When Leamon Brice arrived in Davidson in 1990, the town of 4,500 was directly in the path of a wave of growth advancing north from Charlotte.

A number of suburban towns already consumed by the wave had lost their identities and historic centers to unrelenting sprawl. They were marred by strip shopping centers, acres of parking lots, and cookie-cutter neighborhoods. Davidson was poised to be similarly devoured.

But 22 years later, the town of Davidson remains intact: its downtown is lively and viable; its streets and public spaces are alive with pedestrians, cyclists, and public art; and its residents, now numbering almost 11,000, know each other, many by name.

Town Manager Leamon Brice played a pivotal role in holding back sprawl, protecting Davidson’s soul, and engaging its citizens, all with little fanfare or notice.

Brice had a balancing act to perform, handling explosive growth while maintaining small-town values.

He had to introduce both elected officials and residents to innovative programs and as-yet-unheard-of-planning principles, and engage, encourage, and educate them every step of the way.

A “different” kind of community

In 2001, under Brice’s leadership, the town instituted the first affordable housing ordinance in North Carolina. It required that every new neighborhood include a mix of uses and housing types with sidewalks, connected streets, greenways, and open space. It demanded well-designed, minimum two-story commercial buildings to protect the historic character of the town. It also preserved 600 acres of contiguous, publicly-owned open space – a legacy for future Davidson citizens.

The result is a community that visitors immediately discern is “different.” The main entrance to town, an exit off Interstate 77, is the first clue. The exit deposits drivers in a real neighborhood, built for pedestrians as well as automobiles. Structured around two roundabouts, it includes housing, shops, schools, parks, and offices.

Development of the area stumbled slightly during the recession. Brice held fast to the town’s principles of planning and design during the economic downturn, and rejected projects that offered only short-term gain. He had the courage to know that the best interests of the town are sometimes served by waiting.

Tough decision pays off

Making that tough decision in a recession is the reason there was a site available for a new world headquarters building when the economy began its turnaround. The owners of the relocating company selected Davidson for its livability and quality of life, in addition to having a site ready for construction.

The success of Brice’s efforts is apparent throughout Davidson in the physical, social, cultural, and economic health of the town. The citizen survey affirms that citizens are supportive of his work: town departments consistently rate in the upper 90th percentile, and Davidson’s “sense of community” was ranked #1 in the nation in 2007 and 2012 by the National Research Center. His achievements were recognized nationally when the town received the EPA’s National Award for Overall Excellence in Smart Growth in 2004.