|
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
|
Quick Links
|
Executive
Summary
Six small group conversations were structured around the guidelines of the National Issues Forum. The groups were asked to consider four possible approaches to economic development and determine what they considered to be the upsides or benefits and the downsides or costs to citizens. The four approaches were: Approach One According to this approach Norman would attempt to attract new people, particularly young families who seek more of a suburban lifestyle and generally commute to Oklahoma City. The I-35 corridor is an obvious asset to this strategy. Approach Two Under this scenario, Norman would seek to emphasize retail activity from shoppers or tourists who visit the community but reside elsewhere. One major asset to capture visitors is the University’s athletic events and fine arts activities. Approach Three With this approach, Norman would decide to actively recruit seniors and empty nesters that identify themselves as lifelong learners. These demographic groups are growing nationally, and are often looking to start a second career or open their own businesses. Many universities are adopting this strategy to fill classrooms. Approach Four In this approach, Norman attempts to be the employment center of the region, attracting entrepreneurs, the creative class, and people with higher degree levels looking for high end jobs. The city would encourage new business and industrial investment by supporting local entrepreneurs and home-grown opportunities which have been shown to have higher potential payoff dividends than other alternatives. The university is an obvious asset in this strategy. This summary is being presented in a different format than the four previous dialogues because the common ground statements from each group naturally fell into six categories. Introduction The majority of groups preferred Approach Four over the other three approaches, but most groups saw attractive elements in the other approaches as well. Each group developed their own statement about how they believe Norman should approach economic development. The participants encouraged a new way of thinking and an examination of the previous and existing approaches to economic development. One group felt it was important to make a distinction between retail and tourism, especially location and public investment thereof. While not everyone agreed with the idea of mixing the two (e.g., discreet downtown integration of popular retail/funky boutiques/art venues/franchise and original restaurants), the group acknowledged that in order to grow in a creative way, new ways of thinking have to happen. Quality of Life Overwhelming agreement from the groups came in this area. One group emphasized the importance of providing for our citizens and attracting visitors, as well as industry and retail investment. They would like to see a focus on improving infrastructure and investing in quality of life amenities. Other groups suggested the development of new amenities such as a downtown arts district, more parks, specialty shopping and more green spaces. Another group would like to see Norman be a tourism destination with a vibrant downtown. One group would like to see an increased emphasis on the arts community with more events. One group wanted to see dispersed neighborhood retail and restaurants such as found in cities like Eugene, Oregon; Fort Collins, Colorado; and Davis, California. Two groups were concerned about affordable housing and making sure quality social services are available making Norman a good place to visit, to work and to live. Retaining People One issue that Oklahoma faces as a state is losing young people to larger metropolitan areas. The common ground of three groups included keeping the people who are here in our community as well as attracting new residents and businesses. One group emphasized that the issue is not necessarily recruiting targeted groups of people to our community, but rather retaining people who not only contribute to our tax base, but who work to advance an economic model that our group agreed upon: creative and entrepreneurial. Another group wants to work to increase retention of human resources. And each group favors an economic development approach that emphasizes quality of life element to attract and retain citizens and business. Educational Assets A given in Norman is the quality of educational institutions. From Norman Public Schools to Moore Norman Technology Center to the University of Oklahoma. This community truly does offer something for everyone. As an education destination, OU provides an anchor to the Norman community. Norman has a highly educated populated. The consensus of one group was an approach offering the most economic benefits for the citizen’s of our community with Norman’s strong educational offerings. Many believe we should build upon OU assets and our strong education systems. Transportation Needs Three groups included concerns about additional transportation needs. Being part of a metropolitan area, consideration must be given to developing more mass transit locally and regionally. One group emphasized the need for investment in transportation of all kinds – commuter light rail to OKC/Edmond, inner-city trolley or rail, bike paths, and overlay streets that create natural, pedestrian friendly pathways between several educational, retail and entertainment areas around town. Another group mentioned developing a multi-use model of lite rail and bike lanes. Balanced Portfolio Three groups included common ground statements about investment in diversity and inclusivity. Diversification in business and industry assures that if one sector suffers, the community as a whole will be sustained. Norman can achieve diversification by taking advantage of entrepreneurial movements already afoot at OU. A diverse business environment would create jobs across the spectrum for all Norman residents. Inclusivity requires tolerance and possibly relaxed State rules and regulations. This would also require a healthy town-gown relationship, including the college student party houses next to senior housing. Another group would like to see great diversification of our economy and cultures. They believe Norman would benefit from not only bringing in new industries but the encouragement of the growth of local small businesses, attracting all ages and a more diverse population. Public Policy/Investments One group had agreement on controlled growth for Norman. Three groups would like to see Norman develop a balanced plan by using a combination of approaches to economic development and believe spending of public dollars should maximize multiple strategic approaches. One group did not think it is necessary to subsidize retail but would like to see tax incentives for public improvements and more partnerships with the banking community. An idea was put forward by a group to provide incentives to move younger families into central Norman to rehab older homes. |
|
|
