PLANiTULSA proposal - Step 2: Create a Redevelopment Strategy

[PonderInc]

From the PLANiTULSA "Our Vision" document - Proposed Strategies
http://www.planitulsa.org

Step 2: Create a Redevelopment Strategy
Tulsa has the opportunity to forge a redevelopment
future revolving around its downtown, urban corridors, defunct industrial sites, new town centers and currently struggling urban neighborhoods. Redevelopment should broaden the range of housing options, create new spaces for different types of employers, and make efficient use of existing infrastructure. Collaborative partnerships between the public and private sectors will ensure that vital areas of the city become more sustainable and socially and aesthetically vibrant. 

Build on Existing Assets

Tulsa has experienced a range of successful projects in the central city that lend support for more ambitious efforts. Recent examples include the BOK Center, Drillers' Stadium, the adaptive re-use of several historic buildings that have reinforced the promise of urban living (e.g., the Mayo Building, Mayo Hotel and Lofts, Philtower, and the Tribune Lofts).

Tulsa has an abundance of land in and near downtown that is currently under used and a number of vacant buildings. These structures can all be reused in new ways to help rebuild downtown's role as the regional center. Tulsa is also well-positioned to learn from the experiences of other cities about what kinds of redevelopment efforts succeed, which ones fall short of expectations, and why. With many examples from which to draw, Tulsa can make more informed choices and avoid common pitfalls.

Tulsa has established local philanthropic foundations such as the Tulsa Community Foundation, the George Kaiser Family Foundation, the Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation, and the Zink Foundation, with the commitments and resources necessary to help build a better city.