The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

A story about how good urban planning redeveloped downtown kc in just a few years. A big arena and convention center to draw people downtown, then dining and entertainment right next door to keep them there and coming back.  Sprinkle in streetscape, urban living, and density and they created an "upward spiral" where good planning created a tipping point where thriving business drew in more businesses and more people on the street made it a place you want to be. Cafes filling out on the street, stores, business, and life...
 
 If you fail to reach "critical mass" you can dump money in and then just sit and wait for it to decline again.  It seems like the tide has turned downtown. We dumped a bunch of money down there, got some things done, have some more planned... but the appetite to keep working on it is fading.  Did we do enough or do we now just wait for the decline?


The show also had a piece on walkable areas.  A study said a walkable neighborhood is having nearly everything within 1 mile (15 blocks).  Seems to be the idl is the perfect size!

Fyi, it's called "the next American dream." 

sorry ....do not take this personally. http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotoedge/2987171917/

Beneath the neon signs, every city has it's zits.

Love KC....good place to visit...

What does that have to do with the steps KC used to redeveloped its downtown? lol

I'm puzzled with your statement.  Are you saying interest is starting to wane in our downtown?  If anything from reading Blake Ewing's posts, there's more coming and the baseball stadium still isn't open yet. 

You just know that aox is frantically searching the nets to find a picture to top yours right now.

What does the steps used to redevelop downtown KC have to do with Tulsa....apples/oranges?

"Everything's up to date in Kansas City"....

I cought part of that show last night.  It was actually called "The Next American Dream" (based on the concept that the American Dream is not necessarily having a big house on a large lot in the suburbs...  Instead it is about having choices). 

For a growing number of people, those choices include urban centers with access to culture, the arts, transit options, and services like shopping, restaurants, parks, etc all within walking distance.   Quite interesting and well done.  They used KC as an example, but also gave a lot of good info about downtown areas in general, and about how cities will change in the future, based on huge demographic shifts.

One intriguing observation they made is that most modern construction is "temporary" or "disposable"...ie: not built to last.  Picture all the cinderblock buildings that are thrown up all over town in commercial and industrial districts.  In a way this is "good" b/c it means we will be better able to rebuild and adapt to our changing needs, as those buildings are demolished and rebuilt rather quickly.  (This concept still makes the environmentalist in me cringe.)  If you think about it, most modern construction is sort of like a Lego set...

In any case, catch this show when they re-play it on Feb 9th and 10th on OETA.  I thought it was fascinating.

I lived off FM1960..that picture obviously taken in H-town...

Ummmm the fact that we are trying to redevelop our downtown and it can be very worthwhile to check out what other cities have done, how are they similar to us, how are they different, whats worked and why, what hasnt and why. etc. If they are did similar things to what we are doing, what were problems they ran into, were there any unforeseen consequences or circumstances that we too might want to be aware of, etc, etc. 

Conan: I think public interest in paying for more downtown development is running short.

For public facilities, I agree.  At this point, we've dumped a boat-load of money into infrastructure and the kinds of facilities (BOK Center, renovated convention center, ONEOK Field, new streets), now it's private enterprises turn to take advantage of the face-lift.  Amazing how much has happened down there in the last five years.  Looking back, it's only fitting that DTU is finally gone.  That little ivory tower did squat for downtown development.  Glad that toad Jim Norton isn't hanging around trying to take credit for this after years of shaking down downtown land and business owners and essentially offering very little in return but lip service.

I agree.  However I do think there will always be a place for the gov. to do things to help get more housing downtown, and very importantly as time goes on, get affordable housing down there so that it does not become a solely middle class and upper class enclave. In exchange for low interest loans, infrastructure and such, its proper imo for the gov to ask developers to put in a percentage of low income, family, housing (not just low income, one room efficiencies). We should be doing this now imo, and in all parts of the city. It can help "unconcentrate poverty" and enables some children who might otherwise be going to not so good schools, be able to go to better ones, etc. Not a big effect at first, but every bit helps, and if you do this over long periods of time, generations, it makes an impact lessening crime (gangs resulting from concentrated poverty) equalizing educational opportunities, access to pedestrian friendly/transit friendly areas, job opportunities, etc.    

Once we get a lively district and lots of action going downtown, more people visiting there, living there, and having a positive experience... Then perhaps we could see a little more willingness for more large scale projects/gov. involvement as has been the case in OKC.

Yeah we don't want downtown to be an upper class enclave like downtown Austin, Denver, or even OKC to an extent where most of the new housing is priced too high for the people they are targeting.  There needs to be a mix of housing options.

Looks like an interesting program.  Our downtown is moving forward.  Private investment is slowly following public.  The Mayo's up, the Mayo Bldg will finish soon.  There are several other residential conversions in progress.  The Blue Dome and Brady are slowly surging and I think will do even better after the ballpark opens.  Our downtown is coming back and I think PlaniTulsa will reinforce that notion (assuming we implement it).

http://www.nextamericandream.com/

I remember when the rail folks from Austin came to Tulsa to give their input on our future, possible, lines.  They said one of the mistakes they made early on was to not require that developers put in some affordable living, esp as pertaining to TOD (Transit Oriented Developments). They said we are in the enviable position of being able to learn from their mistakes and regrets.... Right? lol   The city will often have control of some good chunks of property at or near TOD sites, areas where the stations will be. Sometimes those are city owned parking lots that once development gets rolling the city parsels off into parking garages and or mixed use developments. Those types of desirable areas, are one example of where the city can say to developers,,, "If you want to build in this great location, we the taxpayers created, then add a few lower income living options to the mix (so that taxpayers, both wealthy and not, may partake of their investment)."