Tuscaloosa is interesting because of the university. Many people have attended school here and still travel back with their families to enjoy the city and campus. Even though the population is just slightly above 90,000 Tuscaloosa is still considered a home to many more. We should treat it with respect when planning because of the history that is in the city and for those that love Tuscaloosa.

Most of us probably want Tuscaloosa to be something that is great and makes us all proud, but we don't need to do so at the expense of others. A lot of people were affected by the tornado and we need to make sure that we look after the needs of those individuals when planning. It's easy to do this or that, but first we need to look at helping those that were hurt by the storm.

One of the things that I have always loved about Tuscaloosa is that it has a small town feel, but big enough to support many stores, activities, and lifestyles. In other words, I get a small town feel with bigger city amenities. I think that we can work to further enhance that feeling. Landscaping and simply making the city aestetically pleasing can go a long way to providing an old/new south charm to the city. Planning very smart and detailed economically can further improve the economy. Personally, I don't want to see Tuscaloosa try to grow into a major city, but we can easily make this city great for those that call it home.

Also, I have mentioned ideas on this in another post, but find a way to bridge the separation between the campus and the city. Tuscaloosa has done a tremendous job of that along University and Bryant Dr., but more needs to be done when you cross the railroad tracks. Take some of the great pedestrian paths that have been implemented on campus and extend them to Midtown Village and the mall. Give students a reason to leave campus without always having to drive.

In short, without taking away from those affected we can make Tuscaloosa a southern charm.