Reviewed by: Elizabeth Hobbs
What Huntsville can learn from Nashville’s rapid growth
Reading time: 4 minutes
We all know Huntsville is growing. We all know it will continue to grow. And whether you are against the growth, for the growth or undecided, the reality is that the Rocket City will continue to add more people and more businesses for the foreseeable future. So how does Huntsville thrive amidst this rapid expansion?
Former Nashville Chamber of Commerce CEO Ralph Schulz spoke with a group of local civic and business leaders Wednesday, October 28, at the annual luncheon hosted by the Committee of 100’s Creative Cities Fund to address this issue. And his thoughts presented several guidelines for how Huntsville can be proactive about its growth.
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Huntsville is not ‘becoming Nashville’
Is Huntsville turning into Nashville? Not really, as there are too many differences in the demographics, industry and economics between the two cities. However, Nashville experienced a boom in population in the early 2000s similar to what Huntsville is experiencing now.
Schulz said one of the reasons Nashville has been able to handle its growth is because of cooperation among the communities and municipalities surrounding Nashville. Since 1963, Nashville has been governed by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, a consolidated city-county government body that includes six incorporated municipalities and county representatives.
This type of cooperation, Schulz said, is what Huntsville needs to have in order to effectively navigate its growth. Cooperation and collaboration, Schulz said, are necessities when it comes to making sure a city does not “outgrow itself.”
Also, accepting the reality of growth does not mean conceding your city’s identity.
“What we found when we really started experiencing the boom was that people were coming to Nashville for Nashville, not to change Nashville.
The DNA of your city will not be changed by infusions of new population—the introduced diversity in perspectives will only be a positive upgrade.”
Ralph Schulz, former Nashville Chamber of Commerce CEO
‘Don’t get complacent’
Schulz noted that the priorities for any city when it is proactively addressing growth are:
- The city’s livability (including housing, transportation + education)
- The current workforce (is the job market currently strong?)
- Job creation (are there enough jobs for the people moving into the area?)
However, Schulz said that even when those issues are addressed, they need to stay in the forefront.
“The greatest enemy of prosperity is complacency. Don’t get complacent, and don’t let your people become complacent. Be engaged in building your communities, figure out what you have to work with and keep your promises.”
Ralph Schulz, former Nashville Chamber of Commerce CEO
Huntsville mayor Tommy Battle addressed the crowd, fresh off celebrating Mazda Toyota Manufacturing’s one millionth vehicle produced in Huntsville. This was fitting, since the MTM plant is in the Limestone County part of Huntsville (with a Madison address), and with Schulz stressing the importance of cooperation among local municipalities and county governments.
Battle echoed what Schulz said regarding complacency, saying also that he believes success happens when leaders share an open avenue for communication.
“We can’t get complacent. We have a great future ahead of us. We have opportunity in front of us to have a better standard of life.”
Mayor Tommy Battle
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