Hipper and Livelier?

[RecycleMichael]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20081214_16_A18_Aftert841559

Consultant: Tulsans want hipper, livelier city
Ideas came from 1,200 people who participated in three planning workshops and created 120 maps.

By KEVIN CANFIELD World Staff Writer

After three citywide planning workshops, Tulsans' dreams for the future remain fuzzy.
But their vision is clear: Younger. Hipper. Livelier. Or so says John Fregonese, the consultant for the city's comprehensive plan update project, PLANiTULSA.

"What we got out of that (the citywide workshops) is a pretty different view of Tulsa than the forecast we've seen for Tulsa," Fregonese said. "In fact, what was put on the maps is in many cases illegal; in fact, most of it is illegal, most of it is not permitted, let alone not planned for and not anticipated and not desired." Fregonese of Fregonese Associates of Portland, Ore., wasn't trying to stir things up.

He was simply drawing conclusions from the 120 maps created by the 1,200 people who participated in the workshops, which were held earlier this year. Where official projections of housing growth have consisted of high-rise developments downtown, subdivisions on vacant land and little else, Fregonese said, the workshop results reflect a desire for a variety of developments, many of which would be infill projects. "The kind of development you've seen in other cities that are Tulsa's size that have a lot of infill include multistory, mixed-use (projects), main streets, restaurants a lot of small shops instead of big malls," Fregonese said. Many Tulsans "aren't happy with the way things are and they think it would be really cool to have some new stuff."

The projects envisioned were for all of Tulsa, with a concentration around the University of Tulsa, north and south on Peoria, and around the Eastland Mall, Fregonese said. Participants in the workshops did not envision a lot of change for south Tulsa.

"In the newer parts of Tulsa, I think, people, and wisely so, figure there's not a lot that's going to happen there," Fregonese said. A shift in where people live and work will, of course, affect how they get around. Fregonese said his company, taking its cue from the workshop results, has begun to design a comprehensive transportation system that would go beyond fixing streets and constructing a light-rail system to the suburbs.

The idea, Fregonese said, is to create "frequent transit corridors" using a variety of transportation modes, from street cars to bus-rapid transit to light rail, with paths for cyclists and pedestrians. "For example, you'd walk down to Peoria (Avenue) from north to south Tulsa and the bus would be running up and down Peoria intersecting with other transit," Fregonese said. "And it would be coming every 10 minutes; you don't have a schedule, you just walk out and grab it."

When it comes to jobs, Fregonese said he's seen no clamoring for a radical shift in the types of work Tulsans do. But that doesn't mean the city can't do more to help. "One in five people in Tulsa is self-employed, and they make more than the average person in Tulsa," Fregonese said. " I think there are a lot of ways the city can make being in a small business easier, from the kind of zoning to live-work housing."

Last week, PLANiTULSA held two small-area workshops to give citizens a chance to provide specifics to the overall vision developed in the citywide workshops. Another six small-area workshops are planned for early next year. By April, Fregonese hopes to present four development scenarios for the public's consideration. The objective, he said, is to choose a scenario, or, more likely, take parts of each scenario, to come up with a consensus about the city's future. Fregonese called it the most important part of the process.

"People will embrace a concept in general, say: 'I'm all for it, but not here,' " he said. "I think working out those details is part of the longer-range conversation that needs to go on between now and adoption of the plan."


PLANiTULSA in 2009

The city of Tulsa is updating its comprehensive plan, which provides guidelines for the physical development of the city. The plan covers land use, transportation and infrastructure. As part of the process, PLANiTULSA officials have held three citywide workshops and two small-area workshops. Six more small-area workshops are planned for early 2009.

In April, city officials will present four development scenarios for the public's consideration. Residents can choose one scenario, or pick and choose aspects from all four. City officials plan to have the new comprehensive plan adopted by the end of next year. The existing comprehensive plan was originally approved about 30 years ago.

To get more information about PLANiTULSA, go to tulsaworld.com/planitulsa or call (918) 576-5684.


Hipper and livelier? Is it even possible to be any more hip and lively than Tulsa already is?

(sarcasm off)

I always thought that Tulsa nightlife was an oxymoron...kinda like jumbo shrimp and happily married.

[Ed W]

Michael,

Is it possible that this analysis of the raw data is open to personal interpretation?  In other words, the data is nebulous and the person looking at it sees what he wants to see.  

As for Tulsa being 'hipper', um, does that mean we'd all have to wear those silly capri-pants-for-men?  I'm willing to do my part for civic pride and all, but I do have to draw the line somewhere.

[RecycleMichael]

As a well-known expert on hipness...I believe you are right.

Capri pants? Do they go well my collection of super skinny ties?

[Ed W]

Here ya go, Michael:



Note that he also has the de riguer hipster accessory - a single speed bicycle - though your die-hard hipster wouldn't have anything other than a brakeless fixed gear, tastefully color-coordinated, of course:

[RecycleMichael]

Is that real gold?

Wow. I want one.

[TURobY]

quote:Originally posted by inteller

The fact that you had to "nominate" an area for the small area workshops confirms it.....and where did they have them?  East High school and North Tulsa.  SURPRISE SURPRISE!  Hmm...where did they have the "citywide workshop?"  North tulsa.  It is time for everything south of 71st to secede from Tulsa, because what I am seeing from this planifarce has pretty much disenfranchised the entire area.

Why would no one in extreme south Tulsa have the time to nominate their area? After all, you seem to have plenty of time to post on both this forum and others. Besides, I thought that they were still having more small-area workshops.

[Red Arrow]

quote:Originally posted by RecycleMichael

As a well-known expert on hipness...I believe you are right.

Capri pants? Do they go well my collection of super skinny ties?

Vote for change... don't be a slave to fashion.[]

[TheArtist]

I can only speak for the table at the BOK Center workshop I went to. But every single person there lived further south than me, 41st and Yale. 1 lady was from a suburb, one lived in the country just outside Tulsa but works here, 2 young girls were from a high school in South Tulsa, and the other guy was from South Tulsa as well. I kept trying to get them to pay attention to other areas of the city, like east and south, and not just downtown and north Tulsa lol. Otherwise just about every single sticker would have been in that area and in West Tulsa.  I actually had heated arguments, seriously heated, If we had raised our voices any more we would have drawn attention and gotten thrown out lol, with the south Tulsa guy about what could be done in south Tulsa. He was adamant that things be done in downtown and north Tulsa and that you couldnt do anything in south Tulsa. Bout wanted to wring his neck lol. Regardless, most of the maps by far focused on downtown, some parts of north and west Tulsa, and amazingly there seemed to be a lot of interest in getting something done in far east Tulsa around the 21st area.

And yes, most people it seemed echoed something similar to the "hipper and livelier" theme. Young, old, well off, average, north, south east and west Tulsans.

[sgrizzle]

They held the workshops downtown, where basically no-one lives. Ii doubt that skews results too much. The only way it was skewed is towards willing to get off their butts to provide worthwhile input instead of just complaining on the internet or at the TV.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by inteller

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

They held the workshops downtown, where basically no-one lives. Ii doubt that skews results too much. The only way it was skewed is towards willing to get off their butts to provide worthwhile input instead of just complaining on the internet or at the TV.

puh lease...downtown is -much- closer to midtown and north tulsa than east and south tulsa.  if the workshops were located some place closer to say, the crossroads of 44 and 51 you could say that no particular area was favored geographically.

the lack of grographic representation was glaringly apparent in his own results.  The maps that he showed were showing that "everyone" at the workshops wanted a majority of development downtown and along brookside.  the maps were almost devoid of activity in south tulsa (save for southcrest area)

I know plenty of South Tulsans (myself included) who made almost no changes in South Tulsa. I followed Double A's example and did it twice even. The majority of South Tulsa does not need the kind of major changes we were making in North, West and East Tulsa.

There was no sticker for "low density residential nimby buffer zone"

[OurTulsa]

Maybe Artist and I are the exceptions, but I too participated in two sessions (once as a participant and once as a moderator) in which both times S. Tulsans (So41sters) outnumbered all others.  One table had 9 participants the other had 7.  I'm just sayin...

Both of my tables wanted what Frego pointed out.

[dsjeffries]

My & TURobY's table had people from all over the city, of varying backgrounds and ethnicities, even a Tulsa newbie, and they all wanted what Fregonese has pointed out.

Uninteller, did you actually attend the workshops? (DVRing TGOV and yelling at the television doesn't count)

[Chicken Little]

quote:Originally posted by dsjeffries

(DVRing TGOV and yelling at the television doesn't count)

[}:)]

[TheArtist]

quote:Originally posted by dsjeffries

My & TURobY's table had people from all over the city, of varying backgrounds and ethnicities, even a Tulsa newbie, and they all wanted what Fregonese has pointed out.

Uninteller, did you actually attend the workshops? (DVRing TGOV and yelling at the television doesn't count)

HA! [}:)]

[Double A]

quote:Originally posted by Ed W



Is it possible that this analysis of the raw data is open to personal interpretation?  In other words, the data is nebulous and the person looking at it sees what he wants to see.  

Bingo! I think we have a winner.

Any word on whether or not there will be a small area workshop focusing on the land currently occupied by the refineries? Hell, are there any specifics(other than the dates listed the PlaniTulsa calendar on their website) for any of these other small area workshops, yet? Whatever happened to the Transit workshop? I haven't heard much of anything about that since the city wide workshops.