Could Lubbock be more beautiful? Yes.

Has it come a long way since the 90s and early 2000s? Also, an absolute yes!

Improvement is happening in the only sustainable way it can- incrementally and over a long time. Thanks to the efforts of Keep Lubbock Beautiful and other city initiatives, Lubbock is getting easier on the eyes, but there is more that can be done.

Lubbock, like other West Texas cities, is very car-oriented and sprawling. This is one area where beautification opportunities exist and should be implemented.

On our wider streets, it would make our city so much prettier (and pedestrian-friendly) if we had medians with climate-appropriate plants. Need an example? 19th Street near Texas Tech has already implemented this.

In areas where plants make no sense (like the interstate), we can and should invest in large, permanent public art. We've done this with temporary sculptures, but I'd love to see large-scale murals.

In some areas, we should even consider nixing the vehicles, like The Depot District. If we had a parking garage instead of parking spaces with no through traffic, it would be safer for club/restaurant/ Cactus Theater goers to walk around and maybe spend more time there. The historic brick is beautiful and would be even prettier with some landscaping and wider sidewalks/ curbs.

What about the neighborhoods? 

Code enforcement is important, and those folks do a great job. Lubbock has also been good about providing community clean-up days as well. But I think part of Lubbock's "ugly" probably starts at the very beginning- at the construction phase. Massive stretches of houses that look identical to each other fill me with great unease, and I'm not alone. New neighborhoods should be planned with variety, yet cohesion, in mind. And islands of houses only- with no parks, or places to go (like a coffee shop) can be both ugly and depressing. It is my hope as Lubbock continues to spread, that these neighborhoods are more thoughtfully planned. Or....

Urbanization Instead of Suburban Sprawl?

I understand that some of us want our wide open spaces, but for many, a denser, more urban vibe is a perfect lifestyle choice. It can also add to the beauty of existing areas. Luckily, Lubbock's Downtown revitalization project, Downtown LBK, is working on this. When more people live and work Downtown, it can become more appealing for everyone. It's a massive undertaking, but we must also tear down unsalvagable buildings (I'm looking at you, Jim Kimmel Center).

I love Lubbock, and I'm so proud of how far we've come. Here's looking forward to the most beautiful years to come.