Thanks for this - interesting read with a lot to think about. The ordinance itself also points to something that has always interested me about the intersection of good government administration and overtly political acts. The purpose of the ordinance is a good one - with the post-WWII growth in Alexandria, it was important to better and…
Thanks for this - interesting read with a lot to think about. The ordinance itself also points to something that has always interested me about the intersection of good government administration and overtly political acts. The purpose of the ordinance is a good one - with the post-WWII growth in Alexandria, it was important to better and more purposely name streets, require certain property numbering conventions, etc. Just look at all the streets that went from "no name" to having one. However, it also provided an opportunity for those that wanted to make a political point to make their mark on what the final names ended up being. Not to put too much of a 21st century political spin on their efforts, but I can almost hear someone speaking about opposition to the ordinance framing it as a vote against good governance and progress, despite the step backwards that some of the names represented.
In the case of Alexandria, it also is interesting to see the intersection of Confederate Names, and the embrace of colonial era names - the ordinance takes a step toward the naming convention of what is now "old town" with the King and Duke street names that fit now with Queen, Prince, Princess, etc. For an area that embraces its founding fathers connections, the almost loyalist tinge to the names always fascinated me.
Thanks for this - interesting read with a lot to think about. The ordinance itself also points to something that has always interested me about the intersection of good government administration and overtly political acts. The purpose of the ordinance is a good one - with the post-WWII growth in Alexandria, it was important to better and more purposely name streets, require certain property numbering conventions, etc. Just look at all the streets that went from "no name" to having one. However, it also provided an opportunity for those that wanted to make a political point to make their mark on what the final names ended up being. Not to put too much of a 21st century political spin on their efforts, but I can almost hear someone speaking about opposition to the ordinance framing it as a vote against good governance and progress, despite the step backwards that some of the names represented.
In the case of Alexandria, it also is interesting to see the intersection of Confederate Names, and the embrace of colonial era names - the ordinance takes a step toward the naming convention of what is now "old town" with the King and Duke street names that fit now with Queen, Prince, Princess, etc. For an area that embraces its founding fathers connections, the almost loyalist tinge to the names always fascinated me.
Thanks for the comment. I appreciate your point about the "intersection of good government administration and overtly political acts."