Creating Healthy Communities
It's the little things that make a big difference

Sometimes it’s hard not to believe that we’ve hopped into the proverbial hand basket and are straight on course to reach Hades in no time flat. However, pushed too far, citizens in this country have shown resilience to do the right thing when push comes to shove. We can only hope it will happen again as we adjust to the new rules of the 21st-century game.

So, how do we take advantage of a world in flux – and help people in their quest to build strong communities? My own eye shifts to the Iraqi War and the complete breakdown of that country’s civilization as an extreme example, and warning, that we must be vigilant through constant questioning.

When my mother was quite ill, her hospice doctor asked her what she liked to do so he could adjust her medications. Though weak, her voice was firm: “I like to do little things.”

My mother’s spontaneous answer reflects a wisdom that I think we all possess – and one shared by the kind of progressive communities I like to call “NewCities,” the cities that strive do the little things extraordinarily well.

I liken a progressive city to a stool that needs three legs to stand firmly. The first leg represents the chances for people of diverse backgrounds to come together and form relationships. The second leg represents the need for pride in place and community. The third leg represents hope for the future in the form of meaningful opportunities to work and enjoy full, rich lives.

Since cities are my business, I’m eager to cite the best examples of cities that have all three legs of the stool firmly under them here in Kentucky. So, I want to tell you about the revitalization of Covington.

About 25 years ago, Covington was ranked as one of America’s most depressed cities. It spurred several citizens into action, including Butch Callary, who was so determined to change things that he ran for city council and won. Today, he’s mayor.

Over the past two and a half decades, Callary and others have worked hard to transform the city they love. They started with the little things. A “Neighborhood Watch” program was so effective that it won a Governor’s Crime Prevention Award, the only civilian group to ever receive it.

By the mid-’80s, a Central Covington Redevelopment Plan was created. In Phase 1 of the plan, city government joined with a local developer to build the River Center Office Tower at Covington Landing in 1988. The changes this plan has produced are remarkable. In 1999, Ashland Inc. celebrated its 75th anniversary by moving its headquarters to downtown Covington. Meanwhile, the IRS has recently expanded its regional offices in the city and Fidelity Investment has opened a regional office. There is also an ongoing emphasis on rehabbing downtown living areas and developing new ones.

When the National Trust for Historic Preservation honored its urban reclamation program a few years ago, Covington – with a population of 45,000 – was the smallest city in the U.S. to receive such recognition.

With its splendid view of the Cincinnati skyline just across the Ohio River, both Covington and the adjoining city of Newport are doing much to make their riverfronts a place for locals to gather and tourists to visit. Newport, once known as “Sin City” for its seedy downtown elements, is now known for its world-class aquarium.

Both Covington and Newport have leaders and citizens who are determined to transform their communities. For that matter, the entire three-county, 31-city region of Northern Kentucky seems to embody “NewCities” principles. Covington and Newport, in fact, have moved toward partnerships with the three counties by identifying joint regional projects and taxing arrangements that create a better quality of life for all – especially the business community. Perhaps it’s no surprise that in addition to major employers setting up shop in Covington, Toyota established its North American manufacturing headquarters in nearby Erlanger.

What Covington and its neighboring communities have done suggests that maybe we aren’t quite ready to relegate ourselves to the hand basket. Maybe we’re seeing just how much can be accomplished when people think big, pay attention to the little things, and work together.

Sylvia L. Lovely is executive director and CEO of the Kentucky League of Cities.
editorial@lanereport.com

Back to Perspective Index

Back to December Issue

Copyright 1996-2003, by Kentucky Business Online.  All rights reserved.

Editorial content is copyright 2003, Lane Communications Group
All editorial material is fully protected and must not be reproduced in any manner without prior permission.

The Lane Report is a trademark of Lane Communications Group.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.