Indianapolis Cultrual Trail

[rdj]

I think Indianapolis is really doing some cool things with their city.  I think in a lot of ways they've been out in front of other cities on a lot of issues.  Tulsa could probably learn a lot about the progress they've made, particularly in how their city & county governments have worked together.

I came across their "Cultural Trail" that connects different districts in & around their downtown.  I think this could be a cool idea for Tulsa.  The Centennial Walk (IMHO) been a bit of a dud.  I wonder if a trail that emanate from the Center of the Universe would work?  Trail would connect to the Arena District, Brady District, Blue Dome District, Skyscraper District (Boston Ave/Main St), Cathedral Square & finally a bike portion down Denver to the river.

Here is the link to Indy's trail site:  http://www.indyculturaltrail.org/

[sgrizzle]

The Centennial Walk, despite what some stories say, is far from complete.

[SXSW]

Indianapolis with its huge IUPUI campus downtown should be a model Tulsa uses with OSU-Tulsa.  Indiana and Purdue wanted an urban presence in Indiana's largest city so they created a joint venture that is now Indiana's largest university in terms of total enrollment and gives Indianapolis a thriving public university located next to downtown.  This exactly what is needed with OSU in Tulsa if the leadership and community support is there to make it happen. 

[sgrizzle]

With all that forethought you'd think they wouldn't name it ooey-pooey

[rdj]

I couldn't agree more about OSU Tulsa/TCC.  It drives me nuts that we can't figure out a way to make it a key part of downtown's growth.  I hear more & more that part of the problem lies in the decline (or fear of) at OSU-Stillwater.  The powers that be in Stillwater don't want OSU-Tulsa to become bigger or more powerful than big brother.

[SXSW]

I couldn't agree more about OSU Tulsa/TCC.  It drives me nuts that we can't figure out a way to make it a key part of downtown's growth.  I hear more & more that part of the problem lies in the decline (or fear of) at OSU-Stillwater.  The powers that be in Stillwater don't want OSU-Tulsa to become bigger or more powerful than big brother.

I know, and that's ridiculous.  At one time they wanted to have 20,000 students at the downtown campus by 2020.  Can you imagine the impact even 10,000 students at that campus would have, especially if many of them live by campus, in downtown, or in nearby neighborhoods like Brady Heights and Reservoir Hill?  I see OU's campus at 41st & Yale keep adding new buildings and students and wish it was OU-Tulsa in downtown instead of OSU...

This is what OSU should do if they are serious about their Tulsa campus:
- Provide a number of undergraduate programs concurrent with what is offered in Stillwater but that can be completed entirely in Tulsa.  This would not be as extensive as what is offered in Stillwater but would cover aerospace, business, computer science, engineering, and education; programs listed here: http://www.osu-tulsa.okstate.edu/academics/programs.asp
- Provide a larger amount of graduate and doctoral degrees and move some programs from Stillwater to Tulsa where grad students would be more likely to live/work. 
- Focus OSU's non-agriculture research initiatives in Tulsa and create an urban research campus in the Brady District.
- Continue to grow the OSU Health Sciences Center and Forensics Lab by the river and joint venture with OU and TU (which are partnering to create a medical school in Tulsa by 2014) to create a combined University Medical Center at OSU Med Center that includes a major renovation, expanded services, new buildings, and medical research similar to OU Med Center in OKC.

Indianapolis has done a lot of these things over the past 20 years, hopefully Tulsa continues on the same path..

[tshane250]

I think Indianapolis is really doing some cool things with their city.  I think in a lot of ways they've been out in front of other cities on a lot of issues.  Tulsa could probably learn a lot about the progress they've made, particularly in how their city & county governments have worked together.

I came across their "Cultural Trail" that connects different districts in & around their downtown.  I think this could be a cool idea for Tulsa.  The Centennial Walk (IMHO) been a bit of a dud.  I wonder if a trail that emanate from the Center of the Universe would work?  Trail would connect to the Arena District, Brady District, Blue Dome District, Skyscraper District (Boston Ave/Main St), Cathedral Square & finally a bike portion down Denver to the river.

Here is the link to Indy's trail site:  http://www.indyculturaltrail.org/

I couldn't agree more.  As someone who attended IUPUI (ooey-pooey), who lived in downtown and worked in downtown, I must say Indianapolis is definitely a model to follow.  The IUPUI campus is growing tremendously and the wealth of internship opportunities for students within Indianapolis is awesome.  Tulsa, specifically downtown Tulsa, would really benefit from having a large student population adjacent to campus (right next to downtown). 

As far as the Cultural Trail goes, I love the idea of it.  I certainly wish Tulsa could develop a street adjacent separated multi-use trail system to connect major areas.  I'm mainly thinking something like this running alongside 6th Street to TU. 

[rdj]

If OSU just staffed the Helmerich Research Facility with top-notch up & coming research scientists it would be a huge get for downtown Tulsa.  I've talked to some of their senior people and have begged them to build (or lease the land to someone else to) housing for their grad students on the land they have west of the main campus.  If you are an up & coming researcher who spends 50-60 hours a week in the lab why wouldn't you want to walk across the street to a cool urban style development?  On the weekends ride your bike to a baseball game, concert and numerous eateries & bars?  It would be a win-win, OSU-Tulsa's profile is raised, donors are happy & downtown Tulsa adds affluent households in & around downtown.

The people I talk to say they can't attract anyone here because of the type of lifestyle (or lack there of) & nearby housing they are looking for.  It is a travesty.

[SXSW]

If OSU just staffed the Helmerich Research Facility with top-notch up & coming research scientists it would be a huge get for downtown Tulsa.  I've talked to some of their senior people and have begged them to build (or lease the land to someone else to) housing for their grad students on the land they have west of the main campus.  If you are an up & coming researcher who spends 50-60 hours a week in the lab why wouldn't you want to walk across the street to a cool urban style development?  On the weekends ride your bike to a baseball game, concert and numerous eateries & bars?  It would be a win-win, OSU-Tulsa's profile is raised, donors are happy & downtown Tulsa adds affluent households in & around downtown.

The people I talk to say they can't attract anyone here because of the type of lifestyle (or lack there of) & nearby housing they are looking for.  It is a travesty.

Seems like that right there should be enough reason to start building housing.  That area west of campus, between Boulder and Cincinnati, 244 and John Hope Franklin would be a great area to build urban apartments and townhomes and then more research facilities just to the south of 244 in the Brady District. 

[cjmcinty]

As a Hoosier, just have to say I was excited to see Indianapolis mentioned here. My fiance & I moved to Tulsa last August & have had many a conversation about how Tulsa could improve downtown, often using Indy as a comparison. It's too bad Tulsa doesn't have a professional sports team to bring crowds & revenue downtown...

[Hoss]

As a Hoosier, just have to say I was excited to see Indianapolis mentioned here. My fiance & I moved to Tulsa last August & have had many a conversation about how Tulsa could improve downtown, often using Indy as a comparison. It's too bad Tulsa doesn't have a professional sports team to bring crowds & revenue downtown...

We don't have the population base that Indy does...

But we do have the WNBA.
And AF1.

Comparison:

Indy MSA:  1,743,658
Tulsa MSA:  929,015

(Census estimates for July 2009)

That's nearly double the population of Tulsa.

But yes, downtown could improve more.  It's come leaps and bounds in just 6 years.

[sgrizzle]

As a Hoosier, just have to say I was excited to see Indianapolis mentioned here. My fiance & I moved to Tulsa last August & have had many a conversation about how Tulsa could improve downtown, often using Indy as a comparison. It's too bad Tulsa doesn't have a professional sports team to bring crowds & revenue downtown...

What plays downtown:
Tulsa Shock - WNBA (Tier 1)
Tulsa Talons - AFL (Tier 1)
Tulsa 66ers - NBDL (Tier 2)
Tulsa Oilers - CHL (Tier 3)
Tulsa Drillers - AA (Tier 3)

I think that's good for a sub-1m MSA

[SXSW]

What plays downtown:
Tulsa Shock - WNBA (Tier 1)
Tulsa Talons - AFL (Tier 1)
Tulsa 66ers - NBDL (Tier 2)
Tulsa Oilers - CHL (Tier 3)
Tulsa Drillers - AA (Tier 3)

I think that's good for a sub-1m MSA

I'd say so too.  Once we pass 1 million (expected to happen in the next 2-3 years) I'd like to see Tulsa move up to AHL hockey and AAA baseball, both of which would be downtown.  Tulsa also has D-1A sports at TU 2 miles from downtown.