$0 in 1790 dollars is also $0 in 2011 dollars, to answer your original question.

 

No Boo, you have to forecast in today's dollars what a change like that would be.

 

Here is an example. Do you know what it cost for SOHIO to change it name to BP America? or Time Warner to AOL Time Warner then back to Time Warner (with a new logo)?

 

 

 

I was just pointing out the way you tried to make the point before was not useful.

The one and only thing Columbus needs to do is to bring some, not just a little bit, of the can-do attitude from High St neighborhoods to other parts of the inner city.

$0 in 1790 dollars is also $0 in 2011 dollars, to answer your original question.

 

No Boo, you have to forecast in today's dollars what a change like that would be.

 

Here is an example.  Do you know what it cost for SOHIO to change it name to BP America?  or Time Warner to AOL Time Warner then back to Time Warner (with a new logo)?

 

 

 

I was just pointing out the way you tried to make the point before was not useful.

 

I honestly don`t care. If it were on the ballot Id vote for it. I think a lot of publicity would come out of it since its a rarity with large cities. Im not saying that it isnt impractical by your standards Im just saying that I wouldnt mind 1% of my income going towards it. It would stimulate jobs in Ohio just as well as any other stupid ass stimulus we`ve tried. Lets bury Cow-lame-bus once and for all.

I honestly don`t care. If it were on the ballot Id vote for it. I think a lot of publicity would come out of it since its a rarity with large cities. Im not saying that it isnt impractical by your standards Im just saying that I wouldnt mind 1% of my income going towards it. It would stimulate jobs in Ohio just as well as any other stupid ass stimulus we`ve tried. Lets bury Cow-lame-bus once and for all.

1% of you income is damn near zero!  How is that going to help? LOL  :D :P :o 

What are you doing in this thread? You don`t even like Columbus .

What are you doing in this thread? You don`t even like Columbus .

I'm slummin' it!

As much as it pains me to say it, I always find myself having a good time whenever I head up to Columbus. The first time I went there, I said I would never go there again.

Why would it pain you to say it? We have some top notch neighborhoods; that's why MTS can't help but be here.

^ Mainly because I consider myself an urban dweller, and Columbus is typically not known to appeal to urbanites. Columbus is a great and progressing city though. I would probably even go on to say that it is underrated (outside of Ohio).

It pains a lot of folks from Cleveland to say nice things about Columbus- at least on UrbanOhio. God forbid we ever get a friggin spotlight. We can`t even have gays moving here without them disputing it. What the f_ck.

HHS - Oh, Columbus doesn`t appeal to urban dwellers despite all the urban residential projects downtown !? That sucks. P.S - Columbus is just as dense as Clevelaned or Cincinnati. We have a relatively small outer-belt highway which has helped make our suburbs very compact. I really wish outsiders would learn the facts before speaking about Columbus when they know very little about it..

We should have a density pissing contest.

Why would it pain you to say it? We have some top notch neighborhoods; that's why MTS can't help but be here.

CHILD BOO!  There is no neighborhood like mine in Columbus!  I lived there in the 80's it was hell!

 

You couldn't get me to move there even if Prada and Valentino both opened up boutiques and said I could shop there for free the rest of my life!

And there are no neighborhoods in Cleveland like the Short North or Victorian Village.  Blah blah blah.  This game is old.  All three C's offer significant urban living.

 

Now move this convo along...

It pains MyTwoSense to say nice things about Columbus- at least on UrbanOhio. God forbid we ever get a friggin spotlight. We can`t even have gays moving here without them disputing it. What the f_ck.

 

Fixed that for you. Plenty of us realize that both Cleveland and Columbus have made a lot of strides in the past two and a half decades - well, apparently, not *all* but you get the point.

And there are no neighborhoods in Cleveland like the Short North or Victorian Village.  Blah blah blah.  This game is old.  All three C's offer significant urban living.

 

Now move this convo along...

 

It pains MyTwoSense to say nice things about Columbus- at least on UrbanOhio. God forbid we ever get a friggin spotlight. We can`t even have gays moving here without them disputing it. What the f_ck.

 

Fixed that for you. Plenty of us realize that both Cleveland and Columbus have made a lot of strides in the past two and a half decades - well, apparently, not *all* but you get the point.

 

Fine!  Pic on MTS hour!!  Bitches! 

I think the biggest challenge lies in the re-branding our next urban frontiers (east and west sides) vs. our overall image as a whole, particularly among locals. There has been a little bit of progress made. While Parsons Ave still has a stigma, it's now lost some of that with the opening of a few bars and restaurants: a few blocks down, twenty to go.

Parsons Ave. is the Used Furniture and Appliance District

Sheesh!  My power goes out for a few hours and this thread goes to heck! :wink:

 

But seriously, like ColDayMan said, let's move this convo along...

 

Fahlgren Tapped for New Columbus Branding Effort

By Walker Evans, Columbus Underground

January 27, 2011 - 10:00am

 

It was announced yesterday that Fahlgren Advertising has been selected to spearhead new branding, imaging and marketing efforts across multiple local organizations including Experience Columbus, the Greater Columbus Sports Commission, the Columbus Chamber, Columbus2020, The Columbus Partnership and the Columbus Bicentennial Commission.

 

The concept of branding our city and creating a consistent message for marketing beyond our borders has been a hot topic of debate over the past few years.  Pete McGinty, President of Fahlgren Advertising, and former Vice President of Marketing at Experience Columbus, says that his team is up for the task.

 

“Fahlgren is excited about this challenge, said McGinty. “Our belief is that the key to success is using authentic stories and images based on what the citizens told us that they know and love about Columbus.”

 

This challenge is not a new one, with Columbus marketing efforts dating back over the past half-century.

 

MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/fahlgren-tapped-for-new-columbus-branding-effort

Same story as above.  But from NBC4 and with video.  And with that wonderful Channel 4 spin (i.e. "they're spending your tax dollars!")

 

Finding An Image For Columbus

By Steve Wainfor, NBC4

Published: January 26, 2011

 

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- For years, Central Ohio leaders have been trying to find a marketing image for the city and surrounding areas.

 

Six organizations, including the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, Experience Columbus and the Columbus Partnership, are looking to breathe new life into the process and they're using some of your tax dollars to do it.

 

Full post and 1:30 video at http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2011/jan/26/finding-an-image-for-columbus-ar-376441/

"Jump on the 'bus, the COLUMBUS!"

 

not mocking the city, mocking marketing tag lines. 

A recruitment video for The Ohio State University was recently posted at Columbus Underground.  It's obviously focused on Ohio State and its national and international reach.  But it also does a good job of placing the university within the context of the city. 

 

Plus, it looks damn good.  So here it is.

 

 

As far as the context of OSU in the city, it still acts as a city unto itself vs. a part of the city in virtually all aspects. OSU students by and large don't ever stray very far from campus, but if Park St is any indication that's a good thing. Oh, and I like how they boast about having over 900 student clubs when 900 of them are Christian groups. I'd prefer that we downplay the role of OSU.

Since we don't have a thread specifically dedicated to posting positive press coverage about Columbus from outside Columbus, this article from this Sunday Edition of the Indianapolis Star might as well go here.  The Indy Star looked at neighborhoods in various states of revitalization from Columbus and Chicago for tips and inspiration for its neighborhoods.  In Columbus, they looked at the Short North (which includes Victorian Village and Italian Village), historic German Village south of downtown, and the Olde Towne East area east of downtown.

 

The link to the article is below.  They also had a very good looking 35 image photo gallery of the Short North, German Village and Olde Towne East included at their web site, which is linked below:

 

Indy Star Article: What Indy can learn from two cities that created great neighborhoods - Check out successes in Columbus, Ohio, and Chicago

 

Photo Gallery from the article: Revitalized neighborhoods in Columbus, Ohio

This part is not true: "Columbus has managed to do what Indianapolis, for the most part, has not: create several large neighborhoods with residential and retail density -- not Manhattan- or Chicago-like density, but good-sized, walkable pockets of continuous urban space."

 

Columbus has German Village, the Short North, the University District, and Clintonville: you don't even need to use both hands to count the large urban neighborhoods in Columbus *with* residential and retail density. We could have several if we wanted to fix up other walkable urban business districts, but most are languishing and disappearing as we speak.

 

What Indy can learn, if they want to really hold their own in good urban neighborhoods, is that streetcars pull back in some of the investment and development that highways continue to suck out from the inner city. If Indy's Near East side were to get a streetcar on E 10th the area would blow away the ultra-slow progress being made in Olde Towne East in a rather short period of time. The houses won't get any nicer, but it would be much more fun to visit or live in. Although, if Columbus really is the more "progressive" of the two (and that's the impression I get), then it's probably just as likely not to happen.

 

And here's the Indy Star's side-by-side comparison of the Short North and Mass Ave.

 

http://www.indystar.com/article/20110313/LOCAL1806/103130400/0/LOCAL/Mass-Ave-holds-its-own-doesn-t-quite-measure-up?odyssey=mod_sectionstories

It's a little sad that people outside of the city can appreciate its successes more than its residents. 

It's a little sad that people outside of the city can appreciate its successes more than its residents. 

 

I should appreciate Kingros & Big Nickel tavern: gotcha.

 

It's a little sad that people outside of the city can appreciate its successes more than its residents. 

 

I should appreciate Kingros & Big Nickel tavern: gotcha.

 

You should appreciate that other cities are looking at Columbus and taking notice in a positive light.  It's not like Ohio has a lot of bright spots right now.  I'm not even sure why you bother to post if you have nothing constructive to offer. 

This part is not true: "Columbus has managed to do what Indianapolis, for the most part, has not: create several large neighborhoods with residential and retail density -- not Manhattan- or Chicago-like density, but good-sized, walkable pockets of continuous urban space."

 

Columbus has German Village, the Short North, the University District, and Clintonville:

 

Four is not several?  (Actually, five if split the Short North into the Victorian and Italian Village neighborhoods)

It's a little sad that people outside of the city can appreciate its successes more than its residents. 

 

I should appreciate Kingros & Big Nickel tavern: gotcha.

 

You should appreciate that other cities are looking at Columbus and taking notice in a positive light.  It's not like Ohio has a lot of bright spots right now.  I'm not even sure why you bother to post if you have nothing constructive to offer. 

 

I appreciate both. If I didn't appreciate what Columbus has, then I wouldn't be the one taking dozens of trips on my bikes to all parts of this city to photograph our neighborhoods and compile maps and destinations in each one and post them here. I've already offered plenty of constructive criticism and praise, but I've come to the realization that re-branding the city requires the city to make some fundamental changes: changes that this city is not willing to undertake. Notice that all of these articles whether from 2011 or early 2000s all cover the Short North and German Village. When are we going to give papers around this country something else to write about? They're nice and all, yes, but they're yesterday's news.

 

Columbus is going to find itself facing the other Cs' problem of being cut off from wealthy exurbs when, not if, it's not able to keep in all of the money that is pouring out of Franklin County into surrounding Counties combined with additional inner-city population loss that is significant, to the tune of 45,000 urban residents lost from 2000-2010. We were at around 300,000 in 2000: we lost nearly a 1/6th of our inner city population in the last decade. But let's just keep doing what we're doing and pretend this is not a problem that is being ignored: we'll just hire overpriced consultants to tell us what we need to do (be more urban: more quality neighborhoods, better mass transit, pedestrianized streets) and then just not do it. We just need a catchy phrase to gloss over that: get another consultant.

 

Columbus wants to half-ass the urban thing: they don't see it as key to attracting and retaining talent. There used to be reasons to be cautiously optimistic about Columbus' direction towards becoming a great urban place with the beginning (and swift end) of traffic calmed business districts, streetcars, etc, but now that optimism has crossed over by and large into delusion. I just don't know what you want me to say. I'd have to ignore all of the huge investments which the city *is* making as we speak on sprawl which is not, I repeat not, being spent on the inner city, nor is there any hint, anywhere, that this will change. And with the economy still down, not only will Columbus not be able to maintain the ridiculously overbuilt sprawl within city limits (seriously, how many lanes does every road out there really need?), but there's not going to be money available to improve other urban neighborhoods, which continue to be a growing burden on the city as a whole. The city should be providing incentives to make more of these places desirable, especially for small businesses to congregate, and serve as an economic plus, rather than a big negative. Instead, we're poised to lose tens of thousands more residents, which the city assists with their own financial backing, and you want me to be a cheerleader for this city. If you're always happy with what you've got, then you won't have any desire for more. That's where Columbus is today.

 

How's this for rebranding: Columbus and Cincinnati should switch names, since the Mark Twain quote is no longer applicable on Ohio's most progressive city. Cincinnati will be attracting development in their mostly rough neighborhood of OTR and others will follow once additional lines are built and help reduce urban population loss, while ours sit ever more empty as we continue to allow development dollars to leave our urban core on the inner-city highways out towards 270, which is the home and the proper image of Columbus as it houses 2/3 of "city" residents.

It's a little sad that people outside of the city can appreciate its successes more than its residents. 

 

I should appreciate Kingros & Big Nickel tavern: gotcha.

 

You should appreciate that other cities are looking at Columbus and taking notice in a positive light.  It's not like Ohio has a lot of bright spots right now.  I'm not even sure why you bother to post if you have nothing constructive to offer. 

 

I appreciate both. If I didn't appreciate what Columbus has, then I wouldn't be the one taking dozens of trips on my bikes to all parts of this city to photograph our neighborhoods and compile maps and destinations in each one and post them here. I've already offered plenty of constructive criticism and praise, but I've come to the realization that re-branding the city requires the city to make some fundamental changes: changes that this city is not willing to undertake. Notice that all of these articles whether from 2011 or early 2000s all cover the Short North and German Village. When are we going to give papers around this country something else to write about? They're nice and all, yes, but they're yesterday's news.

 

Columbus is going to find itself facing the other Cs' problem of being cut off from wealthy exurbs when, not if, it's not able to keep in all of the money that is pouring out of Franklin County into surrounding Counties combined with additional inner-city population loss that is significant, to the tune of 45,000 urban residents lost from 2000-2010. We were at around 300,000 in 2000: we lost nearly a 1/6th of our inner city population in the last decade. But let's just keep doing what we're doing and pretend this is not a problem that is being ignored: we'll just hire overpriced consultants to tell us what we need to do (be more urban: more quality neighborhoods, better mass transit, pedestrianized streets) and then just not do it. We just need a catchy phrase to gloss over that: get another consultant.

 

Columbus wants to half-ass the urban thing: they don't see it as key to attracting and retaining talent. There used to be reasons to be cautiously optimistic about Columbus' direction towards becoming a great urban place with the beginning (and swift end) of traffic calmed business districts, streetcars, etc, but now that optimism has crossed over by and large into delusion. I just don't know what you want me to say. I'd have to ignore all of the huge investments which the city *is* making as we speak on sprawl which is not, I repeat not, being spent on the inner city, nor is there any hint, anywhere, that this will change. And with the economy still down, not only will Columbus not be able to maintain the ridiculously overbuilt sprawl within city limits (seriously, how many lanes does every road out there really need?), but there's not going to be money available to improve other urban neighborhoods, which continue to be a growing burden on the city as a whole. The city should be providing incentives to make more of these places desirable, especially for small businesses to congregate, and serve as an economic plus, rather than a big negative. Instead, we're poised to lose tens of thousands more residents, which the city assists with their own financial backing, and you want me to be a cheerleader for this city. If you're always happy with what you've got, then you won't have any desire for more. That's where Columbus is today.

 

How's this for rebranding: Columbus and Cincinnati should switch names, since the Mark Twain quote is no longer applicable on Ohio's most progressive city. Cincinnati will be attracting development in their mostly rough neighborhood of OTR and others will follow once additional lines are built and help reduce urban population loss, while ours sit ever more empty as we continue to allow development dollars to leave our urban core on the inner-city highways out towards 270, which is the home and the proper image of Columbus as it houses 2/3 of "city" residents.

 

I really don't understand you, as you constantly contradict yourself.  In another post you complained about bus lines not having adequate service and that the city didn't invest enough in it, but then complained when the city expanded service into other parts of the city.  Here you are complaining, yet again, about the lack of investment in Downtown vs the far suburbs, yet at the same time b*tching that the focus is on the core neighborhoods along High and not in suburbs further out.  You act as if you expect the city to only make improvements in certain areas.  The city is large, money is spent in other locations outside of Downtown.  I'm not sure why anyone would expect differently.  I don't think you have any idea what you actually want and have become so jaded that you've fallen into the routine of complaining just to have something to say. 

 

Second, you talk about population loss as if it was specific to Columbus and wasn't a national trend in urban areas and has been for years.  Even many of the boomtown Sunbelt cities saw drastically lower urban growth than expected.  And when you look at the maps, several of the urban core neighborhoods in Columbus saw good to fantastic growth, including the immediate Downtown.  Which, by any stretch of the imagination, is a POSITIVE thing for urban revitalization.  That you choose to completely ignore that because places like Linden and the near east side (some of the most hard-hit places during the recession) saw population loss is increasingly not that surprising coming from you.  The losses and gains for the city are decidedly mixed, but none of the maps or numbers I've seen yet raise a red flag.  In fact, just the opposite.  Had the city not invested any money Downtown, we probably would've seen much worse numbers and few if any neighborhoods seeing gains.   

 

And additional lines for Cincy from what??  The streetcar idea has been shelved there.  The state, under the awesome leadership of our douche governor, has made it clear that mass-transit is not going to happen under his watch.  You think it's a surprise that Columbus had to do the same with theirs recently?         

 

 

^ Since when has the streetcar been shelved? That'd be news to Cincinnatians. The governor's threat has not stopped anything.

^ Since when has the streetcar been shelved? That'd be news to Cincinnatians. The governor's threat has not stopped anything.

 

No state funding = shelved.  Unless you think Cincy is going to go it alone on a major project like this with shrinking population, tax revenues and a still bad economy.  You're right, technically it hasn't been officially shelved, but it sure has hit a major wall. 

Keith it isn't fair to say Columbus only has 4 good urban neighborhoods. The Short North isn't really a neighborhood, it's a corridor. German Village is massive; you could get lost in that neighborhood. Marion Village is great, as is Grandview which has a lot of big projects that make it in the news. Bexley is great and even though it's not Columbus, it's only a few miles from downtown and it's also massive and urban. There's other great, highly urbanized neighborhoods, they just aren't as glamorous. I don't complain much about public transit here because it's so easy to get around. I very rarely deal with traffic congestion-even during rush hour and the grid design makes it really easy to get from point A to point B. We only get media attention for the Short North and German Village but it's usually media from outside the region that covers it, like the NY Times. That's not Columbus' fault.

^ Since when has the streetcar been shelved? That'd be news to Cincinnatians. The governor's threat has not stopped anything.

 

No state funding = shelved.  Unless you think Cincy is going to go it alone on a major project like this with shrinking population, tax revenues and a still bad economy.  You're right, technically it hasn't been officially shelved, but it sure has hit a major wall. 

 

I suggest you go do a little research in the streetcar thread before making these claims.  Even if the state pulls the funding, there is still enough money to build the first phase without the spur to Uptown.  The thing that impresses me with the streetcar in Cincinnati (and I think relates to the frustration Keith is having with Columbus) is that the advocates for the streetcar have been incredibly resilient and relentless in their quest to bring the streetcar to Cincy.  Countless financial donations and many hours of thankless, free work has been done by people who believe in OTR (and Mt. Auburn, Clifton Hts, Downtown, etc.) simply because they want to see the city flourish.  Columbus was in the planning stages of a streetcar system at the same time as Cincinnati, but it kind of fell by the wayside.  While I'm sure the issue is very complicated, I wonder if one of the reasons Columbus gave up on the streetcar was because the SN is already so successful, that there's sort of a 'mission accomplished' attitude in the city.  I think this percieved complacency is what Keith is tired of.

^ Since when has the streetcar been shelved? That'd be news to Cincinnatians. The governor's threat has not stopped anything.

 

No state funding = shelved.  Unless you think Cincy is going to go it alone on a major project like this with shrinking population, tax revenues and a still bad economy.  You're right, technically it hasn't been officially shelved, but it sure has hit a major wall. 

 

According to reliable sources, the money is not Kasich's to pull. It's illegal for him to do so.

^I surely hope that's the case and it works out that way.

Keith it isn't fair to say Columbus only has 4 good urban neighborhoods. The Short North isn't really a neighborhood, it's a corridor. German Village is massive; you could get lost in that neighborhood. Marion Village is great, as is Grandview which has a lot of big projects that make it in the news. Bexley is great and even though it's not Columbus, it's only a few miles from downtown and it's also massive and urban. There's other great, highly urbanized neighborhoods, they just aren't as glamorous. I don't complain much about public transit here because it's so easy to get around. I very rarely deal with traffic congestion-even during rush hour and the grid design makes it really easy to get from point A to point B. We only get media attention for the Short North and German Village but it's usually media from outside the region that covers it, like the NY Times. That's not Columbus' fault.

 

By  "Short North" I'm also including VV & IV. MV isn't great yet. There are many new & good businesses needed on S High, Parsons, and S 4th before it's ready for primetime. Bexley & Grandview aren't Columbus (thank god). Try going carless and depending on COTA during bad winter days: you'll complain plenty. It is Columbus' fault that no other neighborhood off High has joined the ranks of GV & SN in the past *decade*. As for the streetcar, Columbus city residents & government, in that order, lack the vision and desire to be a real city again.

I agree with really alot of different aspects of the viewpoints here. First I will agree that COTA stinks and if it doesn't the perception is that it does. I don't know how many people I know complain about COTA's inconsistencies. I was married last year downtown and had friends and relatives come in from all over(NYC, Minneapolis,Chicago,DC, etc..)whose only impression of Columbus was what I had told them. They went to Franklin Park Conservatory and to make a long story short ended up calling taxis because the bus never showed up.  3 buses passed by the stop and when they called COTA they were told that because of mechanical difficulties it would be 2 hours before another bus would stop.This was one of their first impressions of columbus. We can't be a great city until we get great public transportation. Cota also does a horrible job marketing themselves to people who own cars.

Secondly, Keith you're right in the fact that parsons ave,s high,etc.. need alot of work before they are ready for primetime. While city money is necessary,private investment is also a key.No matter if you like the Childrens Hospital expansion or not it seems to be creating a buzz amongst people I know about how this could spur economic development in the area.For whatever reason the perceptions seems to be that parsons ave may now be a safer investment for a business. Whether that actually happens I don't know.I do feel Columbus does have other urban neighborhoods especially if you consider clintonville is really more then one neighborhood,as is the university district, and brewery district and schumacher place is also separate from german village.I mean we are talking about a pretty good chunk of land that is pretty urban.Even if parsons is completely revitalized for example it would have to be really hip for it to get any notice from the NY times. I mean I would be perfectly content to have urban working class neighborhoods that are functional and benefit the city of columbus's residents and let german village and the short north get all the press. It seems columbus is attempting to invest in urban neighborhoods such as franklinton while at the same time invest in suburban areas. It really is a balancing act and unfortunately it sometimes is easier to justify widening hilliard rome rd(which is part of columbus) that is a large retail corridor and has large traffic congestion(safety) then spending money on a much less populated or traveled area.Not saying its right but that seems to be part of running a city.

Keith it isn't fair to say Columbus only has 4 good urban neighborhoods. The Short North isn't really a neighborhood, it's a corridor. German Village is massive; you could get lost in that neighborhood. Marion Village is great, as is Grandview which has a lot of big projects that make it in the news. Bexley is great and even though it's not Columbus, it's only a few miles from downtown and it's also massive and urban. There's other great, highly urbanized neighborhoods, they just aren't as glamorous. I don't complain much about public transit here because it's so easy to get around. I very rarely deal with traffic congestion-even during rush hour and the grid design makes it really easy to get from point A to point B. We only get media attention for the Short North and German Village but it's usually media from outside the region that covers it, like the NY Times. That's not Columbus' fault.

 

By  "Short North" I'm also including VV & IV. MV isn't great yet. There are many new & good businesses needed on S High, Parsons, and S 4th before it's ready for primetime. Bexley & Grandview aren't Columbus (thank god). Try going carless and depending on COTA during bad winter days: you'll complain plenty. It is Columbus' fault that no other neighborhood off High has joined the ranks of GV & SN in the past *decade*. As for the streetcar, Columbus city residents & government, in that order, lack the vision and desire to be a real city again.

 

Once again, even many areas along High hadn't even joined the party before the last decade.  The result was that population went up in the core neighborhoods, something that hadn't happened in decades.  That is a success, whether or not you want to see it.  I've seen a lot more focus now being turned to areas along Broad and the East Side, moreso than I have at any point in the last decade or more.  High Street IS a success, and now that it is, more attention can be turned to other areas. 

 

And with the streetcar, it's simply not a lack of vision or desire to be a "real city" again.  It's about practicality.  I fully support light rail, streetcars, etc., but only when there is a call for it.  I don't want to see millions upon millions spent on this and then not have anyone use it.  There needs to be a demand.  Right now there isn't.  That isn't a lack of vision, as I'm sure all urban folks and city leaders fully expect that there will come a time when this is going to be a reality.  I look forward to that and believe it will be well on its way to that reality by the next census, if not much sooner.  Streetcars died out by 1930 not because the city lacked vision, but because there was no longer a demand for them to exist.  And they won't exist again until that demand returns.  This is a basic principle of services.   

Streetcars died out by 1930 not because the city lacked vision, but because there was no longer a demand for them to exist.

 

Study your streetcar history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_American_streetcar_scandal

Streetcars died out by 1930 not because the city lacked vision, but because there was no longer a demand for them to exist.  And they won't exist again until that demand returns.  This is a basic principle of services.   

 

That is just not true! How many times have you seen a freeway/road built through an area, only to then see development boom around it? Was there pent up demand to live in a cornfield before the highway was built, or was that demand generated from the highway? The same situation can be applied to rail transit.  Put in a line, and development will follow.  All you have to do is look at the countless examples of this happening across the country.  From DC to LA, cities have experienced development along their urban rail corridors that did not previously exist.

I agree with really alot of different aspects of the viewpoints here. First I will agree that COTA stinks and if it doesn't the perception is that it does. I don't know how many people I know complain about COTA's inconsistencies. I was married last year downtown and had friends and relatives come in from all over(NYC, Minneapolis,Chicago,DC, etc..)whose only impression of Columbus was what I had told them. They went to Franklin Park Conservatory and to make a long story short ended up calling taxis because the bus never showed up.  3 buses passed by the stop and when they called COTA they were told that because of mechanical difficulties it would be 2 hours before another bus would stop.This was one of their first impressions of columbus. We can't be a great city until we get great public transportation. Cota also does a horrible job marketing themselves to people who own cars.

Secondly, Keith you're right in the fact that parsons ave,s high,etc.. need alot of work before they are ready for primetime. While city money is necessary,private investment is also a key.No matter if you like the Childrens Hospital expansion or not it seems to be creating a buzz amongst people I know about how this could spur economic development in the area.For whatever reason the perceptions seems to be that parsons ave may now be a safer investment for a business. Whether that actually happens I don't know.I do feel Columbus does have other urban neighborhoods especially if you consider clintonville is really more then one neighborhood,as is the university district, and brewery district and schumacher place is also separate from german village.I mean we are talking about a pretty good chunk of land that is pretty urban.Even if parsons is completely revitalized for example it would have to be really hip for it to get any notice from the NY times. I mean I would be perfectly content to have urban working class neighborhoods that are functional and benefit the city of columbus's residents and let german village and the short north get all the press. It seems columbus is attempting to invest in urban neighborhoods such as franklinton while at the same time invest in suburban areas. It really is a balancing act and unfortunately it sometimes is easier to justify widening hilliard rome rd(which is part of columbus) that is a large retail corridor and has large traffic congestion(safety) then spending money on a much less populated or traveled area.Not saying its right but that seems to be part of running a city.

 

Ha! They would have been much better off walking from Downtown to the FPC along Franklin Ave: they would have been floored at the quality of the housing stock and very low price compared to their home cities (except for the Minneapolitan). I'm not considering those places as separate neighborhoods, because that doesn't really add anything. Yes, Schumacher Place is technically not part of GV, but it's small and mostly residential with only a couple of businesses worth visiting (Skillet and Plank's). Would you take someone from San Fran, Chicago, or NYC to spend a day in Schumacher Place? No, you wouldn't you'd just take them to Skillet. Can't say it's a balancing act, since the city already invested in building Hilliard-Rome Rd which saw development as a result and now more money is going to be added, but no development anywhere near what has happened will take place since it's already developed. Meanwhile while that road was being built and maintained, W Broad had not seen any investment to make it a viable urban corridor and now while H-R Rd gets a $16 million treatment, W Broad from I-70 to Hague got one bike lane for much less. Where's the balance? The city could have ponied up the dough for the Highland West streetscape improvements, but to point out that Columbus' priorities lie out at 270 would be beating a dead horse. I've already proven that point beyond reasonable doubt. Which reminds me that Columbus needs to re-brand its neighborhoods, such as this one, and then the positive image will come.

Streetcars died out by 1930 not because the city lacked vision, but because there was no longer a demand for them to exist.  And they won't exist again until that demand returns.  This is a basic principle of services.   

 

That is just not true! How many times have you seen a freeway/road built through an area, only to then see development boom around it? Was there pent up demand to live in a cornfield before the highway was built, or was that demand generated from the highway? The same situation can be applied to rail transit.  Put in a line, and development will follow.  All you have to do is look at the countless examples of this happening across the country.  From DC to LA, cities have experienced development along their urban rail corridors that did not previously exist.

 

It is true.  No matter how much conspiracy there was, the car killed the streetcar in the first half of the 20th Century.  And the car came about long before the highway system did.  And rail doesn't come about out of nowhere to spur development.  It's developed because there is a growing population that begins to demand alternative transportation when it becomes difficult to travel around a city.  That's why you don't see rail in small cities and towns, or bus lines for that matter.  If what you say is true, every place in the country would be trying to secure funding for their own light rail.   

But Columbus and Franklin County are ponying up for West Broad and for urbanism in general.  The regulations we had on the books for development were so outdated and encouraged sprawl.  Its not just where you put the money, its how you're regs are written.  Well Columbus developed the urban commercial overlay and franklin county the smart growth overlay and now new development is going to be correct along our commmercial corridors.  That is a HUGE victory.  We can guide development to be more pedestrian friendly.  We didn't have the tools before.  Now we do.

 

As to the money...it isn't all just Columbus.  In fact, a lot of it isnt.  A lot of it is MORPC and especially the state.  We were moving in the right direction with Strickland adding bikelanes and such.  But if the state doesn't want to spend money on it, it makes it harder on us.  We are in the midst of a terrible recession.  Big projects came and went with the stimulus (and columbus applied for light rail funds), but now we need to be at the basics.  That might mean taking time to write better regulations.  Want to really see change?  switch to a form-based code.

Having lived in Columbus during the early part of the streetcar proposals, it seemed that the main opposition to the plans was that it was going to run along Pearl St., which is often stereotyped as the place where many of the city's sexual predators and muggers seem to lurk (I'm not exactly sure how valid this is because I walked down it many times and nothing happened). Also, this is where the loading enterances for most High St. businesses are, and some businesses may have been opposed to having their shipping blocked off. If the plan was to have it run parallel to High St., a street like Indianola Ave. which doesn't seem to have an extremely negative stereotype would probably have been a much better option.

it was going to run down the center of high street...

Pearl is my favorite street in Cbus...and I'm not a sexual predator, nor a mugger! (I swear!)

First of all, I would just like to say that I am for the streetcar. I was just saying that some of my friends at the time who likely would've supported a streetcar would not have ridden on it if it ran on Pearl St. because of prejudices that I doubt are actually true. I walked along that street at least twice a week when I lived in Columbus, and had never seen anything shady going on. I'm not sure if that routing had been one of the possible plans or just a bad rumor. I would've liked to have seen it on High St. itself as well, although it seems that the road sinks in places where it is on top of fill dirt where there used to be a stream that had been redirected, and that 4th/Summit Streets might be more stable.

10TV Relaunches Documentary Project as Next 10

By Walker | April 2, 2011 - 10:30am

Columbus Underground

 

Last year, WBNS-10TV aired their Central Ohio 2015 documentary, and announced on Wednesday that it will be continued this year in a new multi-part format.  The series is being rebranded as “Next 10″ and will debut today with a 30-second preview during the airing of the 2011 NCAA Men’s Final Four.

 

Several special reports will air beginning next week that focus on specific topics including technology and development.  A new full length documentary will air later this summer.

 

More information can be found online at www.10tv.com/next10.

 

READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/10tv-relaunches-documentary-project-as-next-10