A capital city with a front-porch feel
Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann is leading South Carolina’s capital city through a period of growth while working to preserve the hospitality, affordability and front-porch character that make it distinctive. Rickenmann brings a practical perspective to questions of housing, public safety, higher education and quality of life. In this interview, he discusses Columbia’s relationship with its universities, its approach to growth and the local habits that help a city remain welcoming, connected and recognizably itself. He spoke with American Habits editor Ray Nothstine.
I’ve been really impressed by Columbia. I’ve visited quite a bit, my kids love going there, and I’ve seen how much the city has grown. When people think about relocating to South Carolina, places like Greenville, Charleston, or Hilton Head may come to mind first. What is Columbia’s competitive advantage, and what is drawing so many people to the city right now?
Mayor Daniel Rickenmann: We do. Columbia has been relatively quiet over the years, but now we’re doing more to help people understand the assets we have. When people come here, they’re often amazed by the quality of life and the opportunities.
We’re centrally located—you can be at the beach in two hours or in the mountains in two hours—but what really stands out is the pace of life, the affordability and the access to six colleges and universities.
Unlike the coast or the Upstate, where some activity can be seasonal, Columbia has a steady, year-round economy and attracts visitors throughout the year. Add in the creativity, the growth people are seeing and the city’s deep history, and there are many reasons people are drawn here.
One thing that has struck me during my visits is Columbia’s front-porch feel—the strong neighborhoods and sense of community, even within walking distance of downtown. As the city grows and adds infrastructure, how intentional are you about preserving that character?
Rickenmann: It’s in our nature. Columbia is known for its hospitality, and growth hasn’t changed who we are. The people who move here tend to embrace that spirit and the way Southern hospitality should feel.
As the state capital, we offer many of the amenities of a larger city: deep history, parks, banks, concerts, the State House and Fort Jackson. But those institutions and attractions haven’t changed the way we treat people, welcome them and invite them to experience Columbia.
Soda City Market is a great example. Every Saturday, it stretches along Main Street. It began with seven vendors about 12 years ago and has grown to roughly 240 vendors and 10,000 visitors each week, regardless of the season.
People are constantly making connections: “Have you tried this food? Have you met this painter? Have you seen the vintage clothing over here?” They also share what else is happening around the city, an art opening, a spring game or another community event.
That spirit hasn’t changed, and I think it’s one of the things that draws people to the Midlands.
The University of South Carolina has a beautiful downtown campus and is clearly a major part of Columbia’s identity. I’ve visited Founders Park with my boys when Ole Miss is in town, and you can see how closely the university and the city are connected. How important is the university to Columbia, and what does its relationship with city government look like?
Rickenmann: We’re very fortunate to have six colleges and universities in Columbia, including the University of South Carolina, our flagship institution. Altogether, we have more than 75,000 college students in the area, so higher education is a major part of the city.
One reason the relationship between the city and the university works so well is President Michael Amiridis. Before returning as president, he spent 21 years here as a graduate student, professor and provost. Columbia is his home, and I think that has changed the relationship.
The city is now at the table when the university discusses its future growth, and the university is at the table when we make plans. We ask how our investments can complement its growth and how its investments can strengthen the city.
The green spaces the university is developing complement our parks. We’re also working together on a riverfront park that will eventually serve as a front door to the campus. The project involves land that has not been in public hands for roughly 200 years and will now be opened for public use.
There is real intentionality behind the relationship. The university does not feel like an institution that simply happens to be located in Columbia. President Amiridis understands the community and feels the same attachment to it that our residents do.
We have a similar relationship with Columbia College, which began as a small women’s college and is now coeducational and growing. Its president, Dr. John Dozier, grew up six blocks from where he now serves. That connection has helped us work together so that the city and its universities feel less like separate entities and more like pieces of the same quilt.
We’ve touched on this, but Columbia has always struck me as unusually laid-back and approachable for a capital city. As the city continues to grow, how do you preserve that character?
Rickenmann: Again, I think it’s simply in our nature. It goes back to Southern hospitality. Columbia has a laid-back feel, but not because nothing is happening here. There are always events taking place and community members getting involved. It’s just who we are.
We’ve embraced the idea that quality of life comes first. We often say we want Columbia to be the number one city in South Carolina—not by population, but by quality of life. I think we’ve been able to build toward that by making the most of our federal, state, local and tourism resources.
People may not realize that Columbia now welcomes roughly 17.6 million visitors. Our biggest challenge in the past was persuading people not to treat the city as a day trip, but to stay longer and experience its history, museums, athletic events, concerts and other attractions.
Our overnight stays have increased from about 5.1 million to 6.4 million. That growth has come because, for the first time in two decades, we’re making a real effort to tell people what Columbia has to offer.
Columbia remains relatively affordable compared with many other cities, but housing costs are still a concern for longtime residents and middle-income families. What can city government realistically do to preserve affordability, and what approaches are you pursuing in Columbia?
Rickenmann: We need roughly 15,000 additional housing units over the next decade. Last year, we permitted more than 1,800 units. We’ve made development easier and changed our zoning to provide more flexibility, particularly in the middle of the market, where there is a greater need for townhomes, apartments, higher-density developments and smaller single-family homes.
People’s preferences have changed, and the market has shifted. We worked with our local Realtors association to study those changes. We also used our GIS system to identify approximately 2,100 vacant lots across the city.
We’re using every city-owned lot we can to create affordable homeownership and rental opportunities. We want members of our workforce to be able to live near downtown rather than being pushed farther out.
We’ve developed a model that we’ve taken to HUD as an example of what can be done. By contributing the lot and building partnerships, we can construct a three-bedroom, two-bath brick home and sell it to a first-time homebuyer for around $200,000. We’ve partnered with a brick company, a mortgage company and a local credit union. Because the credit union keeps its mortgages rather than selling them, it can work with buyers who may have some credit challenges while keeping the rate on a 30-year mortgage at no more than 6.5 percent.
We’re also working to address heirs’ property and other underused land. We sit down with property owners and churches that acquired land with plans to develop it and help show them a pathway forward.
Preserving existing homes is just as important. Using state funding, we invest approximately $50,000 per property to make essential repairs. Last year, we completed work on 67 homes, including weatherization, roofs, windows, kitchens, electrical systems and HVAC equipment. That allows seniors and other longtime residents to remain in their homes.
Federal programs can cost three times as much and take 18 months. We’ve been able to complete projects and get people into homes in less than 90 days. We’re changing the model and showing that there is another way to do it.
We’re thankful that leaders such as Sens. Tim Scott and Elizabeth Warren have worked together to create a broader roadmap on housing. This is an issue across the country, with an estimated shortage of 4 million homes. Much of the need is for workforce housing, affordable housing and smaller units.
Cities have had to change their zoning and make housing easier to build. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, who currently leads the U.S. Conference of Mayors, permitted 10,000 units last year as his city responds to rapid growth.
We have about 28 people moving to the Midlands each day. We’re addressing that growth through partnerships and ongoing conversations with employers, residents and developers. Housing remains at the forefront of what we’re doing, and we’re excited about where Columbia is headed.
I appreciate the use of brick. The appearance of new housing matters. How do you ensure that affordable development still contributes to the character and long-term strength of a neighborhood?
Rickenmann: When developers come in and start describing low-quality materials as “durable,” that can be a warning sign. Sometimes it means they’re trying to build a cheap vinyl-sided house and simply maximize the value of the tax credits they’re receiving.
We’ve moved away from that approach. Quality is important because it helps neighborhoods remain strong. For too long, development teams pursuing tax credits were allowed to dictate the model and build projects they could quickly turn over. We’ve changed that model.
Public safety is a growing concern in many cities, particularly when violent or repeat offenders return quickly to the streets. What is Columbia doing to reduce violent crime and ensure that residents and visitors feel safe in their neighborhoods and throughout the city?
Rickenmann: We’ve approached public safety from several directions, and we’re thankful that crime, especially violent crime, is down.
Recruiting police officers is difficult today, so we’ve invested in retention programs, mental-health support, training and technology to help fill the gaps. We’ve also hired nonsworn personnel to handle duties that do not require a sworn officer, allowing our officers to focus on enforcement and public safety.
Technology has become an important part of that strategy. We use tools such as ShotSpotter and operate a real-time crime center that monitors more than 700 cameras across the city, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We also have a dedicated data team that helps us identify patterns and deploy resources more effectively.
Local government is ultimately in the customer-service business.
When you understand the people, places and behaviors associated with crime, you can intervene earlier. That allows us to focus on prevention and intervention, while still pursuing arrests and convictions when enforcement is necessary.
We also created an Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement. Many organizations are doing important work in the community, and the city can serve as the quarterback—bringing those groups together and making sure their efforts reach every part of Columbia.
Another challenge, which I never expected would require so much attention, is combating misinformation online. You’ll see lists claiming Columbia is among the most dangerous cities in the country, but when we ask where the information came from, the data is often inaccurate.
We try to respond with reliable information, including the statistics we report to the FBI. Crime is concentrated in a relatively small portion of the city, and we know where many of those challenges are. We can anticipate them and direct resources accordingly, but we also must address the broader perception that entire parts of Columbia are unsafe.
Our officers are deeply engaged in the neighborhoods they serve. They know community leaders, attend neighborhood meetings, conduct wellness checks on seniors and sometimes hold roll calls in neighborhoods so residents can hear directly about what is happening. They share crime statistics, offer prevention advice and listen to residents’ concerns.
We’re doing a great deal, although I would still like to have 60 more officers. Recruiting remains difficult, so we are increasingly looking beyond the city, and even beyond South Carolina, to find qualified candidates.
Many newcomers to Columbia arrive from the Northeast or Midwest and may not be prepared for South Carolina’s heat. What advice do you give people who are experiencing their first summer in the Midlands?
Rickenmann: I remind them that humidity is good for the skin—that’s why we all look so young and healthy here in the South.
It does take newcomers some time to adjust. The weather can change quickly: it might be 72 degrees one day and 98 degrees with heavy humidity two days later. I tell people to wear breathable clothing, stay hydrated and spend some time outdoors so their bodies can acclimate.
It’s amazing how quickly that happens. I’ve met people from New York and Chicago who eventually stop wanting to go back north because it feels too cold. Temperatures drop into the 60s, and suddenly they’re reaching for a sweater when they once would have worn shorts.
You have to be smart about the heat, but you also learn to embrace it. It’s part of life here. And I always remind people who say Columbia is hot that I’ve visited their cities in the summer—and it gets pretty hot there, too.
National politics often feels abstract and hyperpartisan, but mayors have to solve practical problems. How does local government push leaders to be less partisan, and what do you wish Washington better understood about how cities get things done?
Rickenmann: I think you’re exactly right. When a pothole needs to be filled, the trash needs to be collected or a park needs attention, people don’t care whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat. They’re paying local taxes, and they expect you to deliver. Local government is ultimately in the customer-service business.
We also have to be smart about maintaining relationships with the federal government because cities rely on federal grants and other resources. But our focus remains pragmatic and centered on people. I think that is often what Washington is missing.
Whenever I visit Washington and share real-life examples, I’m struck by how disconnected members of Congress and the administration can be from the way people live day to day. Everyone has a philosophy, but residents ultimately want to know that basic services are being provided, police officers and firefighters are properly funded, roads are maintained and the city is preparing for the future.
National politics can get in the way of those things, and the effects eventually reach the local level. Mayors experience politics differently because we cannot hide from the people we serve. I see residents at the grocery store, at church and throughout the community. They tell me directly what is happening in their lives, and I have to respond.
I wish more national leaders would spend meaningful time in the places they represent. Go to the barbershop, the local repair shop or the grocery store. Stay after church and talk with people. Don’t simply show up, give a speech and leave. Sit down for lunch and listen.
I think they would be amazed by what they hear. It might help Washington solve problems more pragmatically instead of making every disagreement about ideology, grudges or political payback.
We have thousands of issues on which we need to work together. If we disagree on one or two, that’s fine, set those aside and keep working on the rest. I often tell people that many of life’s most important lessons were learned in kindergarten. Maybe Washington could use a few kindergarten classes again.
As Columbia continues to grow, what is the one thing the city must not lose?
Rickenmann: Who we are. We don’t want to become Charleston, Greenville, Charlotte, Atlanta or Nashville. We want to remain Columbia, South Carolina—the capital city—and embrace the personality that makes us distinctive.
We have three rivers running through the city, a beautiful downtown, a high quality of life and that front-porch mentality. We cannot afford to lose those things because they are central to our identity and to what draws people here.
That is why businesses want to invest in Columbia, why people want to move here and build their lives, and why students choose to stay after graduation. It is also why seven out of 10 military families stationed at Fort Jackson choose to remain here when they retire.
That sense of identity is what we cannot afford to lose.
