The Living is Big Easy
I just returned from a quick trip to New Orleans. The singular purpose of the trip? Food. The last time I was in New Orleans in my early twenties I believe I may have had a different motivation being Mardi Gras and all.
This time my lens was different, maybe because I had just participated in a strategic planning session for our Chamber of Commerce centering on what will future Lincoln look like. Maybe it’s because I have a few more decades of experience in these eyes.
When I told people I was going to New Orleans, whether they had been or not, there was a common dialogue around what one does in New Orleans. The city lives up to expectations, good or bad.
Whereas I always say Lincoln exceeds expectations for first-time visitors because, quite frankly, there aren’t a lot of expectations to be had. And whatever expectations there are, they’re often so misguided, ”I was expecting cows everywhere,” or something of the sort.
In New Orleans, I noticed many place making elements the city had installed, cool street signs in the sidewalks, plants hanging in baskets, unique gas lighting, trollies. I also saw individuals contributing to my experience, primarily in the form of street performances.
Walking the streets of New Orleans had me thinking about Lincoln’s opportunities for place making. We even have a position on city staff whose job it is to think about it. We all have an opportunity to participate in what the city can do as Downtown Corridors continue to gather information at a public meeting to enhance several areas of our downtown.
In a sense, we always have an opportunity to make our place. I think about Abloom downtown that often spreads rose petals on their sidewalk. Or even more intimately, I recently had the opportunity to enjoy Kevin Shinn’s Portico Experience in his beautiful back yard. One thing you can do is participate in the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce survey to help point the way for the future of our city. Here’s a link, it will only take a couple of minutes. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/lincolnvitalitysurvey
What can you do to help make Lincoln an interesting place?
