Carson City Chamber luncheon to address creating sense of place

Experts in urban planning agree for a city to be an economic success, a sense of place is the most important element.

A “Soul of the Community” survey, conducted by Gallup in 2010 in 23 cities for the Knight Foundation, found “physical beauty, opportunities for socializing and a city’s openness to all people” ranked more important than jobs and the economy. This soul is called sense of place and differentiates one city from another at a time when planners are creating cookie cutter cities.

Edward T. McMahon wrote in Urbanland,, the Magazine of the Urban Land Institute, “Planners spend most of their time focusing on numbers — the number of units per acre, the number of cars per hours, the number of floors per building. In the future, they will need to spend more time thinking about the values, customs, characteristics and quirks that make a place worth caring about.”

In other words, a place we can all be #CarsonProud.

Arthur Frommer, founder of Frommer travel guides, writes, “Virtually every study of traveler motivations has shown that, along with rest and recreation, visiting scenic areas and historic sites are the top reasons why people travel. Preservation-minded cities like Annapolis, MD; Savannah, GA; Charleston, SC; Santa Fe, NM; and Victoria, British Columbia are among North America’s leading tourism destinations precisely because they have protected their unique architectural heritage. By contrast, cities that have obliterated their past attract hardly any tourists at all.” Strong statement!

On Thursday, May 19, the Carson City Chamber is pleased to bring to the Gold Dust West Robert T. Price, award-winning executive editor of the Bakersfield Californian, Bakersfield’s daily newspaper, and author of “The Bakersfield Sound.”

Mr. Price writes, “Every American city, whether it prides itself on its public sculptures or deep-dish pizza, on hot-air balloons or woolen jackets, on abundant trout streams or Greek architecture, needs to develop that identity, or if it has been allowed to escape, remember what it once was.”

Mr. Price’s book relates the success Bakersfield once had when it was dubbed the Nashville of the West attracting many famous country singers who created the world-renown Bakersfield Sound and how through the years, the vision — and tourism and sense of pride — was lost because of lack of support from city officials who wanted to create a different vision. As a result, Bakersfield is no longer the unique place it once was and is often a “let’s stop here for a minute” town like Carson City often is.

Creating a sense of place requires all to share a vision that sustains and must have local citizen support. Carson City belongs to all citizens and not just a few. You’re invited to hear Mr. Price on Thursday, May 19 while enjoying a great lunch at the Gold Dust West beginning at 11:15 a.m. The cost is $20 per person prior to May 17. Must RSVP to 882-1565. Seats are limited.

Now that Carson City is physically changing, it’s past time to create a sense of place that endures through generations. All the pluses are here and it’s time to weigh in on some “heart and soul planning.” According to the Orton Family Foundation, as many people as possible need to engage in community decision making recognizing special places, characteristics and customs have value.

McMahon asks, “Do you want the character of your city to shape the new development, or do you want the new development to shape the character of the city?”