Does Your Town Make the Grade?

One of the many reasons we travel is to experience culture and scenery different from the place where we live. We want to see different vistas, hear different accents, taste different cuisines and experience different adventures. But, for all the differences we look for, there are some qualities that consistently make visiting some towns superior to others. We like towns that are easily walkable and have a variety of shops and restaurants. We love towns with beautiful landscaping, parks, green spaces, art displays, murals and creative lighting. We enjoy towns that share their history and preserve historic buildings. We look for towns with a vibrant atmosphere where there are events, festivals, street performers, artists and musicians. Towns that appear well loved and clean are always appealing. Downtowns that not only have shops, restaurants and businesses, but also spaces for living are more interesting. These are the characteristics that make people want to visit and keep them coming back. How does your town stack up? If you award up to 10 points for each of the following components of a great community, does your hometown pass or fail? 

▢ Pedestrian-friendly design:

Does your town have wide sidewalks, well-placed benches, shade trees, well marked crosswalks, and traffic calming measures to prioritize pedestrians? 

▢Variety of businesses:

Does your town have an interesting mix of retail shops, restaurants, cafes, cultural institutions, and offices to cater to different needs and interests?

▢ Public spaces and gathering places:

Are there parks, plazas, green spaces, open squares, and outdoor seating areas where people can relax and socialize? 

▢ Aesthetic appeal:

Are the buildings well-maintained with attractive facades, interesting public art, and landscaping? 

▢ Historic preservation:

Does your downtown have well maintained historic buildings to add character and a sense of place?

▢ Accessibility:

Do you have public transportation options? Do you have bike lanes? Is there convenient parking near your downtown?

▢ Active street life:

When people visit your town, will they find outdoor dining, street performers, events, and activities to create a vibrant atmosphere?  

▢ Community focus:

• Are there events and activities that promote a sense of belonging and connection among residents?

▢ Safety and cleanliness:

Does your town have well-lit streets, visible security presence, and clean sidewalks?

▢ Mixed-use development:

• Does your community have mixed-use buildings with a combination of residential, commercial, and office space to encourage a live-work-play environment? 

  
  

  Add up the scores. Did your town make the grade? Which

  areas need the most improvement? Is anything being done 

  to make improvements to any of the areas? Tell us how your 

  town scores.

A Big Thank You, A Big Step Forward

 When you travel, what kind of towns do you like to visit? Do you prefer drab, sprawling downtowns that are broken up and require driving from place to place or would you rather visit attractive places with wide sidewalks that are easily walkable? Do you visit towns with few shops, restaurants and activities? Do you ever say, Let’s visit this town because I hear they have lots of places to park? Or, maybe,  you say, Wow! Let’s build our vacation around this town because it has fast food and a Dollar General on its parkway.

If you are like my friends and me, you like towns that are easily walkable, towns with lots of shops and restaurants, towns that capitalize on their history and towns that have attractive green spaces that invite you to come in and stay a while. It’s not that parkways and parking aren’t important, but those aren’t the things that attract visitors to come to your town, the things that invite people to DRIVE TO your town instead DRIVE THROUGH. 

Since 2014, Downtown Scottsboro has been working towards giving people a reason to come spend time in our downtown, to make it a place for people to eat, play, shop and live. In 2018, we took a big step forward when we earned Main Street designation. We’ve hosted events that have grown in attendance, worked hard to improve the appearance of our square by planting flowers, weeding flower beds, and hanging flags and strings of twinkling lights on our light poles. Our latest big project has been to design a pocket park with public restrooms, a stage, a water fountain and tables all set in an inviting green space so our community can really enjoy and spend time on our beautiful square. It is a big project and at times we’ve felt we might have bitten off more than we can chew. We’ve gotten a Bynum grant, for which we are really grateful, but we are still a long way from having the money to complete the project. 

Last night, however, we got a big shot in the arm. Our city council voted to allocate $125,000 towards the project. This is huge and not only does it get us closer to our goal, it gives us incentive to keep trying. These council members proved last night that they are forward thinking and dedicated to building a better Scottsboro. Please remember them when it comes time to vote. They want a dynamic downtown, just like we all do. They want thriving businesses, attractive spaces and vibrant events and activities that make people want to come to our town to spend their money and their time, just like we do. So, thank our council members, Richard Bailey, Nita Tolliver, Ralph Dawe, Mike Ashburn and Donna Frederick. We can’t do anything without effective leadership and this council deserves our appreciation. They make hard decisions everyday and with this decision they showed their commitment to building a better and more dynamic downtown. And if you, like us, think a downtown park is something that our town needs, Main Street is happy to accept any donations towards this endeavor. Leadership is vital, but they can’t do it all by themselves. They need our help. We appreciate your support.