Tuesday, a group of planners, architects and designers will begin a three-day series of meetings and workshops, collectively termed a “charrette,” meant to help Columbus form a plan for future growth and city revitalization.
The meetings and the process will be a rare opportunity for our leaders and the public to come together on equal terms, wipe the slate clean and offer ideas for what we all want the city to be.
We urge the general public to come, and to think big. What amenities should the city be offering? What should they look like? What are we missing, and what can we do to make Columbus more livable and attractive for residents, and for visitors?
These are the questions that the experts want answered, and only we, the public, can answer them.
We also call on city and county leaders to embrace the process, learn from what is said and take the ideas expressed to heart.
The sessions are facilitated by the Mississippi Main Street Association, of which our Main Street Columbus organization is a member. However, the ideas and the vision can, and should, go beyond the downtown area. Columbus needs a coherent blueprint for future — not just for downtown, but for the Highway 45 corridor, for East Columbus, and for every and other part of the city. To our visiting planners: We hope that need isn”t overlooked.
This is a unique moment for Columbus — the ability to forge a shared vision of what Columbus should be, and how we can get there. Every person in the city has a stake in this.
Let”s seize the moment.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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