One County. One Future.
November 11, 2008
Carolina First Center
Session One: 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Session Two: 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
By the year 2030, Greenville County is expected to add 40,000 households. These additional residents
will bring a need for approximately 44 million square feet of non-residential development. On November
11, the "One County One Future" event was held at the Carolina First Center, and approximately 140
Greenville County leaders and citizens took part in this important activity.
The event used a hands-on approach to get feedback from participants on where and how growth
should occur in the future. Planning department staff created a map showing existing residential and
non-residential development, represented by Lego blocks that were yellow and red, respectively. Each
group of participants was then given a set number of Legos that represented the expected amount of
residential and nonresidential growth by 2030. With the aid of several reference maps, the main
task of participants was to allocate this growth (using blocks) to the areas they deemed most
appropriate, and away from the areas they wanted to preserve.
A total of 16 maps were created, and they represented a wide variety of growth scenarios. Planning
staff members recorded each of the maps, and they are now in the process of analyzing the information.
Results will be unveiled at a presentation in late January, at which time attendees will be asked
to decide which growth patterns will best suit the county in coming years.
