Interview with gary jackson, city manager of asheville, north carolina.

Asheville plays a critical role in the regional economy. We currently have the lowest unemployment rate in the state, down to 3.7 percent this year. Our residents enjoy a great quality of

life with little traffic and a low crime rate. In addition to all the visual arts offerings, Asheville has a minor league baseball team, the Asheville Tourists, a symphony and a lyric opera.

There's a vibrant theater scene here, too. As a city we've made multimodal transportation a priority with the addition of many miles of bicycle lanes, sidewalks and greenways

being built and prioritized in our capital improvement program. Our Parks and Recreation Department maintains 54 public parks, six miles of greenways, 11 community centers and lots of

programs for young people, senior citizens and outdoor enthusiasts. 3. WHAT NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED OR CHANGED ABOUT ASHEVILLE TO MAKE IT A MORE LIVABLE COMMUNITY FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, AND

ESPECIALLY FOR OLDER ADULTS? Constructed by George Washington Vanderbilt II in the 1890s, the Biltmore Estate, Asheville's most popular tourist attraction, is still family owned. Photo

by James Pintar, 123rf Asheville is experiencing rapid development. That brings opportunities, often in the form of jobs and increased tax revenue, as well as infrastructure challenges. Over

the course of the last few years, the City Council prioritized funding for maintenance of existing streets, sidewalks and greenways and increased funding for new infrastructure. The Parks

and Recreation Department offers many senior citizen programs, from the Aston Tennis Center to very popular pickleball courts at one of our rec centers. [See the sidebar below for a brief

definition of pickleball.] Our focus on multimodal transportation means the city of Asheville is focusing on greenways designed to join neighborhoods with downtown, our River Arts District

and other destinations. 4. ASHEVILLE RECENTLY UPDATED ITS RULES ABOUT ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS (ADUS). WHY AND HOW WERE THE RULES CHANGED? WHAT CAN OTHER COMMUNITIES LEARN FROM WHAT

ASHEVILLE HAS DONE? Asheville continues to see an influx of people moving to the area. As our population increases, the City Council has closely followed the impact on affordable housing,

especially in the rental market. As part of exploring policy options that can improve the affordability of Asheville for all people, the City Council amended the unified development

ordinance (UDO) to relax some regulations on accessory dwelling unit (ADUs). We now have a structure in place that we hope will encourage the building of more of these units. We've

allowed for them to be bigger than previous rules permitted but still not so big as to overshadow the primary house on the lot. An ADU can provide homeowners with rental income and offer

affordable housing to young couples or families just starting out.  Exploring these options began in the City Council's Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, which sought input through

six months of intensive interviews with nonprofits and developers. There was a lot of discussion at the neighborhood and the City Council level before the changes were enacted. Our

community actively engages in local government and participates regularly in the plans that will shape Asheville's future. 5. WHAT OTHER COMMUNITY PROGRAMS DOES ASHEVILLE HAVE THAT

OTHER COMMUNITIES SHOULD KNOW ABOUT AND POSSIBLY REPLICATE? The city recently concluded its 123 Graffiti Free initiative, which was an 18-month-long campaign to discourage graffiti. We

provided financial assistance to property owners to get this vandalism — and that's what graffiti is — addressed promptly. Our police force has vigorously gone after offenders, and we

had 638 requests to assist with graffiti clean up to the tune of $84,500, which was money well spent to enhance our community. The Buncombe County Court House sits next to Asheville's

Art Deco-style City Hall. Located in front of the buildings is Pack Square Park, where the city hosts monthly family movie nights and there's an interactive fountain called

Splasheville. Photo by Jon Bilous, 123rf Another initiative we're working on is Zero Waste AVL, in which we're studying ways to reduce solid waste going to the landfill. One option

may be what's called a "pay as you throw" system in which residents are charged for solid waste services based on the volume of trash produced. In 2014, the Asheville City

Council adopted a resolution to reduce the city's solid waste by 50 percent by the year 2035. We're working to make that happen. Curbside compost, or organics, collection is also

under consideration. We already have a vigorous recycling mentality in the city. Our recycling rate is double most municipalities, so that gives us a leg up on our waste-reduction goal.

_Melissa Stanton is the editor of AARP.org/livable._ _Published January 2016_ More from AARP.org/Livable  Use the dropdown to choose a livability topic. Select a Subject