Somewhere in our collective psyche lies the illusion that we must possess extraordinary knowledge or skill to access the greatness that’s around us. Whether it is our dream job, our dream vacation, or even our dream city — we’ve been taught that somehow they are out of our reach.
Fortunately, there is a silver lining. Steve Jobs put it best — “Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that are no smarter than you, and you have the power to change it. You can influence it; you can build your own things that other people can use. Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again.”
Through a magnifying glass that examined the needs and desires of Laredo’s residents, Plan Viva Laredo, the City of Laredo Comprehensive Plan, was guided by the public’s interests at the core. Thousands of people from every corner of Laredo gathered during a five-month period to share their vision for the type of city they want to live in. From town halls, surveys, a ten-day public workshop, online forums, and even a film festival, over 27,000 people were reached in one of the most inclusive comprehensive plans in the country.
For the last six months our team of planners, engineers, architects, and economists, together with city staff, have worked on turning the input from all participants into actionable steps to build the city of our dreams.
Now, we want to hear if we got it right. The comprehensive plan will be posted online for everyone to download, along with a way for you send in any questions or comments. We hope to hear back from you about what you like and what you think we may have missed.
To further expand our reach, starting next week, we will be publishing a series about the foundational ideas of the plan:
Place-making (April 30th)
Our primary public spaces are not what you might think. We use them every day, but most of us don’t notice them. They impact our lives profoundly. and we can easily make them work better for all Laredoans.
Mobility Options (May 7th)
The ability to move around is one of the City’s top concerns. Making sure the mobility system works for everyone not only creates a more equitable and affordable Laredo — it creates a healthier, more vibrant, and more sustainable city.
Revitalization of Downtown Inner City (May 14th)
Laredo’s central neighborhoods contain untapped potential for economic vitality, housing, and overall quality of life for the entire city.
Economic Prosperity and Opportunity (May 21st)
Making the most livable city in South Texas means participating in new and sustainable economic opportunities that help all Laredoans prosper.
Stay tuned.
Hopefully the City will be able to use the eminent domain option to acquire the necessary land for “Place Making”, “mobility options”, and help revitalize the downtown. If the City can use its eminent domain option one the first square block of 1000 Iturbide and Grant, it can accomplish these goals much faster. Hopefully the group can help the City use eminent domain on this City block to help revitalize the downtown area. Without this first step, it would be difficult to move ahead.
Our focus should be historic downtown Laredo. Cities like Harlingen and Fredericksburg have amazing downtown areas rich in arts and culture. Laredo is growing exponentially from all directions. Unfortunately, I have seen mini-malls popping up everywhere. All areas of Laredo, from the Mines Road area, to Del Mar, to Zapata Hwy have all seen a flood of new mini-malls popping up. This tends to make people stay in “their part” of the city much like they do in San Antonio. If you live in North Laredo, you never come down South, and vice-versa. I feel like you lose the connection with your city, its culture, green spaces, and people when you just stay in the area that you live in and never get to know your entire town.