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A = Drew Grant, newscaster

B = Roberta Jackson, reporter

C = Kenny Flint, student

D = Fiona Maxwell, city planner

A: WTVAActionNewsat6.I’mDrewGrant.Ourleadstorythisevening:It’sofficial—youliveinthebestplaceinAmerica.Everyyear,CitySelectmagazineliststhebestplacestoliveintheUnitedStates,andthisyearnumberoneisrighthereinCharlottesville,Virginia.OurreporterRobertaJacksonexplainswhy.

B: WhenitcomestonamingthebestplacetoliveinAmerica,youmightexpecttoseeplaceslikeNewYorkCity,Seattle,orSanFranciscoatthetopof

thelist.ButaccordingtoKevinIngles,editorofCitySelectmagazine,youneedlooknofurtherthanCharlottesville.Amongtheadvantagesoflivinghere,Inglessays,arethatCharlottesvillehaslittlesuburbansprawlandabeautiful,naturalenvironmentinthefoothillsoftheBlueRidgeMountains.Let’sfaceit,whowouldn’twanttolivehereduringfall’samazingchangingcolors?Orinwinterwithitsperfectskiseason,inspringwhentheflowersarebloomingwithlife,oreveninsummerwhenyoucanescapethehumidityoftheEastCoast?AndasthehomeoftheUniversityofVirginia,Charlottesvillehasalltherecreationaland

educationalopportunitiesyoucouldwantinasmalltown.I’mstandingherewithKennyFlint,acollegestudentandCharlottesvilleresident.Kenny,howdidyoudecidetocometoCharlottesville?

C: IgrewupinNewYorkCity—concreteeverywhere,airpollution,allthattraffic,youknow.Here,I’minthecountryside—Ilookoutmywindowatmountains.IfeelclosertonatureinCharlottesvillethanIeverdidbackinNewYork.

B: Butthere’snatureinNewYork,too.WhataboutCentralPark?

C: Yeah,that’sagreatparkwiththelakeandfountainsandtheartmuseums.But...it’sso...planned,youknow?Therearebusyroadsonallsides,soit’slikeman-madenature.AndIlivedmilesfromCentralPark.Ihadtodriveortakethesubwaythere.NaturehereinCharlottesvilleisallaround...andit’sreallynatural—it’swild.

B: Butdoesthenaturalbeautyoftheenvironmenteverdistractyoufromyourstudies?

C: Well...I’vegottotellyou.Sometimes,I’msittinginclassandIlookoutatthetreesandmountains,andmymindsdriftsoff.

B: Whenchoosingitswinnereachyear,CitySelectalso

looksatthecostoflivingandthecostofbuyinghouses.Charlottesville’shousepricesarequitehigh,butthecostoflivingislow,sothisisaveryaffordablecity.Ofcourse,nowthatthesecret’sout,everyoneisgoingtowanttomovetoCharlottesville.ReportinglivefromCharlottesville,I’mRoberta Jackson.Backtoyouinthestudio,Drew.

A: Thankyou,Roberta.ThisannouncementbyCitySelectisnotallgoodnews,though.ThenumberonecityonthelistafewyearsagowasAnnArbor,Michigan.AnnArbor,likeCharlottesvilleisacollegetownwithahighstandardofliving,goodpublic

schools,andlotsofnaturalbeauty,somanypeoplemovedthere.Theincreaseinpopulationhascausedsomenewproblems.Therearenowmorecars,whichmeansthatthereismoreairpollutionandmoredamagetotheroads.

AnotherprobleminAnnArborissprawl—asthecityhasbecomebusier,bothnewandoldresidentshavemovedout,bringingpollutionandtraffictosuburbsandnearbyvillages.Theincreaseindemandforhousesalsopushedupthepriceofbuyingahome.Formoreonthisaspectofthestory,weturntoacityplannerhereinCharlottesville,FionaMaxwell.Fiona,canwehandleanincreaseinpopulation?

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Chapter 1

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© Oxford University Press 2006

D: Yesandno.Wehaveenoughspacetoexpandwithoutcreatingsprawlandwithoutdestroyingparkland...however,housepricesinCharlottesvillearealreadyhigh,andwe’regoingtoneedgreaterhousingdiversityifthecityexpands.Thisisanexcitingopportunity,butitwouldbeashameifthecostoflivingherebecomessohighthatmanypeoplecan’taffordtoliveinthebestplaceinAmerica.

A: Onemorequestion,Fiona.WhichcitywouldyouchoseasthebestinAmerica?

D: Well,Iliveheretoo,soIwouldofcoursesayCharlottesville...butIthinkthebigcitiescanbegreatplacestolivetoo—Atlanta,forexample,isaverywellplannedcityandit’sveryaffordable.ButIstillwouldn’tmovethere!

A: Thankyou,Fiona.So,itsoundslikethisannouncementmayturnouttobeadouble-edgedswordforourtown.Iguesswe’llfindout.Formore

onthisstory,besuretocheckourWebsite...

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