How to Get to Great
In going from a mediocre, Midwestern city to a place where all can be proud of, we need to acknowledge the things that make Fort Wayne a nice place to be, and expand off those tipping points!
1. Infrastructure - The street department has worked very hard to maintain our streets, while our water department has done the same with water filtration. However, driving down Rudisill Blvd. as of late makes how great our street department has become. Once, a very busy four lane street has become a less-hurried street. It is the type of street that doesn’t divide the community, but rather strengthens it. The neighborhood is more walkable, increasing its health. I believe their are a number of other streets that could take the same treatment, which will increase the viability of all neighborhoods.
2. Safety - Fort Wayne is rather safe! While crime happens, there has been a decrease in violent crime and death in the past decade. The worst neighborhoods have become quiet neighborhoods, for the most part, with children playing outside their front doorstep. While we have increased our ability to make all neighborhoods safe, we have not ensured our disenfranchised youth have opportunities of engagement, when they are removed from school for a shortened time period; i.e. 10-or-less day suspension. An alternative out-of-school suspension program that would involve community services and lessons in responsiblity and civility would be key to providing our offending youth the hope and education they need for a positive turn-around.
3. A clean, attractive downtown – Downtown Fort Wayne is clean and attractive. With an historic theatre, number of churches, a small number of restaurants and entertainment venues, the central core of the city can be a focal point of residents all of the city. Together, we need to work to expand the number of businesses that wish to operate from downtown and increase the number of nightly entertainment options from outdoor films in the summer to musicians who play in the street to a jazz club.
4. Diversity - Due to it’s strong number of social service agencies and number of churches, in addition to ease of attainment of manufacturing/low-level jobs and relatively, Fort Wayne has attracted a number of refugees and immigrants from various countries. As I have worked with the youngest refugees and immigrants, we need to realize that these young people have a strong work ethic and understanding of the imporatnace of education. Thus, we need to ensure that these young people with their high goals stay in the areas to establish their roots. Approximately 1:10 person’s in Fort Wayne is an immigrant/refugee, those figures have a large impact on our region, especially in terms of potential population growth.
With the rise of a refugees and immigrants from all over the world is the great food that each culture brings to Fort Wayne. In addition to many customs add to the vibrancy of the city. With a number of the Burmese opening grocery stores on Calhoun, it is easy to see how this corridor to the south can become a vibrant business zone of pan-Asian restaurants, funeral homes, Mosques or religious institutions, clothing and record stores, night clubs and more. In a matter of a couple of years, Calhoun could easily become a great icon for the city.
4. Community leadership - While there are a great number of community leaders, who strive for a better Fort Wayne, there is an overall notice that only 20% are the key players. Thus, we need as a community to expand upon programs such as Leadership Fort Wayne and church/religious programs that empower individuals to be civil members of society. Austin, Texas and Silicon Valley, CA are two cities where people, of all backgrounds, have been able to come to the table and present ideas. Such creativity has resulted in two great cities. Businesses and workspaces that formulate due to community first, rather than space first, have shown to have a strong, life expectancies.
5. Neighborly, neighborhoods. - Fort Wayne’s neighborhoods have great neighbors. In particular, there a great historic neighborhoods – Indian Village, Williams Woodland, Lakeside, North Side, Southwood Park and Oakdale – that have great homes, friendly people and sense of pride. Within walking distance, I believe that every neighborhood should have a cafe/bristo, small grocery store/meat market, dry cleaner and small drygoods shop. Think East State Village with Pio Meat Market, Abbey’s Brown Chocolates, Firehouse Tea House and the Rib Room. Think if you want a Coke, a tea or a roll of toilet paper you should be able to walk downt the street to obtain it, and not need to drive five or ten minutes to do so.
