Greening the Generations: Our death-defying high wire act

BILLY: We can't resist – we love to walk the tightrope.

GREG: If you're talking about my little "incident," it was the result of hitting the watering hole too soon after seeing the circus. And it was years ago ... or at least weeks.

BILLY: I'm talking about all of us – teeming humanity! – and how we back ourselves into spectacular, high stakes situations that require amazing balance ... or else.

GREG: Gotcha, and this tightrope walk is your 'high' falutin metaphor for growth and sustainability. And how if we don't focus, we could all totter right off the rope. This related to the recent Reality Check summit.

BILLY: Exactly. Reality Check brought together people from 15 counties (that's bigger than your last house party!) to figure out how to live and grow in ways that protect the environment, spur the economy, preserve our sanity.

GREG: And the pressing fact pushing across that tightrope is that more than one million more people will live in the region come 2030. Say 'hello' to the I-40 used car parking lot!

BILLY: Which is why regional transportation emerged as a top concern. With mixed-use developments also right up there.

GREG: Yep, more density = more open space. But if that were all there was to it, the tightrope walk would be a stroll through Umstead Park. Unfortunately, our high wire act faces whipping winds and dive bombing pigeons.

BILLY: Dang, this metaphor is working!! Yes, there's the question of how to pay for the fixes. And reasonable people disagree about where to put those mixed use developments. As Shakespeare wrote: To spread or to cluster, that could be the deal buster.

GREG: Well, the Bard's commute was pretty contained. We modern-day Hamlets need to pick a direction and go with it. Just like they did in Utah back when growth pushed that bunch onto the tightrope www.envisionutah.org/. Up next, Reality Check looks at how to bring the diversity of the region together to take action.

BILLY: Taking action will take courage and creativity. I hope there's room on the tight rope for everyone who wants to help change minds and change the way we live ... to everyone's benefit.

GREG: Tell us how you think our region can best keep its balance ...