“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”
Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities
I first read that quote in 2015 and its message has stayed with me ever since. The message that a City is for, and created by, the people in the City is as important today as it was when Jacobs wrote those words six decades ago. As I think about the challenges faced by Charlotte – our City – I think about why I moved here. I came for economic opportunity, to be closer to my family and friends, and to be a part of a vibrant, diverse, and engaged community.
I am running for an At-Large position on Charlotte City Council because we need a transportation network that works for everyone, not just those who live on a light rail line. I am running because we need affordable housing to own and rent so that Charlotte isn’t just a place to work or play, but one that everyone can live in no matter their economic means. I am running because we must have a city which provides a regulatory environment where small businesses, the lifeblood of our economy, can flourish and where government is not so complex that you have to have a team of lawyers to make sense of the rules. I am running because even though many of our residents are succeeding and many of our communities are strong, we have a lot of work to do to ensure that the prosperity of Charlotte reaches every part of our City.
Only when Charlotte is created by everybody, not just the insiders, can we realize our true potential.
Join me.