Can New Albany be a "New City"?

The NewCities Foundation is a Kentucky organization established by the Kentucky League of Cities. A "New City" is tomorrow's city. The foundation was created to cultivate civic leadership and citizen involvement. The foundation has identified 12 principles that encourage citizenship and leadership.

1. Connect to the World

2. Encourage Youth, Diversity, and Inclusiveness

3. Feed the Mind, Nuture the Soul

4. Embrace Healthy Living

5. Remain True to the City's Uniqueness

6. Don't Merely Grow - Plan and Develop Over Time

7. Build Beautifully and Steward the Environment

8. Cultivate Leadership and Citizen Involvement

9. Recruit, Retain, and Generate Wealth

10. Mimic Bigness, but Think Samll

11. Rethink Boundaries

12. Buy Locally, Sell Globally

The NewCities principles empasize that successful projects need to involve both citizens and elected officials.

An article in the December 2004 issue of Kentucky Monthly describes a successful downtown development project in Springfield, KY. A circa 1900 opera house that had been acquired by the city in 2002 was rennovated. A volunteer board managed the project which used state funds.

The mayor supported the project by starting the Mayor's Fund for the Arts. He personally raised funds from corporate donors to sponsor performances at the opera house.

In addition to being used as a venue for performances, a welcome/tourism center and the offices of 3 organizations (which take turns staffing the welcome center) are housed in the building.

While Springfield, a small, rural community located more than 60 miles from Louisville cannot be compared to New Albany, the example of a successful downtown development project is useful.

www.newcities.org

www.springfieldky.org

Sorry, the Kentucky Monthly article is not available online.