 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Carl Kohrt Continued emphasis on making downtown Columbus a “21st-century downtown”—I applaud the mayor for his efforts in this regard. Continued support from parents, civic and business to work cooperatively to make the public school system effective in preparing all students to achieve their highest goals. Continued growth in economic development that generates high-paying jobs and long-term platforms for growth of the city and community. BACK TO THE LIST OF RESPONDENTS Paula Kulp In my opinion, the first thing Columbus needs is to have all the government entities that reside in all the buildings that line our riverfront move out and go further into the city. Those properties are prime for wonderful shops and retailers and hotels and restaurants etc. It also wouldn’t hurt to allow bands to set up and play on the Statehouse grounds for free in the summer evenings. The mistake that was made with Columbus City Center was that the “powers that be” at that time were trying to dictate exactly what type of crowd gathered in downtown Columbus. They wanted a strict diet of upper middle class ONLY!!!! And let’s be honest, if people are going to spend that big of a dollar to buy clothes at Jacobson’s, then they are going to go to New York or Chicago and shop where shopping is the middle name. Every major city I have ever visited that had a thriving downtown had a potpourri of retail establishments right next to each other—everything from a small shanty of an independent businessman or woman to a major department store. It is a reflection of America itself. BACK TO THE LIST OF RESPONDENTS Rajesh Lahoti Columbus is growing while other cities in Ohio are declining because of its forward thinking. However, Columbus is behind when it comes to competing with cities of its size across the country. After the last election I am seeing young talent leave for cities that offer better partner benefits. We must maintain our edge by being inclusive, celebrating our diversity and offering incentives for marketable talent. Companies like Abercrombie & Fitch, Limited Brands, Nationwide and Ohio State (yes, it is a company) have great talent in our city that are gay and lesbian. That talent stays in Columbus because of the fact that those companies are headquartered here. It’s time to turn it up a notch and treat this talent equally or the talent will disappear. Why should a gay couple stay here and subsidize a married couple’s health insurance and not have the same perk? Columbus should view itself as an alternative to Chicago and New York and not Chillicothe and Coshocton. BACK TO THE LIST OF RESPONDENTS Cynthia Cecil Lazarus Effective, affordable public transportation. A system needs to involve more than an occasional bus. More dog parks. Let my canines go! More money for the city’s Department of Recreation and Parks. A major communitywide celebration of diversity. We should have a campaign that touches and is embraced by our businesses, neighborhoods, government, arts etc. to show Columbus as the center of multicultural richness that it is. BACK TO THE LIST OF RESPONDENTS Bob Leighty Affordable, reliable and attractive mass transit. The new trolleys being considered should complement well the current bus service offered by COTA. Please don’t limit the study area to just downtown and OSU and the area in between, but also consider extending out a bit more into other neighborhoods. For example, trolleys would be great extended south into the Brewery District, German Village, Schumacher Place, Merion Village, Hungarian Village, Steelton Village, Southern Orchards, Southside CAN, Vassor Village and more. The greater Parsons Avenue corridor is being significantly redeveloped over the next five to ten years, and the return of trolleys to Parsons Avenue would be a great thing. Smart growth and smart economic development. Two things to consider improving: physical infrastructure and people infrastructure. On the physical infrastructure, renovate and reuse existing buildings and brownfield sites, implement conservation neighborhoods to prevent unnecessary demolitions, and plan wisely for previously undeveloped areas by identifying parkland and developing green buildings using new urbanism principles. For people infrastructure, boost our public schools, higher education and trade schools, and better support our entrepreneurs who are trying to start and grow companies. Most jobs today are created via small business growth, not chasing smokestacks. Bicycle cops. We need more of them, and we need them out on the streets. They work well in responding to crime and in preventing crime. When community folks can work directly with their bicycle cops, our neighborhoods are safer. And safer neighborhoods are the basis for all quality-of-life improvement and neighborhood development. BACK TO THE LIST OF RESPONDENTS Brad Lewis A functional system of public education. Mass transit and rail. A well-funded, determined effort to contain urban sprawl. BACK TO THE LIST OF RESPONDENTS Bill Lhota Excellence in government Taxpayers want a fair return on their investment in government. We need to make sure we are providing the maximum amount of government services at the lowest cost per unit of service. The old way of doing business is not good enough in a financially constrained economy. We need to ask the people who do the work every day how we can do it better, couple this input with assistance from the private sector, much like COTA did with its Operations Improvement Plan, and determine the best way to deliver the critical services in the most cost-effective manner. Coordinated multidimensional transportation policy Urban sprawl has occurred as a result of an excellent highway system, reasonably priced gasoline and an abundance of affordable parking in the central business district. Highway congestion is continuing and projected to get more severe in the near future, gasoline prices will continue to rise and downtown parking could become more scarce as the mayor’s housing initiative continues to build. Columbus and Central Ohio are planning on being a major distribution center. An excellent transportation system will be critical. Gordon Proctor, Ohio Department of Transportation, has stated, “We can’t build our way out of congestion.” The solution will take a multidimensional solution with all interested parties participating. COTA’s plan to use freeway shoulders to move buses when congestion occurs is just one example of a multiparty idea. Transportation solutions are not achieved overnight. Planning needs to begin now to address problems that may be years in the future. Infrastructure improvement and replacement It’s not glamorous, but it’s what makes our economy go. More attention needs to be given to repairing and replacing the roads, bridges, sewer lines, water lines and other public capital assets that are deteriorating daily. BACK TO THE LIST OF RESPONDENTS Paul Liu Subway or mass rail transit system. Public parking in Short North area. BACK TO THE LIST OF RESPONDENTS Teresa Long Be more fit: While some Columbus residents seem to be doing a better job of exercising and making healthy food choices, we still have a long way to go. Schools, businesses and government all need to establish policies and programs to make fitness an integral part of all of our lives. This may mean prohibiting pop machines in schools, setting up employer-sponsored fitness plans or assuring that sidewalks, parks and walking paths are part of all new developments. Be more prepared: The natural disasters of the past year have taught us that we all need to be better prepared in our homes and in our communities to deal with natural and intentional disasters. While we cannot fully prevent these disasters from occurring, we can take steps to protect our families and loved ones when they do occur. Complacency and denial that these things can happen only leads to higher death and disability. Having a plan, practicing the plan and following the plan can and does make a difference. As a city we have to identify where we are vulnerable and take steps to improve. Be more accessible: Columbus, like many other cities, faces the growing challenge of finding care for persons with limited or no health insurance. As the cost of health insurance rises to the point where companies can no longer provide it for their employees, and as Columbus becomes home for many immigrants from other countries, there are more and more people who have trouble finding healthcare when they need it. While the state and federal governments both have a responsibility for broad solutions, our local governments, healthcare institutions, businesses and other organizations must continue to work together to find solutions that work in our community. With healthcare, the chain is indeed only as strong as the weakest link. Be smarter: Actively pursue new knowledge and skills, whether 8 years old or 80. This contributes to our individual and community mental, physical, spiritual and economic well-being. Create and support jobs that require talented and educated people. By using our brains and committing to lifelong learning, we are expanding our personal and collective assets. Our community will be more vibrant, more successful and more exciting. BACK TO THE LIST OF RESPONDENTS Nannette Maciejunes More art As a resource and advocate for the arts in Columbus, we at the museum would love to see more art in public places, more art in schools, more art galleries, more art classes and more visitors having great experiences with great art at the Columbus Museum of Art. More creativity The Creative Class—a new social class made up of people whose job is to be “creative,” including scientists and engineers, university professors, poets and novelists, artists, entertainers, actors, designers and architects—is a driving force of the 21st–century economy. Columbus—and Ohio—needs to be at the forefront of offering incentives and promoting policies that attract and retain the creative-sector workforce. (Note: According to author Richard Florida, Columbus ranks 24 out of the top 50 cities in America where the most creative people live). More downtown investment While we have already made great strides, Columbus needs to continue to invest in the downtown neighborhood—the home to most major cultural institutions. To entice visitors from the suburbs and ensure vital cultural institutions, we need a safe, vibrant, stimulating downtown. |
