At last night’s Rose Cafe, Lisa Nicholas spoke about city planning in Ithaca. She began her talk by presenting charts of population growth over the last several decades, comparing the city of Ithaca versus Tompkins County. I was surprised to see that while Tompkins County’s population has been steadily growing, Ithaca’s population has not. Ms. Nicholas attributed this discrepancy largely to Ithaca’s lack of vacant rentals and high rental fees. I learned tonight that only 13,000 of Ithaca’s 16,000 workers actually live in surrounding cities. It is no wonder that city planners like Ms. Nichols are putting their heads together to create more housing options.

One solution that Ms. Nicholas proposed was constructing apartments over stores in the commons. Additionally, I learned that there are plans in place to create more hotels in Ithaca; in a few years, there will be four hotels within half a mile of the commons.

I was very excited to imagine the possibility of Ithaca and its commons expanding. However, I am slightly concerned about maintaining the unique environment that exists on the commons. One thing that I love best about this area is that the number of stores is not overwhelming and the town never feels over-crowded. I worry that if the number of residents, tourists, and stores all increase on and around the commons, we might lose our small-town vibe. Is it possible to maintain the integrity of a small town’s culture as it undergoes transformation?