Introduction
The City of Redding, CA is our home. We live, work and play here. We are raising our families here and have a vested interest in ensuring that Redding will flourish with a healthy economy and will be a safe community. We believe Redding can capitalize on everything the beautiful Shasta Cascade area has to offer and be the urban hub that serves as the base camp for locals and traveling adventurers alike. But some things need to change.
Redding has its challenges just like any other place. However, The Great Recession, epidemic of drugs, polarization in politics and rise in crime have all seemed to hit a bit harder in this isolated, Northern California community. The combination of these issues (and others) have led to a lack of cohesion and vision for what Redding can be. Without vision, there has been ineffective, disjointed or very little action. Redding needs an identity and a vision.
We have a vision. We envision Redding as a place that visitors will always remember. That other towns and parts of the world will hold in high regard. We envision Redding as a great place to live and raise a family, with a vibrant economy that's rooted in a thriving urban core of local business and housing and with complete neighborhoods and safe streets. We believe that this happens through great vision being brought to fruition one project at a time. This can be achieved with creativity, strategic investment, and a commitment to sound urban/environmental design principles.
The purpose of this blog and our social media activity is to share ideas with land owners, and developers - providing them creative new ways to view the future of their property, to share ideas with the public, City and private sector about where to strategically focus investments that will lay the foundation for a vibrant, sustainable economy, and to share the best urban design ideas with the public, developers, land owners and the City in order to inspire high standards in design.
There will be plenty to come that will demonstrate just exactly how following the best principles in urban or environmental design and city planning will lead to lasting, long-term economic benefits in communities (particularly in Redding). Redding is at a turning point. There are many great people and organizations forming to help raise this town to new heights. Good ideas are already out there. But we want to share more. Remember that these ideas and opinions are just that: ideas and opinions - freely shared and free to be shared with no ill intent. We seek no recognition and if someone actually used any of our ideas we would be thrilled because they all make for a better Redding. We also welcome your ideas. Please share: envisionredding@yahoo.com if we love it. We may ask you to be a guest blogger :)
Please note that the opinions in this article represent those of the author and not the Envision Redding group as a whole.
