CITY BLUEPRINT - Planning for the future of Oak Ridge, TN
We want your feedback to ensure that Blueprint is founded on values important to Oak Ridge
During the Blueprint process, we routinely heard several themes which provide a picture of what Oak Ridgers hold dear. We’ve dubbed these as the “values” upon which the Blueprint plan is built.
OUR NATURAL ASSETS. There is widespread appreciation – maybe reverence – for the greenbelts, trails, the river, creeks, and scenic vistas that are part of the everyday experience of living in Oak Ridge. Their protection, enhancement and expansion are important to our community, and are an emphasis of this plan.
TECHNOLOGY / INNOVATION / SCIENCE. This place grew out of science and innovation, and that is still the underpinning of our economy and our very identity. We were “Born to Innovate.” The interesting thing is that Oak Ridge, at its inception, was a place where incredibly smart, creative young people came from around the globe to do amazing work that changed the world. That remains the case yet today. The challenge now is to bring the same spirit of creativity and innovation to a broader range of activities, including business and the arts. Spinoff industries have been a natural extension of the collection of highly skilled people in one location.
EDUCATION IS A HIGH PRIORITY. The population of the city includes an unusually large number of people who are highly educated or are extraordinarily skilled at what they do. News about the superior academic performance of public school students gets top billing in the local Oak Ridge media, and is part of the Oak Ridge reputation. The community has put its money where its mouth is supporting a world-class school system.
BEING UNIQUELY OAK RIDGE… We heard from people throughout the process that Oak Ridge doesn’t want to be Farragut, or Knoxville, or Hardin Valley, or Maryville. We want to be Oak Ridge. While this is somewhat abstract, it is not just pride in the physical city. It is pride in our history, our landscape, the arts, and the contribution we have and continues to make to the world of science. Oak Ridge was an extraordinary place when it was the core element of the Manhattan project – and remains so today.