Is Norman "the enlightened suburb?"

[Spartan]

I am more and more beginning to think this is true, that if you look at all of the cities in Central Oklahoma including OKC, that Norman stands out as the most enlightened, the most sustainable, the most urban, and the best-planned.

ESPECIALLY if you throw out the UNP quagmire..

And I fully expect people to balk at calling Norman a suburb, and I didn't mean it, just that it is A city in Central Oklahoma not named OKC.

[SkyWestOKC]

Including OKC proper, Norman is the most sustainable?

I need a good laugh, Nick. Thanks

[kevinpate]

I dunno if it is the 'most' sustainable, but just as a fer instance, the Norman folk dinna demo the closed for safety concerns Vista bldg. because the land would make a better park. Sure, the work has been slow,a nd sure, floor 6 has a still unknown future, but it seems 1-5 have commitments for occupancy come next year when the renovations are completed.

Of course, not so long ago a few places were thrashed to add parking, but hey, the mural is killer

[krisb]

When you say Norman, do you mean the OU campus and immediate surroundings...or Norman? Because outside of the main campus, it's pretty much like every other suburb...shopping centers, car dealerships, big box retailers, cookie-cutter houses.

[metro]

"Enlightened" - No
Sustainable and well planned - Yes

Doesn't the nature of it being a true college town help quite a bit in these regards?

[blangtang]

The American Association of Enlightened Suburbs rankings that came out last year had Norman listed as the 24th Most Enlightened Suburb.........

[fuzzytoad]

The American Association of Enlightened Suburbs

is that even a real thing? I googled it and came up with nothing..

if it's real then

[metro]

Spartan, are you a member of Guild of America's Enlightened Suburbs?

[Mr T]

The short answer to your question is "no." There are an awful lot of things wrong with Norman, but no-one is allowed to talk about them. When your newspaper is worse than the Oklahoman you are not good. So far this week alone the OKC paper has covered five Norman stories not in the Transcript. They cancelled their forum because folk kept bringing up stuff that makes the mayor and the university president uncomfortable. Just TRY "adding a comment." "Have an opinion? Want to express it? Come to our blogs." Yay! 6 blogs about sports and bicycles. One letter every 30 days. Good discussion of the issues? Not in Norman. We know what they think we need to know when they decide to tell us. So, I guess the long answer is no, also.

[ljbab728]

The short answer to your question is "no." There are an awful lot of things wrong with Norman, but no-one is allowed to talk about them. When your newspaper is worse than the Oklahoman you are not good. So far this week alone the OKC paper has covered five Norman stories not in the Transcript. They cancelled their forum because folk kept bringing up stuff that makes the mayor and the university president uncomfortable. Just TRY "adding a comment." "Have an opinion? Want to express it? Come to our blogs." Yay! 6 blogs about sports and bicycles. One letter every 30 days. Good discussion of the issues? Not in Norman. We know what they think we need to know when they decide to tell us. So, I guess the long answer is no, also.

I haven't subscribed to the Transcript for years but have to wonder what could be said that would make David Boren uncomfortable. He's been around long enough to have seen and heard it all. I doubt that anything really makes him uncomfortable.

[soonerfan_in_okc]

I haven't subscribed to the Transcript for years but have to wonder what could be said that would make David Boren uncomfortable. He's been around long enough to have seen and heard it all. I doubt that anything really makes him uncomfortable.

Bringing up Male lover boys would make him uncomfortable.

[ljbab728]

That sounds like a libelous statement. Do you have something to back that up or reason to think that the Transcript would accept a letter alleging something like that? Legitimate newspapers aren't going to accept tabloid type letters like that without something more than innuendo. That type of rumor has been around since he was in politics and no proof of any kind has ever been presented.

[rcjunkie]

That sounds like a libelous statement. Do you have something to back that up or reason to think that the Transcript would accept a letter alleging something like that? Legitimate newspapers aren't going to accept tabloid type letters like that without something more than innuendo. That type of rumor has been around since he was in politics and no proof of any kind has ever been presented.

Some will always insult those more succesfull then they could ever dream of being. If he heard it, it came from his 4th cousion on his 3rd ex-Great Grandmothers side, twice removed.

[soonerfan_in_okc]

It was sarcasm you moron.

[Easy180]

Not sure if it proves enlightenment but the Main st area (especially headed east) is very cool...Definitely done right

[dismayed]

I am more and more beginning to think this is true, that if you look at all of the cities in Central Oklahoma including OKC, that Norman stands out as the most enlightened, the most sustainable, the most urban, and the best-planned.

ESPECIALLY if you throw out the UNP quagmire..

And I fully expect people to balk at calling Norman a suburb, and I didn't mean it, just that it is A city in Central Oklahoma not named OKC.

I think so too. I love the fact that there's a real thriving network of bars and pubs in Norman... not a bunch of Henry Hudsons crap like in the rest of the metro. I like the fact that Norman parks actually have trees instead of the barren wasteland that is a typical OKC park. Campus Corner and Main Street are great areas to walk and shop. The neighborhoods have sidewalks. Old houses are painted and taken care of instead of looking like dilapidated blown apart gangland safe houses. And if you feel like taking part in the suburban nightmare we have 24th Ave.

It could be better, but most neighborhoods are far and above what is typical in the metro.

[ljbab728]

It was sarcasm you moron.

When you want to use sarcasm it needs to be a little clearer. Your post was just a blunt statement with no hint of sarcasm even if that's what you meant. We can't see your smile when you're typing. Even if you were being sarcastic, it was in poor taste.

[soonerfan_in_okc]

LMAO. Needs to be clearer? Says who, you the almighty forum patrolman? I brought up a topic so off base and untrue, I expected you and anyone else to understand that it is all tounge and cheek. But I guess I expected too much from you. And even if I was being serious, which I wasn't, you need to realize that this is an internet forum. There are things said much worse directly to posters on forums, and people do not react like you did, because they realizee that its on the damn internet. But maybe you are just old and out of touch with these kind of things.

[triumphrider74]

[ljbab728]

LMAO. Needs to be clearer? Says who, you the almighty forum patrolman? I brought up a topic so off base and untrue, I expected you and anyone else to understand that it is all tounge and cheek. But I guess I expected too much from you. And even if I was being serious, which I wasn't, you need to realize that this is an internet forum. There are things said much worse directly to posters on forums, and people do not react like you did, because they realizee that its on the damn internet. But maybe you are just old and out of touch with these kind of things.

Age has no bearing on decorum. And being an internet forum doesn't mean anything goes. This isn't a chat room. The topic you mentioned has been brought up by others in other places who believed it to be true so how would we know what you think when you just make a very plain statement with no hint at humor. And if worse things are said to other posters the moderators are very good about keeping that in line if it goes overboard. You may not realize that minors read this forum and some semblance of reasonable language and civility is called for. As for me being out of touch, I assure you I have seen, heard, and been involved in things that would make your toes curl. Don't assume anything about me.

[Spartan]

I think so too. I love the fact that there's a real thriving network of bars and pubs in Norman... not a bunch of Henry Hudsons crap like in the rest of the metro. I like the fact that Norman parks actually have trees instead of the barren wasteland that is a typical OKC park. Campus Corner and Main Street are great areas to walk and shop. The neighborhoods have sidewalks. Old houses are painted and taken care of instead of looking like dilapidated blown apart gangland safe houses. And if you feel like taking part in the suburban nightmare we have 24th Ave.

It could be better, but most neighborhoods are far and above what is typical in the metro.

Exactly.

Also look at how we raised permit fees a few years ago to actually reign in the home building mania.
Also look at how the city will likely not expand any more beyond its current footprint, because of the current land use plan which is actually followed, unlike in OKC.
Also look at how we are moving forward with restoring even more urban corridors, such as Porter Ave.
Also look at how things like fair trade coffee, buy local, free range beef, etc actually mean something in Norman.
Also look at how the Norman City Council passed a resolution condemning OKC recently for some anti-rail moves it made a while back.
Also look at how we as an independent city run an efficient bus system, unlike OKC, and despite not qualifying for federal metro grants (not considered contiguously urbanized yet)
Also look at the quality of landscaping not just on the OU campus but all over the city compared to OKC and Edmond

Could go on and on..

[BG918]

Norman has done a lot of good things but could do a lot more. Look at Lawrence, Kansas to see how a similar-sized college town on the Plains near a large city should look.

[ChargerAg]

what are all these secrets about norman that the transcript is afraid to write about?

[Jesseda]

i still dont see whats great about norman, there are lot of other cities the size of norman that i have vistited across the u.s and a lot are nicer looking and more organized that norman..

[soonerfan_in_okc]

Man oh man you just don't get it. Both chat rooms and forums may or may not have moderators, so you don't really make a point when you say this is not a chat room. And why can I not assume anything about you? You assumed I was being serious about my comment. And based upon your inability to realize that almost anything actually DOES go in a forum, I assumed that you were out of touch with the interwebs. And unfortunately for you, the seriousness you give this issue only reinforced my opinion. You having seen, heard, and been involved in things that would make my toes curl do not improve your E-skills. I am sorry to break your heart but its true. That would be like me having been to prison, and expecting that experience to make me able to fix engines. The two are simply unrelated.

And regarding those things you have seen and heard, please tell. Because although I am young, I have also seen, eaten, and been involved in things all around the world that would make you throw up in your mouth.