governance is an important but often overlooked aspect of creating a sustainable city. Citizenparticipation in the city of Durham, NC is researched through open interview dialogues with communityleaders, and the resulting case study is presented illustrating the synergistic interaction between people,place, and systems of governance. Discussion explores how that interaction influences the sustainabilityof Durham, and posits some possible areas of change to enhance future sustainability of the urbancommunity.1. Introduction: A Scary Place Called Home
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Durhamites have something special--a thriving black middle class, a refreshing ethnicamalgam, creativity that seems to come from the water like fluoride. And yet they seem towant to keep it to themselves by complaining about development and allowingthemselves to become a bull's-eye for an insidious kind of misconception. As a result,Raleigh gladly accepts new tenants that should have been Durham's, welcomes the cashflow through its restaurants and shopping centers that props its economy, watches newmiddle-class families move into houses that aren't cheaper in neighborhoods that aren'tnicer. These are the people who are advocates, who write the checks for their children'sfund-raisers, who get involved in the community. These are the people who drive 15miles an hour all the way to work every morning in RTP while Durhamites go 65 the other way. People don't need to be told twice that Durham is where the "texture" is; they readbetween the lines when a Realtor says, "Well, they're trying really hard with their schools," and Durham is damned by faint praise….”-- Jeff Stern,
Durham: The Making of an Image
.Independent Weekly, May 24, 2006.When we moved to Durham, NC ten years ago, I knew almost nothing about this small Southern city,other than it being the location of Duke University – and supposedly a place where lots of lesbians lived.Additionally, we quickly discovered that real estate prices were much lower in Durham than in neighboring