and the ordinary citizen."
A reader from Frederick, Maryland gave it five stars. He said, "Maybe I'm not a radical after all. Eben Fodor's book is wonderful. He has given me a way to put my feelings into words—Stop the Growth Machine. Reading this book was like pouring out my heart and soul. I kept finding myself saying ‘Yes!’ as I agreed with so many of the findings of Mr. Fodor. I am so tired of my elected officials saying we must continue growing/developing (and thus ruining) our community to stay economically viable. Better Not Bigger confirms my belief that this is not true. If you are living in one of the many American towns/cities that is experiencing rapid, unchecked development, read this book!"
Chapter 3 is called "The 12 Big Myths of Growth". Most of these myths are so deeply entrenched that people never even question them. However, Fodor refers to authoritative studies showing that just the opposite is true in each case.
Alternately, you can visit http://www.newsociety.com/bnb.html, which is a web site about the book. It features a short synopsis, along with a table of contents, and the entire introductory chapter.
In fact, I’ll go one better. I will buy a copy of this book for any local politician or business leader who asks me. If you would like to see your representative get a copy, please call him or her and tell them to get their order in!