Cat-Strat

Place [action] Community
Meeting Notes:

20 Dec 2007
10 Jan 2008
17 Jan 2008
24 Jan 2008

Build it, Bury it or Something in Between
How do we make decisions about the “place” we call Cleveland?

The Net-Net Notes

Background: A group of individuals met on Dec 11, 2007 for this “Cat-Strat Convo”.
There were two sessions:

One at 3:30 PM with Sponsors, panelists & certain stakeholders.
The Public Session occurred at 5:30 PM.

Featured Guests:

Adam Wasserman CEO of The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority
Christopher Diehl of the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative
Wendy Evans Joseph of Wendy Evans Joseph Architecture

Coordinators & Moderators: Craig James & Sue James of Cat-Strat

The Notes:

What does a “successful place” look and feel like:

Many people + Jobs
People walking on-foot. Walking a dog… at 3 PM or 3 AM.
A critical mass of residents downtown
An intrinsic sense of energy & activity - - - retail & entertainment

Possible Strategies discussed regarding “Place-making” included:

Thank you to our
Sponsors and
Supporters:

Foster & fuel activities which are inherently “energetic”
Capitalize on existing assets. Connect existing Assets
“Show and tell” Tap new-Clevelanders who are fired-up
Create a vision - - - A vision for the place
Do Not Wait for others to create the vision
Be realistic. We all realize much of the reality is based on
“dollars & votes”
Balance community-engagement & “consensus” with quick &
decisive action. Act quickly
Foster strong, accountable political leadership
Think BIG - - Big ideas. Big impact.
Have the courage to have the “messy” conversations… and
float whacky ideas.
Learn from, but don’t be immobilized by the past – somehow.
Focus on region, yes - - but the Core City too
Tap & tack-onto growth that’s happening
Take risk - - have the confidence to do so
Leverage the “virtual place” that layers on top of the physical
place. Leverage tech, the Net, etc.
Leverage State/Fed $$$ - via Historic Tax Credits, etc.
Fuel anything that connects places & people in those places

Be inclusive - - - develop critical mass of voice & energy
Plan, plan, plan - - have a master view – a long-term view
Coordinate the groups that exist. Rally them!
Think multi-domain; Place = people + programs + education…
and more
Recruit people into the region. Embrace immigration
ID and remove barriers
ID and foster leadership - whatever the source
Focus on mindset change first
Engage a broader voice
Consider the whole-system thinking; sustainable solutions.
World consequence. “Riptide”.
Preservation can by part of the “Build” process
The need for VISION
Question: How can we spend so much $ on school building
with out considering the real needs within the schools?
Combine ideas: Ex: Why not combine Crawford Auto Museum
with the Convention Center?
Find “And” Vs. “or” solutions
It’s all about leadership; elected or otherwise
Leverage Healthcare strength beyond MedMart. How do we
really leverage health care here?

So… Do what?

A subset group of attendees answered a “challenge”… i.e., signed-up to begin the formation of an action-team
which might convene an idea-generation brainstorming effort around possible “what-if” approaches related to the
Convention-Center / Med-Mart.

What’s Next?

The notes from the "challenge" meeting are posted on this site. Click here to read the notes from the Dec 20
meeting.

11
DEC
2007
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convoNotes

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