Front Door & Beyond
Growth for every single neighborhood
"Downtown is Lynchburg's front door, and it must look great to attract outside capital. But a true executive knows you cannot ignore the rest of the house. We must ensure that economic growth, safety, and infrastructure improvements reach every single corner of our city."
A Tale of Two Cities
For years, our economic development strategy has felt completely lopsided to the average resident. The vast majority of high-profile incentives, streetscape improvements, and marketing dollars are funneled almost exclusively into Downtown Lynchburg.
While a thriving downtown is essential, this hyper-focus has left vital commercial corridors, like Campbell Avenue, Fort Avenue, Timberlake Road, and Wards Road, feeling like afterthoughts to the city. When the city neglects the infrastructure and aesthetic appeal of the neighborhoods where the majority of our citizens actually live and shop, it creates a tale of two cities. It breeds resentment among taxpayers who feel they are subsidizing downtown's success while driving on potholes in their own commercial districts.
Lopsided Focus
While downtown thrives, the majority of high-profile incentives and marketing dollars ignore the areas where most residents actually live and shop.
Dave's Neighborhood Revitalization Blueprint
Anchor the Corridors
Dave will direct the city's economic development team to identify and incentivize "anchor projects" in our forgotten commercial corridors. By upgrading the streetscapes and incentivizing private investment on Fort Ave, Campbell Ave, and Timberlake, we will revitalize the daily shopping districts our residents actually use.
Why Neighborhood Growth Matters
The Polycentric City Advantage
Polycentric cities are organized around multiple, self-sustaining economic hubs rather than a single downtown core. Data shows these urban networks rebound from financial crises significantly faster, reduce spatial mismatches between jobs and housing, and dramatically mitigate traffic gridlock by dispersing commuter flow across multiple nodes.