Columbia began as a two–square mile planned city in 1790. It remained such for 100 years confined by Elmwood, Harden, Heyward and the river. Fairgrounds, bawdy houses, juke joints, graveyards, and cotton warehouses grew up outside the city limits to avoid legal regulations.

In the 1890s, the rolling hills of Eau Claire, the flat farmland of Shandon, and the textile potential of Granby–Olympia led developers Hyatt, Shand, and Whaley to use their political clout to extend the trolley lines to their developments. In the 1910s and 1920s these towns were gobbled up along with Waverley, Cottontown, Edgewood, Heathwood, Hollywood–Rose Hill, Wales Garden, Melrose Heights, Forest Hills, and Rosewood.

In the 1930s and 1940s, the train stops of Hopkins, Gadsden, Eastover, Wateree, and Kingsville joined with Mill Creek, Horrell Hill, and Lykesland to form the farming community of Lower Richland. The sandhill train stops Dentsville, Pontiac, and Killian loosely organized as Richland Northeast. Blythewood separated from Fairfield County and set up its own government. Forest Acres and Arcadia Lakes drew lines around themselves.

In 1950, the sprint to the suburbs began. Driven by desegregation, visions of country living, and restrictive city zoning, people jumped in their cars and moved away.

In the suburbs, expressways replaced sidewalks. Cul–de–sacs replaced neighborhood parks. Income–based deforested developments replaced tree–lined multi–use neighborhoods. Strip malls sprouted along the commuting lanes out of the city.

During the 1970s and 1980s the sprint became a full–fledged race to the suburbs. The Dutch Fork–St. Andrews area developed along the new I–26. Spring Valley and Wildewood set examples of exclusivity for the Northeast.

Now, with the urbanization of Clemson Road and Blythewood, the Northeast has reached saturation. Developers are now turning to Lower Richland. Farmers are selling out. Fields and forests are being mowed down.

What can we expect? More ethnic–centric neighborhoods? More strip malls? More parking lots? More pipes, poles, and lines? More signs? More demands for services by residents?

Neither the City of Columbia nor Richland County can control the growth. The marketplace rules. Those with money and influence do what they please. The home buyer hopes for the best.

Most people are looking for utopia – a peaceful place where their children will be safe, a comfortable place within commuting distance of their workplace, an affordable place with good schools, pleasant parks, friendly churches, convenient stores, and the basic services.

If they don’t find it in their first subdivision, they will move…and move again. We have learned from Columbia’s rapid growth that utopias quickly become pipe dreams. And shattered pipe dreams inspire the developer’s next utopian scheme.