By Al Litman

It seems that at least once a year or so, the subject of growth comes up.  You don’t hear much about it in large cities that have been established for many years, or those in close proximity to metropolitan areas, but you do when it involves young ,rural communities.  Mesquite is both; young and rural.

Mayor Al Litman

The issues experienced by small towns and rural communities are multiple, ever-changing, and unique to their place.  Slow-growing and shrinking rural areas might find that their policies  are not bringing the prosperity they seek.

Fast growing rural areas are facing increasing development pressures and resultant challenges, such as housing affordability and traffic congestion. 

In addition, many rural areas are struggling with job and labor shortages, or other workforce development issues.

I believe that in order to foster greater resilience, small towns and rural communities are identifying ways to strengthen their economies, in order to provide a better quality of life for its residents and enhance their local assets. 

Mesquite, through its master plan for development, is doing just that.  We are planning where development should or should not go, and where businesses can thrive. 

We are encouraging policies that support walking, biking and public transportation, although a challenge in our hot summers. 

Overall, I believe we are heading in the right direction. 

In doing a little research into these subjects, I observed that some small cities are prospering, while many others are suffering disinvestment, loss of identity and even, in some cases, becoming modern ghost towns. 

The question I looked at first was why some communities are able to maintain their historical character and quality of life in the face of a rapidly changing world, while others have lost the very features that once gave them distinction and appeal.    

Most planners will tell you, and I’m sure you heard it before, if you’re not growing, you are dying. 

So, how can communities both big and small grow without losing their character?

I’m not alone in trying to answer these questions.  From everything I read, communities all over America are struggling to answer these questions.  I’ve read about a lot of different communities all across the country, and came to some conclusions about why some communities succeed, and other fail. 

Many communities have found ways to retain their small-town values, historical character, scenic beauty and sense of community, yet sustain a prosperous economy, and have done it without accepting the kind of cookie-cutter development that has turned many communities into faceless places that young people flee, tourists avoid and which no longer instill a sense of pride in residents. 

Communities can grow by choice or by chance.  Communities with a vision for the future will always be more successful than communities that just accept whatever comes along. 

We have that vision, and in the next month’s article I will elaborate on it further.  We, as a mayor and council have developed that vision, we must follow through, and we will. 

Al Litman is mayor of the city of Mesquite