A recurring sentiment I have heard is that folks want Rockdale to keep its small-town charm. This was also expressed in results from the recent community survey. What is that exactly? Is it endangered? How can it be preserved?
When I hear “small-town charm,” a few things come to mind. A nice downtown and a clean community with a lot of pride. That’s the physical, built environment. Small town charm is also the connections folks have with each other; neighbors helping each other out when times are tough, folks being kind and courteous to each other, running into friends at a restaurant, in the store or on the street, chanting together at a football game. That’s considered social capital.
In spite of Rockdale going from a town of 6,000 to a city of 30,000 in the next 20 years, is this small-town charm at risk of going away? I think the fear of Rockdale being a soulless, suburban sprawl is exaggerated. First, many cities larger than 30,000 still look and behave like small towns. I think of places like Tyler, Amarillo and Victoria as larger communities that still keep their small-town attributes. Just because a small town grows does not guarantee that it will lose its small-town charm.
Next, there are a few things that can be done for a community to keep its charm. First, Rockdale needs to have some identity. Suburban sprawl just meshes different towns together so you really don’t know when you leave one and enter another. We have to get creative on things that will signal to folks when they get to Rockdale. Signs are one of many ways to do this.
We are about to start a place-making effort in downtown which will include everything from murals to decorative street poles and signs to better maintenance. We are also going to start an effort to clean up the East Cameron corridor.
Socially, the city cannot make people be nice to each other. But we can create ways for folks to meet and interact with others when otherwise they may not get the chance. This is by being intentional about outreach and better communication from the city but it’s also about creating events for the community to get together. We are thinking of ways to promote local history and culture so new folks will build a connection to Rockdale and those who have been here awhile can build a deeper connection.
Small-town charm doesn’t happen by itself. It needs to be nurtured and preserved so that it becomes resilient —even when lots of new people move in.
We are going to do great things in Rockdale, Texas!
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