As executive director of Duluth's Local Initiatives Support Corporation, or LISC, I have the good fortune of having a direct hand in community development projects and programs that create jobs, housing and services and that promote community sustainability. We have seen exciting changes in Duluth and are very hopeful for the future of our community as a place of choice and opportunity for residents and businesses.
As a citizen and community member, I have been directly involved in the city's 2006 Comprehensive Land Use Plan process. I sit as a member of the zoning advisory committee and have benefited greatly from participating in various community meetings. I see the zoning regulation changes being proposed as foundational steps to promoting community investment and sustainability for the future of Duluth.
Duluth's new Unified Development Chapter will help to accomplish the goals established in LISC's 2005 East Downtown, Waterfront, Hillside, Knight Community Building Charrette and the "At Home in Duluth" Collaborative revitalization plans. The chapter also will help build on the principles of the city's Comprehensive Plan, including strengthening neighborhoods; creating and maintaining connectivity; encouraging a mix of activities, uses, and densities; and taking sustainable actions.
The city's efforts are much aligned with the efforts of Duluth LISC and our "At Home in Duluth" initiative, as we reach for the common goal of creating walkable, livable and sustainable neighborhoods. I encourage everyone in the community to share in this vision and to participate by attending the public meeting tonight at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center. The meeting is at 6 p.m. in the St. Louis River Room.
All of these efforts will encourage and support investments in our traditional neighborhoods. With the vision of form-based districts, the opportunities to revitalize distressed neighborhoods and the availability of modern regulations, we can only imagine the possibilities.
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I hope you share the excitement I feel after having been involved in the development of the city's Comprehensive Plan and, now, seeing the tools put in place to help Duluth redevelop and grow.
Remember, even if you haven't been involved, it's never too late! We can all play a part in creating neighborhoods in which we and our children and grandchildren will be proud to live, work and play.
Pam Kramer of Duluth is executive director of the Duluth Local Initiatives Support Corporation.
