Vision 2025

[Patrick]

Here's a good overview of the Vision 2025 projects. Although I think this is an abitious program, I don't think it's going to have quite the impact that MAPS did on OKC. The mission of Vision 2025 is too diverse, and the projects are too widespread. MAPS mainly focused on downtown and tourism, whereas, Vision 2025, covers a myriad of areas, not necessarily targeted towards reviving downtown.

http://www.vision2025.info/map.html

[swake]

There is a lot going on downtown, here's a map of just downtown and the public projects going on and planned there

http://www.vision2025.info/includes/...ads/0/file.pdf

[flyingcowz]

I think you are right Patrick, but Vision2025 was passed as a regianl plan. ::sigh::

[Patrick]

I don't want anyone to get the wrong impression by what I said. I applaud Tulsa developing and passing Vision 2025. I think it's incredibly ambitious.......more ambitious than MAPS. But, I think it might be a mistake to focus on so many projects at once. You tend to lose focus on the projects that are most important when you have hundreds of smaller projects listed. Many of the projects listed in Vision 2025 would've been included in a bond issue-style package in OKC.....i.e., street improvements, street-scaping programs, etc. Although I think Master Plans are necessary, I think carrying out a 20+ year program like this will be a challenge. It probably would've been easier to manage two separate programs like we have, with the first one focusing on downtown Tulsa. But, with the voting record Tulsa has for passing plans like Vision 2025, it might be good they passed this all at once!

Also, I've said this before. I applaud Tulsa on the architecture of their arena. But, I think you'd be money-ahead if you didn't have to compromise seats for architecture. Most sports teams and concert performers could careless about the architectureof the arena. They want functionality and the ability to sell a lot of seats. Tulsa could've competed better with OKC for concerts had they built an arena similar in size or larger than the Ford Center.