WHERE WE BELONG

Jim Spaeth

It is indeed rare when such broad consensus exists in today’s society. Politicians, planners, community activists, business leaders, and other civic-minded individuals all agree – creating a sense of place is integral to the formation of a strong, safe community. The theory, to which I subscribe, is that one needs to feel comfortable in a location, almost like one is at home, before one will invest the time and resources necessary to protect and improve that location. In short, we need to feel that we belong.

But belong to what? While it is easy to state that we should create places, it is much more difficult to define what types of places we need to create. Do we create copies of places that currently exist (think the next Waterford Lakes or Cypress Springs)? Do we create replicas of places that used to exist (think Avalon Park or Celebration)? Or do we create entirely new places using our collective imaginations? These are not easy questions, but within their answers lies the future of our area.

Perhaps a quick case study might be helpful as we ponder these questions. I recently read an article on the development of the Los Angeles metropolitan area written by Blaine Harden for The Washington Post. It turns out that Los Angeles, an area that, like Orlando, has been tagged with the urban sprawl label, is actually the most densely populated place in the continental United States according to the Census Bureau, with a density 25 percent higher than that of New York. This is interesting, since density is a word that we talk about often here in East Orlando as we attempt to add more people while preserving our environment.

Harden goes on to document what this focus on density has meant to two different households. The first household is a single-income professional that lives in an $800,000 townhome on a hilltop in the master-planned Newport Coast community. Most housing in the community has been built at a density of about seven units per acre, leaving almost 80 percent of the development as open space. The views are beautiful, and the homes’ occupants travel on well-maintained highways throughout the area. In short, this place feels good, and everyone belongs.

The second household is an immigrant family that lives in a two-bedroom apartment in Maywood, one of the most densely populated areas of greater Los Angeles. With the family’s limited income unable to support a mortgage payment (the median-priced house in Los Angeles is $702,000), nine members of the family live in its two rooms. The area’s streets, sewers, and schools were constructed for a population of 10,000 residents. Today, more than 30,000 residents crowd the area. This, too, is a place, but it sure doesn’t feel very good.

Sure, we need to create a sense of place in East Orlando. And, yes, we need to create places that feel good. But as we think about those places, let’s make sure that we all feel good. Because, in the end, everyone belongs.