OK, I did not mean necessarily that the landscaping had to be trees in the medians. You could have nice plantings, shrubberies at the bridge supports and the exit ramps. The most important thing is that along the highways, the grass is mowed and the trash is picked up. Also, look at the buildings that are visible from the highways and try to keep them in good shape. Easier said than done.

As far as comparing us to other cities, Wichita and Omaha and Colorado Springs are all making progress. Every city is investing in their downtowns and in corporate relocation. The only way for any city to get ahead is to do it faster and smarter than the competition.

My question, and maybe this is a topic for another thread, or maybe it's decided and I just haven't heard (I am an OKC ex-patriate living in St. Louis)is: What is Maps 3 going to be? The Maps for Kids tax has to be winding down. OKC is used to paying that tax. What is the next initative? What is the next great civic undertaking? (OKC is miles ahead of STL when it comes to rallying citizens around big-thinking goals) I would think it should be some combination of continuing downtown's progress and true economic development, identifying clusters and recruiting companies. Biotech/medical would be an excellent start.