How to Grow Bluegrass

If you are lucky, when you visit the Center for a Better South’s Web site you see the photo of the ubiquitous white fences and rolling bluegrass that, while just a small part of the state, is the heart of Kentucky. Unfortunately, those scenes are in jeopardy. In fact, the World Monuments Fund (WMF) has named the Bluegrass Cultural Landscape of Central Kentucky to its 2006 Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites in the World.

And, while Lexington has been on the forefront of the urban growth and rural preservation since the 1950s, the debate over how much and where to grow continues. As the Planning Commission and the Urban County Council reviews the 2001 Comprehensive Plan, the expansion of the Urban Service Area is again a hot topic in the bluegrass -- pitting property owners and developers against conservationists.

In support of expansion…an argument for “moderate expansion of the Urban Service Area.”

And against expansion… an argument for infill and redevelopment.

Obviously, questions of growth are affecting cities across the South (see the entry "Smart Growth Spreads to Virginia's Southern Suburbs"). Although Lexington faces some unique challenges, it provides an interesting case study for how to grow responsibly. Hopefully, it will continue to do so.

To learn more about the efforts to preserve the bluegrass area, visit the Bluegrass Conservancy -- a nonprofit regional land trust.