progressive towns near Murf? (Murfreesboro, Hendersonville: transplants, to buy, universities)

[Reactionary]

Murfreesboro must build a good system of sidewalks before buses or rail. You have to walk to / from bus stops. Consider that the Music City Star rail has 800 or 900 riders per day (not exactly a success). Good sidewalks make a place more walkable. Even then I don't think I'll be crossing Broad or Memorial on foot.

MANDATORY recycling - leave it to a liberal to look through your garbage and fine you for a coke can. Voluntary recycling I like, as long as the recycler can make money on it (then they can bid on it). That's why glass is rarely recycled - no market, plus handling (broken) glass is hazardous to workers (you like 'workers' don't you).

Renewable energy sources - we don't get enough wind, I like solar but it's inconsistent, biofuels made from food don't make sense. Not a lot of good choices out there...

Eco friendly building choices - have you seen any new WalMarts? They are doing good things, especially with natural lighting. As long as it's effective and cost efficient I like it. Problem now is that since some of the certifications are so new (and changing) that it stretches out the design and construction of buildings - adding cost.

Preserving green space - absolutely - the City needs to (or may already have ) an assessment of critical habitats or tracts of land that give meaning to the area. IMO every river and creek needs a greenway. Flood plains are not for housing people.

Minimize sprawl - too much land available and people move here for the house and yard. If you want density move to NSV (which really isn't very dense).

Bike paths aren't very cost effective - but the bike path fans usually are a loud well-organized group who wear funny hats.

Reduce emissions? I would guess that the City gets more emissions from a coal-fired plant a few counties over than from all the cars.

Sister City - not a bad idea, but kinda falls into the feel good policy pile. If there is any real contact between the citizens, it's usually local politicos getting a taxpayer-paid trip. You might get a nice piece of artwork out of the deal.

Global warming is a hoax - cap and trade is an Enron-type scheme to enrich the politically connected with tax dollars. Note that I do believe that the climate changes, as it has since the Earth began. I've also seen the documentaries Ice Age and Ice Age - The Meltdown. It's not man's fault. Blame a volcano or somehting...

You forgot to add banning smoking...

[CantWait2Leave]

I'm moving to Nashville (Hendersonville) to get AWAY from the all the liberals. I can't imagine why someone would move to that area to be around liberals. That makes no sense. Move to LA. You'll love it and fit right in

[kingchef]

columbia, shelbyville, or lewisburg or maybe franklin are a little on the progressive side. toxic, sustainable, carbon footprint, leed, green, greenway and more and more. people are so foolish about so many things. most of us follow blindly, just as sheep in an open field. parks have existed for years, walk ways, botanic gardens, zoological gardens, bike paths, bicycles, scooters, scates, ice rinks, sand boxes, and other forms of recreation have existed for years and years. many today act as if these ideas are new.

cars, trucks, vans, and other forms of transportation have been used in our part of the country for years and years. we even tore up the rails by which many of these trains crossed the country. suddenly, a minority of folk, most city planners and those looking to make a quick buck off the "sky is falling technique" (a good example would be the idiot from middle tennessee, albert gore.) suddenly, cars are outmoded, lack cost effectiveness, our country doesn't have the sense to solve a relatively minor problem to produce clean and efficient fuel.

yet, i have heard it time and time again how "cool" it looks riding on the train, w/ briefcase in hand, starbucks in the other, and the morning paper tucked up under the arm. "cool, man, cool!" and, if we do this, people will say that we are smart, progressive, and cosmopolitan. the people laughing are the ones who are trying to sell this guff to the entire republic. light rail, high speed, packed ridership. i'll spell it out, JUSTIFICATION!!! there is none for most cities of the south, particularly nashville. it is too, too small. there is too little density, this translates into to little ridership, this translates into unnecessary, expensive, and irresponsible government---again. buses pass daily w/ two, three, five riders. matters not if these are regular in size, vans, or articulated buses. rarely on time. why would trains be any different? the nashville star---which would probably be more noticed as a novelty ride if it were from petty coat junction serves the same need (if any) that light rail would serve---after the novelty wore off.

memphis would come out much more likely to fill its trains than nasville, as its ridership covers the urban area of memphis, and most ridership is black, unless memphis international demographics changes that altogether. if memphis would buy some trains w/ three or four coaches, run them from lamar to downtown, the medical centers, to a terminal in east memphis, and possibily to germantown and collierville, and back to international airport, it might make a little sense. why tranins, however? why not the buses we already have in service, and now, a bus terminal being built in that district. why this obession w/the trains. whats wrong w/ clean, well maintained buses? not as "cool" getting off in front of those watching.

to me, this train business in new york city, philadelphia, washington d.c., chicago, san francisco, atlanta, miami, dallas, houston, etc., etc., makes sense to me. for cities that are so car dependent (W/OUT APOLOGY) and have bus services why add another expensive infrastructure to put into operation, fund to keep it in operation, and all the other things that come w/ the little silver or colored threads. much of this is the old mind set of "mine is bigger than yours." it has nothing to do w/ need, the enviornment, and efficiency. if i were king of the universe, and the train issue swept my kingdom, then i would go to the various large cities---say the top 20---and assess what typography better accomodated that particular city. miami, new york, etc. would be using high speed boat transportation boats and all other proven methods of transportation. murfreesboro would use fee, bicycles, cars, and vans. nashville would use the same, w/ the added metro bus---maybe some inner-tubes after the past weekend, and memphis would get pretty much the same thing, w/ the possibility of the operation of a few trains.

the remarkable thing is that both small cities and large ones are, in so many ways so much alike, and yet, in so many ways so very different. the same is true about the cities of the south and those of the northeast, etc. we just don't have the same needs, and we may never have those particular ones. we don't have salt trucks in some of the cities of the south, if the larger cities in the south have them, they may not have as many. and, i must say, if people have to meet, form study groups, fund money, and advertise for "walkable" communities, i think that you probably need to rethink the shape of the planet. there are just so many important things that one could be doing to improve life---your own or others. walk to a nursing home, find the charge nurse or administrator, ask who the most neglected, overlooked, forgotten, lonely individual is in the facility. go down, introduce yourself, get to know a little bit about the individual over the next few visits, push or help them stroll the sidewalk, hand them some fresh flowers, a card, or a good piece of fruit, get them to laugh, see that they return to their room, tell them how much you enjoyed the visit, and you would like to see them in a few more days, a week, two, or a month. make a promise to come back, and keep it. begin being walkable by taking them to dinner---either in the facility, or a picnic lunch you packed served out on the veranda, or take them to a restaurant they might like. talk to them about your program of helping them w/ walk-ability. you will probably feel better than you could ever imagine, and the nurses will see that you are the most progressive person in the entire facility.

[Lamplight]

Originally Posted by Reactionary

You will need a car in Murfreesboro.

This is mostly true. I was car free in Murfreesboro for a few years (until this past December actually) and it is doable. However, I biked everywhere instead of walking. Murfreesboro is simply too spread out to do much walking, unless you like walking a couple of miles or more every other time you need something. However, the biggest challenge for me wasn't the distances or the traffic, or the negative attitudes of many of the drivers. All of those can be overcome without too much trouble. The biggest challenge for me was the HEAT. Bicycle commuting in this part of the country means showing up to work sweating profusely for about 7+months out of the year (at least for me). That's the main reason I'm hoping to leave the South: the heat. I don't exactly fall in line politically (I don't call myself liberal, but I'm definitely not conservative) or religiously (atheist), and I hate having to drive everywhere, but those are all things I can adapt to if need be. But I can't adjust to the summer heat here. And if I haven't adjusted in 31 years, them I never will. However, walkability is second on my list of future homes. It would be very nice to be car free again. It was wonderful when I wasn't melting.

[akm4]

This thread sure has turned ugly.

The OP was looking for help, not snide remarks and insults.

[BirdieBelle]

Awww, I thought it was getting good. I could do without the snide tone of some of the posts, but I am actually enjoying the read about people's varying definitions of progressive.
I don't particularly agree with a lot of the so-called green policies that cities adopt since often they are good PR but are contradicted by other city habits. Why spend all the extra money on LEED certification when cities could just do it anyway, adopt the LEED policies without paying thousands for their little piece of paper?
In Brentwood where I live, we have a new environmental committee and tons of bike paths, but all our city parks and public works employees drive around in big Chevy pickups.
The city does not have trash pickup, so there are at least 10 private companies driving around town every day of the week collecting people's trash.
Then there are all the gas-powered lawn companies with blowers and mowers.
I don't think Middle Tennessee will ever be like Portland, Oregon, as far as environmental approach. If that's what you're looking for.
I'm not saying Brentwood is progressive, but there are a lot of new folks from "elsewhere" who have moved here in the last 5 years who bring their own "beliefs" with them. Then again, the largest demographic group is empty-nesters who want to protect their way of life, which means adopting a lot of strict codes of conformity.
As far as being walkable, it's just too spread out and too d*mn hot here to walk anywhere very far.
I would be interested in hearing why having a sister city program is important to the OP. I've never heard that mentioned before.
Sorry ... Time for less rambling, more coffee for me.

[sucrose]

I'm moving to Nashville (Hendersonville) to get AWAY from the all the liberals. I can't imagine why someone would move to that area to be around liberals. That makes no sense. Move to LA. You'll love it and fit right in.

To paraphrase your own earlier question, why would you move to a city that's becoming more liberal? If you really want conservative there are plenty of towns out yonder.

[Jjasking]

Originally Posted by akm4

This thread sure has turned ugly.

The OP was looking for help, not snide remarks and insults.

Agreed. I was defining what progressive means to me and apparently that is a some kind of red flag that leads to incivility on the part of others.

[Jjasking]

Originally Posted by akm4

Westhaven is a development in Franklin. Go to realtracs dot com and search the neighborhood for listings.

Let me know if you have questions. I have friends there, so whatever I don't know we could ask them

Very nice! It would be a long drive for my spouse, but I would consider it if the houses didn't start at 400k! Too bad

[Reactionary]

The word "progressive" is a "red flag", with Che's picture on it...

I reviewed the comments and didn't see any incivility - I saw disagreement, with which you are apparently unfamiliar. If you think these remarks were incivil, move South and see if it gets better in real life, bless your heart.