Re-Creating Cincinnati: Embracing the Stuff of Life

By John F. Schlagetter

Cincinnati is one day's drive from 60 percent of the nation's population, ideally situating us for a Tourism Economy.

This year's "flavor" is the Creative Class. Defined by Richard Florida, "the Creative Class is strongly oriented to large cities and regions that offer a variety of economic opportunities, a stimulating environment and amenities for every possible lifestyle."

Comprised largely of Single Income No Kids (SINKs) and Dual Income No Kids (DINKs), these individuals produce more in tax revenue than they consume in public services, "prosumers." They support public education through property tax payments, the arts & culture through memberships and performance attendance, and parks & recreation through active lifestyles. The group Cincinnati Tomorrow has built itself around this demographic, producing The Creative City Plan highlighting many good ideas including:

• Branding Unique Neighborhoods
• Creating Community Through Technology & Media
• Connecting [college] Students to the City
• Supporting Minority Driven Arts & Entertainment
• Increasing Art in the Public Eye
• Launching a Local Music Initiative
• Supporting Fringe Art
• Cultivating Active Recreation Options
• Enhancing Cincinnati's Brain Future
• Building a Unique Style for Cincinnati
• Multiplying our Cuisine Options

Part of becoming a 24/7 city is not only having `round the clock activities but an around the clock environment. Cincinnati is replete with numerous grand examples of public works that should be exploited. Restoring, painting and illuminating the Waldvogel Viaduct (scheduled for renewal), the Mount Adams pilings, the Eighth Street, Harrison Avenue & Hopple Street viaducts, "greening" Harrison Avenue and other boulevards; all these and more can create a vibrant nighttime environment in which our city's dwellers can thrive. We also can:

• Restore painted ads on buildings for urban art
• Encourage galleries and studios in all Neighborhood
• Business Districts that attract life after 5 o'clock
• Provide a City earnings tax credit or deduction for musical instrument donations to support neighborhood musical groups (Singing Societies)

Cincinnati is one of the greenest cities I have been in. The slopes of Price Hill, North & South Fairmount and Cumminsville in the Spring through Fall is breathtaking. Columbia Parkway in the springtime merits rental of a convertible simply to take in the lush beauty. We must vigorously protect our city's environmental assets.

The Cincinnati Parks and Greenways Plan is a strategic plan for conserving and growing our Parks & Green spaces; we must adopt it and base our budget priorities upon it.

The Cincinnati Recreation Commission addresses more active recreational pursuits. The Compact City will create additional demand and revenue streams so these assets and their planned improvements can be realized. Further, I support developing The NorthShore RiverPark from Downtown to Sayler Park. This riverfront attraction can include many elements talked about but missing from Cincinnati's activities landscape possibly including running & biking trails, fitness areas, relocated playfields and courts for ball sports, a giant Ferris wheel, skate park, and observation tower.

The Arts: Performing, Visual, Kinetic

In addition to ideas on the previous page, Cincinnati must continue to be a center for the professional arts. Arts & Culture should be considered an economic development activity. Strengthening Over-the-Rhine as Arts District as proposed by Councilor Jim Tarbell is dead on.

We also must support neighborhood vitality by facilitating the restoration of neighborhood theaters and abandoned house of worship. The facilities can be operated by non-profits with concessions provided by local restaurateurs.