Views from the Top: The growth wave is coming. Are we ready? – UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL – Upstate Business Journal

You [Upstate South Carolina] are already on the map. What you have already done has given you success and over the next five years you are going to see growth on an accelerated timeline. You are going to see a different wave of growth like you have never seen. Richard Florida during the Ten at the Top Upstate Summit on May 10.

We have heard the projections and seen some of the subtle signs of how the Upstate is growing for years, but when we hear a prediction of how the region is poised to grow put in such descriptively blunt terms by one of the leading urbanists in the country, it somehow seems a little more real (and perhaps scary).

According to Florida, one outcome of the pandemic is that areas like the Upstate are becoming more attractive to people who previously were migrating to larger cities like Chicago, New York and Atlanta.

What do people want? They want an affordable place with great community, lots to do outside with a preference for lakes and mountains, but with enough restaurants and things to do to sustain them, Florida said while noting that the Upstate has all of those characteristics.

Florida suggests that for the Upstate to be prepared for the coming growth, the region must continue to build on the strategies and plans that have been developed over the last decade while remaining authentic and true to what has made this region a special place to live, work and play.

In addition, he emphasized the importance of maintaining and building connections and in growing opportunities for all residents.

Connecting is what fuels us, feeds us, Florida said. You must be purposeful and intentional about making connections across class, racial groups, economic groups. [As a community with lots of international growth], you have to be proactive in integrating new people into your community.

When I was recruited to become the first full-time employee of Ten at the Top in 2009, the discussions I had with Upstate leaders was never about doing things to create growth; even at that time it was well established that population growth was coming. Ten at the Top and other organizations focused on specific elements of growth in the region have worked for more than a decade to help communities, businesses and organizations in the region strategically prepare for that growth so that our region is able to advance because of the positive elements of growth, rather than being dragged down by the unintended consequences.

Richard Florida has given us a very clear warning that it is now time to accelerate our efforts because the timeline for growth has also accelerated. Now it is up to all of us to heed his message and make the strategic investments and decisions needed to ensure the Upstate remains a leading place to live, learn, do business and raise a family for generations to come.

Dean Hybl is executive director of Ten at the Top, an organization focused on building collaborative partnerships across the Upstate on issues that impact economic vitality and quality of life in the region. You can learn more about Ten at the Top at http://www.tenatthetop.org.

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Views from the Top: The growth wave is coming. Are we ready? - UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL - Upstate Business Journal