Mayor Martin Chavez told students the best way to improve Albuquerque's future is by understanding the city's past.
A class in the UNM Honors Program invited Chavez to give a lecture on his plans for the city Thursday.
Chavez discussed Albuquerque's economic and infrastructure issues, including the film production market and solar power initiatives.
"All of these issues are important for the future," he said. "But it is important that we all understand the past so that we can make the correct decisions for the future of Albuquerque."
Chavez said the city is at a pivotal point in its history. After winning awards for energy and water conservation, the city must pull together to become more efficient, he said.
The "Destination Albuquerque: An Experimental Journey" class has been looking into the history of Albuquerque this semester and interviewing prominent citizens and city workers.
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Chavez began with a presentation on the growing market for movie production in Albuquerque and said the city's film industry will likely expand.
"Movie productions are just one example of how Albuquerque is growing, as we received over $80 million from productions last year," he said. "It is important that we understand the history of this great city - right after we celebrated our tricentennial, which so few cities can - so that we can understand where we should go."
Chavez said he and city administrators are working to expand the city skyward and create larger buildings to accommodate the growing community.
"We cannot talk about whether or not Albuquerque is going to expand - we are," he said. "The conversation should be about how to expand in the best possible way. Being able to balance the water sources that we have along with investing into other options is important for us right now."
Chavez said millions of dollars have gone into creating solar power and that New Mexico will produce more of it than any other state.
"When I see Albuquerque in five to seven years, I believe that we will be leading the country in renewable energy production," he said. "All of the energy production will also create jobs in Albuquerque and help steady our economy."
Senior Wesley Morton, a student teacher in the UNM Honors Program, said he organized the class to learn about Albuquerque's history and prepare for the city's future.
"The idea is inspired by the world traveling that I have done," Morton said. "I have been inspired by a lot of different urban atmospheres and didn't like knowing more about these other places than I knew about my own urban atmosphere."
Morton said the goal of the course is to see Albuquerque anew and learn about the city's cultural and artistic history.
Morton said he would like to see this class offered to students outside the UNM Honors Program.
"I believe that this is a necessary class for all students to take," he said. "I am graduating and taking off to hit the world, but I would love to see another student take on this class and continue teaching students about Albuquerque."
