Claiming San Antonio As Our Own

San Antonio is a truly unique American city. In other parts of the country, when San Antonio is mentioned, it brings to mind images of the River Walk, the missions, the Tower of the Americas, the Spurs, Tex-Mex and of course, the Alamo. But as residents, we know there is so much more that represents who we are.

We all have special San Antonio places that we claim as our own. Some of those places we visit only when relatives or friends come to town. And even though we haven't been there in years, those special places give us a sense of belonging and identity.
These are the places that make us proud of where we live. As a community, we have claimed them as our own.
What's important to know and remember about of these special and memorable places is that they didn't happen by accident or overnight. They were conceived intentionally.
Our great urban places and buildings happened because someone — a leader, planner, architect, concerned resident — purposefully imagined and thoughtfully built them, and then lovingly cared for and protected them for generations.
Each of us claims a part of San Antonio as our own.
One place of course is where we live. We communicate to others that where we live belongs to us by how we furnish the space, the colors we choose and the fine or quirky items we hang or display.
The design of our community is similar. The San Antonio of the future will not truly be our own unless we are involved as a community to define the desired outcome and, as residents, stay involved to shape our community as it evolves over time.
We can begin with our neighborhoods, whether urban or suburban. We can serve as advocates for right-sized streets, sensible traffic flow, sidewalks protected from traffic and connected — one block to the next, and neighborhood to neighborhood.
We should care about how we walk and pedal to school, work and play, and how we shop and support local businesses along the way. We should care about how we want our community to grow, outward and inward. And we should care about the quality and character of the public institutions, parks and buildings in which we live, work, celebrate and worship, because they reflect who we are as a community to each other and the world.
We shouldn't settle for the simple or mundane, only because it is convenient or easy. Demand the best. Set expectations high. Create the special places of tomorrow, in San Antonio today.
This year, challenge yourself, your family, friends and our leaders to get and stay involved. Participate in your neighborhood organizations, attend public meetings, volunteer in your community. Demand a thoughtful, livable and beautiful city, and then help to create and sustain it. Claim San Antonio as your own.

Mike McGlone, AIA, is the 2012 president of the AIA San Antonio Chapter and a principal at Alamo Architects.