Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis Talks About Bringing an Attraction to the City
What does Windsor need to attract more people to our area? That is what Mike and Lisa talked about with the Mayor on Tuesday.
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On the next Morning Drive.................
We will help you get ready for Game 5 of the Spits - Knights Series. Plus, on our parenting segment at 7:20, Mike and Lisa will talk about take your daughter to work day.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
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3 comments:
Two things.
1. I think that the Mayor is touching on whats important but that the point should be emphasized.
When talking about an attraction we need to focus on an attraction that will make people want to live here, not just visit. Thats why Flint failed with autoworld, how many times would a resident want to see that same particular attraction?
2. Attraction talk is nice and all but there was a line in the Windsor star that I hope was a misquote. That council wanted an attraction because it was tired of the endless streetscape projects.
That "endless" streetscape project is what I would call continuous improvement towards walkable urbanism. That streetscape project makes downtown more liveable and resident friendly.
An attraction should be thought of in addition to continuous improvement of our downtown, not in place of continuous improvement.
The answer to all of this may be much more simpler than you think
The most successfull downtowns and for that matter, cities, are ones that people want to live in.
Making Windsor more liveable should be the goal of any attraction and spending.
Notwithstanding a few exceptions to the rule, the rule is this. No one's gonna visit or invest in a place that people don't want to live. Start with Downtown and expand outward.
P.S. when thinking of an attraction, it doesn't necessarily have to be one big "thing:. A cluster of smaller "things" in one spot can add to a major attraction.
How about a combination college campus/something else/something else/flooded cut/marina in the city center west lands as an anchor for residential development?
That would meet all the critera
throw in a science center on the above comment
Oh, and one last thing, studies and consultants aren't a bad thing. They are a perfectly good means to an end. Windsor's problem is that the reports and consultants become the end in themselves. Bringing in Richard Florida, Peter Bellmio and then saying Mission accomplished sounds like George Bush
If we want to make the city more liveable then take the darn Community Improvement Plans off the shelf, blow the dust off and implement them.
From now on, don't ever do a study or bring a consultant in unless you plan to create an implementation budget for that consultant or study.
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