When driving through Carmel, there always seems to be more construction: a new roundabout, building or neighborhood. To many, these constant projects can be annoying—a hassle to avoid when trying to get to a destination. While there is truth to this sentiment, these projects truly represent Carmel’s drive for improvement and its goal to be a metropolis.

The proof of the metropolitanization of Carmel is shown through the relatively recent creation of Midtown, a fun and lively area in central Carmel. Additionally, the city has worked to provide more amenities for its residents whether it be through creating bike lanes, working on the Monon or having a skating rink for Christkindlmarkt in the center of town.

I truly enjoy having these amenities available and believe this metropolitanization has given us more things to do and explore. These places are all accessible for us to enjoy with friends and family and overall improve our quality of life, making the city more desirable for people looking to live here.

That being said, Carmel’s metropolitanization comes with downsides as well. For one, Carmel’s debt has been increasing enormously, and, as of 2017, it’s an estimated $1.2 billion, according to Indianapolis Business Journal. The size of this debt has been a cause of concern for many; in fact, it was the center of the latest mayoral election. Still, Mayor Jim Brainard assures that the debt the city incurs is proof of the investment in Carmel, and these investments will grow and return as profits for the city.

Another problem is the effect of urbanization on the environment, especially the green spaces that were once so prevalent in Carmel that are now replaced by buildings or strip malls. There are many problems with this, but most pressing is the growing death of wildlife and lack of habitat for many of the animals that used to live in this area like deer and coyotes. In this regard, Carmel’s urbanization, or even overurbanization, is contributing to the problems of climate change. However, the city has also promoted initiatives like the Carmel Green Initiative, which hopes to push for green schools, clean energy and other important programs to combat climate change. Reflected in recent developments such as the city’s decision to stop using plastic silverware in certain schools, the Carmel Green Initiative has been able to provide positive impacts, but of course there is still a lot of change required.

All in all, while Carmel’s metropolitanization does come with its flaws, overall, it provides a greater quality of life for its residents and is a positive for pushing for the city’s further improvement.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Anushka Dasgupta at [email protected].