Sactown Urban Update

Sactown Urban Update

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Business leaders offer guidelines for sustaining economic momentum...


" With the right leadership, Sacramento can be California's top destination for job creation"

That subtitle tells the true goal of the white paper presented at yesterday's DSP's Board meeting: "A Statement of Principles and Priorities to Grow Sacramento's Economy"

Drafted by a broad cross section of area business leaders, it is meant as a blueprint to guide the city's future political leaders: the mayor, council members, their staff and other regional governmental leaders.

It's intended to Champion Sacramento's Economic Prosperity with a Proposed Economic Vitality Strategy.  The premise is that while there are encouraging signs of recovery from the Great Recession, some experts expect another downturn.  And Sacramento needs to prepare itself by fostering the right conditions for businesses to succeed, thereby growing and diversifying our local economy.

Five key components of the position paper:
A Prioritized Approach to become a top job creation location
   - Foster a business climate so businesses will want to locate here

Stabilize the City's fiscal health
   - Encourage city to take an analytical approach to revenue and expense decisions

Improve Infrastructure and Transportation systems
   - Modernize aging city center utility networks; pursue systemic improvements to RT

Develop Quality Venues to attract ;visitors and locals
   - Prioritize Destination Development; become a Top 25 Convention City

Cultivate and Retain a top STEM  (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) workforce
   - The next initiative: Sactown as a technology hub

Read more...comments from others...  and 3 Questions...



Image by Dennis McCoy, SBJ


Thursday, January 14, 2016

What's the state of Downtown? It's ALIVE!

It, the local 18th Annual State of Downtown event, was subtitled "Urban Kinesis" to describe how the city's "movers and shapers" are harnessing our collective energy to reshape the city core.

One of the challenges made to the audience of 650+ was that as Downtown begins to rise, we must move beyond continuing to proclaiming Sac's potential.  Together we must harness DT's momentum and turn it into Kinetic Energy, bring DT to life!

Check out where we are... DSP's stunning new video

The event's speakers explored opportunities that would harness our potential and make Sacramento the world-class city it's meant to be.  And I would add; it should keep it's uniqueness too.  That small town charm combined with a rich diversity of people, places and things.

And clearly city leaders want to learn from others.  Keynote Speaker Ron Blatman, Exec Producer/Producer of  Saving the City:Remaking the American Metropolis, a multi part TV series in the making, presented a fascinating slide show that focused on successful and unsuccessful  urban redevelopment of downtowns and nearby neighborhoods.  His question: How do we make our city centers more alive?

A lot of food for thought...