Fulton Mall: Missed perspective(s)
I attended tonight’s charette ready for battle…well, ready to watch others battle. I expected a clash of perspectives: between those who want to protect the integrity and historical assets of the Fulton Mall, and those that insist a road is necessary; those that want to invest in the area, and those that think it’s time to move on.
The room filled quickly. As renderings were posted, comments started flying. The mayor brought the crowd together, and what followed was incredibly…civil. Actually, the event was geared toward presentation, rather than public discourse (though that came later).
My hat’s off to the City and the planning consultants for the process, the presentations, and the perspective (catch up online if you missed out). The history of the mall was highlighted, balanced with data about consumer trends—those numbers make a good case for change, if the Mall is to become a center of commerce.
What I didn’t see in the numbers, and in comparisons to other communities, is the impact of arts and entertainment.
If we’re talking about shops and retail, a road through the parts of the mall makes sense to me, as it would provide visibililty, security, convenience. But Fresno already has several shopping destinations. Can we bring shops to Fulton that make it more of a destination than River Park, or Fig Garden? Will a road through the mall capture traffic for the 40% of people (can’t remember if that was the exact figure) who shop on their way to and from work?
I think the Fulton Mall has a unique opportunity to become a destination for entertainment: restaurants/bars/nightclubs, cultural events, and more. It could be something different than the shopping centres found further north—a place worth walking to from a not-too-far-away parking garage. Because you’ll want to walk around once you’re there.
Maybe that vision still needs a road through it, but it’s hard to gauge based on the info presented tonight.
Your turn: Thoughts from tonight? Were your thoughts/hopes/expectations represented? Thoughts on the process?
Understanding Fresno - a defense and an exploration
At different points in my life I’ve aspired to be an artist, a musician, and a bulldozer operator (not necessarily in that order). I’ve started down two of those paths, and fallen flat on my face; I’m just too reserved in my emotions to succeed at art or music. As for the bulldozer, I just need one I can practice on, so if you know of anyone…
Anyway, I say that to give yesterday’s outbursts a little context. I got heated on Twitter, defending Fresno from a group of individuals bent on being dissatisfied with the entire community. (Why most of the individuals in that group still live here escapes me.)
Perhaps the most frustrating thing, though, was having to defend myself for standing up for Fresno.
Here’s the deal: I love this place. I mean I really, really love Fresno and the valley. I didn’t want to—Kim and I wanted to move within five years of my arrival (six years ago)—but the more I learn, and the more relationship I forge, the more I want to stay. Yeah, I know about the crime, the air quality, the poverty, the ____; by staying, I’m saying that I’m willing to either 1) accept these or 2) try to change them.
Of course, I haven’t always felt this way. (Queue cheesy flashback music…)
Burned Bridges: The true story of James Collier
I lived in a city in North Carolina, half the size of Fresno, for close to 12 years before moving here. I hated the conservative mindset, the lack of “progress,” the agriculture history. Sound familiar?
When I left Greensboro, I took everything I owned. I wanted no reason to return, beyond visiting family and friends. But within weeks I realized that Fresno is smack in the middle of the “Bible Belt of the West,” and I found myself dealing with the same frustrations I thought I had left 2,211 miles away.
I saw two options: get the hell out, or engage. I chose the latter, and started to look for opportunities. After all, that’s what we have plenty of here, right? Opportunity?
What I didn’t do in that process is take time to talk trash about my former home. As Conlan has so eloquently pointed out, the hub of yesterday’s Fresno-focused criticisms (the person, that is) isn’t even in Fresno. Look, it’s like friending your ex on Facebook so you can look at updated photos—no matter how good those photos make you feel about your own life, sometimes you just need to move on.
What Fresno really needs…
Fresno doesn’t suffer from mediocrity. Or from a lack of culture, or many of the things people say they can’t find here. It suffers from an imposition of expectations—a lack of understanding. Of the history. Of the people. Of the potential. And that lack of understanding leads complacency.
An example? This morning, one of the group took a stab at the Met, referencing the potential 1,000,000+ audience in the surrounding county. But within that 1,000,000 people is a mix not found anywhere else—a wide range of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. We can’t assume that they place the same importance on a museum that another like-sized community might.
Fresno needs people who understand the community, who are proactive in helping to define its future, and who will capitalize on its strengths. And we have that—in small clusters, but the numbers are growing. We have people who give a damn, and who are mature and innovative enough to pursue what they believe to be beneficial for a greater good.
That being said, I’d like to revise my earlier statement:
If Fresno makes you miserable, and you’re not resourceful enough to get out—assuming things like a court mandate or dependents aren’t keeping you here—you’re only contributing to the “mediocrity.”
I’ll go one step further to say that if you’re not inspired by something that’s happening in this community, it’s probably time to re-examine who you’re spending time with. Sure, we have problems, but there are people who are finding innovative ways to address and overcome them.
Then again, it’s easier and more comfortable to wallow in group-loathe. But if you really believe the grass is greener on the other side of the Delta, or the Grapevine, or wherever—and depending on what makes you happy, it very well may be—go graze.
The easy out: unfriend and unfollow
A significant portion of my time is spent online—the internet is what my business is built on, after all. I listen, and I add to the noise conversation, especially on Twitter, which is where all this stirred up. The great thing about online conversations is that you can tune them out; while that’s a common reaction, it’s also an easy way out, and (to me) it defeats the purpose of tools like Twitter.
So I do the exact opposite: I start listening more. I follow everyone participating in the conversation—if for no other reason, I want to know who to ignore in person. While I could just tune out the negativity, I’d rather combat it. If my passion comes through in the process, I’m okay with that.
The bottom line
Fresno needs advocates. We need people who don’t just live here, but choose to do so, without regret—and who are willing and eager to talk about why. That’s why I responded yesterday, and why I’ll continue to engage in this discussion. Fresno, I love you.
Getting over Google
Now that Fresno has submitted its official application to Google to pilot its high-speed fiber—and now that the hype has waned all but completely died—let’s be honest: we don’t stand a snowball’s chance in Hell at being selected.
(I say that in the most gentle, loving way I can.)
I’ve enjoyed the pooling of support from throughout the community, and the rapid speed with which this grew from a few suggestions from the fringe, to something that City officials invested in physically, mentally and financially. But as Chris Samarin noted a couple of weeks ago, if this project is to come to fruition (not all of Google’s hype leads to action, after all), Google has already decided on where.
Maybe I’m wrong, but here’s why I believe this:
- Google is driven by data.
They’ve done the research, and know which markets have the highest potential to meet the unstated goals of a project like this. If they haven’t, such lack of research doesn’t reflect well on the company. - Speaking of data…
There’s a reason that Fresno is described as a place that’s “behind the curve.” That’s not a stab at our technological literacy or competency, but it is a reality check; other communities could provide far more useful information from their use of the web. - Put another way, our needs are different.
Google’s focus seems to be on households—if I had to guess, that’s where the rich consumer data lies. While it’s nice to think of downloading HD movies from the couch in a matter of minutes, the real potential for positive impact in our community is in businesses, libraries and community hubs.
Never look a gift horse in the ass.
Again, I might be wrong about all of this. Part of me hopes that I am, and that we were compelling enough to win Google over. But if we were, are we sure that’s a good thing? I mean, has anyone stopped to think through the company’s motive in (potentially) piloting something like this?
It’s data. Fiber opens up a LOT of that.
So we’re okay with that. Google has a solid track record with providing direct cusomer service, right? Hardly. (And you thought Comcast was frustrating to deal with…at least they give you a number to call.)
Okay, so what now?
Now we wait. Google has over 600 applications to sort through, and assuming they’re actually reading those, that could take a while. Once a community is selected…well, who knows what happens at that point.
In the mean time, I say we applaud those who’ve championed this, as well as those who contributed and helped to build support. If that’s you, thank you.
