This post is written by Charles Santo, Ph.D, at City & Regional Planning
School of Urban Affairs & Public Policy at The University of Memphis:
Maybe you’ve seen it around town – the bumper sticker with the simple and curious message: Live Where You Live. (If not, be on the lookout.) Live Where You Live is campaign in its infancy stage, spearheaded by the Coalition for Livable Communities –and it’s our thought for Memphis in 2009.
What is Live Where You Live?
It’s a call for resolve, for commitment, and for behavior that supports livability (or sustainability, if that’s your word of choice) in Memphis.
First, Live Where You Live means supporting your community by becoming an advocate — and by living your life locally: shopping, eating, playing in your neighborhood.
In today’s recession, supporting local businesses is more important than ever to the health of our city’s economy. The local shop or restaurant might cost a bit more than the national chain, but more of the money spent at the local place stays in the local economy. And when you shop locally you are supporting your neighbors and sustaining the local character that makes Memphis unique. (Don’t get me wrong. There are many conscientious franchisees in Memphis whose businesses support and sponsor community organizations and events. Those businesses clearly deserve our support, too.)
Live Where You Live also means encouraging Memphians who might otherwise run away from the problems of the city to stand firm — to stay and face those challenges in their city and in their neighborhoods.
We are not naïve. We realize that Memphis has real problems that require more than just a pep talk. But the long term solutions all require us to find ways to keep talented people here, and to promote a vibrant central city. We’ve seen too many talented people – people drawn to Memphis by short-term opportunities that exist at La Bonheur, St. Jude’s, UT Medical Center and the University of Memphis – leave town at the first chance because we essentially express to them that Memphis not good enough. We let them get the story of Memphis from the local media and think that it’s the whole story. And we’ve seen too many people who feel like the only way the can live in Memphis is to live outside of Memphis. We cannot have a sustainable community if we cannot contain or footprint.
A commitment to this city — like any city — involves risk and raises legitimate concerns; especially for those raising families. (A vibrant community needs households of every type, and we know that singles, young couples, and empty-nesters have their concerns, too.) While recognizing this, we believe that more people would be more willing to make the commitment to Memphis if they knew they were not alone in doing so. There is strength in numbers.
So think of this campaign as an effort to build a support group. Live Where You Live is not an explicit call for government action, but rather a clean and simple grassroots effort to find a tipping point, where the desire to stay is the norm.
We have plenty of opportunities to vent about the negatives, and many good forums (such as this one) for dialogue about solutions. The purpose of Live Where You Live is to provide a forum to celebrate the good, recognize what is worth preserving, and mark the reasons that Memphis is worth fighting for.
How to Help: Sport a Bumper Sticker, Tell a Friend, Share a Story
The Coalition for Livable Communities is asking you to join us in letting others know you are willing to LIVE WHERE YOU LIVE!
Share your stories with us. Tell us what you love about your neighborhood, how you get involved in your community, how you live locally, or what makes you feel good about Memphis. We’ll post your stories on the Live Where You Live website, which will be a place for positivity, hope and encouragement.
Share as much or as little as you’d like — there’s no formula.
Whether you represent South Main or South Memphis, Cooper-Young or Cordova, High Point Terrace or Hickory Hill, or anywhere in between, our fortunes are all tied together.
Let us know why you are willing to Live Where You Live — and help build a commitment to a livable Memphis.
Send your story to livewhereyoulive@gmail.com. And we’ll send you a Live Where You Live bumper sticker.
For more information, visit www.livablememphis.org, or www.livablememphisstories.org.
