The entire IDEA of characterizing something as "MAPS 4 ME" is incredibly divisive.
Some would say MAPS 3 was incredibly divisive.

Interesting. How so?

Ok, then why revitalize? That's even more involved.

OMG, Spartan. I can't believe you would say that. It's involved so there is no point in trying?:confused:

You have to manage your resources, including capital improvement funding, as effectively as possible.

These are city-defining, generational decisions we are making in allowing that type of development unchecked, but the problem is that there is no real decision-making going on. The "decision" was codified years ago, and now we just rubber stamp..


Wasn't Russel Claus' predecessor pretty much run out of office for just bring up the issue of curtailing sprawl?

The biggest problem is that too many private business benefit (home builders, commercial developers, construction companies, road builders, etc.) and it's very difficult to even slow down the train, let alone stop it and turn it around.

The biggest problem is that there is really a war on individualism and intellectualism and young people's values in general in this city and state that young people find menacing. This link (http://www.okhighered.org/studies-reports/education-pipeline/bachelor-in-state.shtml) illustrates the trend we all are aware of about the brain drain in this state - and it hasn't stopped. Actively producing and retaining college graduates will be the best thing for the future of the city. Without this attempts at revitalization and a renewed civic sphere are hollow rhetoric. The lack of a public 4 year university within the urban core is really the biggest hurdle to overcome.

The lack of a public 4 year university within the urban core is really the biggest hurdle to overcome.

No, it's not needed and isn't a hurdle for anything.

There are cute neighborhoods but generally WNW Oklahoma City is full of charming, "traditional ranch" neighborhoods and is still going downhill fast. NW 10 Portland to Council has become the city's top crime zone. It's bad. And PCO and PCW have become dangerous schools. And yes Putnam City used to be a nice, but the problem is we replaced it (by building Deer Creek) before it's time was due.

You can find otherwise cheap neighborhoods in NE Houston, NW St Louis, N Kansas City, E Dallas, NE Cleveland, Central Jersey/Staten Island.

One area primary killed the Putman City School District........Lyrewood Lane. Lyrewood is why you don't build apartment complexes too close together and any larger than 300 units. When complexes are 300 and smaller the place stays occuppied and wel kept. Anything more than that or too many in one area and you have Lyrewood Lane or I-240. Both are crap areas I would not be in after dark without a well supplied Marine platoon and air support on standby.

You must scare easily then

The district has 19,000 students, 27 schools scattered over 25-30 square miles. My guess is residents living off Lyrewood Ln would be a small percentage of three of those schools. No doubt, some of those Lyrewood Ln. residents and students are good people.

https://www.putnamcityschools.org/Schools.aspx

The district has 19,000 students, 27 schools scattered over 25-30 square miles. My guess is residents living off Lyrewood Ln would be a small percentage of three of those schools. No doubt, some of those Lyrewood Ln. residents and students are good people.

https://www.putnamcityschools.org/Schools.aspx

I agree. If the Putnam City schools have gone down, that is hardly the reason.

Deer Creek is the reason.

Low property taxes and lack of funding is why.

In part due to the fact that the next generation of parents has moved to Deer Creek. Or Piedmont. Or the fringes of Edmond. Or wherever. Eventually PC (which in the '80s was the premeire suburban school district) will be much like OKC has been over the past few decades, mostly full of people who vote down school bond issues because they don't have kids and don't want to pay for someone else's kids to have nice schools.

Lyre wood Lane is horrific. It is also small. Putnam City is comparatively huge.

In part due to the fact that the next generation of parents has moved to Deer Creek. Or Piedmont. Or the fringes of Edmond. Or wherever. Eventually PC (which in the '80s was the premeire suburban school district) will be much like OKC has been over the past few decades, mostly full of people who vote down school bond issues because they don't have kids and don't want to pay for someone else's kids to have nice schools.
Mustang and Yukon have contributed to that as well, those that would locate in the PC West area, including many alumni of PCW have moved to all of those areas. Many of my former classmates and my sisters have moved to other areas all over OKC and outside of the PC or OKC districts.

In part due to the fact that the next generation of parents has moved to Deer Creek. Or Piedmont. Or the fringes of Edmond. Or wherever. Eventually PC (which in the '80s was the premeire suburban school district) will be much like OKC has been over the past few decades, mostly full of people who vote down school bond issues because they don't have kids and don't want to pay for someone else's kids to have nice schools.
Unless the economy continues to weaken and gas prices continue to rise, which will expose these "next generation" townships as the backwater hideouts they are.

Just to keep things in perspective...I believe PC School District still ranks hirer than the OKC School District.

I'm sure it does. OKC is a few decades ahead of it it degradation due to white flight and the centrifugal force of geometric suburbanization at the fringe. Before MAPS for Kids passed, it had been 30+ years since OKC had passed a school bond issue. Fortunately that issue combined with infrastructure investment in the decades' ignored inner city is helping to slowly reverse that trend. It will take time.

Speaking of which...today's headline. I haven't read the article but couldn't miss the DOK headline on the stand at my morning coffee stop.


More than 800 Oklahoma City third-graders face reading challenge
Nearly one in four third-graders in the Oklahoma City School District are reading below grade level and in danger of being held back if they don’t pass an upcoming state test.

It's killing me that I can't help tutor with OKPS but my schedule is too erratic.

Skyline Neighborhood is a mid-century neighborhood in the WNW area of Oklahoma City. We recently expanded our boundaries to include the entire square mile from NW 23 to 36, Meridian to Portland. We have joined The Windsor District and the Windsor Area Neighborhood Development group. The NW 23rd Streetscape will breathe new life into the area and create a sense of place. New sidewalks are being constructed throughout the entire neighborhood as well.

Skyline Neighborhood - Home (http://www.skylineneighborhood.org)

Awesome!

Here's a quick link to their Facebook page as well.

https://www.facebook.com/SkylineNeighborhood