I’m taking a break from my weekly political rant to shift to a more local topic, a very local topic. I’m new here. I have lived in Davidson for a mere twelve weeks, and I’m still learning about my surroundings, the traditions of the Town of Davidson, and the qualities that make it a desirable place to live. My naïveté, however, allows me to have an objective opinion for at least a little while longer.
Davidson is a desirable place to live. It is a combination of city-suburb and college town. However, as far as cultural and commercial centers go, there is improvement to be done. No doubt about it, the town is lacking an immediate off campus retreat for its 2,000 student residents and compelling commercial facilities for its full time residents. I think that the town of Davidson is missing a huge opportunity to become a substantially higher quality place to live by ignoring necessary infrastructure updates and the commercial needs of both part and full time citizens.
What I question most is why Davidson has been unable to transform North Main St. into a more vibrant small college town, similar to other schools across the country. Some particularly successful models can be found in Lewisburg, PA and Bucknell; Hamilton, NY and Colgate; and Lexington, VA and Washington & Lee. All are examples of small, well developed college town communities with thriving commercial centers with similar demographics to Davidson.
In my opinion, Davidson needs to move itself into the future by transforming its commercial center to offer a more diverse array of local and national businesses that serve both its part and full time residents. I think that there is no need for an entire block of store windows filled with gnomes. There may be a need for the numerous medical and counseling offices on currently on Main St (if there weren’t they would be out of business) but I don’t see the sense of having them taking up valuable commercial real estate.
Main St. should become a more commercial town-center stemming from its central location next to the College, the town green, town hall, and the public library. All it needs to be complete are entrepreneurs willing to take a risk. Transforming the storefronts of Main St. to more suitable and necessary enterprises would to best serve the college and residential communities. A thriving Main St. would not just enhance the town but also increase its tax base substantially, allowing for more badly needed projects like a new firehouse and train stop.
A town-wide effort to reinvigorate commerce on Main St. could provide the town with the opportunity to springboard itself to the forefront of the green movement, install bike-lanes, greenways, the works. Furthermore, making the two or so blocks between Depot St. and the fork in Main St. a pedestrian-only zone, could be a possibility. The reduction in vehicular traffic would encourage walking, new storefronts, outdoor cafés, etc. When Town Planner Lauren Blackburn came to Davidson to speak to a public policy class, she discussed a new “make sense” model of town planning with a dense residential population close to a vibrant commercial center to promote walking and bicycling over driving short distances.
Ultimately, the town needs to look at itself from the outside view and realize that it is squandering a huge opportunity to re-invent its culture through a true commercial transformation in the town center.
Scott Matthews ’13 is undeclared. He is from Greenwich, CT. Contact him at samatthews@davidson.edu.
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