Looking into the growing pains of San Antonio in 2018.

The sprawl of mankind over earth is the tale of humanity.

Over thousands of years, sapiens consumed and conquered land, water and air to acquire food and shelter.

From the humble foraging bands of kin societies to larger nomadic tribal societies and on to eventual nations, these ancestral people sought to grow and sustain the natural world to make a better reality for themselves.

The story goes on to include several major empires and dynasties that would cover large parts of the globe, plagues that killed off major populations, enslavement of entire groups and the eventual industrial revolution that brought us to the world today.

As people have become connected by highways both concrete and digital, the world has become decentralized. People are able to move throughout the globe with technology thought to be magic a few centuries ago.

We are still growing. There are still growing pains. Our story is still being written.

This semester in Arts & Life, we will examine how development and growth in our city is changing life for the good and for the bad.

According to the 2017 U.S. Census Bureau, San Antonio was ranked the third fastest growing city in the United States; SA had the third largest numeric increase in population in 2016. San Antonio is also the seventh largest city in the country.

Investors and developers can see this. Mayor Ron Nirenberg can see this.

We are important on the national level, and while attention from major players is important to the growth of San Antonio, the community can feel this. Local business can feel this. Local artists can feel this.

What is happening in our community as outside developers come in to build? How does our city’s history of economic segregation impact the lives of new San Antonians and long term residents? How do startups affect the socioeconomic landscapes of San Antonio? How do non-profits affect development?

How will development near UTSA alter the area and our university? The list of questions goes on and becomes more detailed, but I hope you’ll see the ripples of change in our city, foresighting a different city.

We should have a say in what our city looks like.

I invite you to join us weekly during this semester for an update into development issues happening around the 210 to understand what happens to a city as the curses and blessings of the urban sprawl consumes it.

I also invite you to exercise your political and cultural efficacy in the community; we are all a part of this ongoing conversation. Juntos somos mas en esta ciudad, a crecer.

If you have a story regarding development, urbanization, growth or related topics in San Antonio, please email the arts editor at [email protected].