It's terribly selfish to expect a city not to change so non- or former residents can go back to experience the "flavor and culture" while contributing nothing but a few tourism dollars, and likely not much of that. And good god, don't say you're creating community.

"As cities across the country and the one I loved, are becoming homogenized, it is less appealing." 
For you, but maybe you're in the minority here and the current residents like it that way? Who are you to tell other cities how to grow?