Vision 2020, a comprehensive plan created by Carrboro residents and officials, as well as the commissioned group Walkable Communities, redefines the town as a pedestrian-friendly zone that emphasizes Carrboro's "walkability" and provides a blueprint of economic and social success in the future.
Dan Burden, director of Walkable Communities, said the pedestrian is a key factor in determining a town's plan.
"Whether you're a big town or a small town, you have to keep the pedestrian and the people as the first priority," he said.
At Thursday's meeting, Burden presented the report to the aldermen detailing what Carrboro could possibly look like in the coming years. The report comes almost seven months after a weekend work session that garnered residential input.
Burden suggested focusing on ideas such as public space and parking, as well as attracting businesses that reflect Carrboro's intrinsic nature.
Other suggestions by Walkable Communities included "festival days" when residents could socialize on a main street on a certain day. Multiuse parking structures also were praised for providing more spaces for cars while exhibiting commercial use through shopping or apartment buildings.
One integral part of Burden's report stated that Carrboro should strive to maintain a sense of continuity between the buildings that already have been constructed in the town and the new construction that could occur.
Mayor Mike Nelson argued that while uniformity is important to a certain degree, diversity also is a significant part of Carrboro's legacy. "I would worry about being too prescriptive and saying you have to design the building like this," Nelson said. "Doing that could stifle someone's creativity."
After discussing Carrboro's possible makeover, the aldermen evaluated the town's marketability with a report compiled by Jefferson Parker and Matthew Barnes, two graduate students at UNC.
