Nestled within a scenic mountain landscape, Collegedale hums with the rhythm of rumbling trains, the energy of Happy Valley and the warmth of Southern hospitality.
It’s a community where tradition and progress intertwine. But how will this small college town look, feel and change over the next five to 10 years?
Boasting a population of 11,000, Collegedale is the fastest-growing city in Hamilton County, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. And while growth has its advantages – increased tax revenue, more businesses and better housing options, to name a few – it also poses challenges for the local community. Among them:
- traffic congestion on narrow neighborhood roadways
- the proliferation of housing developments in rural areas
- infrastructure inadequate for the growing population
- a lack of affordable housing for local workers
This semester, students in the Interactive Journalism class at Southern Adventist University have embarked on a multimedia project documenting the story of Collegedale at a crossroads. The research explores why the city is growing, how residents are being impacted and what leaders are doing to manage the change, all within the historical context of the city’s small-town roots.
Led by Professor Alva James-Johnson and co-instructor Ryan Harrell, in partnership with the Southern Accent, the project will result in a special issue of the Accent as well as an interactive website with loads of information. Along the way, we will update readers on our findings through weekly postings on social media, so please look for our posts on the Southern Accent Instagram and Facebook accounts. To learn more about our team and the overall project, scan the following QR code, which will take you to our blog.
