Sunday, September 23

Rethinking City Living: Efforts to Reinvigorate Our Neighborhoods

The Rochester Business Journal just issued a special report on city living. Of course, the city they are speaking of is not Geneva, but there are parallel issues and opportunities that are worth considering.

The study shows that most of the people choosing to move in to the city are either young professionals or ‘empty nesters’ who like being within walking distance to downtown, who appreciate the architectural styles and historical landmarks within the city, and appreciate being part of a diverse community.

But a growing number of families are choosing urban living over suburban homesteads. The Journal reports that families like playgrounds, cultural offerings, restaurants, and close neighbors. One family profiled in the article said that they chose to live in the city “for philosophical reasons—to help keep it as a vibrant place to live. ‘Cities can only survive if people like us, families like us, stay in neighborhoods and take care of the homes...[and] there is diversity in the city that sometimes you don’t get in the suburbs.’”

We, as a small city with many of the same characteristics should pay close attention to this. We should encourage development of opportunities that appeal to the needs of residents, both existing Genevans and those who would potentially relocate here. This means a continued, or increased, investment in things that make our city a safe and friendly place to live.

City departments like code enforcement, police, and recreation make use of city resources in a way that make the community a desirable place for people to live and raise a family. For example, the personnel department is attempting to streamline the hiring process for police officers (without compromising any of the required steps) to respond to the request made in the Chief’s report to city council. Code efforts in high density neighborhoods are important not only to improve living conditions for Geneva’s renters, but to protect the property values of homeowners in those areas. City government also has a role to play in fostering positive neighborhood relations, in the form of encouraging neighborhood associations and assisting with community gatherings.

These increased efforts, coupled with the significant private investments proposed for downtown and the leveraging of State funds through the RESTORE NY program, will make Geneva a better place to live and raise a family.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

What about the Fire Department? Doesnt having a ISO Class 3A fire department count towards the quality of life in the city. Won't people move to a city where they feel safe from crime AND fire? If you are wondering about the ISO classes, I'll put it in perspective for you. New York City is a Class 2 department, Syracuse is a Class 1 department.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for posting this. The article does pertain to Geneva's downtown. With the recent renovation of the Fairfax bldg, and several others in the process I hope that more people will see that the revived idea of "live up and work down" (living above your business) is a viable option downtown.
My family and I moved here a few months ago to do just that and we hope others will join us.
-Ray Traugott
-68 Castle st.

Capraro and Augustine said...

You're absolutely right! ISO's Public Protection Classification measures the quality of a community's fire protection. Geneva's rating is excellent and is a major benefit for residents and businesses alike. You can visit this site to learn more about how a good ISO rating lowers homeowner insurance premiums and benefits small businesses.

Thanks for reading and for helping us get another piece of positive information out to the public!

Capraro and Augustine said...

Ray,
Welcome to Geneva! We Like the example you are setting, and we hope your attitude about city living catches on. We believe this idea is critical to downtown's revitalization and Geneva's future.

Thanks for reading.