It's Great 'n Dayton

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The Stewart Street Bridge over the Great Miami River will close on June 23 for demolition and construction of an all-new span. The four-lane, century-old structure will be replaced by a six-lane bridge with left turn lanes and other features to improve traffic flow and safety. The new bridge is scheduled to open in December of 2009 and is one of nine Dayton bridges being replaced over a seven-year period ending in 2012.

It will be interesting to see the congestion and hassle of re-routing. I know they're re-directing Edwin Moses traffic to use the Washington Street Bridge and encouraging highway traffic to use the 35 exit to Main/Jefferson/Brown/Warren.

A Tale of Two Bookstores

Well first of all I should say this is not about two bookstores but one bookstore with two locations.

Last night I went to the lifestyle center across the county line. I know, please don't tar & feather me! I was going to Books & Company (formerly locally owned and now owned by Books a Million).

I'd been in the store before to browse and bought several books at Christmas but last night I went with a purpose. I was looking for a particular book, one that ANY bookstore should have. When I didn't find the book I started looking around to assess the place. As this was not the first time I didn't find a book at Books & Co at the Greene I decided I'd walk through the store to see if I was even one of their target customers. I read alot but this bookstore is not for me. On the other hand, Books & Co at Town and Country has always been cozy, friendly, and generally stocked with the type of book I was looking for last night. Sadly it seems like lately it's not being tended to very well.

So what struck me last night is this... Books & Co at the Greene is a big (two story) cavernous playground for white, suburban, conservatives.

While my comments could be a generalization about The Greene my experience last night was specific to the store but reassured me that diversity is not embraced. I was particularly surprised by the sterile, cold feeling of the bookstore. There didn't appear to be diversity of ages, genders, race, or sexual orientation in their employees or their customers. I saw all around me books by religious conservatives and political commentators. The children's section is quite impressive. Overly done and taking up about 1/4 of the second floor is the Christian Living section. A few piles in the political/current events section featured books by Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with any of that. It just seemed excessive and limiting at the same time.

I wandered a little further to find that categories like Gay/Lesbian, Sexuality, Self Help, Women's Issues, New Age, Art, Photography are scattered all over the store. They also didn't bare their own placards hanging from the ceiling and instead were on shelves with labels that you don't even realize are there. What I find interesting is that at Town and Country's Books & Co. (and even at other competitors) these categories make up their own large sections. Rather than seeing a wall-full of gay books I think I saw 3 linear feet of gay books confined to one shelf. That's just an example of large markets they've chosen to not engage as customers.

I find it offensive. It's like saying we have token books here but you'll have to go somewhere else to find what you're looking for because we'd rather not sell to you. And if I was African American or any particular ethnicity I don't think I'd find any books or authors that represented me or my culture. It's a shame... and an indication. It's also a place I don't think I'll be patronizing.

Indexing & Building Cool Communities

Continuing with Rebecca Ryan's "live first, work second" book and building on the Cool Communities chapter of truth and lies, this next segment addresses seven indexes: vitality, earning, learning, social capital, cost of lifestyle, after hours, and around town.

Vitality, means how healthy a community is related to air quality, green space, availabilty and consumption of fresh produce, environmentally friendly practices, healthy outdoor activities, etc. When you think about the fact that the City of Dayton recycles and many of the suburbs don't (or charge extra) we have a good thing going. We're also lucky to have the 2nd Street Public Market, the Metroparks and active bike paths. Recreation and healthy lifestyles are possible in Dayton.

Earning - Many of us, and those younger, are not like our parents who worked in places for 30 years. In fact, most people are likely to have worked in multiple jobs for multiple companies. Does Dayton have a variety of jobs? I'm not sure. In certain industries I would assume it does. Is Dayton friendly to entrepreneurs and start-up companies? I'd say yes. Particularly with an active SBA and with business incubators and support centers like Aileron, Dayton has a good variety of public and private sector employers. Dayton is very innovative and smart. Per capita Daytonians hold more patents than cities twice Dayton's size.

Learning isn't just about education or advancement it's also about enrichment. Fortunately, the Dayton area is home to wonderful schools like University of Dayton, Wright State, Wilberforce, Central State, Cedarville, Antioch, the Air Force Institute of Technology and Sinclair Community College to name a few. Most of them offer adults courses and continuing education classes that aren't related to specific degrees. We have great bookstores like Borders, Barnes and Noble, and Book & Company where readers can find books on just about anything, and we have active YMCA's and gyms where adults can better themselves in a variety of ways. We have dance studios and even have places where adults can taking a cooking class or wine appreciation.

Social Capital - here Ryan uses the term to identify both the diversity within a community AND a community's level of citizen participation. This takes into account two understandings of the phrase usually associated with Jane Jacob's work in The Death and Life of Great American Cities and with Robert Putnam's Bowling Alone. Diversity is a valuable part of community life. Different cultures, different ethnicities, and different ways of thinking and doing things all enrich a community when people work together toward common goals. When I think of citizen partipation the first thing that comes to mind are Dayton's priority boards and neighborhood associations. I also think of how organizations like hospitals and universities and the city work together to improve neighborhoods. Finally, the local creative class movement has alot of people working together to create a vibrant, welcoming community.

Cost of Lifestyle - Keeping in mind that with a lower cost of living comes the likelihood of lower wages, affordability in a communty is important. This relates to food, housing, transportation and more. Consider not just how much a how might sell for but also what nightlife, sports, entertainment, dining out, and parking cost. If a salary is competitive on a national level, one can do really well in Dayton.

After Hours - What happens after work? Not just referring to drinking, After Hours includes all the ways people connect with one another or seek out things to do, places to go. Whether it's a museum, the symphony, local band venues, dance clubs/bars, or coffee shops Dayton has a myriad of social opportunities. While some people chronically complain that there's nothing to do in Dayton, I'd assert that they haven't looked hard enough because I believe there's something for everyone, and more. We're also in a perfect location for day/night trips to places like Cincinnati, Columbus and Indianapolis and several state parks.

Around Town refers to accessibility and the physical connectedness of the community. According to Ryan, "young talent may be perfectly happy living in smaller communities if they have easy access to shopping, eating and entertainment options in bigger metros." Consider my comment above about Cincinnati, Columbus and Indianapolis. While those larger cities are in driving distance, the Dayton area has plenty shopping, eating and entertainment possibilities. In Dayton I like to say that anything you want to do is within 20 minutes of wherever you're at. Ryan refers to rush minutes as opposed to rush hours. On top of everything already said, imagine how much gas we save by not sitting in traffic! Imagine how many more possibilities would exist if things and people moved back to the urban core where a car wouldn't even be necessary!

What are your ideas of how we rate on the vitality, earning, learning, social capital, cost of lifestyle, after hours, and around town indexes?

Businesses Open Late

On Saturday night I had dinner at John Henry's in the Oregon District. It wasn't too late, the weather was nice, but there wasn't alot of activity in the OD most likely because of the holiday weekend and the festivities at Riverscape and other places around town. We passed on dessert because we had decided to walk down 5th street, take in some of the galleries, and get dessert from the coffee bar at Pacchia.

Dinner, coffee and dessert were wonderful. What was disappointing (and hopefully a glitch because of the holiday weekend) was that the galleries were closed! It was a trend that I noticed while we were in the window of John Henry's and I watched between 8-8:15 as the lights went out across the street.

Alot of good things have been happening in the Oregon District and the presence of local artists was meant to enhance the experience. By the time our dinner was over (at 8:15) and we started our stroll down 5th street the number of pedestrians had increased, as did the number of people walking up to galleries putting their hands up to their faces as they peered into the windows of the closed up shops.

My question is this: "shouldn't the galleries be open when people are around?" Saturday night was not the first time I observed a gallery being closed. Here are the regular hours for one gallery - 12- 5 Wed, Thurs, Sat and 3-8 Fri, with hours 5-10 on the First Fridays. Much of the OD's appeal is it's nightlife. I'm not saying galleries should be open until midnight but I think the folks running the galleries need to think of their potential audience and structure their hours accordingly, even if there could be slow periods or lapses of time between walk-in's. Maybe at least stay open until 9!

Over at the Most Metro forum a discussion thread included the suggestion that 5th street actually be shut down on certain nights to allow for more pedestrian activity on the street. This is a great idea and I've seen it successfully done in Palm Springs at the http://www.palmspringsvillagefest.com/. One of the features of that night is that businesses stay open late.

My second question, relative to First Fridays (and possible street parties) is "why should we need a special night for galleries to stay open late?" Perhaps the gallery folks should talk to the restaurants and some of the other retailers and ask them if their sales reflect any kind of patters. A subsequent action would be to conform to those patterns.

Cool Communities

This is a continuation of posting associated with the book, "live first, work second" by Rebecca Ryan.

To me, this chapter (Cool Communities: Talent Magnets for the Live First Generation) is the meat of the book.

In this chapter Ryan addresses 3 truths and a lie. I'll identify them here and say a little about each one.

First Truth: The Knowledge Economy doesn't play by the old rules of economic development.
Gone are the days when economic development officials simply say, "we just need to attract new jobs." Offering tax breaks to companies to move into a town makes no sense unless people who would make up an employee base for that company want to LIVE in that town. Ryan says a city should have more than good jobs. You must have a city - a place, neighborhoods, and Stroll Districts - that captures people's sensibilities, matches their values, and attracts and engages them.

Truth Two: Cities are for people
To attract and retain the next generation of knowledge workers you must see the city through THEIR eyes. What might they be looking for? For starters, they want diversity. They recognize the talent that all people offer and that the best communities and best companies embrace diversity not as lip-service but as a reality that we're all better off when we set labels aside.

Young people want "Third Spaces" - not home or work but an "in-between" place to hang out, meet people, stop in. Think coffee shops, martini bars, the market, local taverns and cafes where people mingle with friends, make new friends and maybe even share ideas about their jobs or personal lives.

Stroll Districts would be places where there might be a high concentration of Third Spaces. Imagine parking in one location and walking, eating out on a patio or in a cafe, and shopping all within a couple block radius, bumping into or planning to meet up with friends. Local businesses benefit, people benefit and the community benefits because revenue generated by local businesses stays in the community. [Sounds pretty appealing, doesn't it!! Almost better than going to the mall or the "lifestyle center" across the county line!!]

Density is also important because it allows people to connect. When one thinks about the appeal of Urban Nights or First Fridays, the next logical question is "why can't this be like this all the time!?!"

THE LIE: The next generation is lazy and apathetic.

Ryan expresses that this new generation is aching to be engaged. Old traditional ways of reaching people no longer work. Organizations like Rotary, Kiwanis, Elks, etc. aren't what they used to be. But this isn't because young people don't care. New networks are being established. Young Professional Organizations are popping up all over the country. The basic idea is that young people WANT to make a difference. So they're reaching out to their peers, networking, creating social programs, professional development programs, and OUTREACH programs. All of these activities engage them in the community. Research suggests that engaged individuals stick around longer than those who aren't. Dayton is fortunate to have had vision through the Chamber of Commerce to establish Generation Dayton, Dayton's very own young professionals organization.

Truth 3: Cool Communities work together and play to win

Seriously, this can't be further from the truth. I have to admit I'm a bit emotional (angry) today at how the Dayton Business Journal and the Dayton Daily News pit communities against one another by publicly allowing civic leaders, real estate investors and developers to say that certain developments are more important than others, specifically, that just about any development is good as long as it's not in Dayton.

The Dayton Development Coalition figured this out but not everyone seems to be onboard. To compete in today's economy communities are going to have to think and behave regionally. We need egos to get out of the way. We need politics to get out of the way. We all need to work together. And everyone else needs to give Dayton a chance. If we don't make changes to the inner core, then it won't be long before we start to feel the effects. Some effects are already being felt. Ask the first-tier suburbs about their problems! We can't just keep spreading out and getting further from the city.

South Park Represents

Congratulations!!!

Today in Hampton VA, South Park residents learned they were selected as the Neighborhood of Year by Neighborhoods, USA (NUSA) a national organization focused on building and strengthening neighborhoods.

It's certainly deserving of the award and the neighborhood has alot to be proud of.

There are multiple factors that impress me about the residents of South Park - their sense of community, pride, motivation, hard work, and determination. There are probably others but those qualities, in addition to the beautifully restored homes, make South Park a neighborhood where I want to live.

South Park also represents for all of us the power that individuals have when they collectively use their resources to work together for the betterment of the community.

Not only should South Park residents be proud of this accomplishment, all of Dayton should take notice and celebrate. Getting this kind of recognition is the kind of event that will cause others across the country to pause and say, "look what's happening in Dayton Ohio!"

Of course we know it's great 'n Dayton! It's about time others see what we see!

Keys Taken Away

According to the Dayton Daily News (I read the article online Thursday night but by Friday morning the story was gone, otherwise I'd include it here), The 88 Club's lease was not renewed in the 5/3 Bank Buildling downtown. The owners of the Club seemed disappointed but indicated that while a new location hasn't been selected they plan to reopen somewhere else. A reason wasn't given.

I'm curious about why the lease wasn't renewed, assuming business was going well and that they were paying their bills.

I suppose there's always more to the story. I also know that the location is probably jinxed! It's had more names than I can remember and the most successful was Kitty's.  Then there was Thomato's, then Mediterra, then Solganick's and now the 88 Club (all in the last 8 years). It seems like a couple closed due to insufficient business, particularly when there was no theater or philharmonic. They were full service restaurants, a little on the high end, that only appealed to a certain crowd. The 88 Club on the other hand was a bar; perhaps too much of the other extreme.

If the location is going to continue to be a restaurant I hope it's something that appeals to families, downtown workers at lunchtime, and downtown residents anytime, theater patrons and more. The only thing that concerns me from a business perspective is that the only two more formal places downtown (besides those in the Oregon District) are the Raquet Club and two hotel dining rooms and none of the three has ever been high on my list.

Trends to Consider

Rebecca Ryan identifies four trends that apply to to society, our workforce, our companies and our communities.

Trend 1 - We are moving from an economy of goods to a knowledge economy as demonstrated in this chart:

	Economy of Goods	Knowledge Economy
What’s needed for economic self sufficiency	Strong back and a good alarm clock	Education and training and constant upgrading of skills
Work Ethic	Heads down, butts up	Work smarter, not harder Live first, work second
Decision making mantra	“Do what you’re told”	Take initiative
Where you live	Company town	Cool community
Where your coworkers live	In your area code	Anywhere
Where you work	Factory or plant	Everywhere, even on vacation
Regular meetings	Face-to-face	Conference calls or videoconferencing
Work hierarchy	Top-down, bureaucratic	Flat; everyone’s

Trend 2 - There are fewer younger workers. Consider all the retiring Baby Boomers and the fact that US birth rates have been on the decline for years. America's 500 largest companies are expected to lose half of their senior managers in the next five years or so. Civil service attrition is expected to be even higher. There's a smaller pool of candidates. They have less experience and even though they're not the ruling class, they're the leading class. Companies will need to be creative when attracting and retaining young talent.

Trend 3 - Knowledge Economy Everywhere. In a Knowledge Economy ANYPLACE that can attract, develop or retain Knowledge workers has a fighting chance. Who are these knowledge workers? Richard Florida refers to them as the Creative Class.

Dr. Florida writes: "I define the Creative Class to include people in science and engineering, architecture and design, education, arts, music and entertainment, whose economic function is to create new ideas, new technology and/or new creative content. Around the core, the Creative Class also includes a broader group of creative professionals in business and finance, law, healthcare and related fields. These people engage in complex problem solving that involves a great deal of independent judgment and requires high levels of education or human capital. In addition, all members of the Creative Class - whether they are artists or engineers, musicians or computer scientists, writers or entrepreneurs - share a common creative ethos that values creativity, individuality, difference, and merit."

Dayton is now paying attention to its creative class and working on image as well. Learn more at DaytonCREATE.org. (Creating Regional Excitement, Action, Talent & Enthusiasm)

Trend 4 - New Leadership is Needed - Whether it's the government, religion, banks and financial institutions, or the corporate community, we need different skills from our leaders.

• We need leaders who are information savvy, who can sort through data and spot trends.
• We need multiple, well trained leaders who have the ability to co-lead and delegate well.
• We need leaders who can communicate a complex or difficult issue in a simple, clear way.
• We need leaders who are comfortable working and leading in a networked, decentralized way where they understand they may not always be the smartest person or the person with the last word.

Personally I believe the City of Dayton is lucky to have young, creative visionary leaders. It's not every day that a City Manager and City Commissioners are in their 30's. The alternate however, and I will not say who fits this bill, is that there are alot of good ol' boys who have been in their positions WAY too long who operate out of old models when it comes to community and economic development. They are interested in their ideas, their careers, and their own self importance. They want to attract companies and for Dayton to be what it once was. For the record, it's a new day. Dayton will never be what it was. That's not a bad thing either. Just different.

Societal Needs and Differences

We've all heard of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. We typically associate the needs with a person and his or her place in life and whether or not their needs are being met. Follow the link to learn more but here's a refresher:

• Physiological
• Safety
• Love/Belonging
• Esteem
• Self Actualization

Rebecca Ryan proposes that these needs can also be applied to societal generations. If you accept her logic and understand how we've reached out to past generations, you'll start thinking in a new way about how to reach out to the millenial generation. Consider these generations and where they fit in Maslow's hierarchy:

• The Silent Generation (1925-1942) - Born and raised during the depression and world wars. Success was having money, food, clothing, shelter (physiological and safety)
• The Baby Boomers (1943-1961) - The "Make Love Not War" generation with a high need for love, belonging, a sense of community.
• The Gen X'ers (1961-1981) - America's first generation of latch-key kids. A generation of "individuals" who rely on themselves. They have heightened esteem needs: confidence, competence, achievement, independence and freedom. So independent that they're typically not civic minded or interested in social clubs.
• The Millenials (1982-2001) - Perceived to be "me oriented" but in reality they are authentic, not afraid of their emotions, and are articulate about what they want, need and how they feel. Millenials have been to college, traveled the world, done service-learning trips, and have been exposed to wider diversity. Unlike previous generations, through the internet and their own experiences Millenials have been exposed to a broader world and ideas that help define who they are and what they want in life.

Only now are we realizing that Millenials require us to see the world in a new way - for their own success and for ours. Millenials are interested in social matters. They're interested in socially responsible corporations. They're interested in quality of life and in living in a place that suits them. With technology, the world economy, and the ability for some people to work from anywhere, now is the time for a city like Dayton to act on what it will take to attract/retain Millenials to enjoy the quality of life that exists here.

Live First, Work Second

Here begins a walk through Rebecca Ryan's book "live first, work second" which I think offers practical anecdotal examples and her own research to complement Richard Florida's work. I highly encourage anyone interested in reaching out to young professionals to read this book. It's a quick read, 118 pages, and so engaging you won't want to put it down. See the link in my sidebar>>>>>.

The question she answers is this, "Which is more important: a good job or a cool community?"

Her results? Three out of four Americans under the age of 28 said a cool city is more important than a good job.

While previous generations may have followed a job, a promotion or corporate marching orders, the current generation of young professionals is following its bliss, choosing cool cities and then finding work. They want communities that fit their values and lifestyle and they want employers that do the same.

Many are catching on to this but what are some ways Dayton is reaching out to young people?

Some that I can think of are Generation Dayton, Dayton's "Summer in the City" program, the rebirth of ActiveDayton.com, non-profits having "junior" boards, and DaytonCreate.org (what Ryan calls a Brain Drain taskforce).

What more can we do to reach out and make sure young people (all people) see Dayton as a cool, hip and fun place to settle down? (example: I think we under-promote our metroparks and bike paths as an asset that appeals to "active" people).

I plan to write more as I re-read the book. If you don't purchase the book, at least check back here often for more insights regarding the "next generation!" Dont' forget to share your own opinions too.