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What Columbus Needs - 2011 Edition

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Started 6 months ago by News
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News
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What Columbus needs: The responses pt. 1
Published: Friday, October 28, 2011 1:36 PM EDT

For our November cover story, we asked civic leaders what could be done to improve our city. Here are their full responses.

"Columbus needs an attitude adjustment—no excuses, no qualifications because there are great things going on and we are all fortunate to be here."

"Columbus could use a more developed downtown. I considered buying a condo downtown, but there aren’t enough options for shopping and late night entertainment within walking distance. It’s improving, but I’d like to see more."

READ MORE: http://www.columbusmonthly.com/articles/2011/11/01/top_web_story/doc4eaad69327848934970963.txt

Posted 6 months ago #
News
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Responses, Part 2: http://www.columbusmonthly.com/articles/2011/11/01/features/doc4eaadf8eca56d089696987.txt

Posted 6 months ago #
vestanpance
Harrison West/at work OSU
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1. Hosting the Olympics

that would shake things up.

Posted 6 months ago #
Pickerington_Kyle

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vestanpance said:

1. Hosting the Olympics

that would shake things up.

Are you kidding! Hosting the olympics would take lots of work. Do we even have adequate stadiums to host the games? But it would be awesome.

Posted 6 months ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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Pickerington_Kyle said:
Are you kidding! Hosting the olympics would take lots of work. Do we even have adequate stadiums to host the games? But it would be awesome.

Seems every host city in the last few decades has had to build specifically to accommodate the games. Some have used existing facilities but they have still required some purpose built.

Posted 6 months ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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I think we need fewer one-off BIG IDEAS, and a million SMALL IDEAS. ;)

Posted 6 months ago #
Coreroc
Egoville USA
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Walker I like your line of thinking here! I also love how many folks responded that Columbus needs more swagger. So very true that most locals could use a little extra hometown pep in their step.

Posted 6 months ago #
M.O.
Columbus
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I like Jeni Britton Bauer's answers the best. They're an unexpected combination of punchy, compelling ideas, kinda like blueberry corn-on-the-cob ice cream.

Posted 6 months ago #
Static-X
Here
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lifeontwowheels said:
Seems every host city in the last few decades has had to build specifically to accommodate the games. Some have used existing facilities but they have still required some purpose built.

I say we host the Winter Olympics in Columbus and use the casino money to replicate the Alps in the Arena District.

Posted 6 months ago #
BCNation
Franklin Park
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JBB's a gem and I like her answers, no matter how farfetched people think they are. She came up with a lot of good ideas.

+1 on the Morse-Bethel Connector (it's LONG overdue). Maybe that's why COTA is being kicked out of Graceland, perhaps? ;)
+1 on Diesha's "City Pride" comment
+1 on Michael Yarbrough (from German Village Society) saying that there needs to be a Bicentennial celebration. Hey, it's Valentine's Day. We need to show Columbus how much we love him, no matter how awkward (or how much feet of snow on the ground, lmao) it is, we can't let 2012 pass by without an official Bicentennial celebration (I don't mean 300 little ones, but one big "Blow out all 200 candles" celebration...200 Columbus is missing the ball on this one.
+1 on Doug Preisse who said that we need more Republican voices at 90 West Broad Street
+1 on everyone (more than a dozen people) who said better public transportation. COTA is 20 years behind the times in terms of public transit (silly Coleman and stern Kasich)

Columbus needs:
- A City Council that puts the needs of their citizens first and not their corporate shareholders, and a City Council that doesn't spend casino money into keeping the Blue Jackets in Columbus. (and no "Rubber Stamp" City Council either)
- A strong school system in the Columbus City Schools. The CCS as a whole right now makes me glad I was home schooled, which is ironic, because I hated being homeschooled. But, when you're the largest district in the state, you're supposed to be the BEST school district in your county. NOT Dublin, Westerville, Olentangy, Upper Arlington, Hilliard, or Bexley (not that there's anything wrong with them, there isn't). Columbus is supposed to be above them all, but half the CCS kids don't finish. That needs to be changed.
- Michael Coleman is the first city leader to use the term "swagger".
- Columbus needs to adopt the phrase "Nobody In the Country Has Swagger Like Us."

Posted 6 months ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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The print edition of the article mentions that the Jeni's answers came from a survey of her staff, so they're the collective efforts of some of the Jeni's employees. ;)

Posted 6 months ago #
people211
Columbus
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I really liked what one person said about having a central attraction that connects all of the neighborhoods around Downtown. Gimme a Gimmick!

Random idea.. A big giant fish tank right in the middle of the Columbus Commons.. sponsored by the Columbus Zoo... and Wendys..

Posted 6 months ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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people211 said:
I really liked what one person said about having a central attraction that connects all of the neighborhoods around Downtown. Gimme a Gimmick!

Random idea.. A big giant fish tank right in the middle of the Columbus Commons.. sponsored by the Columbus Zoo... and ~~Wendys~~ Red Lobster..

Fixed that for you

Posted 6 months ago #
johnwirtz
Evanston, IL
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Interesting to see a lot of calls for better public transit and/or rail transit.

Posted 6 months ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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johnwirtz said:
Interesting to see a lot of calls for better public transit and/or rail transit.

Interesting that it's a lot of very well know, active leaders in both business and other issues. How could that be leveraged in a way that benefits the region?

Posted 6 months ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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johnwirtz said:
Interesting to see a lot of calls for better public transit and/or rail transit.

The print edition gives the top 10, and Transportation is #1 on the list.

It also gives the top 10s from 2006, 2001 and 1996 (these "What Columbus Needs" surveys are conducted every 5 years) and Transportation was #1 in 2006, #2 in 2001 and #6 in 1996.

Posted 6 months ago #
btmarquis

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+1 : "Columbus has some great festivals and weekend events. I’d love to see a signature five-plus-day event added to the annual events calendar. Living out west, I saw how successful events like SXSW, the Sundance Film Festival and Santa Fe Opera are for their communities, and how well they attract visitors from throughout the U.S. and beyond."

Co-opting Greg Brown's week long theater idea, how about an entire Independent Arts festival. Showings, fashion shows, concerts, indoor/outdoor plays, film screenings, etc.... all week long day and night. Could be great fund-raising week/event.

+1 : "Fixed growth limits on the perimeter of Columbus—creates densification in suburban areas."

+1 : "A new downtown stadium for the Columbus Crew."

And another big +1 to the swagger/attitude comments. Cowtown no more.

Posted 6 months ago #
L-Rag
German Village/Columbus
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Chances are, what Columbus really "needs" will come as a big surprise to those of us sitting around analyzing it.

Posted 6 months ago #
CalebR
Lincoln Village
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So the most ideas ive seen:

- Public Transportation (rail, bus, etc.)

- Better Schools

- More Investment (private & public)

One that caught my eye:

- Capping all of I-70/71

Obviously Columbus corporate leaders and other leaders WANT investment, WANT a rail system, WANT better schools. Why not give them what they want? I know people(myself included) who WANT all of these things!

Posted 6 months ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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The conversation continues next Wednesday:

http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/what-columbus-needs-%e2%80%94%c2%a0wed-nov-9

Posted 6 months ago #