A Better Shreveport

Yesterday's meeting summary: We've got a goal!

2009-07-10T06:01:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who attended the ABetterShreveport.org meeting yesterday. In attendance: Jamie Johnson-Eddie, Mark Goadrich, Dan Marcalus, Ian Webb, Robert Trudeau, Feico Kempff, Jeff Welborn, Barbara Jarrel, Ford Bevins, and David Nelson.

The meeting began to thin out after 9:30, but Ian, Mark, Jamie, and Loren stayed for two more hours (!) mainly discussing the bike network signage.

BIKE ROUTE NETWORK

On that note, thanks to all of you who registered your preferences for the various names. There was no runaway winner in e-mail responses, with HUB and BAHN tied in the lead, and BiRN coming in second. And that was without many viewing the options submitted by Dan Marcalus (I likeed "SPINR" personally, for ShrevePort Interconnected Neighborhood Routes).

HOWEVER, despite all the good suggestions we decided that an acronym would be less effective than a simple two or three word title to the map. People driving buy need to understand it and can't stop their cars to read what the acronym stands for. We tried simple titles then, and arrived at "Best Bike Routes".

Jamie suggested that beneath every route sign a web site could be shown where people can get the map, as well as educational cycling information. We settled on bikeSB.org, and I've just gone ahead and bought the domain for us. (We beat Santa Barbara! San Bernardino! And Stockholm and... whoever!)

We also settled on the idea that we would not have abbreviations for the routes, or logos for each route, but simply label the destination of a route given the direction and side of the street of the sign. The painted chevrons on the surface of the street would also not have have logos or destinations on them, just a bike image.

All that said, a number of wise people have said we shouldn't try to reinvent the wheel in all of this--forgive the pun--and should research what other cities have done in their efforts to publicize safe routes. Jamie Johnson said she would get phone numbers from Ian, and call people in national organizations such Bikes Belong and the Thunderhead Alliance to ask about that. Mark Goadrich said that he could conceivably design a cellphone application where people could bring up the network on their phones. After the meeting, Mark found a link to Austin's most recent bike plan from the city: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/bicycle/update2008.htm. He doesn't know know if it has info on designing signs, but he said it looks comprehensive and might help us out.

We decided that our goal should be to spit and polish a specific proposal that we can all support and which we then invite Mike Strong to review. Mike Strong is head of the Department of Operational Services in the city and the main person in charge of things like painting streets. I had a very encouraging conversation with him last fall, and he said if we come up with a plan, they'll consider it.

INSURANCE FOR EVENTS

On other topics, it was mentioned that ABetterShreveport could help sponsor various events such as the velo dendrum tree tour Hallie Dozzier has been organizing for the fall, if we have a means of insuring participants. That would be assisted by our becoming a member of a national organization such as Bikes Belong, The League of American Bicyclists, or the Alliance for Walking and Biking (formerly the Thunderhead Alliance).

CITIZEN ADVISORY GROUP FOR MASTER PLAN

Earlier in the meeting Jeff Welborn informed the group that the flooding of Bickham-Dickson is intentional, and is done partly in order to study it. The park is supposed to flood, in other words, and it's part of the bargain that was struck to make it. (Do I have that about right?)

The group also discussed the Citizen Advisory Group caucuses and how members of our group should be part of them. Loren later reported on several underrepresented areas he learned about. It was suggested that a range of different people normally part of ABetterShreveport could still consider attempting to become part of the group.

PLEASE NOTE: If you want to apply to become a member of the citizen's advisory group and need information or an application, feel free to e-mail me.

If I missed anything, let me know, and I can ammend this summary as posted on the blog.

NEXT MEETING TUESDAY

Because we have momentum on projects this summer, we've decided those of us who can will meet weekly. So, we'll meet again this Tuesday at 8:20, and and we'll do the following:

look over our draft of a letter requesting the Mayor's office to appoint a commission for establishing new construction standards that consider bike-ped needs
look over some logo and type logo suggestions for our letterhead
review what Jamie and Mark's research tells us about what other cities have done for recommending bike routes
review what April, Robert, and Mike Harold have done in the technology group
review what the downtown group has done and on what tasks it needs help.

Join us!

Tomorrows meeting: Logos and Lingos!

2009-07-08T08:27:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning at 8:20 we'll discuss the logo for bike route network, possibly logos for the different routes themselves, and a logo for this very forum, ABetterShreveport.org.

We'll also try to settle on a name for the network.

As Steve Shelburne, our resident Shakespeare scholar would probably tell you, that guy didn't know much. For example, what's in a name? Everything!

A good name for our network of recommended bike routes could make more people use it. It would make it easier to talk about, remember, advertise, etc.

Some acronyms have been bandied about:
The "BAHN" Bicycle Access Highway Network (connoting Germany's Autobahn, and using a bicycle wheel as a logo)
The "BARN" Bicycle Access Road Network (and using a rough map of the city's network that would resemble a barn's profile)
The "BiRN" Bicycle Route Network (and billboard showing relaxed, smiling bicyclists just gliding with the slogan, "Feel the BiRN!" could promote it).

That's on the agenda for tomorrow. Join us! The coffee will be fresh!

Sharron Swanson suggests we request of the Mayor's Office a means to the ends, not just the ends...

2009-07-08T08:02:00.000-07:00

As always, it's wonderful to have people contribute to our work even they can't make the meetings. In our last meeting summary we described two of the letters we're been working on:

1 - establishing road construction standards that would consider bike-ped needs

2 - establishing subdivision standards that allow connectivity.

In response, Sharron Swanson wrote the following in an e-mail to me:

I would suggest you that you combine letters 1 and 2 into one letter. I would suggest that you reference in your letter a desire for the city to adopt “Complete Streets” standards that address the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists, children, the handicapped, etc. Regarding cul-de-sac’s and “connectivity”, the issue is slightly larger and should be addressed as such. Subdivision standards should be changed to require connectivity—including streets aligned with adjacent properties, elimination of cul-de-sac’s unless needed for environmental design reasons as well as elimination of gated communities. For existing cul-de-sac’s I believe it would be very difficult to create easements for bicycle/pedestrian ways because it would require property acquisition and you would be dealing with owner’s side yards versus rear yards as in your linear park concepts.

Your letters to the Mayor need to be clear and to the point. You need to know exactly how you want the Mayor to respond. Do you want the city to establish a committee to develop the new street standards or subdivision standards? Do you want them to simply pass your ideas along to the Master Plan group? Can work be done concurrently with the Master Plan effort?

Thanks for those helpful thoughts, Sharron. Personally, I'd think we'd want to request an appointed commission or committee to set the standards. I don't know if it can or should be done concurrently with Master Plan effort. Comments?

Adjustment: Bike logo and network meeting Thurs, July 9, 8:20 am

2009-07-06T05:39:00.001-07:00

Bicycles, Centenary, Regions Bank
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Please excuse the adjustment in your calanders, but we have to move our ABetterShreveport meeting to Thursday, 8:20 a.m.

It should be a fun meeting, particular for those of us who like logos or slogans. We'll be trying to design the bike network logo, the schematic of the bike route network (what's makes a memorable map worthy of a street sign? hmmm) and the ABS letterhead.

REMEMBER: we could be designing the signs that would point Shreveporters to their network of recommended bike routes... for GENERATIONS!

We'll also be designing a name for the network as a whole. Just to get you thinking, how about the "BARN" i.e., Bicycle Access Route Network, "BiRN" Bicycle Road Nework, "NOBS" Network of Bike Streets (which implies streets should be off limits if they're not part of the network), or the "SPOKE" the "WHEEL" the "PEDEL" etc.

Our very own artist-in-residence Ford Bevens will be there to discuss ideas. Hope you can join us! (8:20 am, Centenary Square, across the street from Georges, room 206.)

Best,
Loren

A Better Shreveport: plan ahead for The Great Expectations Visioning Forum on Sat, Aug 22, at Shreveport Convention Center

2009-07-01T19:46:00.001-07:00

A Better Shreveport
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Thanks to all who contributed to a productive meeting yesterday. In attendance were April Dahm, Feico Kempff, Marcus Morton, Jon Soul, Dan Marcalus, Maurice Loridans, David Nelson, Barbara Jarrell, Robert Trudeau and Loren Demerath.

First, let me announce that we decided yesterday to meet again next week, Tuesday at 8:20 a.m. as usual, to discuss our letterhead logo with local artist Ford Bevins. April and Feico will also be announcing another downtown lunch meeting at ArtSpace soon, so stay tuned for that.

By way of beginning the summary of yesterday's meeting, the reason we want to move ahead asap with the letterhead logo is that during our meeting we discussed three different letters that could be sent from our organization.
1. a letter asking city government to establish road building standards that will consider the needs of pedestrians and cyclists (already drafted by Barbara and Steve Shelburne).
2. a letter asking city government to make cul-de-saq throughways for pedestrians and cyclists mandatory (to be drafted by Maurice).
3. a letter asking the Red River Waterway Commission to address the flooding that it has caused at Bickham Dickson Park
4. a letter asking Goody-Clancy, the Metropolitan Planning Commission, and the Citizen Advisory Group, to consider incorporating the plan of a network of greenways that is being produced by us and the National Park Service into the city's comprehensive master plan .

One of the topics discussed was the upcoming "visioning" meeting on August 22nd, and how having members of our group there will allow us to voice our concerns and desires for the plan.

On the related subject of what we want for downtown, April and Feico reported on the last downtown meeting, how the issue of the cultural district--Texas Ave--and downtown retail--Texas STREET--can collapsed, for our purposes. Feico said he wanted to find out what the creative, tech oriented businesses in town would want and need to locate and live in the cultural district. Loren said he thought many of the needs would be what Don Shea said people want to live downtown generally: groceries, a sense of security, optimally an elementary school and child care. It was mentioned that the subjective sense of security is more the issue than actual security; the crime rates are reportedly low downtown.

The group also discussed how setting standards as part of the master plan would help assuage concerns about how inviting "big box" retail like Walmart or Best Buy would mean tearing down the architectural beauty that is one of the city's great resources.

Another topic discussed was how to recruit more people and interest into our group and its projects via a website, facebook groups, and twitter. April noted that she stumbled on an important group recently via twitter. About half the group admitted they weren't on facebook, but the organizational power provided by social networking sites was acknowledged by all, especially for younger people.

To better promote ABS, we agreed that our new name could be ABetterShreveport.org, and that using that name points people to a web presence and indicates the public interest mission of our group, not to mention a certain level of commitment and seriousness of purpose. Moreover, it was reported to grateful ears that Mike Herold had said he might be willing to improve our web site and blog's designs, and help administer them. Loren also expressed much thanks to Robert Trudeau for the photostream of the downtown meeting, and noted how effective photos are at giving a sense of what our meetings are like.

It was hoped that the group might be able to recruit student interns, perhaps paid if we can get the funding, to record our meetings, help submit material to the blogs and web site, report on city government work sessions, and any other tasks related to ongoing projects.

Turning to our bike route planning, Loren reported on how Ford Bevins was drawing up logos, signs, and maps in the hopes that streets would painted with logos of optimal routes, and signs posted indicating the routes with a map of the route system.

Marcus said it would be useful for us to look at what Santa Monica has done with their "Share the Road, It's the Law" program. Marcus also mentioned that one of the advantages Shreveport has that places like Santa Monica doesn't is a lack of development that can make people guarded about making any changes; change here would be welcomed.

Maurice reported that Texas and Lousiana both just passed bills giving 3 feet of clearence when motorists pass non-motorized persons, but while the Texas governor vetoed the bill, our own Governor Jindal signed ours.

The group also discussed the I-49 survey, the site I49shreveport.com, and whether or not the interstate should go up a different route than North Market. Some asked what would happen to North Market if the interstate took the route west of Market, and that it seemed a waste. Loren described Murray Lloyd's idea of a parkway that seemed a more efficient use of space, better for the North Market property owners that desperately need help, and would preserve the wildlife area to the west of Market.

That was about it. Come next week, ya'll, and get in on the talk, and help us push forward. We'll likley have letter drafts to review and approve. Plus, we'll put on our marketing and promotions hats as we give Ford ideas and feedback on an ABetterShreveport.org logo for letterhead and cards.

Meeting Agenda

2009-06-29T20:48:00.000-07:00

Here's our agenda for Tuesday's meeting, along with some editorial comments at the end, just 'cuz it was irresistable:

The Bike Route Network (map and signs to go on side of road; logo to be painted on road itself; I've got logo's etc. to show, thanks to Ford Bevins!)
Texas Ave. cultural district (what have we learned about what it would take to have residents who are also business-owners move in? or just residents? hooray for our new downtown lunch meeting! what have April Kempf, Feico, and the others learned?)
Cooperatives Center for Bikes, Food, and Building Restoration (what did Steve learn from his visit to the restoration cooperative(s) in Dallas? what space(s) would be available for a coop center that would also help downtown and therefore help create a more dense, more walkable, and less sprawled city?)
Converting the bayous/drainage ditches to greenways (nature trail on hold til November while labor and plans are organized by Jon Soul; is it time to mow other sections? what does the National Park Service need in preparation for their next visit for making the plan?)
Texas St. retail (what did Brady Blade learn at the shopping center convention? is there work we could do to create a vision of a downtown shopping destination that wouldn't depend on residents and wouldn't have to "follow the rooftops"? is there a coordination of property owners we could facilitate?

The rhetorical question that could motivate us:
If one person had control of Texas Street, would he or she have it as it exists now? Surely they'd take advantage of the Manhattan-like buildings and sidewalks.

The metaphor could be:
Every other shopping area in the city is like downhill ski slope, each built on a much small hill owned by one developer. Downtown is a huge mountain, a skier's dream, if developed, but the mountain is owned many different people. If they united behind their shared interests and built a ski resort, they'd beat every other resort in town. Alas, they're not united. Instead, they each rent out their individual properties for marginal profit, when the chance for the big take goes unfulfilled.

A controversial question in our meetings:
Should we invite local businesses to Texas Street, where the profits stay in town, the businesses are unique, and downtown serves as a greenhouse for growing our own major retail businesses? Or should we invite corporate retail Best Buy, Old Navy, Borders, Walmart, Target, etc., letting the outsiders take the spoils?

small, local businesses need traffic and people like a greenhouse needs sunlight, and any downtown business would benefit from glow of a Walmart, Target, or the like. (provided they aren't competing against them directly; if they are, the writing is on the wal.)
for that reason, local businesses have chosen to locate near big box retail
further, local businesses have already seen downtown and have chosen not to occupy it.
corporate retail hasn't made that choice because it hasn't seen downtown; it only sees large parcels of land near high traffic counts; because downtown is cut into many different parcels, they rarely see the equivalent offer of a corn field next to a highway intersection.

But would they come?

Our downtown has a highway, Market and Spring street, traffic roughly equivalent to that 70th and Youree. But a downtown site trumps a suburban one with aesthetics and energy. The architecture and the views up and down the street, river to church that invite sitting; the sidewalk spaciousness that invite socializing, and the diversity of people and purposes that invite people watching and waiting, all give any urban area that's filled a vibrance. An active downtown is not like your ordinary mall. It's a place where you want to be, shop, hang out, live!

They would come, because they'd know the people would come. Same price as the 'burbs, but with that extra appeal? They'd come.

Now, about that price....

First downtown meeting a success...

2009-06-08T14:39:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share what April Dahm wrote recently, after helping to how our first meeting about downtown that was... downtown!

I would first like to each and everyone one of you who was able to make the first A Better Shreveport meeting that focused on the revitalization of downtown Shreveport. We had a wonderful discussion and many ideas and suggestions came forth. In my email, I am attaching the short questionaire that only but a few people were able to complete during our meeting. Please try to complete the form as best as you can and return it to me via e-mail as soon as you can. I would like to compile all the information prior to our next meeting which will be sometime during the week of June 22nd. We will meet again at the lunchtime hour at the Cafe at Artspace as Michael Chisum has graciously offered to cater our working lunch.

If you can, please make a contact list of other people you feel that would contribute to our group. Please call them and invite them personally to our next meeting. I hope to have a meeting date by this Friday.

Again, thank you for your enthusiasm and interest in downtown Shreveport.

Best,

April Dahm

And if you'd like a copy of the aforementioned questionairre, email me at ldemerath gmail.

A Better Shreveport meeting @ Artspace with April Dahm on June 2

2009-06-02T19:21:00.001-07:00

A Better Shreveport meeting @ Artspace
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Attendees:

Feico Kempff kempff@aol.com
David Nelson Dnelson123@bellsouth.net
Maurice Loridans mloridans@bellsouth.net
Michael Harold mdharold@gmail.com
Cynthia Keith cynthiakeith@bellsouth.com
Janie Landry jlandry@downtownshreveport.com
Sally Spruiell spru21@aol.com
Roy Jambor roy.jambor@shreveportla.gov
Alexandyr Kent akent@gannett.com
Charles Kirkland charles.kirkland@shrveportla.gov
Brady Blade Brady.balde@shreveportla.gov
J.P. Valiulis JPV523@aol.com
Christian Valiulis christian_valiulis@yahoo.com
Paula Hickman hickman@nlacf.org
Wendy Benscoter wendy@benscoterconsult.com
April Dahm dahmyankee@comcast.net faitmal@comcast.net aprild@twincitiesdev.com

Quite a productive meeting with a surprisingly broad range of stakeholders present.

Summary of Last Week's Meeting

2009-05-17T06:22:00.000-07:00

In attendance: April Dahm, Feico Kempff, Dale Jennings, Jen Courtney, Rainer Coutney, David Nelson, Brady Blade, Bill Wiener, Janine Demerath, Kelly Weeks, Maurice Loridans, Troy Messina, Loren Demerath

The meeting began with Loren and Feico reporting on their meeting with Don Shea. Loren's recommendations to Brady Blade in preparation for his trip to the International Council of Shopping Centers are posted in the preceding post.

Jen Courtney, who is the head of a food coop in town, described the nature of her group. Jen said the group aveages about 15 people, operates out of her house and truck, and is just big enough so that she can handle it alone, that they are able to get organic food at wholesale prices, but, after being asked, she said that the members were more interested in the quality of food than the price. We discussed what a full, store-front coop would require, how it would help with convenience and organization, and how there could be enough interest in Shreveport to support it. Brady said there may be buildings downtown, such as the former location of Brothers Seafood, with about 8,000 square feet where the coop could be located rent-free and have no sale tax. There was discussion of parking, how proximity to the bus terminal would help, whether a location on Texas Avenue would be preferable or would detract from the density being sought for the core of downtown around Texas Street.

The point was rasied that downtown grocery stores in other cities are often connect to, or linked through pedestrian space to a vertical parking garage. Also, that Don Shea noted that access to groceries is one of the most desired elements by downtown residents.

The restoration and bicycle coops were also discussed, briefly, and how the area around Fertita's is likely also too removed from the core of downtown to work.

Bill Weiner mentioned that one of the problems with Shreveport development in the past has been that we have put things not where they should be, but where cheap and available real estate has been. The group noted that such a pattern has led to the sprawl that gives us the unhealthy and unhappy transportation lifestyles that we now have, but that good planning should be combined with pragmatism and opportunism.

The group then turned to the topic of the developement of the core downtown area, and Bill Wiener spoke to the group about how his experiences. Bill talked about how he had onced tried to live downtown but was not allowed build for a residence, though he would have been allow to build a hotel. The group noted a number of elegant loft and townhouse residences that have recently been developed, perhaps indicating a change in city priorities and policy.

Bill Weiner also talked about the "string of pearls" plan he had helped develop several decades ago. The plan connected parks, universities, and cultural centers using public lands such as the bayous cum drainage ditches. The group noted how similar that plan is to our more recent "Bayous to Use" proposal that the National Park Service is helping us to develop.

Bill described the possibility of using a public corporation to buy land, and lease it back to the railroads where necessary. Brady talked about his experience working with railroad companies, and how reaching agreements can be challenging.

Bill described his "three C's" of good planning: accounting for capacity, cumulative effects, and character. It was noted how downtown location of retail and residence alongside work spaces would more efficiently handle capacity, produce fewer cumulative effects and take advantage of Shreveport's unique downtown character.

The discussion then turned to the kinds of retail to recruit for downtown, and whether they large retailers would kill local stores or whether they already had done so, and whether their presence would increase foot traffic and actually help smaller local merchants.

Feico Kempff described work he had done recently on the Coates Bluff trail. He is scheduled to meet with the heirs of the cemetaries that are now overgrown with forest. The cemetaries are located on two hills alongside the bayou that goes from the Montessori School, by Stoner Elementary, and behind Magnet High School. Feico and others noted how Caddo public schools and SPAR could be partners in developing the trail. Dale Jennings, a local history buff, talked about the history of the area as well.

Importance of Local Cultural Ammenities for Growing an Economy

2009-05-11T08:14:00.000-07:00

Feico Kempff just passed on to me a report released by the Texas Cultural Trust that should motivate us to continue what we've been doing as ABetterShreveport.

In a nutshell, the report states that a growing economy needs a creative sector that includes a highly paid innovative work force, and that cultural ammenities are critical attracting and retaining that work force.

The study finds that successful communities provide cultural ammenities in three principle forms:

active and diverse nonprofit cultural arts organizations and programs
well-rounded curriculum in public schools
economic development efforts that emphasize the quality of place

Certainly that last one, "quality of place," is what we've been working on with our projects.

Imagine a Shreveport where you can safely, conveniently, and pleasantly bike to a downtown where there is enough diverse activity that just sitting and people watching over a cup of coffee would be entertainment enough. That's a quality of place that would make people want to live here, be they software designers, filmmakers, inventors, researchers, or creative people of any type.

Having those people here helps our economy, the report says, so creating a quality place to live doesn't just help our quality of life, it helps us our bank accounts too!

So here's to developing Texas Street, a cultural district, creating a coop plaza, a recommended bike route network, a system of greenways, community gardens, creating avenues for public dialogue on community issues, etc., etc.!

We should be heartened by the report. We're on the right track. Onward and upward, for the good of us all!

Next meeting Tuesday the 12th, good past meetings with Brady Blade and Don Shea

2009-05-11T08:12:00.000-07:00

next ABetterShreveport meeting is this Tuesday, the 12th, at 8:20 a.m.

We'll be set to pick up where we left off in discussing:

* the cultural district
* a cooperative center for food, bikes, and restoration
* Texas Street development
* signs and labeling of bike routes
* pedestrian-bicycling building standards legislation

Feico Kempff, Maurice Loridans, and myself had a great meeting last week--if a bit smaller than usual--with Brady Blade, the assistant director of economic development for Mayor Glover.

This past Monday Feico and I met with Don Shea, Director of the Downtown Development Authority to talk about Texas Street and the cultural district.

We'll report on that meeting on Tuesday as well. In a nutshell, though, both Brady and Don were very encouraging, and Brady is even headed to the International Council of Shopping Centers convention next week partly to work towards the ends we've discussed.

As usual, we'll meet at Centenary Square, across the street the George's Grill, room 206. Enter from the parking lot in back and you can't miss us.

The coffee will be fresh!

ABetterShreveport profiled in "Voices" newspaper

2009-05-11T07:25:00.000-07:00

Thank you April Reynolds for your fine article about us in this week's Voices newspaper! Always nice to get press like that.

Preservation of Historic Shreveport Meetings this week

2009-05-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

A list of meetings from Teresa Edgerton-Scott on downtown historic preservation:

If you are in favor of preserving the historic districts and buildings in Shreveport, now is the time to make your voice heard. The importance of historic preservation ordinances will be discussed at both the City Council special session called for this purpose and at the regular meeting of Parish Commission. Frank B. Gilbert, a national expert on preservation and the law, will be in town next week to try to jump start legislation in Shreveport to protect historic sites. Please try to attend and invite others.

Special Session of the City Council, Tuesday, May 5, 2:00 pm, Government Plaza--the National Trust for Historic Preservation consultant, Frank Gilbert, will be there discussing the need for ordinances to protect historic properties. This meeting was called just for this purpose. Jean Sayres, his local host with the Louisiana Trust, has urged me to get as many people as possible to attend this special called meeting to show support for historic preservation. We need to show the council there is grassroots support for this initiative in Shreveport. If Highland can't turn out for such a cause, then we are in trouble. Shreveport is the only large city in La that doesn't already have Historic Commission and ordinances to protect historic properties.

Mr. Gilbert has an extremely busy itinerary next week in Shreveport. Sue will be accompanying him on driving tour of Fairfield and Highland Historic Districts upon his arrival. Monty Walford and Matthew Linn will have meetings with him prior to his speaking to their respective "groups." I have his resume and other information provided by Jean Sayres should anyone want to see it.

Regular meeting of Caddo Parish Commission, Thursday, May 7, 3:30 pm, Government Plaza--Mr. Gilbert is first on their agenda and will speak for about 15 minutes, then answer commissioner's questions. Again, it would behoove us to have as many people there as possible to support idea of preservation in Shreveport.

Please rearrange your schedules if possible to attend (as I have had to do during this busy time of year at my work) these meetings. Invite other people who are interested in preservation to attend as well. It is time to be proactive, rather than just respond to problems as they arise.

Some food for thought on downtown revitalization

2009-04-30T13:45:00.000-07:00

Here's some news stories germane to our projects:

How to get big retailers into constrained downtown spaces--like BordersBooks in downtown Baton Rouge in the article here.

How to target specific stores for downtown that offer something different from the 'burbs.

And two "Smart City" stories from NPR:

How connecting a city through greenways can increase civic engagement.

And how to design parking downtown.

Earth Day Celebration Saturday the 25th at Sankofa Gardens

2009-04-20T06:28:00.000-07:00

The annual Sankofa Earth Day Fest is this Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Sankofa Gardens, 1561 Tulane St., Shreveport, LA 71103. There'll be plenty of green living festivities, including community garden planting, "edu-tainment," music, games, and food!
The event is free and open the public. For information, call Leia Lewis at 318-230-2892.
(Sankofa Vision, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to celebrating and cultivating the art, culture, and community life of people of African descent.)
Just FYI, my family attended this a couple of years ago and loved it. Much recommended!

Apologize for Segregation? Why Bring it Up? It's Not Happening Anymore.

2009-04-18T12:40:00.000-07:00

For nearly 100 years Jim Crow laws mandated racial segregation. I described in a previous post, Larry Griffin's talk at Centenary on April 16, and his description of how other societies have recovered from eras of widespread and deliberate civil and human rights abuse.

In speaking of that time here, Griffin said: "Segregation was the law of the land, and most southern whites, politicians and ordinary citizens alike, resisted, too often with violence, any challenge to it. ...We in the region were very much a people divided, divide here by race. I need only allude to the horrors of African American life in the segregated South, the daily humiliations and degradations and fear; the systematic, routinized exclusions; the hint, or more than the hint, of violence to be unleashed at any time for any reason or for no reason at all. Unfortunately, death came all too frequently to the South: more than 4000 black folk—true figures will never be known--were lynched by white mobs during the time of Jim Crow. So, again, we were, in the mid-1960s, a people divided, a quarter to a third or so of the South’s own without much in the way of economic comfort, physical security, or political voice."

Griffin noted how other societies have healed from such pasts by installing into power those who'd been oppressed, by conducting trials, leading truth and reconciliation commissions, issuing apologies, or paying repatriations.

One thought people might have with regard to apologizing for slavery or segregation is this:
"Why should bring it up? There's no segregation anymore. Aren't we creating differences between people that don't exist? Why apologize for something that isn't affecting anyone?"

And it doesn't make sense to apologize for something that isn't affecting anyone in the first place. If I make a mistake, but correct it before it affects anyone, I wouldn't apologize.

So, if we're all treated equally now by race, why bring up the past?

First, we all behave differently towards people based on race (as well as on gender, attractiveness, age, etc.) even when we think we don't. It's common for whites to think racism doesn't exist anymore. And that's natural. It's impossible to see all the subtle differences in our behaviors towards others.

In fact the research is overwhelming that racism still exists today, though it's not necessarily not the kind of racism that any well-meaning white person would perceive. For example, am I conscious of how race affects who I'd hire for a job? No. But the evidence is indisputable that they do affect those choices, even for your average, well-meaning white person. In one experiment whites were much less likely to call someone with an who'd sent in job application if they had Afro-centric name, even when everything else on the resume was exactly the same. Would I do that? Odds are that I would, even if it's subconscious. Just as I treat people differently by their age, obesity, attractiveness, disabilities, status, even when I don't think I'm doing it.

So, racism is happening, and apologizing for the original inequalities that led to current prejudgements and assumptions, might help us be aware of them and reduce our racism.

The other reason we should apologize for segragation, even though happened decades ago is because it lives on today in terms of black and white differences in wealth. The endowments that old universities and colleges have built, the capital that long-standing companies have accumulated, the wealth, and even opportunities and advice that families have handed down over the generations, all amount to resources that African-Americans were systematically excluded from amassing themselves. Non-African Americans today are effectively sitting on a bigger pile of resources than African-Americans, and that difference began illegitimately.

The examples are right in front of us. In a city that is half black, for example, Centenary College's custodial staff is predominantly black, while it's faculty is all white. There's a tendency to think such patterns are the result of voluntary choices: we chose our career paths, don't we? how hard to try in school? or who we associate with? One of the people I associate with is my dad. I didn't chose him, and I ended up a lot like him. He's a sociologist and--what a coincidence--I happen to be one too. So our social networks aren't a result of choice, and they've got important consequences.

Neither I, nor my father would be exactly where we are today if the competition had been a little stiffer at any point along the way. When he was applying to colleges in 1953, his black counterparts in segregated schools in North Carolina couldn't hope to compete with him equally. Nor could my African-American counterparts in Massachusetts twenty five years later. For example, I got plenty of invaluable advice from my dad on how to navigate the course from high school to a professorship. That's advise you don't get if your dad was kept out of that same experience.

Do I feel guilty about it? No. I didn't design segregation. Neither did my dad, mom, granddad, or any of my ancestors. Could they have done more to work against it? Sure. Could I have done more? I now see that I sure could have. And I regret that. And that's what I'd apologizing for, personally. I'm sorry I've never admitted to myself how my own advantages were traceable, in part, to segregation. I just didn't see it. Now that I do, I'm going try to own up to it; to admit that I've achieved what I have only partly because of my smarts and effort. A lot of what I have is due to my race. (And for that matter, come to think of it, my gender, my sexual orientation, my looks, my height, my non-disability status, etc.)

But I don't feel guilty. I will feel guilty, though, if I don't apologize. And if I don't help guard against our society making the same kind of mistake we made in segregation.

When we make mistakes that hurt other people, we apologize for them. And we hope those people will accept our apology to mean we'll guard against making that mistake again in the future.

We know segregation was a mistake, and that it's still hurting people today. So let's be honest about that. It might help us be aware of similar mistakes we make in the future, and for those who've been hurt by our mistakes to trust our intentions to not repeat those mistakes.

A number of institutions have apologized for slavery--the University of North Carolina, the University of Alabama, and Wachovia Securities, to name three--but none have apologized for segregation.

Let's lead the way, here in Shreveport. For Shreveport to be the first city, or Centenary the first college, would be something to be proud about, wouldn't it?

In my next post, I'm going to suggest a paragraph that we'd presumably sign as an apology.

Summary of "What do Southerners do about a difficult past?" talk given by Dr. Griffin

2009-04-18T05:41:00.000-07:00

"The Past is never dead, it's not even past." - William Faulkner

If we keep in mind the truth of that statement by one of the south's great writers, we'll be able to answer the call to action issued by Dr. Larry Griffin, one of the south's great sociologists, at Centenary this past Thursday.

I know a lot of people couldn't attend, being in the middle of a work day and all, so for those of you are interested me to sum it up. I'd then like to propose something, inspired by his analysis.

Dr. Griffin began with a quote from William Faulkner, about how the past makes us who are, and how contemplating it can make us wish we were someone else, and lead us to ask for forgiveness.

Dr. Griffin described how growing up and going to college in Mississippi in the 50's and 60's was a formative experience, but it's taken him a while to realize how that's so, for better and worse. He said it has taken him a long time to get where he is today: giving a speech like this at a place like Centenary.

Dr. Griffin first pointed out that many societies have made transitions from illegitimacy to legitimacy. Those societies have to peace with a past of violent oppression and injustice.

A common feature of societies that have successfully completed transitions is that the previously oppressed take their turn in power. This has not happened in our region. Whites maintained political control after slavery, and immediately after the end of segregation.

Societies such as Poland after communism, Chile after Pinochet, Guatemala after the death squads, Cambodia after the Khamer Rouge, and South Africa after apartheid have also used mechanisms aimed specifically to restore faith in the goodness and justice of the society.

Public trails of especially culpable individuals
Truth and reconciliation commissions offering public forums for confessions and requests for forgiveness
Apologies of organizations for their complicitness in the injustices of the previous era
Reparations paid to ancestors of victims

Dr. Griffin argued that the south has not completed its transition, but he pointed out that there appears to be an increasing awareness of the need to do so. The University of Alabama, the University of North Carolina, and Wachovia Securities have all issued apologies for their complicity in slavery. No organizations have apologized for Jim Crow segregation.

A key part of Dr. Griffin's talk was reminding us of the grim past for which our society and its organizations might want to apologize. For example, we might want to collectively apologize for the over 4,000 African-Americans who were lynched, or for the daily humiliation and degradation blacks had to suffer through segregation.

So, should our society, as a whole, apologize? Should our state? Should our city? Our historically white universities and colleges? Companies?

In my next post I'll talk about why we'd want to apologize for something that happened a long time ago, doesn't seem relevant today, and might appear to only make things worse.

As always, feel free to comment.

Centenary Talk Thursday on Race and Responsibility Open to the Public

2009-04-09T08:23:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, from 11:10 to 12, in the Whited Room of Bynum Commons at Centenary College, Dr. Larry Griffin, the Reed Professor of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, will be giving the following talk that is open to the public:

"Race, Memory, and Historical Responsibility: What do Southerners do with a difficult past?"

Larry Griffin is not only one of the most published and celebrated sociologists of his generation, he's also a down-to-earth, funny, engaging speaker.

Please join us on Centenary's campus next Thursday to address an issue of importance for all of us.

Next meeting: Tuesday the 14th, 8:20 to 9:30

2009-04-09T07:51:00.000-07:00

Per our every other Tuesday schedule, we'll meet next Tuesday, the 14th, at Centenary Square, room 206, at 8:20 a.m.

First half of the meeting:
- We'll update news on the bike route work.
- I'll be proposing a civil rights history route, in light of Dr. Griffin's upcoming talk.
Second half of the meeting:
- We'll talk about a downtown revitalization project that our downtown team can get their teeth into. E.g., create a vision, identify spaces, recruit space users?

"Velo Dendro" Biking Tree Tour of the City Previewed

2009-04-09T07:21:00.000-07:00

Troy Messina, Steve Godfrey, Loren Demerath, and Maurice Loridans have all previewed by bicycle the "Velo Dendro" Biking Tree Tour of the City that will be offered in November. We've drawn it in red among the other bike routes we're proposing signage for that are drawn in blue.

View Bike Routes in a larger map

Good meeting today with Goody Clancy's Ron Thomas

2009-04-02T15:34:00.000-07:00

Ian Webb and Loren Demerath met today with Goody Clancy's Ron Thomas to learn from him whatever we could that help us. Ron also wanted to learn from us what our projects are, what our expectations for the planning process and outcomes are, and who we thought it would be good for Goody Clancy to talk to as they prepare to contribute to the city's comprehensive master plan. It was very good meeting, Ian and I thought. Details to come!

Mapping Bike Routes

2009-04-02T15:12:00.000-07:00

We had a good meeting this past Tuesday on our project of posting signs of recommended bike routes throughout the city. Next Tuesday we'll update our work on that, and move to downtown development issues.

Dan Marcalus has accepted the call of duty in refining our bike route map. Our goal is to make a map we can give to the city and ask that signs be posted indicating recommended routes.

We may want to think about using MapMyRide instead of Google Maps. Below is a bike loop of historic sites in Highland, made by Dan.
&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/la/shreveport/185281237308"&amp;amp;gt;Historic Highland Sites&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/find-ride/united-states/la/shreveport"&amp;amp;gt;Find more Bike Rides in Shreveport, Louisiana&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

And here is the map of various routes I've made using Maurice Loridans' personal map of routes. Among the additions we can make, besides additional routes, are notable sites, destinations, and sign and route placements. (I think there's a limit on GoogleMaps to 100 lines or items per map though.)

View Larger Map

Morning of Trail Scouting

2009-03-24T15:11:00.000-07:00

Jon Soul, Feico Kempff, and Loren Demerath spent a couple of hours last Sunday morning scouting a possible trail that would go between the Montessori School for Shreveport and Veteran's Park.

It was fun. One thing about hiking. It can be athletic!

Of course, if our goal is to entice people into walking and biking for transportation, we would probably want to eliminate such obstacles as the trail develops. For the record, Loren went under the tree.

Could students at Caddo Magnet High School someday use this school to get to school? Could this be part of a route that one could bike from Spring Lake to Veterans Park and the Riverside Bike Path? It's possible.

Trail Scouting the Morning of Sunday the 22nd

2009-03-18T06:46:00.000-07:00

Jon Soul and Loren Demerath are diving into the forest Sunday morning to scout a possible trail between the Anderson Bayou and Veterans Park. Anyone who's game is more than welcome to join us. We're meeting at the Montessori parking lot (2605 Galloway Blvd and Washington) at 7:15 and plan to be out by 9:15. It'll be a bushwacking adventure, so we recommend wearing long pants, a long sleeve shirt, etc.

Also, although yours truly couldn't attend due to flu in the family, I've heard we had a good meeting yesterday. Details to come.

Bike Routes and Signs

2009-03-15T06:43:00.000-07:00

One of our discussions at our last meeting was about bike routes in the city, and we seemed to settle on the idea of having signs that would designate particular routes. This would avoid the problem of posting signs that say simply "bike route" and could imply that cyclists aren't fully welcome on roads that lack those signs--which is not true, legally.

So, we'd be creating signs LESS like this:

and MORE like this:

I'll be bringing Maurice's map of best routes for biking to our Tuesday meeting so we can plot specific routes. We'll need to consider common destinations and the layout of the overall network.

Also, for those who've heard Ian or I talk about them, here's a photo of a "conference bike". They say it's the world's best social lubricant, and that it works well for parties, tourists, as part of team building exercises, even for meetings. In my line of work, they might work well for urban sociology field trips!

Sure are pricey, though, at about $10,000. Guess that's why now they're mostly seen as rentals. Austin has 'em, wouldn't you know.