Utah County is growing. Over the next several decades it's expected that the county will add a million more people. While growth can bring great things, there is room for some caution and concern.
Several of the best minds met Monday, in an executive summit, to discuss ways to keep all this growth in check and to ensure that the coming changes would be beneficial instead of detrimental.
The leaders discussed planned growth, mass transit, infrastructure and the issues that will cause us to meet the challenge. They also opened the floor to questions. As Sammy Jo Hester of The Daily Herald reported, "One attendee at this summit asked Gochnour what we’ve heard many veteran residents of Utah County express: can the growth be slowed? Her answer was prescient.
“The best way to slow growth is to make it a place people don’t want to live,”
Natalie Gochnour - associate dean David Eccles School of Business - University of Utah.
Land Locked
One of the reasons Utah County has seen such growth is that Salt Lake County is running out of land upon which to build. As reported by Sammy Jo Hester, Salt Lake County as just over 27,000 available acres. Neighboring Utah County has more than 237,000 acres.
With proper planning, this is an opportunity to enhance the area in a way that could make this area a mixed-use dream destination. It's nice to see that the local leaders are of the mindset to be a step ahead of the continued growth.
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Photo Credit: "Look Both Ways" by the very talented Garret
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