From about 1984 until 1994, I lived in and around Harrisonburg, VA. I loved the Shenandoah valley and often thought that I would return there to live. But unfortunately, even then the town fathers were making the bad land-use decisions that many rural areas across the country were making. Instead of investing in preserving and nurturing what was there, they were mostly interested in developing the shopping mall and attracting chain stores and big boxes.

When I moved to New Orleans and began advocating for issues of democratic control of neighborhoods and against government subsidizing of big boxes and sprawl — first in my neighborhood and then city-wide — people would often ask how I got interested in this stuff. Without fail my answer was that I had lived someplace I loved and had watched as the parts I had cherished were destroyed by bad public policy decisions: decisions related to issues that few people understood or cared about until it was too late. That place was Harrisonburg, Virginia.

I still hold it close in my heart but I know that the valley is no longer what it was — at least not for me. I have dear friends who still live there and I love it when I am able to return to visit. It is great to see that some folks there are ready to fight to save what is still good and beautiful about that magical place.

My experience there lead directly to The Urban Conservancy and Stay Local! so New Orleans and Harrisonburg form an important link in who I am and what I have done.

In a real sense, all of us are in this together. So let me know if there is anything I can do to help. Best of luck. It is a hard fight but worthwhile and rewarding.