By RCA President Colin Mills
Winter has settled in with a vengeance! I hope you’ve all been coping well with the
bitter cold we’ve had this week. While
the temperatures we’ve had might not faze someone from Wisconsin or upstate New
York, they’re pretty unusual for this area.
Personally, I believe that cold weather builds character, but I’ve had a
hard time convincing my daughter of that.
bitter cold we’ve had this week. While
the temperatures we’ve had might not faze someone from Wisconsin or upstate New
York, they’re pretty unusual for this area.
Personally, I believe that cold weather builds character, but I’ve had a
hard time convincing my daughter of that.
Perhaps when the weather is cold, it’s inevitable that the
mind turns to places that are warmer.
Places like Reston’s former Sister City – Nyeri, Kenya – where it’s
supposed to be in the low 80s today. It
was around this time two years ago when I wrote about the history
of Reston’s Sister City relationship with Nyeri and RCA’s role in it.
mind turns to places that are warmer.
Places like Reston’s former Sister City – Nyeri, Kenya – where it’s
supposed to be in the low 80s today. It
was around this time two years ago when I wrote about the history
of Reston’s Sister City relationship with Nyeri and RCA’s role in it.
Recently, I’ve had some conversations that have convinced me
that the time might be right to reunite these old Sister Cities. So this week, I’d like to tell you about the
conversations I’ve had, and how I think resuming relations might be a boon for
both cities.
that the time might be right to reunite these old Sister Cities. So this week, I’d like to tell you about the
conversations I’ve had, and how I think resuming relations might be a boon for
both cities.
A couple months ago, I received an email from a woman named
Anne, who had come across the 2012 piece I wrote about the history between
Reston and Nyeri. As luck would have it,
she had been thinking about helping Reston and Nyeri become Sister Cities
today. When she found out that this
relationship had already existed, she said she “got energized just thinking
about the art of the possible.” She
asked if we could meet to discuss it further, and I gladly agreed.
Anne, who had come across the 2012 piece I wrote about the history between
Reston and Nyeri. As luck would have it,
she had been thinking about helping Reston and Nyeri become Sister Cities
today. When she found out that this
relationship had already existed, she said she “got energized just thinking
about the art of the possible.” She
asked if we could meet to discuss it further, and I gladly agreed.
It was a cold and rainy night when I arrived at Cafesano to meet
with Anne and her friend Catherine. But
once we began talking, their energy and enthusiasm quickly helped me forget the
cold. Anne and Catherine grew up across
the street from each other in Nyeri.
They both wound up emigrating here separately, and they were delighted
to discover that they were neighbors again in America.
with Anne and her friend Catherine. But
once we began talking, their energy and enthusiasm quickly helped me forget the
cold. Anne and Catherine grew up across
the street from each other in Nyeri.
They both wound up emigrating here separately, and they were delighted
to discover that they were neighbors again in America.
In the course of their conversations, they often talked
about creating a connection between Nyeri and their new home. They said they were excited for this meeting,
because it meant that they would start taking action on their long-imagined
idea.
about creating a connection between Nyeri and their new home. They said they were excited for this meeting,
because it meant that they would start taking action on their long-imagined
idea.
They told me about growing up in Nyeri, and what the town
was like. The major industry in Nyeri is
agriculture, especially coffee and tea farming, but there are also several
bottling plants and the home of East Africa’s leading dairy, Brookside Dairy. Nyeri is also a tourist destination, both for
tourists seeking natural beauty (the city is located in the foothills of Mount
Kenya) and history (the grave of Lord Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts,
and the hotel where Queen Elizabeth II acceded to the throne are in
Nyeri). The more they spoke, the more
interested I became in seeing Nyeri for myself.
was like. The major industry in Nyeri is
agriculture, especially coffee and tea farming, but there are also several
bottling plants and the home of East Africa’s leading dairy, Brookside Dairy. Nyeri is also a tourist destination, both for
tourists seeking natural beauty (the city is located in the foothills of Mount
Kenya) and history (the grave of Lord Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts,
and the hotel where Queen Elizabeth II acceded to the throne are in
Nyeri). The more they spoke, the more
interested I became in seeing Nyeri for myself.
I asked Anne and Catherine what they thought should be the
basis of the Sister City relationship.
They said Nyeri would benefit most in planning and economic
development. They described Nyerians as
being very bright, well-educated, and entrepreneurial, but said that Nyeri has
been struggling in recent years for a lack of planning. It’s a fairly large town, but it has few
planning ordinances and growth has occurred in a somewhat haphazard fashion. If someone wants to start a restaurant or a
shop, they just build it wherever they can find the space. You can imagine the kind of problems that
sort of scattered growth can cause.
basis of the Sister City relationship.
They said Nyeri would benefit most in planning and economic
development. They described Nyerians as
being very bright, well-educated, and entrepreneurial, but said that Nyeri has
been struggling in recent years for a lack of planning. It’s a fairly large town, but it has few
planning ordinances and growth has occurred in a somewhat haphazard fashion. If someone wants to start a restaurant or a
shop, they just build it wherever they can find the space. You can imagine the kind of problems that
sort of scattered growth can cause.
Anne described how much she loved seeing Reston’s growth
according to its Master Plan, and she felt that seeing a place as well-planned
as Reston would help encourage and guide Nyeri in its development. Being able to talk to our leaders about how
we’ve planned and managed our growth might provide Nyerians with some ideas
they can implement.
according to its Master Plan, and she felt that seeing a place as well-planned
as Reston would help encourage and guide Nyeri in its development. Being able to talk to our leaders about how
we’ve planned and managed our growth might provide Nyerians with some ideas
they can implement.
Anne and Catherine also said that this is the right time to restart
this relationship. In 2013, Kenya
reorganized its system of government, dissolving the elected councils and
establishing municipal and town councils appointed by the county
governments. Anne said that she believed
Nyeri’s new leaders are eager to spur development and economic growth, and so
they would be open to learning from our example.
this relationship. In 2013, Kenya
reorganized its system of government, dissolving the elected councils and
establishing municipal and town councils appointed by the county
governments. Anne said that she believed
Nyeri’s new leaders are eager to spur development and economic growth, and so
they would be open to learning from our example.
This focus on planning and development dovetails perfectly
with what we’re doing now in Reston. We’re
in the process of revising our Comprehensive Plan to accommodate the new growth
that we expect with the Silver Line, and dealing with the challenges of building
toward our future. And with Reston’s 50th
anniversary upon us, this is the perfect time for us to look back at our own
history and see how we came to be the community we are today.
with what we’re doing now in Reston. We’re
in the process of revising our Comprehensive Plan to accommodate the new growth
that we expect with the Silver Line, and dealing with the challenges of building
toward our future. And with Reston’s 50th
anniversary upon us, this is the perfect time for us to look back at our own
history and see how we came to be the community we are today.
Reston’s success over the last 50 years has been built on
Bob Simon’s vision, the Master Plan that codified it, and the citizens who have
worked hard to bring Bob’s vision to life.
It’s a terrific collaborative effort, and a story that I’m excited to
share. The lessons we’re drawing from
our history as we plan for our next 50 years should be just as helpful for the
people of Nyeri.
Bob Simon’s vision, the Master Plan that codified it, and the citizens who have
worked hard to bring Bob’s vision to life.
It’s a terrific collaborative effort, and a story that I’m excited to
share. The lessons we’re drawing from
our history as we plan for our next 50 years should be just as helpful for the
people of Nyeri.
I left our meeting feeling excited and energized, and very
much wanting to get started. I
immediately started thinking about forming a partnership to work on the Sister
City project. When we did this back in
the ‘80s, RCA worked with Reston Black Focus, an organization that’s no longer
active. This time around, I thought that
Reston Association would make a great partner for this effort.
much wanting to get started. I
immediately started thinking about forming a partnership to work on the Sister
City project. When we did this back in
the ‘80s, RCA worked with Reston Black Focus, an organization that’s no longer
active. This time around, I thought that
Reston Association would make a great partner for this effort.
I reached out to RA’s leadership, and they responded
positively. We’re still in the very
early stages, but I’m hoping that we can get the Sister City relationship
restarted this year, with Anne and Catherine’s help.
positively. We’re still in the very
early stages, but I’m hoping that we can get the Sister City relationship
restarted this year, with Anne and Catherine’s help.
The Reston-Nyeri Sister City relationship was tremendously rewarding
for both cities back in the ‘80s. I believe
that if we can get it started again, the rewards will be just as tremendous
this time around. I look forward to
helping these long-lost Sister Cities get reunited.
for both cities back in the ‘80s. I believe
that if we can get it started again, the rewards will be just as tremendous
this time around. I look forward to
helping these long-lost Sister Cities get reunited.